Under Construction: Plans for a 20,000 ft summit attempt

Annapurna Base Camp

2011-09-22T07:21:00.000-07:00

Day break on Annapurna South and Fang. Annapurna Base Camp, April 2011.

Annapurna. For armchair mountaineers as well as real ones, the name brings to mind tales of heroism and tragedy. But those are often set aside by the image of one of the most formidable peaks in the world. In fact, Annapurna I (8091m) is the highest point along a 55 km barrier in the Central Himalaya that includes no less than 14 peaks above 7000m. To add to the drama, the western end of the ridge is separated from Dhaulagiri by the world's deepest gorge. The Annapurna Base Camp trek takes you to the heart of the Annapurna Sanctuary, a place of gigantic beauty, where the Annapurna massif and the beautiful and unclimbed Macchapuchare cradle you among snowfields and glaciers.

Trivia:

People: Saumya, Saurabh, Prasad, Kanishka, Ranjita (all star cast, who have been on several prior treks documented on these pages) and "Gadget" Geetanjali (all the way from SF Bay Area)
Dates: Apr 15 - 22 (8 trekking days)
Trailhead: Nayapul, about 1.5 hours drive from Pokhara
Highest point: ABC, 4130m
Total distance: ~90km
GPS data (courtesy GG).
Peaks: Annapurna I (8091m), Annapurna South (7219m), Fang (7647m), Annapurna III (7555m), GangaPurna (7455m), Glacier Dome, Macchapucchare (6993m), Tent Peak (5773m), Fluted Peak (6501m), Hiunchuli (6441m), Rakshi Peak. In addition, from Pokhara: Dhaulagiri (8167m), Annapurna IV (7525m), Manaslu (8156m).
Permits: Go on a weekday to the ACAP office near Lakeside in Pokhara (ask anyone) and get the ACAP and TIMS permits. Carry passport photos, passport copies, and cash. You get them within an hour.

Prelude:

Twelve hours before we started the trek, it seemed like wewouldn’t. Everyone except Ranjita and I (who had arrived in Pokhara a few daysprior) was on a dinky flight from Kathmandu to Pokhara that got turned arounddue to bad weathe, just prior to landing. They found themselvesback in Kathmandu later that afternoon. Resourceful as ever, they managed to arrange a cab to drive them to Pokhara, only 200km away, but a tortuous 6 hourroad trip on a good day. Their over-enthusiastic cabbie, who from their accounts had the extremely dangerous "no problem" mentality, proceeded to have anaccident within the first 5 minutes of the trip. Damage to the car notwithstanding, they carried on, and suffered abreakdown in the middle of the night, in the middle of exactly nowhere. At a road side eatery (to which they had to hike a few km in the dead of night), Saumya, Prasad, Saurabh and Geeta had dinner, andoverheard a bunch of people saying that one of their group had gone missingafter going for a swim in the river. So, after surviving a cancelled flight, anaccident, a breakdown, and coming in close contact with a drowning, the braveones arrived at the Sacred Valley Inn at Pokhara (where the two of us were staying) at about4 am, in surprisingly good humour. The only casualties appeared to have been anight’s sleep, and Saumya’s cellularphone.

Day 1. Nayapul To Ghandruk (1950m). 5h 30min including lunch.

Plans unchanged, but delayed by a few hours, we left Pokharain a minivan around 9:30. Two hours later we arrived at Nayapul, where westarted the trek at 11:30 am. Since the ABC trek is a tea-house trek, we werecarrying our own packs. We had made no advance bookings, but were told thatfinding accommodation along the route wouldn’t be hard.

The first couple ofhours were spent meandering through the dusty lanes of Nayapul, then Birethanti, where we crossed the Modi Khola for the first time. Our permits forthe Annapurna Sanctuary were checked at Birethanti quite meticulously, witha significant lack of humour from a couple of local girls. After this the trail opens up a little, remaining quite flat all the way to Syauli Bazaar. From Syauli Bazaar it is a LONG, warm climb upstone staircases, which we learnt from the guide books, are characteristic ofGurung Villages in this part of the country. Since it was the first day of thehike, and most folks had not slept, it was slow going. Additionally, it wasquite humid, and for some this proved to be the hardest section ofthis trek. The lunch stop was not a moment too soon: Prasad was suffering fromstomach cramps.

At Kimche we had our first meal of DBT (short for Dal Bhat Tarkari), which would end up being staple diet for the most part of the trek. Simple food, cooked with thefreshest ingredients, grown locally. There was nothing better we could ask for.The two ladies who ran the show at our lunch stop were very pleasant,encouraging us to spend the night in their lodge, but not pressing very hard. One ofthem, the younger one, spoke of Bangalore a little wistfully, and mentionedthat her “friend” works there. We had decided to spend the night further up thetrail, hence couldn't oblige.

The Gurung Villages are characterized by stone cut steps. There were thousands of them.

A few thousand stone-cut steps later, we arrivedat Ghandruk around 5 pm, the largest of the Gurung Villages, perched on a ridgewith great views up and down the Modi Khola gorge. It took a while to decidewhere to stay. In the end, Mountain View Lodge won the contest, thanks to theunmatched terrace, even though it meant at least one of us (me in the end)would have to sleep on the floor. MVL was run by a very efficient lady, whowhile barking orders at her staff, was managing a completely full house ofguests with politeness and promptness. Dinner was terrific, consisting of moreDBT, and some incredible home made pizza. The impact of western trekkers onthis part of the Himalaya is clear from the tea-house menus: pizza and pasta have pride of place, and most significantly,the quality is almost uniformly good. Prices are fixed by a union of lodgeowners. As a result, the menus along 50km of the Modi Khola gorge, and across 10000ftof elevation, where climate zones and ecosystems display stunning variety, are surprisinglyuniform.

We spent the evening admiring views of the gorge (snow peakswere hidden by clouds) and anticipating the next day’s trek.

Annapurna South from the Mountain View Lodge at Ghandruk

Day 2. Ghandruk to (Lower) Sinuwa (2325m)

After breakfast, it was an easy walk though the stony pathways of Ghandruk. A little after leaving the village, the trail forks, the left one leading toGhorepani, and Poon Hill (2 days away), the setting for dramatic sunrise views over Dhaulagiri. There was a little confusion, as a buffalo herder with an extremelack of confidence pointed us to the right fork (in the end he was proved correct). The trail then contoursaround a tributary of the Modi Khola and then climbs steeply to a viewpointcalled Kimrong Danda, from where we had our first clear views of AnnapurnaSouth and Annapurna III. From here it’s a steep descent to the Kyumnu Khola,which drains one face of Annapurna South, and then meets the Modi Khola. I leftthe viewpoint last after taking some photos, and then gathered speed goingdownhill hoping to catch up with the others. Surprisingly, 45 minutes later, Icaught up with Saumya and Saurabh, when I expected to first cross Prasad, Geeta andRanjita. So the three of us continued down to the river and waited.After a while, Geeta and Prasad arrived, leading to anxiety that Ranjita mightbe half way down the face, waiting for me. In fact, she was worried sick that Ihadn’t caught up with them, and finally arrived at the river, convinced that Ihad met with a tumble somewhere higher on the mountain. It took a while for herto calm down and we realized that one of us must have taken a short cut, resulting in the confusion.

Once everyone had had their tea and recovered from the descent, it was time for a steep ascent (“Nepali flat” refers to a trail that tortures the trekker while gaining no elevation) to Chommrong. A little beforeChommrong, at a teaser lodge, there was some disagreement about whether to haltfor lunch, or press ahead to Chomrong proper. In the end we did, and had asatisfying lunch at Moonlight Lodge. The lodge owner was very friendly, and suggested westay at the Sherpa Lodge run by his daughter in Sinuwa. The food was excellent,and we had for company a solo Japanese trekker, who was on the second leg of a South Asia trip. He had already spent a few weeks in the Khumbu region, and was now traipsing through Central Nepal. Later he was planning tospend the summer in Delhi and Varanasi. His dad apparently runs a business,which he works for, 6 months of the year. Lucky dude. He looked really fit, andhad trekked from ABC all the way to Chomrong that very day.

You descend to this deep gorge and climb right out of it. Chommrong and Sinuwa are at roughly the same elevation, but it's a lot of work getting from one to the other. Annapurna South keeps you company.

Almost immediately after we left Chhomrong it startedraining heavily, so out came the rain gear. Nepali flatness lay ahead: asteep descent to a tributary, and then a climb up to Sinuwa, where we easily located Sherpa Guest House: an efficient outfit, runby two women. A British guy and his Nepali companion Raju gave us usefulinformation about the route ahead, and helped us make bookings at Himalaya,Machapuchare Base Camp as well as Annapurna Base Camp. Most interestingly,there were a couple of Korean girls at dinner, and Raju hooked them up over thephone with the Himalaya lodge owner, who spoke to them in Korean! Apparently hehad lived in Korea for a few years, and spoke the language fluently. We watchedthese two really thin girls eat a mammoth volume of rice and pasta.

Day 3: Sinuwa to Himalaya (3-4 hours)

It was a relatively relaxed start after two long-ish days. The first part is a moderately steep section to Upper Sinuwa, fromwhere we were rewarded with clear views of Annapurna III and Gadharva Chuli.Macchapucchare remained elusive, shrouded in cloud. After a quick tea break in bright sunshine, we pushedahead to Bamboo, where we stopped briefly for soda. Saurabh had reached so farahead of us that he was making good progress through his book. The lodge at Bamboo was drying something that looked likeKimchee (and turned out to be Kimchee). From here the trail goes through denseand humid bamboo jungle. Next stop was Dobhan, where we had some of the bestDBT of the trip, served by a gracious hostess. We preceded lunch with a littlebit of up-and-down trail running, much to the amusement of the onlookers.

Pink rhododendrons

FromDobhan to Himalaya, it’s a spectacular hike through oak and rhododendronforest, with the flowers changing from blood red to pink as you gain elevation.It drizzled through most of this section, and soon after reaching Himalaya, ahailstorm hit. We got the worst rooms in thehouse, directly across from the restrooms. But the lodge had a very cosy diningroom, which is where we spent most of the rest of the day. It rained throughthe night, so we did some UNO puja to help improve our luck. Early in the morning, Saurabh managed to fall out of bed, much to our amusement (Ranjita and GG got the giggles), but not to his.

Day 4: Himalaya to Macchapucchare Base Camp (approx. 3 hours)

We made an early start, around 7 am, in murkyconditions, and made a short quick march to Deorali. On the way we passed theHinko Cave, which is refered to in Chris Bonnington’s expedition as a placewhere a whole bunch of porters had to spend an unplanned, cold, and exposednight. We were hit by another thunderstorm accompanied by hail just as weapproached Deorali, where well-deserved hot tea awaited us. After Deorali, wecrossed over to the true left of the Modi Khola in order to avoid an avalancheprone area. From here the tree line starts deteriorating quite rapidly, givingway to bushes. A beautiful fern carpeted the entire valley floor. In this section you get to appreciate the “gates” of the sanctuary: sheer black walls of the valley covered with sheets of ice and a few frozenwaterfalls, which help build up anticipation for the base camp areas that lie ahead. We crossed back over the river, and even though we were at higheraltitude, the hike seemed easier than the previous few days. A final steepascent later, we arrived at MBC, all the while being rained on by a steadydrizzle that denied us the exhilaration of entering the sanctuary. The guest house at MBC had a fantastically perched dining room. Wespent the whole afternoon there playing UNO, and chatting with a medical student who incredibly was studying for an exam, while it snowed and sleeted outside. Early inthe evening, it cleared up enough for some views of Machhapuchhare andHiunchuli. But it was too damp and cold to just stand around outside and wait for the fleeting peak glimpses. It was a cold night, and I suffered a little in my summer sleeping bag.

Macchapucchare from MBC

Day 5: MBC to ABC (4130m) (about 2 hours)

Just behind the lodges at MBC is the ridge of thelateral moraine of the Annapurna Glacier. A short scramble takes you thereand provides good views of the snowmelt from the north and the west merging toform the Modi Khola a thousand odd feet below. Not a spot for those scared of heights. The views of Macchapucchare and Hiuchuli are spectacular from MBC.

Afterbreakfast we started the snow plod up towards ABC. It was a clear morning (initially),giving us perfect views of MP and Gandharva Chuli. It was surprisingly hot, even thoughwe were trudging through freshly fallen snow. In a couple of hours we reachedABC, and scrambled through the snow up to the moraine.

Picture memorial to Anatoli Boukreev, who died on Annapurna in 1997. A great mountaineer who is remembered for the wrong reasons thanks to Jon Krakauer's judgmental writing in "Into Thin Air"

From here you get grandstand views of the ominous face of Annapurna I and the monstrous Annapurna Glacier below it. The weatherstarted worsening rapidly, so after spending 30 min or so listening to theglacier crack and rocks tumble, we headed back to the lodge, where we had tea, and lunch. Much like the previous day, we spend most of the afternoon in thedining room, while it snowed outside. Some entertainment was provided by agroup of Japanese senior citizens who shared a birthday cake, but strictly with themselves. They also made arrangements to get helicoptered out of ABC.Their Sherpa guide claimed he had never seen Indians like us, leaving us alittle confused as to his implications. He was nice, so we assumed that hismain interaction with Indians was limited to not too polite gamblers in Kathmandu.

Thedining room had a small memorial to Anatoli Boukreev, and on the ridge we founda memorial to Ian Clough, the only victim of Chris Bonnington’s 1970 expeditionthat first climbed the south face of Annapurna I. It's a sobering reminder of the fact that Annapurna I has the highest fatality rate for climbers among the 8000ers.

Midnight views at ABC:

Visibility outside was downto about 10 meters in the evening, so we hit the bed at 8:30 pm, bundling ourselves in oursleeping bags and extra blankets. Late that night, around 11:30 pm, I got awoken by a need touse the facilities, and noticed bright light falling through the window of thedorm-style room all 6 of us were sharing. After we stepped out, it was clearthat the light wasn't from the fluorescent tube in the corridor, but from asbright a full moon as you have ever seen. Stepping out of the lodge into thesnow yielded a view that will be imprinted on our memories forever. The nightwas cloudless. The peaks surrounding the sanctuary were blanketed in a whitelight so bright, you could read. Theface of Annapurna I was on full display, as were the 10-15 other peaks thatencircle ABC. Several people were out on the snow taking pictures using atripod, but our point and shoot cameras happily allowed us to focus onexperiencing the view rather than capturing it for later. We spent a good 30-45min out in the cold, soaking in the magical beauty of the place.

Back in the room, most people were feeling the effects ofaltitude, Saumya in particular. It was a warm 8.5 degrees inside the sleepingbag, which Ranjita claimed was like saying “Ashwatthama is dead”, since it was negative 5 outside it, as proven by our water bottles that were now morelike ice bottles. Ranjita also managedto take a tumble on the ice, hurting her already badly injured elbow (obtained on a pre-trek biking accident in Pokhara).

Day 6: ABC to Bamboo (8.5 hours)

Annapurna South and Fang, from ABC

Annapurna I, from ABC

Annapurna III, from MBC

Brilliant, brilliant views at sunrise. Except forsublimation being blown off various peaks, there was nothing to obscure theviews. This is well known as one of the finest locations of the Himalaya, and wewere lucky that the previous day’s snow storm had prepped the sanctuary perfectly.From left to right, in a 360 degree panorama, we saw Annapurna South,Fang, Annapurna I, Rakshi Peak? Tent Peak, Gandharva Chuli, Macchapuchare,Hiunchuli. We spent a couple of hours roaming around, hanging out at the glacier moraine, and chatting with others who were equally mesmerized. Annapurna I is the centerpiece of this dramatic place though the other peaks compete to outdo each other. At around 8:30 am, after about 3 hours of euphoria, we had breakfast and headed down in brilliant sunshine, over the snowfield linking ABC to MBC. Gadget Geetanjali and I were a little worried about possible snowblindness (unwisely, neither of us were wearing sunglasses), so we scampered downhill in haste. Fromthe ridge behind MBC, great views of Gangapurna and Glacier Dome emerged (not visible from ABC). After collecting some gear we had left behind at MBC,it was a lovely, easy downhill walkexiting the sanctuary, and down to Deorali and then Himalaya. It was raining bythe time we got to Himalaya, and it seemed like nothing had changed there inthe last 48 hours. After tea we continued down through Dobhan to Bamboo,arriving around 5 pm, where our friend at Himalaya had made a booking for us.Down in the warm forest near Bamboo after having hot showers, ABC felt like adream. That evening we chatted with theonly female guide we came across on the entire trip, who was escorting a singleIrish girl. I think she said she was employed by a company that only works withwomen, and that there were very few of them working as guides.

Macchapucchare shows off why it's named what it's named

Day 7: Bamboo to Jhinudanda:

There was some excitement in the morning, when Prasadclaimed that a snow leopard had been sighted on the mountain face rising on thewest of the gorge. Many binoculars and cameras with zoom lenses were passedaround, and the leopard was soon downgraded to bharal, and then, by the cynical few, to a boulder.

Rhododendrons backed by the stunning face of Macchapucchare

We headed out at around 8:30 am, gradually descendingthrough the forest, which in a couple of days seemed to have blossomed intorhododendron paradise. It was a quick march except a brief tea stop at Sinuwa,where we got a chance to look up the valley and admire AnnaPurna III andGangaPurna for the last time, and also look down and across the valley at Chhomrong, our lunchdestination. It proved challenging getting there, thanks to the steep descentto the Kyumni Khola, and then a very warm ascent to Chhomrong. The familiarand friendly Moonlight Lodge outdid itself in terms of DBT and soup, but themuch taunted chocolate cake proved to be a bit of a disaster, notwithstanding the glowing endorsement Time Magazine had made of the quality of cake in these parts.

As was the pattern on the trip, it startedraining quite heavily during lunch. Luckily it petered out soon after, and weclimbed to upper Chomrong, before a short, knee-busting descent to Jhinudanda.There was some debate whether to spend the night there or push on ahead to thenext huddle of lodges a few km on, at Nayapul. In the end the matter wassettled when Prasad discovered a short route back to the trail head that meant evenif we stayed at the touristy but pleasant Namaste Lodge in Jhinu, we would be able to finishthe trek the next day comfortably. So that’s what we did, and most of us spentthe afternoon hiking down to the river and bathing in the hot springs with afew thousand (ok, about a hundred) westerners.

Day 8: Jhinu to Nayapul (9 hours)

The last day was along the right bank of the Modi Khola with expansive valley views and easy terrain.

This was expected to be a long, final day, so we hit thetrail by 7:30 am. After a steep descent to Nayapul (not the one at thetrailhead) it was an hour’s trudge to Kyumni, where we took at tea break at theBeehive Lodge. It’s named for a gigantic set of beehives that hang from themountain face right across the river. From there on it was an easy undulatingwalk (flatter than the dreaded Nepali flat) along the river, through villages, and terraced cultivationslopes. There was less trekker traffic, since this wasn’t the standard route,which crosses the river and climbs steeply to Landruk. As it got warmer and warmer,the day seemed to drag a little, and folks were quite happy to put their packsdown and knock back a few plates of DBT once we arrived at Syauli Bazar, acharming setting for viewing Machapuchhare. The matronly owner there cracked upat her own joke “Dall Bhaat Tarkari, manche sarkari”, which we spent some time analyzing. We lazily walked outof Syauli (not before Saumya added a couple of pounds of locally grown rice to Saurabh’sbackpack) around 2:30 pm and reached Nayapul at 4:30pm, completing a 9 hour finalday. At the trailhead, we had the worst tea of the entire trek just as it startedraining. Soon we had all squeezed into a 20 year old Maruti Van, and wereshortly bouncing our way back to Pokhara, entertained by some inaneconversation between Saurabh and the driver (I forget the details), merrily egged on by Prasad.

Concluding comments:

It was the near perfect trek. The pacing was great, the lodges and food were terrific. Though the weather was occasionally poor, we were prepared, and there were enough clear days to make it worth our while. The Spring haze was a factor, and it rained most afternoons. So perhaps Fall is a better time of year for this trek.

For some of us it was our first tea-house trekking experience. Trekking in Nepal is quite different from India. In India there is less infrastructure, but perhaps a more connected experience. It's hard to say which one is preferable.

Gaumukh & Tapovan, Garwhal Himalaya

2011-08-08T23:48:00.000-07:00

Shivling is the centerpiece of Tapovan.

This was a trip that kept changing, all through the 6 months of planning, and the 10 days of the actual trip. At the end, we were tired, ill, mentally challenged by the monsoon, but richer by memories of unmatched mountain scenery.

Trivia:

The Gangotri Glacier, origin of the Ganga, is one of the largest in the Himalaya
Tapovan (14,638ft/4463m), is base camp for Shivling, 21,467 ft, one of the most striking peaks in the Gangotri Group
Other peaks visible on this trek: Sudarshan Parbat, Bhagirathi Group, Meru, Chandra Parvat, Mandani, Sri Kailash
From Tapovan, you can see three glaciers: Gangotri, Raktavarna, Chaturangi
Complete photo albums:

We started planning about 6 months prior to the actual trip. The original plan was to trek from Gangotri to Badrinath, over Kalindi Khal, a 19,500 ft pass. In the interim, one of us (me) was hit by appendicitis, which gave us cold feet. It turned out to be a good decision, because the 2010 trekking season was marred by unseasonably late monsoon activity, causing numerous shops and houses in the Bhagirathi Valley to be washed away by floods, as well as the deaths of several trekkers near the Kalindi pass. So in the end we decided in favor of back to-back treks, each starting at Gangotri. The first would be 6-7 days of hiking in the upper Bhagirathi Valley and Gangotri Glacier. The plan was to hike up to Tapovan, a series of meadows perched a few hundred feet above the Gangotri Glacier, cradled by sweeping slopes leading up to Shivling, a striking 21,467 ft high ice pinnacle. The intent from there was to cross the Gangotri Glacier, camp at Nandanvan, a similar meadow on the other side, at the base of Bhagirathi II (22,487 ft), and explore the possibility of day hiking to Vasuki Tal from there before returning to Gangotri. On the second leg, the plan was to explore the Kedar Ganga valley. The trail climbs steeply from Gangotri, and in 2 camps, you can reach Kedar Tal, where you are rewarded with being hemmed in by Bhrigupanth and Jogin Groups, but the star attraction of the place is Thalaysagar, one of the world's most challenging ice climbs. These were our plans. The monsoon had different ones.

Sep 3-4: Delhi, Hardwar, Uttarkashi

Saumya and Saurabh missed a flight from Bangalore to Delhi, but still somehow managed to make it to the Nizamuddin train station on time. Geoff and I were in Ranjita and Saikat's company for a delectable (and cheap!) pre-departure kebab dinner at "Aap Ki Khatir", a road side joint in the Nizamuddin area. (Not to be confused with "Saab Ki Khatir", which is right next door, and sells, as far as we could tell, the exact same food. Srivatsan and his family made it to the train as well (his family would be road tripping around Uttarakhand while we trekked).

Next morning, at Hardwar, we were greeting by rain and Vinod, our taxi operator. Soon we were bouncing along roads recently damaged by the monsoon, towards Rhishikesh. There we picked up Srivatsan's parents from a GMVN guest house right next to a Ganga that looked like it was going to overflow its banks any moment. The drive upto Uttarkashi was uneventful except for an enormous Himalayan Griffon that was perched on the roadside. We stayed at the "Bamboo Palace" in Uttarkashi a little bit beyond the extremely unattractive main market, where we met Gyan, our friend, philosopher and guide in this part of the country. Bamboo "Palace" provides pretty basic accommodation, but is wonderfully located right on the raging Bhagirathi. We spent the evening chatting about the mountains, the weather (it was overcast and drizzling all day), and the road conditions we would face the next day.

Sept 5: Uttarkashi to Gangotri

The first of several landslides we would encounter on this trip.

The landslide at Gangnani consumed several hours. Just after a bridge that crosses the Bhagirathi was a 100m stretch of road covered by a few boulders the size of houses (see above photo for how dwarfed the earth moving equipment is). Luckily the slide was stable. We watched as technicians planted explosives, set fuses, and then ran to save themselves from the blast - typical India style: hardly any supervision or safety procedures were apparent. The blast itself was partial - three bombs went off while we were expecting four. So they had to reignite the last one, and soon, the rubble was small enough for the bullldozers to get to work. They worked skillfully for at least an hour trying to clear a way for traffic to get through. However it was clear that there was plenty to do. While we waited, Saumya decided to provide some entertainment by dropping her sunglasses from the bridge into the Bhagirathi below us. Luckily some shrubs took the catch, and Manoj (Gyan's brother) and Sujit (Gyan's son) were able to fish it out. Finally, when the bulldozers took a lunch break, the landslide section was opened up to pedestrian traffic. Gyan was able to arrange for cabs on the other side of the slide, so we unloaded our cabs and ferried stuff over the rubble. From there it was a long, hungry drive to Dharali, where we had lunch, followed by a quick 60 minute climb to Gangotri. We arrived late afternoon, and checked into basic accommodation at the Mandakini lodge, along the main market: surprisingly clean and charming as far as holy Hindu towns go.

Later that evening we walked downhill to the Suryakund falls, and in a mix up, got separated from Geoff as the light was failing. Geoff hot-footed downstream looking for me, while I ended up heading back to Gangotri town looking for him.

The water level in the river and the falls was quite high, obscuring the interesting rock formations that Suryakund is known for. Back at the Gangotri temple, we spent some quiet moments with the pujari, and looking on to the raging river. The temple courtyard has a sculpture of Bhagirath, who according to legend, was responsible for bringing Ganga down to earth. The temple itself looks relatively new, though wikipedia places it as an early 18th century construction. For certain it belies the age of Gangotri as a pilgrim destination. During the winter only a small handful of pujaris remain. The rest of the town (and the temple too) shuts down between Diwali and May.

We spent the rest of the evening organizing our gear and worrying about the weather. Though it hadn't rained much during the day, it had remained overcast throughout.

Sept 6: Gangotri to Bhojbasa

We took a while to get ready. The aloo paratha, though excellent, was a little short. So we bought some bananas from the Gangortri main street, loaded our packs and started the hike around 10:30-11 am. Earlier we watched as an expedition prepared their luggage, an array of fairly impressive looking drums. It was a mix of sun and clouds as Geoff, Srivatsan, Saumya, Saurabh and I headed up the Bhagirathi valley, bidding goodbye to Srivatsan's family. The sun was finally out, and it was warm hiking out of Gangotri. We entered the National Park about 20-30 minutes later, where there was a brief hold up while officials checked our permits, and we chatted with a German group of retired engineers about their trekking plans.

The trek starts with a scenic hike upstream along the Bhagirathi Valley.

From here on we took few breaks, and made good progress along the true right of the Bhagirathi. It seemed odd at first to be walking south towards the mountains instead of north, which is what you typically do in Himalayan treks. The views of the river and valley were impressive, but we were denied snow views except a partial and occasional glimpse of the Bhagirathi Group. There were a couple of nerve-testing stream crossings thanks to the late monsoon rains, where Geoff demonstrated a cross-feet technique for stability on a pair of logs. I preferred to scamper across and get it over as quickly as possible. We took a well-deserved rest at Chirbasa 9km later, in a clearing in the pine forest where Gyan magically produced tea from a thermos. We continued at a steady pace after that, and arrived at Bhojbasa at 2:30 pm, where we lazed at the GMVN guest house waiting for porters and camp gear to arrive. We got hungry, so lunched on Maggi. It was a gloomy afternoon, with only Saurabh’s antics with the skeletal remains of a dead cow (which did not go down well with Saumya), a tiny glimpse of Shivling, and an encounter with a bearded Frenchman providing some entertainment. He cribbed about how he was denied a camping permit, and would therefore have to walk to Gaumukh and back the same day. He seemed up to the task: barefoot, bearded, dressed like a sadhu, (except his robes were clean). There was something a little strange about him, and characteristically, Geoff named him "Frenchie Baba".

Sept 7: Bhojbasa to Tapovan

The first of several murky mornings. We initially considered staying put at Bhojbasa. But it cleared up around 8 am, so we left camp soon after. The Bhagirathi peaks played hide and seek as we inched closer to them, reaching Gaumukh easily in about an hour. It’s a pretty easy walk from Bhojbasa to Gaumukh. The river was in spate, and the drizzle continued, and gradually worsened. Gyan pointed out the old route to Tapovan which was quite a bit downstream from the current route, and the old location of Gaumukh. There are several government installed signs marking the old locations as well, but according to Gyan, they are a little exaggerated. We met a group of Bengalis who looked ill-prepared for the glacier crossing, and unsurprisingly, none had made it to Tapovan except one person. We splashed ourselves with Bhagirathi water near a makeshift temple about 200m from the glacier’s mouth and headed up the moraine, leaving the comfort of a well-worn pilgrim trail behind.

Gaumukh. The route to Tapovan was on the left of the snout, up and across the glacier.

For the next two hours it was a tough scramble over rocks and ice to get up on and across the glacier. It got more challenging with time as we started to feel the debilitating dual effects of altitude and worsening weather. A huge new crevasse meant the route to Tapovan had changed, lengthening the trek. Gyan was terrific at route finding, and after a very quiet period (no one was talking, focusing on foot placement), we reached the base of the steep climb to Tapovan. We stopped in the rain for a lemon tea break, and willed ourselves onwards through the pouring rain up a sequence of numerous short but steep switch-backs. There was one significant waterfall crossing, which passed without incident, but not without some anxious moments. After a final determined push, we reached the flat grassy terrace above the glacier. We had reached, but visibility was so poor, there was no instant reward to be had. After setting up camp, and drying off (to what extent we could), we walked around the meadow a little hoping to spot a clearing in the sky. All we got was a visit from a herd of bharal. It rained incessantly throughout the evening and night.

Sep 8: Rained in at Tapovan

The bad weather continued. We spent the morning on camp chores, removing water that had accumulated in pools under the tent. The continuous rain precipitated a marathon UNO session. The high point of the day was surely the pakoras with chatakdar sauce that Gyan conjured up – it’s remarkable what he and his team is capable of at 14000 ft. Late in the afternoon the rain stopped, but it remained murky. We took a short walk up to Mouni Baba’s hideout (apparently he’s capable of speech, but has chosen to be silent), who looked quite happy to see us. Unsurprisingly, conversation did not sparkle. We chatted with the Germans, got a glimpse of Nandanvan across the glacier, returned and spent a good amount of time visiting a "Bangali Mata" in her cave. We had an interesting chat with her about life in Tapovan vs Calcutta. Her son runs a business selling cricket gloves, and her kids rarely visit her. It seemed odd to be treated to excellent coffee in her little cave, which was decorated, among other things, with a calendar from Mohendra Lal Dutta, maker of Calcutta's finest umbrellas. The view from her cave door perfectly frames the pyramid of Shivling, which makes it perhaps the most prized piece of real estate in Tapovan. She predicted that for the best views, we would need 4-5 ft of snow, but there were good chances that on the next morning, “asman khul jayga”. The rest of evening was much like the previous one: ennui, UNO, dinner.

Sep 9: Tapovan Day Hike

The weather was a little clearer. In the morning the ridge next to the camp overlooking the glacier yielded good views, including a lammergeier sighting, the Bhagirathi Group, and Chandra Parvat. Shivling and Meru remained obscured by clouds.

Bhagirathi group towering over the confluence of the Gangotri and Chaturangi glaciers

Bangali Mata warned that good weather would last only till 1:30 or so (She was proved right). We cancelled plans of going to Nandanvan, and decided to do a day hike around Tapovan. We eased onto the ridge formed by the lateral moraine of the glacier, and headed south from Tapovan and were rewarded with dramatic views of the upstream Gangotri, several hundred feet below us, the Bhagirathi peaks on the left, and the Chaturangi glacier at their base. We could make out distinct colors of the Chaturangi, and at least two major colors in the Gangotri, probably due to the merger of the Kirti glacier just south of Shivling, but beyond our field of view. We aborted a plan of Manoj’s (Gyan had sent him to accompany us on the hike) to descend to the glacier, so we continued with the ridge hike. The turn-around point was hotly debated with Saurabh (who has fitness levels that should be outlawed) wanting to continue in the hope of sighting the Kirti glacier. In the end it was a good thing we turned back when we did as Saumya was not feeling too well. The return route was a long meandering hike through meadows with wildflowers, with the slopes of Shivling disappearing into the clouds above us. We had a long tea break with biscuits, followed by a slushy walk back through all too familiar, but quickly worsening weather. We reached camp just in time before the rain came pouring down.

We spent the afternoon in a familiar way - tent and water management, UNO, pakoras, more UNO, more rain. When the rain broke, Saurabh scampered up the rock fall in awfully soupy conditions, to everyone’s consternation. Better senses, Gyan and Srivatsan brought him back. Finally, the rain died down, and the sky opened up, and temperature fell to about ~5 degrees above freezing. Gyan conjured up baingan bharta for dinner even though he himself was doing poorly thanks to a stomach bug! Post dinner we played more UNO, this time with Saurabh’s rules. Finally hit the sack around 9 pm, with most of us suffering from headaches.

Sep 10: Tapovan to Chirbasa

Sunrise on Meru. Our first and only really clear morning of the trek.

Brilliant morning at last! Peaks that came to the party included the sheer face of Meru, the graceful pyramid of Shivling, the ice-cream dollop-like KharachKund, Mandani, the majestic Bhagirathi group, the perfect triangle Chandra Parvat, a golden Sudarshan Parvat, and Sri Kailash. And of course, views of three glaciers: Raktavarna, Chaturangi, and Gangotri. Tapovan lived upto and exceeded its reputation. We decided that the intense UNO puja had paid off! We spent the morning taking pictures, chatting with Bangali mata, and having a celebration-style breakfast on poori-chhole. We quit camp, and then enjoyed an exhilarating hike down to the glacier. It was hard to imagine this was the same hike we struggled with on the way up. The sun and scenery made it so much easier (and we were better acclimatized). The glacier crossing was far more interesting too, with stunning 360 degree views, Shivling in particular. At Gaumukh we met an Indo Khazak expedition, who were planning a summit attempt on Bhagirathi II between Sep 18-21.

Tapovan: Saumya and Saurabh and Shivling.

It was a long hike to Chirbasa, with a tea and paratha break at Bhojbasa. Between the two, there is a section of the trail about 100m long which is an active rock fall area, so one needs to be careful. We got close up views of bharal along the trail. Stream crossings were easier than on the way up. The clouds were back by the time we reached camp, which was right next to a torrential Bhagirathi. The campsite location was in the middle of a lush green chir forest, but was far from the cleanest site we had seen. We spent the afternoon washing up as the weather closed in a little, but brilliant views of the morning would remain with us for a lifetime. I treated a minor injury (thanks to a tumble near Gaumukh) with some muscle spray and pain killers. Srivatsan began to feel a little anxious about his daughter, and Saumya was a little sick. We spent the evening chatting with Gyan about other routes in the Uttarakhand and Himachal areas.

Sep 11: Chirbasa to Gangotri

Started hiking at 8:30-9 and made quick progress downhill. Glorious weather, a tricky stream crossing, 1 rock fall, a beautiful high waterfall, lots of uphill traffic (thanks to improving conditions) including sadhus, trekkers, and a Kalindi expedition. We were back at Gangotri by 11:30. Saumya and Saurabh left for Delhi, not feeling up to the second leg of the trip (to Kedar Tal). Geoff Srivatsan and I hung out in the main street, relaxing on coffee and pakoras, making phone calls, having hot showers, and repacking for the next day.

Sep 12: Gangotri to Bhoj Kharak

Thanks to Saumya and Saurabh, we learnt that it was Geoff’s 40^th birthday. Soon after breakfast, we started the hike at 8:30 am from the other end of Gangotri, near the Suryakund bridge, through cloudy weather. The trail climbs very steeply out of Gangotri, through a narrow, densely forested gorge of juniper. Torrential waterfalls are created where the Kedar Ganga is forced through cracks in the gorge that are no more than 20 ft or so across.

Kedar Ganga on its way to the Bhagirathi.

After an hour the drizzle turned into a downpour. The going got quite miserable, and to top it all, we came across a pretty difficult stream crossing soon after a Bhoj forest which involved stepping along a ledge that was no more than a couple of very slippery inches wide. We set up camp amidst torrential rain, on sloping ground, on what must rank as one of the filthiest campsites in the Himalaya. The rest of the afternoon was spent drying out (or trying to). The rain continued into the evening, so out came the UNO, and discussions on what to do next. Geoff was not feeling too well and Srivatsan was getting more than a little anxious about being away from Samhita for so long.

There was a noisy young group from Bangalore camped next to us, and even though one of them was suffering from AMS, the liquor was flowing quite freely. The colorful language from their tent got Srivatsan going, and he filled us in on Bangalore’s underground entertainment scene. Gyan was quite fed up with the way our neighbouring camp was being conducted. We decided that night we would take a call the next morning. We were unanimous that if the weather looked poor the next morning, we would skip the Kedar Tal plan and head back to Delhi asap for some downtime.

Sep 13, 14: Back to Gangotri, and Frustrating Road Trip

We woke up to overcast conditions. With little discussion, we headed back to Gangotri, and killed a few hours chatting with Indian soldiers who had just summitted one of the Jogin peaks, visiting the temple, and buying some holy water.

Ganga water being sealed into a metal pot for easy transport

In the afternoon, we finally got a cab that agreed to to go to Dharali, a nothing town just short of Harsil. We stayed at a crummy hotel where we bathed in brown, but warm water. However the food was excellent. The next morning we got a cab to Harsil where no diesel was to be had for ready money. We managed to reach Uttarkashi, where we changed cabs. After passing through Dhunda, Gyan’s town, we got caught at a landslide. After a wait, it was cleared and Gyan headed back in the rain. We moved a couple of km further, and then we got caught in the real one: the previous one was just a prelude. This one was a LONG wait, and we witnessed inexplicably idiotic behavior from locals – folks running across active rock fall, and then other wise guys doing a rope trick with kids in tow. It seems incredible that no one died there that day.

People running across an active landslide

We returned to Dhunda a few hours later and caught up with Gyan, who helped us find a hotel. He introduced us to his family and invited us for tea in his house. While having dinner we heard the road had re-opened. With a lot of excitement, our driver made a dash: no happiness though: 6 km later the road was closed again. Feeling like Bill Murray in Ground Hog Day, we came back to Dhunda and spent the night more than a little frustrated. So out came the UNO. Next morning, the road was open, so we narrowly made it past the slide area, in what we later heard was a fortuitous window. After some great aloo paratha for breakfast, just when we thought we were past the worst, we got held up in a mudslide that took about an hour or so to be cleared. It had to be done manually since all the earth moving equipment was tied up clearing the larger rockfalls. To top it all, a little before reaching the plains, the car had a flat tire, in pouring rain. Amazingly the driver (who we had named Mr Nonchalance) managed to install the spare without any of us getting out of the car.

It was a relief to see the plains when they arrived. At Dehra Dun station, we were able to buy tickets on the Shatabdi back to Delhi, where Geoff treated us to a night in the Le Meridean. Srivatsan and I were able to move our flights up, and we were happily on a plane to Bangalore the next morning. Geoff would kill the day and fly to Beijing later that night. I for one was was glad to be back in Bangalore, but the happiness was short lived as I came down with high fever that knocked me out of action for a week. I took about a month to regain strength and in the process gave Ranjita (who didn't even go on the trek) the virus as well.

Conclusion:

Overall, it was a mentally demanding trip, thanks to the weather and illnesses towards the end. But Tapovan was incredible and the memories indelible. A sense of incompleteness remains about the trip, so it’s almost certain we will visit the area again. Kedar Tal is a short but tough trek, so it’s best attempted once you are well acclimatized. The route to Kalindi looks quite desolate and involves endless boulder hopping, so I am glad to leave that to others.

Stok Kangri Summit Attempt, Ladakh

2009-12-27T20:46:00.000-08:00

View of the Stok Range from Khardung La overlooking Leh and the Indus. Stok Kangri is the highest peak near the right.

Trivia:

Stok Kangri is a peak of the Stok Range, a spur of the Zanskar Range
At 20,135 ft, it is the highest peak of the Stok Range
In Jul/Aug, the climb can be accomplished with 2-3 camps, and does not need technical climbing skills, though ice-axe / crampons maybe required
Trailhead is at 12,000 ft, at Stok Village, a short 30 minute drive from Leh
Summit views include the Karakoram, and if you're lucky, you can spot K2

In July 2009, Ranjita, Geoff, Prasad and I attempted Stok Kangri (photos). We were optimistic about our chances, thanks to the excellent weather we had experienced in Ladakh throughout the previous week, and the ample opportunities we had had to acclimatize (side trips to Domkhar, Pangong Lake, Lamayuru, and just bumming around Leh).

The trailhead for climbing SK is at Stok Village, a green patch across the Indus (visible on the far left corner of the panoramic photo above). While the mules were being loaded, we got started. The hike takes you straight up the drainage of the Stok Chu (river). Even though there is no marked trail, one is hardly likely to get lost. You just keep moving upstream. The weather had been cloudy and drizzly since the previous evening, but it wasn't bad enough to dampen the initial exuberance of walking into a rocky wilderness attempting one's first Himalayan summit (well, if you're fussy, this is technically the Trans-Himalaya). After about 2 hours of steady progress without a break, we took a breather at a tea stall. We were clearly making good time, because it wasn't until another 15 minutes or so that Tukpa, our guide caught up with us. Tukpa is a young man with serious mountaineering capabilities and ambitions. He has climbed Saser Kangri (part of the Eastern Karakoram, it is the highest peak in Ladakh at 25,151ft) and hopes to do Everest in 2010. He directed us to bear left and climb a short but steep section up to a small pass, leaving to the right, the main route which crosses Stok La and enters Markha Valley (one of the most popular trekking routes in Ladakh). A few huffs and puffs later, we were at the pass, and took a minute to consider if we should wait for Tukpa (who in turn was waiting for the mules), or continue.

View from the mini pass, where the Stok Kangri route turns away from the 'main' trail that goes on to Stok La and Markha Valley

The view from the pass was beautiful in a harsh and violent way. A narrow rock and boulder strewn valley lay beneath us, sheer walls on each side, with glacier melt dodging over and under the valley floor which looked like rubble from an urban bombing raid. Prasad hot-footed his way down to confirm with some returning trekkers if upstream was the way to go (there was little doubt in any of our minds, including his, but one can never be too certain). Once we descended from the pass, it was a long, arduous, but spectacular hike through the canyon towards the first camp at Mankarmo at about 14,000 ft.

At Mankarmo we met someone who runs the local tea tent; he spends 2-3 months there, having supplies like Maggi, snacks and drinks ferried up to him by mule. Rs 50 for a bottle of Thums Up in a location like this didn't seem like a bad deal at all. The later afternoon at Mankarmo was magical, with Stok Kangri showing itself through the clouds, and the evening sun breaking through teh clouds to set on fire the ridges directly above the campsite. A herd of Himalayan blue sheep kept us entertained with their incredible sure-footedness as they scampered up and down an 80 degree incline for what seemed like just the heck of it.

Stok Kangri through a cloudy sunset from camp 1

On Day 2 we were greeted by blue skies. So we were on our way quickly, up an incline that got steeper and steeper (at least it felt like than thanks to the thinning air) as we moved towards Base Camp (~17,000 ft). Marmots to the right of the route provided numerous good excuses to stop and catch one's breath. However, the weather turned gloomy soon after. By the time we arrived at Base Camp, breathing heavily from the lack of oxygen (but no serious headaches), it was not looking good at all. We all collapsed into the tea tent, had lunch and considered our next move.

Under brilliant sunshine, we set out for Base Camp

Base Camp was nothing like the disaster zone that other trip reports had painted it to be. There were two toilets, and the camping area was quite clean by Himalyan standards. There was a handful of other groups, most of whom were waiting for good weather to make an assault on the summit. Our plans of a midnight start began to look extremely poorly as the sleet came down, and we ended up taking naps and reading. Later, all four of us huddled in one tent to play a few rounds of 29, our designated card game for Himalayan treks.

After a sleepless night interrupted by bad dreams and breathing trouble, we woke to a depressing sight. Tukpa had not woken us at midnight for the planned weather check - he probably took a look and deemed it pointless. In the morning snow had blanketed camp, and it was still coming down in flurries. Around 10 am, we tried on some snow gear, and I complained bitterly about the ill-fitting snow boots that Tukpa had brought along for me. I wasn't feeling all that great (headache, lethargy, lack of sleep), though none of the others seemed to have any issues. Tukpa gave us a short training session on self-arrest techniques using an ice axe, but at this point the exercise had taken on a distinctly academic feel. The only optimistic comment I heard was from the person in charge of our mules, who opined that the weather would clear up soon. However the man who's opinion mattered, Tukpa, did not share his enthusiasm.

A depressing start to day 3. In the original plan, we would have been half way to the summit by now

To give ourselves something to feel good about, we hiked up to the next ridge on the summit route, gaining another 500 ft or so from base camp. I instantly started feeling better as we fell into a slow but steady pace of ascent. However as we reached the ridge it was clear that conditions were depressingly soupy, and heavy, freshly fallen snow lay on the route in front of us, extending as far as we could see (which wasn't much, thanks to poor visiblity). We met a pair of porters returning from their overnight stay at Advanced Base Camp. Their party was abandoning its summit attempt and returning due to the heavy snow accumulated on the higher reaches of the mountain. Feeling somewhat vindicated we scampered back to Base Camp, where most of the other groups also appeared to be cancelling their summit plans. Very quickly, we decided to call it quits, and I for one felt a little relieved, not looking forward to the idea of negotiating a glacier with crevasses in less than ideal weather, in horrendously ill-fitting boots. I quickly made up my mind not to rely on untested, rented gear in the future (which also meant my next trip to REI would be an expensive one).

Hiking up to the ridge above base camp

Porters descending from ABC in near whiteout conditions

Savoring a few moments at the highest point reached before the long march back

The return journey was quick. The dismay increased as the sun came out just when we were about half way down, and by the time we reached Stok Village, it was blazing up above. The next day, as we looked at Stok Kangri from Khardung La, about 30 miles away, it was a picture perfect snow peak against a brilliant blue sky. We told ourselves that in spite of the good weather, the snow depth would have reduced our summit chances significantly. But secretly, everyone was disappointed that we weren't up there giving it a shot. Thanks to cellphone coverage which became available at some point during the hike out, Tukpa was snappily assigned a new client. We were met and then accompanied to the trailhead by the very business-like agent who set us up with Tukpa earlier. His commercial approach (further borne out by his behavior when it came to settling accounts) annoyed us quite a bit, and was in contrast with the humility and decency that one usually encounters in the Himalaya. This left us with bit of a bad taste in the mouth that only compounded our disappointment of failing to summit.

Mockingly, the sun comes out as we approach the trailhead at Stok Village

Summary:

Unfortunately we did not succeed in scaling Stok Kangri in 2009. A combination of bad weather and questionable judgment made us return to Leh after spending a cold, snowy night at base camp. On the brighter side, we each set ourselves a personal altitude record, ignoring potentially higher altitudes reached via road. We estimate the ridge above base camp to be around 17,500 ft. On hindsight, spending another day at base camp may have been the sensible thing to do; but the consensus to engage reverse gear was reached surprisingly easily. It was probably a combination of the effects of altitude, my dissatisfaction with my snow gear, and the low morale that seemed to have infected most other trekking groups that night at base camp. Disappointment is part of every serious trekker and mountaineer's experience. This was our first taste of it.

The rest of the fortnight in Ladakh was incredible nonetheless. Photos are split across two albums (i) Sightseeing and road-trips in Ladakh, including an amazing visit to a local NGO, HEALTH-INC and (ii) the Stok Kangri Trek and Nubra Valley.

Prasad created a wonderful, informative photo blog of the trip.

Goecha La Trek, Sikkim

2008-11-22T20:51:00.000-08:00

Kanchendzonga, as seen from Lamune, on the Goecha La Trek

Introduction

This trip was about 3 months in planning, and was aimed at a trek that is emerging as one of the most popular routes in Sikkim: The Goecha La Trek (alternate spelling "Guicha La"). The route starts at the base town of Yuksom (5840 ft) in South West Sikkim, and climbs via Dzongri (13,300 ft) to Goecha La (16,200 ft), where one is within 5 km of the base of the enormous Kanchendzonga Massif (at 28,169 ft, the world's third highest peak) and even closer proximity to numerous other magnificent 7000m peaks. We planned to complete this trek over 8 days, from Nov 9 to 18, 2008, which would allow for a moderate pace. It would cover a round trip distance of about 90km. Ranjita and I had for company Prasad Naldurg and Rikin Gandhi, both experienced trekkers with very contrasting styles. We were taken care of by a very capable support team of Yangdin Subba, Buddha Bir, Shambhu, Sam Naam, and Ning Ma, all based out of Yuksom, a team assembled with the help of Mr B.S. Subba, Yuksom's Tourism Dept official.

Himalayan Peaks Viewed on the Goecha La Trek:

Kanchendzonga (28,169 ft)
Kabru (24,318 ft)
Talung (24,251 ft)
Mt Simvo (22,346)
Mt Pandim (21,952 ft)
Rathong (21,916 ft)
Kabru Black Dome (21,780 ft)
Tingchen Khang (19,833 ft)
Jopuno (19,156 ft)
Narsingh (19,111 ft)

Photo Albums:

Itinerary (approximate elevations and distances)

Day 1: Yuksom (5,840 ft) to Sachen, 8 km, moderate
Day 2: Sachen (7,860 ft) to Tsokha, 8 km moderate
Day 3: Tsokha (10,000 ft) to Dzongri, 10 km, strenuous
Day 4: Dzongri (13,300 ft) to Dzongri La to Thangsing , 10 km, strenuous
Day 5: Thangsing (13,000 ft) to Samiti Lake (14,500 ft) to Lamune 6 km, easy
Day 6: Lamune (14,000 ft) to GL Viewpoint 1 (15,300 ft) to Kokchurang, 11 km, strenous
Day 7: Kokchurang (12,500 ft) to Sachen, 21 km, strenuous
Day 8: Sachen (7,590 ft) to Yuksom, 8 km, easy

Day-by-Day Trip Report:

Sat, Nov 8: NJP to Yuksom (Jeep)

Arrived NJP around 7:30 am after an eventless ride from Calcutta via Darjeeling Mail. Got stunning early morning views of Kanchenjunga right from the train: 100 km away, and floating miles up in the sky. An auspicious start.

We hired a super-enthusiastic Sikkimese driver Ajay, and made it to Yuksom after a short stop at Teesta bazaar (and a detour thanks to a road destroyed by landslides) by early afternoon. We met up with Mr B.S. Subba at Yuksom who arranged for us a guide (Yangdin), cook (Sam Naam) and other helpers. We did 8 days and Rs 5000 worth of groceries. Spent a chilly night in what might actually be the worst hotel we've ever stayed in (Hotel Kanchendzonga). Hot water was harder to come by at this hotel than on the trek, and the bathrooms rivalled the ones you find in engineering hostels.

Sun, Nov 9: Yuksom - Sachen (8 km, ~2000 ft gain, 3-4 hours)

Brilliant morning. Permits from the Tourist Dept (thanks to efficient Mr Subba), and the Police Dept (thanks to some superwoman that Prasad met there) were in place by 9 am. The trek started (trumpet call) at 9:45 with light daypacks while dYangdin stayed back to load the mules with groceries and heavier backpacks. (Note for next time: factor in mules when packing, so reduce bag count, not necessarily bag weight).

The initial hike out of Yuksom is through a deep valley carved by the Rathong river, which originates at the Rathong Glacier, which slides down (surprise surprise) from Rathong (21,916 ft) to the north-northwest. The Rathong Glacier also fuels the Rangeet, a lifeline of West Sikkim. The trail swings around spurs, climbs up away from the river through dense mixed jungle, and then plummets back into the river gorge, crossing the river several times, over picturesque, but nerve-tingling hanging bridges. We received reports, that varied slightly on the details, of two people (including a guide from Darjeeling) who fell to their deaths the week before at the second bridge.

Three hours later, we arrived at Sachen, a small clearing to the right and above the trail, and a trekkers hut to its left and below. Lunch was "wai-wai noodles" (no Maggi was to be had for ready money at Yuksom) and aloo puri. It took only a few cups of tea for the sun to sink behind the hills, at 2 pm. We debated the artisitic merits of various national anthems for a while, and then prepared for the night. As usual, assembling Prasad's tent took a significant effort from everyone, i.e. everyone except Prasad, who stood around giving directions, instruction manual in hand. Okay, okay, he had a bad back. The evening and night, for the last time on the trek, were moderate: the lowest temperature we saw was only 9 deg C, thanks to the protected surroundings.

Mon, Nov 10: Sachen - Tsokha (8 km, 2500 ft gain, 4 hours)

Lazy morning, breakfasted on porridge and omelettes. We slept a cool 10 hours, slowly realizing that this would be the norm for the coming week. We hit the trail at 8:30 am and initially continued the hike through similar surroundings as the previous day. A very steep descent to the river, during which we met a bunch of trekkers returning from "successful" Goecha La attempts. An Austrian pair of girls, and two middle-aged Indian couples were successful in getting to the first viewpoint, but none made it further due to icy conditions and lack of gear.

The scenery opened up as we ascended to Bakhim, and we received expansive views of the Rathong Valley. We took a break at Bakhim where we bought a bottle of coke for Rs 50, and some biscuits. From there on it was a steep climb to Tsokha. Minutes before arriving at Tsokha, a dramatic left turn on a ridge brought into view the High Himalaya for our first snow views on the trail: Pandim (22,952 ft), Tingchen Khang (19,833 ft) and Jopuno (19,156 ft).

Tsokha is a charming Tibetan village laced with the underlying tragedy of humans displaced by the games nation-states play. No more than a 100 Tibetans live dislocated, perched on an exposed hillside overlooked by Pandim and its neighbours. One of the Tibetans turned out to speak fluent Kannada! There are a few trinket shops that also sell you lemon tea, a monastery (which was closed), and a reasonably clean trekker's hut. The first evening above 10,000 ft slipped by with some failed star-gazing attempts (the moon was too bright), dinner, and some reading. It was a colder night, being higher, and more exposed.

Tue, Nov 11: Tsokha - Dzongri (11 km, 3300 ft gain, 5 hours)

Up by 6 am. Suprisingly warm morning (~12 deg C). Several cups of hot tea, cornflakes and pancakes later , we hit dirt at 8 am, and start a slow climb almost vertically up from Tsokha. Initially Tsokha remains in the view below, and then disappears as you climb through dense rhododendron forests, leaving the lower altitude taller mixed jungle below. Progress was slow for most of us (read 3 out of 4), likely due to the altitude kicking in. After a couple of hours we reached Phethang, a bald exposed meadow at the top of the mountain, with dramatic views to the Rathong Valley to the south, the famous Singalila Ridge to the West and Pandim and its neighbours to the North and West.

From Phethang a trail heads NW towards Dzongri and North towards Kokchurang. We took the first, and climbed higher to Deorali Dar ("The Meeting Place of Man and Mountain") the first viewpoint that in theory, provides the first unhindered views of Kanchendzonga. Sadly, we were denied a sighting by cloud cover, and satisfied ourselves with views of the other snow peaks mentioned earlier, as well as new sightings of Rathong (21,909 ft) and Kokling Khang to the west, and the Prek Chu drainage to the east. From Deorali, which we estimated to be about 14,000 ft, it was an easy, snow-littered descent to Dzongri, at 13,400 ft.

Rikin finished this hike in 3 hours, it took us about 5. Cabbage Soup (made from local cabbages bought at Tsokha), macaroni, and cauliflower were ready when we reached. By now we were all feeling the effects of altitude, having breached the 14,000 mark for the first time. We braced for a cold night and prepared for an early morning start the next day. It was a small, cosy hut, but in an oxygen deprived state, I realized that Pamuk's "My Name is Red" was notoriously difficult to make sense of.

We watched a great sunset as it sunk behind the Singalila Ridge into Nepal. Scattered clouds hung over various peaks, though nothing threatening. We met with "Mr Maldives" who splintered from his two American companions, one of whom got struck down by altitude, and a couple of fiesty Swiss girls. Mr Maldives (who's really from Darjeeling - he just works in the island nation) pointed his home town out from among the shimmering cascade of high ridges near the southern horizon. The temperature plummeted after sunset; post dinner (rice, daal and momos) and a game of 29, we hit the sack at 8 pm.

Wed, Nov 12: Dzongri - Dzongri La Viewpoint - Thangsing (4 hours, net loss, 300 ft)

4 am start. Icy surface at -4 deg C. Windchill made it worse. Much worse. Steep climb with headlamps in the dark. Good thing, since we had no idea how sheer the drop offs to the left were. Prasad stayed in to catch some sleep after a troubled night. 45 minutes later we were on the windy, exposed viewpoint, in time for a magical sunrise over a 360 degree panorama, starting from the Singalila Ridge in the west, Rathong, Kabru, Kabru Dome and Kanchedzonga directly in front, and Simvo, Pandim, Jopuno, Narsingh, and many other unknown peaks to the east. Colors rolled through a sequence of mysterious silver, pink, orange, gold, and finally, brilliant white. As the wind picked up, we beat a hasty retreat from the inhospitable mountain top, scrambling down through oddly colder temperatures as the sun rose.

After a quick porridge and omelette breakfast back at the hut, we embarked on the most scenic 2-3 hours of hiking of the trek. Bright sunny skies, expansive meadows, gentle downhill slopes, massive views of Pandim range as we inched closer to its base, the Prek Chu Valley, and grazing wild yaks. Happiness was short lived, as we plumetted with little advance warning through dense rhododendron forest for about 1500 ft with excruciating knee pressure, all the way down to the Prek Chu river bed at Kokchurang. After this, the trail slowly climbed to regain lost altitude on the other side of the river, but our speed was slowed by our tired knees.

We finally arrived at Thangsing (13,000 ft) @ 12 pm --- a grand location on a windswept meadow next to the Prek Chu, cradled by the now massive walls of Pandim, and Tingchen Khang. The location offers partial views of the Kanchendzonga Massif straight ahead to the north, a dramatic near vertical rock face climbing about 5000 ft on the west, and of course, Pandim rising 10,000 ft above to the immediate right (east). Dense fog rolled in in the afternoon, reducing visibility to 10 m at times, and sending the mercury down to just 7 deg C at 2 pm. We busied ourselves cleaning up the filthy hut (lead by Prasad), and pitching our tents in the hut for extra warmth (also Prasad's idea, a good call). Later we walked north past Jamling Tenzing Norgay's (yes, it's *his* son, a famous mountaineer in his own right, though) fancy campsite, to win ourselves ethereal views of a floating Pandim and Tingchen Khang at sunset. A senior American couple walked past us smiling, with hands on their hearts, touched by the momentary, gentle, yet awesome beauty of the scene.

Thu, Nov 13: Thangsing - Lamune - Samiti Lake - Lamune (4 hours, net gain ~700 ft)

Woke at 6:30 am, and scooted out for some sunrise views. Caught the last spill of orange before brilliance took over. It was to be a short day, so we took it easy. Left camp at 10 am, ambled over to Lamune, 2 hours north @ 13,741 ft, a more exposed but more dramatic location than Thangsing, with Kanchendzonga now in our faces. We continued hiking under Pandim and Tenzing Khang --- the proximity and new perspectives making them almost unrecognizable. We met returning trekkers and received mixed feeedback about the worth of attempting the actual pass. Apparently difficulty levels were high due to ice, but the views according to some were definitely superior at the "second viewpoint". Mr Maldives and a couple of Europeans reported success, but a couple of American women (one of whom looked extremely capable) did not. We did the flat then steep, windy hike up to Samiti Lake (14,200 ft), and were rewarded by a glacial lake in a spiritual setting, bluer than the sky, hemmed in on all sides by scree and sheer slopes, guarded by prayer flags. We also received a preview of the slope we would have to ascend the next morning on the far side of the lake (directly behind Prasad in the picture below).

We were back at cold, windy Lamune at 1:30 pm with splitting headaches, numb extremities, and a quickly fading sun. By 4 pm it was quite dark and 0 deg C. There was no hanging around outside the tents this evening. We slept in fits and starts, some not at all. Ranjita made good use of active warmers as the temperature continued to slide below zero. At 6:30, after dinner, at -4 deg C, we decided to turn in, in preparation for a 3 am start. The wind continued to buffet the tent at what must have been 30 mph all through the night. Luckily we had good soil to stake the tents down. Aside: Turns out Lamune is the base camp for Tingchen Khang. We saw some hikers heading up the trail, but couldn't make out if they were en route to a serious summit attempt.

Fri, Nov 14: Lamune - Goecha La Viewpoint - Kokchurang (7 hours, net loss 1000 ft)

The cold, cold night ended at 2 am for me, after which I could not sleep. It was -6 deg C, ignoring the wind. It took until 3:30 am to round everyone up, and we finally hit dirt (ice, actually) at 4 am, with the rapidly setting full moon keeping us company. We tramped through frozen streams, single file, counting flashlight pinpricks to account for each other, deathly quiet, except for the sound of ice cracking under our feet. We recevied ghostly moonlit views of Pandim, Tingchen Khang and Kanchedzonga en route. We passed Samiti Lake and started the slow climb through the scree, as twilight picked up and headlamps were turned off. Post 15,000 ft, the going was painstakingly slow. 30 min later, the first sunrise rays hit Kabru, Pandim and Kanchendzonga, which were now suddenly upon us. We arrived at the prayer flag strewn Goecha La viewpoint 1 (my estimate, 15,300 ft) to be greeted by more snow and a 40+ mph wind, a harsh, bitterly cold welcome that was fortunately compensated by the sub 5 km proximity to incredible Himalayan peaks. We were hemmed in by the twin peaks of Pandim, Tingchen Khang from a completely different angle, Kabru, which from here looks like a multitude of peaks, Talung, and of course, the massive Kanchendzonga, which as usual is gigantic, but from this perspective is strangely unfamiliar. The thrill is shortlived thanks to the outright torture at having to stand in one place. Quick pictures are taken of glaciers, rockfalls, ice formations. Not a leaf grows here. I tried half-heartedly to figure out the onward route, but Yangdin's equally half hearted response killed any inclination we had to try and make forward progress. After about 20 min of being buffeted around by the freezing wind, we headed back, through a gradually brightening Samiti Lake, to Lamune for breakfast.

We stopped at Thangsing for a ring-side view of a botched Yak Hunt in the company of the friendly mountaineer Jamling Tenzing Sherpa, who happened also to lose his fanciest tent (an Octahedron Dinner Tent from Mountain Hardware) to the winds at Lamune minutes before we arrived there. The Yak Hunt failed thanks to a rope tear. "No Yak for you", Soup-Nazi style. We arrived at Kokchurang at 12:30 pm, in the warmer bed of pine trees and rhododendrons, now wondering if we should have pushed for going further beyond viewpoint one.

Sat, Nov 15: Kokchurang - Sachen (21 km, 4000 ft loss, 7 hours)

Headed out at 7 am, after spending the previous evening playing Poker and 29. We hiked out along the (shorter) Prek Chu route, avoiding the climb to Dzongri (which the mules had to do). The trail is narrow but gorgeous, running through virgin jungle for a couple of hours, later turning interesting (read tricky) thanks to landslides, fallen trees and icy mud streams. The trail swings up and down the eastern flank of the river before climbing high to Phethang. Here around 10 am we joined up with the inward route, and met up with the mule caravan that had meanwhile arrived via Dzongri. Another 2 hours of steep descent and walking along log-paved ridges later, we reached Tsokha, where we stopped for lunch around 12 pm, and savored our last snow views. Lunch was quick and awesome: soup, fried potatoes, macaroni. Quick march after lunch, and Prasad promptly took off down a short cut, Captain Haddock-style, sparking consternation from Ranjita and me, and later, once he had regained the main trail, downright fury from Yangdin. We quickly sunk to the Rathong Valley, and crossed the first of 4 bridges. Probably too quickly, because certain knees and feet ended up with minor injuries. Arrived Sachen 3 pm, and used the filthy hut instead of pitching tent (my "cologne" turned out to be body wash, so that didn't help). The hut was so filthy that a spot outside littered with mule dung seemed clean by comparison, so that's where we spent the afternoon.

We met several uphill trekkers during the day: a Japanese father and son duo, the Alaskan couple from the Darjeeling Mail, a Swiss guy who was leading a trash removal operation on the trail. Looked like the season was over as far as Indians were concerned.

We lost 4000 ft in 21 km today. A good day's work.

Sun, Nov 16: Sachen - Yuksom - Kurseong

6 am rise and shine, hit dirt at 7:15. Three hours, three bridge crossings, and many stream crossings later, we reached Yuksom at 10:00 am. Post trek formalities and niceties were conducted with Yangdin and co. (which included Mr Spaced Out, which oddly, seemed to know his facts) and of course Mr B.S. Subba. Ajay landed up with his Chevvy as planned, and soon we were hurtling down the mountains towards Jorethang. A last minute change in plans made us head to Kurseong via Darjeeling to spend the night. The tea garden route from Jorethang was spectacular, but super dangerous. The SUV (a stupid RWD Chevvy) got stuck on a ridge soon into the drive, with the front left wheel hanging over a 30 ft drop, and the remaining three mired in mud. 30 minutes of mud-splattering and ridge-hacking later we managed to free the car with help from locals. The effort was worthwhile as we were soon rewarded with fabulous views of Pandim, Kanchendzonga, Kabru, and Kumbhkarna, Koktang, (which we mistakenly celebrated to be Everest, Lhotse, and Nuptse). We drove on through "Gorkhaland" and had brief encounters with Darjeeling's Toy Train, the region's famed obsession with Rock music, and beautiful tea estates. Stopped at Sonada where Rikin bought a snack called "Lapsi Sweet" from Nepal, which is labeled, with complete frankness, "Not Yet Found in Other Countries". Arrived to a warm welcome at Mashi's place in Kurseong (12 years since my last visit), hot baths, a superb meal (with tree tomato chutney, freshly picked guava, and isqus root), and real beds and blankets. Bid goodbye to Ajay, great guy, excellent driver.

Tomorrow morning we will head down to Bagdogra and return to the real world, leaving paradise behind, but imprinted indelibly on our consciousness.

Post-trip Random Thoughts:

While the feeling of regret at not having made progress beyond the first viewpoint was high on the concerned day, now, with hindsight, the feeling has diminished considerably. Harsh conditions are the risk one takes by attempting this trail so late in the season. It's a fine balance though, since earlier in the season, the risk of cloud cover and precipitation is higher. April may be an interesting time to do this trek, since the rhododendrons will be in bloom.

We conclude that 8 days is certainly a padded itinerary. My personal opinion is that one could quite easily accomplish this trek in 7, and perhaps even 6 days (if one is ready to forgo the Dzongri detour in the interest of focusing on the pass area and beyond). However, one thing to keep in mind is that supplies (mules/yaks) cannot take the Phetang - Kokchurang shortcut. It's worth planning for 6 or 7, but budgeting for 8 all the same to allow for flexibility in the plans.

Finally, this is pristine country of which sadly, the subcontinent has precious little left. To paraphrase Edmund Hillary, no one conquers these mountains, we conquer ourselves to experience them. They merely stand silently and allow us passage. Tread softly on these trails and give them your respect.

Resources:

India Mike Trekking & Mountaineering Forum
Supratim's Blog
Mr Srinivasan's Travel Blog
Harish Kapadia's "Trekking and Climbing in the Indian Himalaya" (difficult to find book)

Kuari Pass, Garwhal Himalaya

2007-12-24T00:12:00.000-08:00

Introduction

The trek over Kuari Pass in Garwhal District of Uttarakhand State in Northern India. The trail climbs from Ghat, a small village near Nandprayag, heads directly north over several passes, the most spectacular of which is Kuari, before descending to Auli, the popular ski resort near Joshimath. It's about 70 km long, and can be done at a leisurely pace in 7 days. The highest point reached is Kuari Pass, for which elevation estimates seem to hover around 14,000 ft. Oct and Nov are recommended for clear skies.

Trekking Dates: Nov 18 - 24, 2007

Major Himalayan Peaks Viewed

Nanda Devi (25,643 ft)
Kamet (25,446 ft)
Abi Gamin (24,130 ft)
Mana Parbat (23,858 ft)
Mukut Parbat (23,760 ft)
Chaukhamba (23,419 ft)
Dunagiri (23,182 ft)
Ghori Parbat (22,136 ft)
Haathi Parabat (22,070 ft)
Changabang (22,520 ft) [We continue to hope]
Neelkanth (21,640 ft)
Nanda Ghunti (20,819 ft)
Ronti (19,819 ft)
Pangarchula (17,602 ft)
Brahmakamal

Trek Itinerary (approximate elevations and distances)

Day 1: Chefna (3000 ft) - Ghuni, 8 km, moderate
Day 2: Ghuni (4500 ft) - Chechni Binayak (11,000 ft) - Jhinji, 11 km, strenuous
Day 3: Jhinji (6000 ft) - Pana, 8 km, moderate
Day 4: Pana (8000 ft) - Unnamed Pass - Sartoli, 8 km, moderate
Day 5: Sartoli (10,000 ft) - Dakhwani, 8 km, moderate
Day 6: Dakhwani (13,000 ft) - Kuari Pass - Talli, 12 km, moderate
Day 7: Talli (12,000 ft)- Auli (10,000 ft), 8 km, easy

Getting there

Our group included Geoff Voelker, Srivatsan Laxman, Prasad Naldurg, Ranjita and I, all from Bangalore. Reaching Nandprayag (the trek base) was a considerable challenge, involving enormous delays at Bangalore Airport (the old one), a missed train connection in New Delhi, a scary ride through the dead of night on what passed for a highway connecting Delhi and Hardwar (at one point our driver bashed his head into his own door), a 4 am rendezvous with another taxi who was waiting for us at Hardwar station (the actual meeting and transfer of luggage took place at a horse urinal), and finally, a 9 hour bone-jarring drive through the magnificent Alaknanda Valley. We finally reached Nandprayag exhausted, but with enough energy to make contact with Gyan, our friend, philosopher and guide for the next week. I hit the sack in the crummy GMVN rest house while others figured out next steps.

Devprayag: The Bhagirathi and the Alakananda merge to form the Ganga

Nov 18: Nandprayag (3000,ft) - Chefna (Jeep) - Ghuni (6600 ft)

Bouncy Jeep ride to Ghat, where we had breakfast in a typically filthy bazaar area, but the chai shop had terrific views of Nandakini. The jeep took us further upstream, to Chefna, where we started the trek. The first few hours passed climbing out of the Nandakini Valley, through villages, with a bunch of kids keeping us company. It was a warm start to the trek, ending at a meadow just above a village called Ghuni, located a km or so from the older route's first camp, Ramni. At a modest 6600 ft, Ghuni boasts terrific views of the Roopkund route and Ali Bugiyal. The night turned very cold, with frost covering the tents in the morning. People encounters: an 81 year old cow herd named Thakur Khettry, who was quite the caste proud one, and 5 year old Surinder, who was quite the precocious one.

Surinder - a kid we made friends with on the trail, backed by the Chaukhamba Massif

Nov 19: Ghuni (6600 ft) - Chechni Binayak (11,000 ft) - Jhinji (6000 ft)

A good grinding awaited us on Day 2, after slurping down a breakfast of Dahlia. The trail (whatever there is of it) climbs about 3000 ft to Chechni Binakay, a pass at approximately 11,000 ft. Beautiful views of Nanda Ghunti along the way, through the pine forests and at the occasional clearing. The massive Chaukhamba also makes a fleeting appearance. The rest of the day was a steep descent through cold, dense jungle where the green was balanced by changing colors of autumn. With trembling knees and low morale, folks arrived at Jhinji, our next village/campsite. The location had everything going for itself in terms of setting --- hemmed in by sheer slopes rising thousands of feet off the valley floor, crowned by snow peaks. However, the local scenery was another story --- the campsite had comparable amounts of dung, trash, and grass. We feasted on a simple lunch of khichhdi and an incredible dinner of roti, local radish, moong daal and baingan bharta, and even managed to make a couple of phone calls at the local "STD booth".

Nov 20: Jhinji (6000 ft) - Pana (8000 ft)

It was considerably warmer than Ghuni down in this valley. After watching the sunrise on the snowpeaks, and consuming a breakfast of cornflakes, boiled eggs, and bread, we made a start around 9. The sharp descent continued into the Birahi Ganga Valley. Met a bunch of adorable kids named Manju, Kamala and Vikas on the way.

We crossed the river on an impressive footbridge, several hundred feet above the roaring waters, then switchbacked out of the valley, initially keeping Jhinji in view. Then everything changed. A swing to the right, and we were looking straight down the Birahi Ganga gorge, including the remnants of a now non-existent Gohna Tal (google that incredible story that washed away the downstream town of Srinagar). Another 7-8 km of pleasant, moderately flat hiking through fall foliage, and we were at Pana, a pleasant campsite at the base of one of the peaks visible from Jhinji, part of the Pagarchula Ridge. We washed up in the freezing mountain stream, Geoff lost his soap to some mountain crows, and we whiled away the time playing Two Truths, One Lie, situations, and by having endless arguments about the orientation of the Big Dipper. We had hot chocolate after dinner!

Hanging bridge over the Birahi Ganga, below Jhinji

Looking west down the Birahi Ganga Valley and Gohna Tal

Nov 21: Pana (8000 ft) - Unnamed Pass (11,000 ft) - Sartoli (10,000 ft)

10 hours of sleep later. Cold morning, slow going. We hiked up and out of the Birahi Ganga Valley till we were level with the Chechni Binayak pass on the other side of the river. It's a steep, but rewarding climb, with stunning views of Nanda Ghunti flanked by Ronti on the left, and an unnamed peak on the right. With binoculars, we could make out many feature details: huge snowfields, knife-like, corniced snow ridges. At this point, the trail turned away from the valley, crossed a pass, and swooped down a new valley towards Sartoli, a classic grazing meadow, with the climb to Kuari Pass towering over the landscape. The ridge from Kuari, extended to the right, peaks at Pagarchula, visible two days ago from Jhinji. We dropped a little lower than Sartoli to camp after 4 hours of moderate trekking. Ranjita entertained us with card games, and I nearly (keyword "nearly") had my roll of toilet paper roll into an abyss while I was in a somewhat helpless position. The evening was freezing cold, so the campfire was a warm welcome. However, the night continued to remain extremely cold.

Nov 22: Sartoli (10,000 ft) - Dakhwani (13,000 ft)

Aloo paratha for breakfast! We descended sharply to a spectacular waterfall. Bridge-crossing, and valley hike out. That's the story of the Kuari Pass trail: Work hard to gain a few thousand ft. Take in the views. Lose it all in the next 2 hours. Repeat this for a week.

The trail climbs gradually there on to Dakwani, an exposed area a little way up the steep slope leading to the Pass. It was a short day - 3 hours no more. At this point, some of us had plans to going up teh ridge higher than the pass the next day. Would be cool maybe even to make a summit attempt on Pangarchula.

The campsite was great - clean, maybe ~1000 ft below the pass. Gyan is a terrific guide - very knowledgable, and a good person. We spend a sleepy afternoon listening to mule bells, the gurgling stream, and playing cards. Interestingly the night was not as cold as the previous, but far more windy. We hit the bags by 8 pm, looking forward to an early morning strike at the Pass and a possible Pangarchula attempt.

Nov 23: Dakhwani (13,000 ft) - Kuari Pass - Talli (12,000 ft)

The best day of the trek. Puri / chhole for breakfast, and an early start. We received brief respite from the gruelling ascent to the pass thanks to sightings of a Monal: lovely Himalayan high altitude bird. Expansive views of the valley behind us, including the Sartoli area. Very steep gradient, freezing cold, altitude make it worse. Take 10 steps, stop and breathe. We reached the pass around 9:30 am and .... what can one say. Brilliant sunshine, not a wisp of cloud, and a few hundred miles of the High Himalaya on display. Chaukhamba in the west, followed by Nilkanth, then the Alaknanda Valley piercing a route north towards Tibet, then a group that likely included Mana, Mukut and Kamet, Abu Gamin. Nilgiri, Ghori and Hathi Parbat were smack in the middle of the view, and to the right, the magnificent Dunagiri, and maybe, just *maybe*, Changabang. Also visible were the Rishi Ganga and Dhauli Ganga Valleys.

Snow views en route from Kuari Pass to Talli

Dramatic scenery near Kuari Pass

After spending 90 min at the pass, mesmerized by the view and the pleasant weather, we abandoned all plans of climbing higher. We spent the next 2 hours on a dramatic hike, as Gyan led us through ridges, meadows, and snowfall that gave us newer and closer perspectives on the pantheon we observed from the pass. Nanda Ghunti and Ronti also swung back into view after a day's absence over and above the Pagarchula Ridge. Soon we sank into a pine forest and reached a sublime campsite at Talli surrounded by pines, and blanketed with snow. Many excited discussions over the campfire about the day's views, including suggestions that we might have already sighted Nanda Devi.

Nov 24: Talli (12,000 ft)- Auli (10,000 ft)

Coldest night of the trek. We settled accounts on a cold morning, and started by 8 am. The hike gradually became more exhilarating with sharp fall offs to the right, and views directly upstream along the Rishi Ganga Valley, which means, yes, Nanda Devi, the highest peak entirely contained within India, was in view, and changing colors by the minute. The dramatic appearances of Dunagiri continued, and so did the raging debate on the identity of the peaks just east of the Alaknanda, with the idea of having seen the Kamet group of peaks gaining acceptance. We received views of the confluence of Rishi Ganga and Alakananda (at Vishnuprayag) as well as the Rishi and Dhauli Gangas. We sighted Lammergier, a Bearded Vulture overhead, by which time Auli was within view below us. The trail runs through brilliant meadows, sneaking in and out of pine forests, before arriving at Auli ... at a chai shop! By the time we arrived, Nanda Devi was alive with sunlight and sublimation, so no one really complained when our jeep was late showing up. We played with a couple of local dogs to kill the time until the jeep arrived, one of which must have been the world's dirtiest puppy.

Nanda Devi & the Rishi Ganga Valley, from Auli

The dirtiest puppy in the world backed by Neelkanth

Over and Out

The return was thankfully less eventful than the outward journey. After we tore ourselves away from the views of Nanda Devi, our ride took us back to Karnprayag, where Srivatsan and Prasad went on to Naini Tal. Ranjita, Geoff and I went down to Rudraprayag, and spent the night in what we (then) considered to be the worst hotel we had ever stayed in. The next day, we reached Hardwar early enough to spend a few hours walking around the town, and a quick hike upto the crazy temple on the West Bank of the river (highly unrecommended). The evening Shatabdi to Delhi was smooth as silk and the layover in Noida was pretty convenient thanks to my colleague Anup's contacts in the area. Next day, mid-morning, we were back in Bangalore, battling traffic and pollution, but at the same time, bathing in the afterglow.

A happy meal at Pipalkotti. Clockwise: Ranjita, Prasad, Geoff, Srivatsan

View of Hardwar, from the crazy Manasi Devi temple

Random Thoughts

7 days is way too padded an itinerary. 5 days should be do-able. I would break it down as follows:

Day 1: Chefna - Ghuni

Day 2: Ghuni - Jhinji

Day 3: Jhinji - Dakwani

Day 4: Dakwani - Talli

Day 5: Talli - Auli

It might be well worth throwing in a summit attempt, or ridge walk up and to the right of the pass. What else. Gyan is a great guide. He pampers you a tad more than you might like, but he's a good listener, and very knowledgeable. Highly recommended.

Mt Whitney, Mountaineer's Route

2006-01-30T11:35:00.000-08:00

Introduction

The "Mountaineer's Route", or the "North Fork of the Lone Pine Creek Route" is a challenging alternative route to the summit of Mt Whitney. Mahim Ranjan, Krishna Sekar, Saumya Chandra and I attempted this route in July 2005, after hiking the mountain the year before via the more popular "main trail" on an arduous 18 hour day hike.

Trivia

Mt Whitney, at 14,491 ft, is the highest peak in continental USA
Whitney Portal (trailhead) elevation: 8360 ft
By measure of prominence, Whitney is the 81st highest peak in the world
Mountaineer's Route (outbound): 5 miles
Main Trail (return route): 11 miles

Photo Album

Scaruffi's Trip Report is a good reference

Report

I flew into Burbank (Ranjita decided against this trip, given the very short acclimatization schedule), where I hooked up with Narayan Prasad and Neeraj and drove up north to Lone Pine. The gang from San Diego had already arrived. During the course of the day, during which the four of us went up the nearby White Mountains to do a short acclimitization hike, we abandoned ideas of an overnighter, and decided to go the way of a long arduous day hike again. However, we decided (wisely in the end) to hike the MR only on the way up, and return via the familiar main trail. We (the MR gang) parted ways with the remaining folks, who were planning an overnighter via the Main Trail, did some last minute shopping, and crashed early at a hotel in Lone Pine. We drove up to the Whitney Portal (the trailhead) located at 8300 ft around midnight to make a 2 am start, as planned.

We were familiar with the first hour or so of the route, which the MR shares with the Main Trail. After the second river crossing, we followed a turn off to the right, and almost immediately started climbing steeply through the blackness of the night. On hindsight, maybe it was a good thing to negotiate the Ebersbacher Ledges in the dead of night, since we were blissfully ignorant of the sheer drop offs to the left. Of course, not knowing what lay in the blackenss to the left, we hugged the granite to our right, and made slow but steady progress with our headlamps.

Once the sun came out, we made a brief stop at Lower Boy Scout Lake (10,500 ft) and watched the sun rise over the Panamint Range in Death Valley while we breakfasted. From here on, route finding proved difficult over featureless scree. Sadly, the cairns, that had marked the way well so far, had all but disappeared. We were carrying rough directions based on trip reports published on the internet, and therefore knew that if we actually reached the shores of Upper Boy Scout Lake, we would definitely be off track. Sure enough, after an hour's uncertainty, we were at the second lake, located at 11,500 ft. Luckily, this gave us our bearings, and we headed to the left, and after some 20 minutes or so, regained the route.

Saumya and Mahim at first light, taking a break between Lower & Upper Boy Scout Lake, as the sun rises over the Panamint Range bordering Death Valley

Looking back east at the drainage of the North Fork of the Lone Pine Creek

From here on, it was an initially challenging scramble, followed by perhaps the only somewhat level stretch of the route. This stretch has expansive views of the drainage of the North Fork of the Lone Pine Creek, looking East, back the way we came, and towering views of Thor's Peak and Pinnacle Ridge to the North (on our left). The hike along the boulder-strewn gully (we were above the tree line now) slowly brought the Keeler Needles and Mt Whitney into view. We probably goofed up again on the route here, deciding to move up and to the right via a tough scramble, which involved a tricky waterfall crossing. In any case, a tough half hour or so later, we were rewarded by the arrival of the brilliant blue Iceberg Lake (12,300 ft), partially frozen, and a view of the snow filled chute and gully leading up to "The Notch". We kept eyeing the chute, since it would be our home for the next couple of hours. At this point, at 9 am, we were happy with our progress and considered ourselves well on schedule for summitting by noon. After refreshing ourselves at the lake (we had to smash the ice to get to water), and snacking a bit, we donned helmets to protect us from falling rock, and launched the attack on the chute. We stayed to the left of the main gully, avoiding the snow as far as possible. This part of the climb was very steep, with progressively grander views of Iceberg Lake beneath us partially spoiled by some cloud that began to roll in. Luckily the altitude did not seem to bother any of us.

First views of the chute that leads to the notch at 14,000 ft.

Iceberg Lake from up close: The year before, we looked at this lake from 2000 ft above it and wondered how cool it would be to climb this route

Saumya and Mahim making slow and steady progress up the snow filled chute

There was a nervous moment when the three of us had gotten well ahead of Saumya, who was not to be seen or heard for a while. Worse, the mist had by now morphed into dense fog rising out of the Iceberg Lake col, reducing visibility to tens of feet . After 10-15 minutes, she came within earshot: relieved, we continued the slow climb up the chute, eventually resorted to wading through knee-deep snow. At 14,000 ft, we arrived at the Notch, where it was cold and cloudy, but we were luck enough to receive views of the magnificent Sequioa National Park Wilderness to the West.

Krishna leads the way from the Notch, negotiating a 10 ft vertical wall to start off

For some reason we were under the mistaken impression that the hardest part of the hike was over, and mini congratulations were exchanged. We had climbed over 5500 ft in a few hours, so how hard could the remaining 500 ft be? Turns out, lots. After meeting the intial challenge of a 10 ft vertical face (Krishna lead the way), we expected things to get easier, but they didn't. Perhaps it was the altitude, perhaps muscles that were tired from the scrambling, but it was hard, hard work hauling ourselves up using all four limbs over near vertical rocks, up towards the summit, one rock at a time. One false step, and it would have been a quick but spectacular descent down the West side of the mountain. We met a few folks heading down, using ropes, and felt relieved about not having to return this way. With conversation at a complete stop for the last hour of the ascent, we finally reached the summit at 2 pm to be greeted with the familiar sight of the highest restroom in the lower 48 states, but the unfamiliar sight of absolutely *no one* on the summit.

Summit toilet coming into view, calling for relief and celebration

Since the weather looked unfriendly (there was some hail, fog, and strong winds), we decided not to take a break, but raced on across the huge Whitney Summit, and headed down the Main Trail. An hour or so later, we took at a break at Trail Crest, where we met a German guy with whom we shared some snacks, and chatted for a while (first human contact in several hours). The weather looked better, so we relaxed a little, admired the views of the Sequioa area, and mentally prepared ourselves for the gruelling 96 switchbacks that we would now have to negotiate to descend to Trail Camp at about 12,000 ft.

Signboard at Trail Crest

The rest of the hike was relatively easy, including the infamous "rope section", which was relatively snow free (unlike the last year, when it posed a serious challenge). Hiking through familiar territory reduces stress significantly, so without too much hassle, we caught up with Dave, Mainak, and Mark --- all of whom successfully summited via the Main Trail --- at Trail Camp, and wound our way down the gradual but beautiful sections of the Main Trail, passing through Trail Meadow before descending below the tree line near Mirror Lake, followed by Bighorn Meadow, and finally, Lone Pine Lake. We were back at the trailhead around 8 pm, ending a successful 18 hour summit attempt of Whitney (second in as many years).

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Bad photo, but you can make out the four of us (L to R: Kanishka, Krishna, Mahim and Saumya)

Neeraj, Narayan Prasad and I drove back to the LA area the same night, where in Burbank, we were unsucessful at finding ourselves a decent meal late in the night. It's sad how after our most sapping extreme dayhikes, we've typically ended up with a less than satisying meals (sometimes none at all). Finally, we settled for the ever reliable, but culinary disaster that is the Golden Arches, and got a few hours sleep before heading to the airport early in the morning, from where I caught my Jetblue flight back to JFK, and the others headed back to San Jose.

Post hike thoughts

The Mountaineer's Route is an exhilarating alternative to Whitney Main Trail (which involves getting permits via a lottery several months before your planned hike). The upside and the downside is that it's a significantly more challenging route, and for more than 50% of the time, one is on all fours. However, in our experience, it stopped short of technical climbing. Compared to Long's Peak (in the Colorado Rockies) during the snow free season, this route is perhaps a tad harder, and more interesting in terms of scrambling challenge, and route finding.

It would be pleasant to do this over two days provided one packs lightly, so that one doesn't get robbed of the day light experience of the Ledges early on in the trail. A reasonable plan might be to start around 4 am from Whitney Portal, climb via the MR, and aim to descend to Trail Camp by the afternoon and set up camp. Or better still, have some buddies climb via the main trail on the same day, and set up camp for you.

Machu Picchu Via Salkantay Pass

2005-12-24T00:19:00.000-08:00

(Photo credits: Scott Orth)

Initial views of Salcantay and terraced slopes from our breakfast location en route to Mollepata

Introduction

The trek over the Salkantay Pass to Machu Picchu is rapidly gaining popularity owing to restrictions on the classic "Inca Trail". In 2008, The National Geographic listed this route among the "25 best adventure trips in the world", and the "savvy traveller's route to Machu Picchu". Of course, Ranjita, Snigdha and I had no idea about all this, and came upon this offering from SAS travels in Cusco after we heard there was no way of getting permits to do the classic Inca Trail. We found company in Megan and Scott, a Canadian couple with clearly plenty of trekking experience behind them, Rachel, an undergrad from Brown University who was at the time, on an exchange program in La Paz, Bolivia, Stephanie and Erica, two high-energy Dutch teenagers who were each about 2 feet taller than us, and Ulrich, a funny Danish guy who was living in Argentina because "the winters are too depressing in Denmark". We "chicos" were in the able hands of Juan from SAS.

Trekking Dates: May 23-27, 2005.

Andean Trivia

The trek takes you through gorgeous parts of the Cordillera Vilcabamba, a section of the Peruvian Andes. The highlight (other than Machu Picchu of course) is the Salcantay Pass, estimates for which range between 15,000 and 15,500 ft. Salcantay, which dominates most views on the trek, is the highest peak in the Cordillera Vilcabamba, at 20,500 ft, but it's only the 12th highest in Peru, and the 38th highest in the Andes. Huamantay (19,500 ft) is also very close to the hiking trail. From the pass, the Cordillera Blanca is visible, a group that includes Peru's highest peak Huascaran (22,300 ft).

Detailed Trek Report

Day 1: Cusco (10,800 ft) - Mollepata (9,300 ft) - Soraypampa (12,210 ft)

We assembled at 7 am at the Plaza at the center of Cusco, where we boarded a bus and met our trekking companions for the second time (We had a pre-trek orientation the previous evening). About 2 hours out of Cusco, we stopped on the roadside for a indulgent breakfast with inspiring views of the snow-capped Salcantay and Huamantay peaks. Another hour or so later we arrived at a village called Mollepata, where Juan arranged for mules, and where we, within 15 minutes, managed to lose the only sunscreen we were carrying. A short while later, we were off the bus, on a meadow, and ready to go.

The hike was pretty easy, through flowering shrubs, and views of terraced slopes, and occasional sneak peaks at Salcantay. The first campsite at Soraypampa arrived mid-late afternoon soon after a wide stream crossing, nestled in a moraine valley at the base of Salcantay. We experienced magical moonlit views of the snow peak and banal conversation with the rest of the gang in the dinner tent (yes, this was one of "those" treks), with of course, magnificent food to go with it (trout, potatoes, salad).

Soraypampa, the first campsite, was located in a meadow with grand views of Salcantay

Meals were an elaborate affair all through the trek. Dinner at Soray-"pamper"

Day 2: Soraypampa (12,210 ft) - Salcantay Pass (15,400 ft) - Chaullay (10,400 ft)

The second day started with severely cold weather, with the sun taking its time to rise above the ridges. We passed a great example of a fan-shaped glacial moraine, which Scott pointed out to us. From there it was a long, steep climb executed with altitude-induced stupor, up and out of the treeline into boulder and rock country. At the Salcantay pass, we were greeted by brilliant weather, fantastic views of the Cordillera Blanca, a range containing Peru's highest peaks, and of course, since we were in the saddle connecting Salcantay and Huamantay, detailed close ups of these majestic mountains. We heard sharp cracks of ice breaking on glaciers, (or avalanches, we weren't sure which). From the pass, it was a longish but easy descent to the lunch spot, which we gobbled down after a gruelling 9 hour hike. After lunch, we set out on a dramatic descent into dense cloud forest. The trek was very similar to Captain Haddock and Tintin's trek to the Temple of the Sun, complete with llamas, snow peaks, waterfalls and then jungle and mosquitos (no Tapirs though). Also, our viewings of an Andean Condor high above us did not compare with Snowy and Tintin's encounters. We ended the day at a lovely spot called Chaullay, perched on a protected part of a hillside looking into a valley. Best of all, one could buy beer!

View from Salkantay Pass towards the Cordillera Bianca, and down into the cloud forest

Day 3: Chaullay (10,400 ft) to La Playa (7,500 ft)

The next day, after a hanging bridge crossing, we hiked along the Urubamba Valley, at times at water level, and at other times, hundreds of feet above it, watching it snake northwards through the valley (the Urubamba is a headwater of the Amazon). Occasionally, lookling back through the clouds that seem to live in this forest, we would catch of glimpse of Salcantay, now thousands of feet higher, and appearing different from the new perspective. We had the typical gourmet lunch, and got treated to freshly plucked grenadines. After a rewarding but relatively easy day's hiking, we arrived at the village of La Playa, where we camped next to a school building. We met many adorable kids that afternoon, and some of us played soccer with them, while others lazed around drinking beer (sold to us by a 7 year old), and followed Megan's lead stretching our hamstrings, much to the amusement of the onlookers.

Rachel and Megan high above the Urubamba, snaking north towards Machu Picchu

Day 4: La Playa (7,500 ft) - HydroElectric - Aguas Caliente (6,700 ft)

We bade farewell to Juan's support staff as they would head to a nearby road and take a truck back to civilization, while we would continue hiking to Hydro-Electric (yes, that's what the place is called). They turned out incredible food at every meal, ensuring that no one lost a pound on the trek (sadly for some). We continued hiking with great views of the Urubamba, and then a tedious descent, during which Rachel and Ranjita sang morale boosting songs all the way down to the river (not the Urubamba, something else). Part of what made this section hard was neck-high grass, which obscured the views. At the bottom we crossed a very scary hanging bridge, where for a moment it looked like Snigdha was going to plop right through a missing plank. The falls near the Hydel station were spectacular, and it was a flat walk to the train station. We had lunch there, and then boarded a train that switchbacked it's way up the mountain, changing direction each time, until it reached the touristy, but nevertheless charming town of Aguas Caliente (which literally means, "hot water").

We explored the town a little, doing the naturally touristy thing of taking a bath in the hot springs, and roaming up and down the market street looking at trinkets. The hotel was little more than a trekker's hut with a dining hall.

Day 5: Aguas Calienta (6,700 ft) - Machu Picchu (7,900 ft) - Cusco (10,800 ft)

Early in the morning we hiked up to Machu Picchu in the dark, and were there well in time to see the sun rise over that magical place. As a bonus (or so we believed) we witnessed a llama threesome at close quarters. Later we would wonder if they're trained to entertain the tourists in this manner while they wait for the sun to rise. We spent the next few hours taking a guided tour of the ruins, but most of the group was so done with trekking that we passed on an opportunity to climb higher, up Huayna-Picchu, from where, apparently the views are spectacular. Lots of pictures later, we dragged ourselves away from the ruins and lay ourselves down on the grass to soak in the sun, and the reality of where we were.

Sunrise over Machu Picchu: well worth all the effort

Pleased as punch

Back in Aguas Caliente, we spent some time in a cafe (all cafes in Peru seem fabulously decorated), walked around the station area, and hung out with the gang in a bar. We heared that neighbouring Bolivia's government been felled in a bloodless coup, and that the Peru-Bolivia borders would soon be sealed. So Rachel, who was a student in La Paz, made some arrangements and left to make it into that country before time ran out. We did meet her in New York a few months later, so she did in fact, make it! We took the "trekker train" from Aguas Caliente, reached Cusco late, retrieved some of our stuff from the SAS Travels office in the square, and crawled back to the Rumipunku Hotel, happy to hit the sack.

Inca statue, near the Aguas Caliente train station

Post Trek Thoughts

5 days for this trek (4 real trekking days) is a good pace. Weather was terrific end of May. One thing to watch out for is AMS. Since we were bumming around Cusco and the Sacred Valley (10,000 to 12,000 ft) for two days prior to starting the trek, we were reasonably acclimatized. Or maybe it was just the gallons of Coca Tea that we consumed!

Traveling with SAS was a good experience, if somewhat expensive ($350 per person, for the 5 day trip), since they cater principally to US/European travellers. There are probably many agencies around Cusco that offer equally good services for much less. Well, maybe the food won't be as spectacular as SAS, but then, you don't go trekking for cuisine.