THE INDIAN HIMALAYA:

A BRIEF HISTORICAL REVIEW

(1996)1

     Dear Friends,

 It is indeed a pleasure to be here with so many mountaineers. Things were a little different when Sir Bonington invited me at first. It was on a hot morning in May that he phoned me inviting me to this gathering. I was sitting contentedly enjoying an alphonso mango. But as we know Sir Bonington is a persuasive man and specially so with his friends. So here I am. When I landed at the Heathrow my first thought was, ‘Oh, to be in England, now that winter is here’! My apologies to good old Robert.2  I think British winters are made for mountaineers. It is cold, colder than many places in the Himalaya at present. So I am sure you will be comfortable viewing the slides.

    You can relax as this is not a Keynote address in true sense of the word, though it has been announced as such. You can relax further because there are no Everest to be climbed, for the only 8000er we have in India is the Kangchenjunga. But if you are interested in many smaller peaks, of course many above 7000 m, out of the ordinary, difficult routes, historical perspectives and many unexplored valleys than the Indian Himalaya will be attractive to you. That is what I intend to cover in my lecture today, with slides.

    The Himalayan chain is spread across the Asian continent, going southeast to northwest. Generally the Himalaya, Karakoram and the Hindu Kush are talked about as part of one chain. When we talk of the ‘Indian Himalaya’ we are talking of that part of the Himalayan chain which falls within Indian territory. Starting from the east, the Indian Himalaya originate from a knot between Burma-China and India, from where the Brahmaputra river enters Arunachal Pradesh. The chain continues till the borders of Bhutan. Beyond that we have Sikkim, which is a full-fledged state of India since 1974. It has many peaks, including the world’s third highest peak Kangchenjunga. The Himalayan ranges east of this are in the Nepalese area till we reach the borders of Kumaon and Garhwal. From here without a break the Indian Himalayan chain continues—Kinnaur, Spiti, Ladakh and lastly East Karakoram. The areas further west are controlled by Pakistan and Afghanistan.

    We Indians have always looked up to the Himalaya as the abode of snow, which literally this name means. There are shrines which are visited by many and in the Hindu scriptures spiritual tranquillity is always associated with these snowy mountains. Many local villagers crossed the range for trade. But the exploration and climbing as we know today started with the arrival of the British. It was out of the necessities of the ‘Great Game’3  in the Karakoram that explorers were first sent into the range. Then came the soldiers, the most famous being the Francis Younghusband expedition across Sikkim to reach Lhasa. They were followed by the surveyors as the Survey of India under the British officers systematically drew maps of each area and this resulted in the discovery of the highest peak in the world—Everest. Finally came the climbers. All the pre-war Everest expeditions, attempting the peak from the north passed through Sikkim and climbed several peaks.

    Two officers were taking a stroll on the Mall below the Jakhoo hill in Shimla. From their casual talk, to help the visiting British mountaineers, The Himalayan Club was formed in 1928. Its main role was to assist mountaineering expeditions coming to climb in India. This was the beginning of the influx of more explorers and climbers. Some of the better-known early expeditions to this range were that of Hugh Ruttledge, which explored Kumaon. In 1905 and 1907 Arnold Mumm and Charles Bruce spent five months in Garhwal and climbed several peaks. Trisul, 7120 m was climbed in 1907 by Dr Longstaff and it remained the highest climbed peak in the world for several years. Frank Smythe reached the summit of Kamet in 1931 to break the record. This was soon overtaken by the climb of Nanda Devi in 1936. The exploration of the Nanda Devi Sanctuary was a great piece of exploration in the Indian Himalaya undertaken by Shipton and Tilman in 1934 and 1936. After the war and Indian independence in 1947 there were serious doubts whether the sport would continue to flourish. Some of the people who ‘stayed on’, like Jack Gibson and John Martyn enthused Indians into climbing and the sport continued. One of their students, Gurdial Singh climbed Trisul in 1951, the first peak to be climbed by an Indian on an Indian expedition. In 1953 Everest was climbed and one of the summitters, Tensing was an Indian. To celebrate this event a mountaineering institute was established in Darjeeling which has trained many Indians. Now at least three such institutes operate to full capacity and this has contributed to the growth of the sport. In 1958 the Indian Mountaineering Foundation was born and was recognised by the government to deal with the sport. Indian mountaineering has not looked back since.

    There are different types of expeditions in India. Amongst all the Himalayan nations only Indians climb mountains for pleasure. Nepalese, Sherpas join expeditions for financial reasons. Pakistan has only very few known mountaineers. In India there are almost 200 purely Indian expeditions every year, besides thousands treks in the range. There are generally two broad types of expeditions from India. There are expeditions organised and totally funded by the government agencies, the army, the Indo-Tibet Border Police or individuals selected by the Indian Mountaineering Foundation. The style and functioning of such expeditions are totally different—they are more structured. Then there are many small Indian expeditions organised by private enthusiasts, like here in the west. They climb because it is there and despite meagre financial resources, non-availability of good equipments and other difficulties they have achieved much and contributed to the knowledge and exploration of the range.

    There are about 150 expeditions to India each year which are called ‘foreign expeditions’. They are from many countries of the world, specially from Europe, U.S., Japan and Korea. There have been several joint expeditions also, that is expeditions consisting of Indians and foreign mountaineers. I have participated in five such joint expeditions, four with British mountaineers and one with the French. For such joint expeditions the IMF has a set of rules. In fact, in certain areas which are otherwise restricted, only such joint teams are allowed to climb. If you want to join with Indians you have to suggest the group you want to join and arrange everything with this group.

    A joint expedition can be a happy experience. In fact I never enjoyed the mountains more than with my British friends. But to achieve this certain major factors need to be borne in mind. First of all there is the difference in culture. For example we Indians have different food habits. We always share food or at least offer to do so. Even in trains it is always customary to offer food to a co-passenger before you start eating. Of course it is also equally customary to refuse politely. On my earlier expeditions I always used to wonder why Victor Sanders was not offering me chocolates till I realised that I could grab them from him without a protest.

    Some joint expeditions have problems due to the delays in final clearance on the ground. The Indian leader, generally from the defence forces, is unable to present the case strongly with the local officials. Some cooperation between the two leaders can do a lot. In 1985 we were delayed at Leh by the army. For almost 4 days our liaison officer would arrive in the middle of the night just before we were to start, and announce a delay. On the last day Dave Wilkinson and I planned a joint action. When one more delay was announced we woke up the army Commandant in the middle of the night. In front of him Dave started arguing with me in no uncertain terms, reminding me of fees paid and, then in true British fashion came the final threat: ‘I’ll talk to the BBC’. I kept a straight face and pleaded with the Commandant in the local language that this British leader meant business and if we were now delayed further I would be in trouble, and so would he. We were cleared to proceed within hours and Dave and I were smiling and drinking coffee to that little drama.

    There is also a difference in climbing standards between joint expeditions. Many of us Indian climbers put on crampons once in a year and it would be suicidal to try to compete with the leading ice experts. Often we have selected different routes and even different mountains to climb. At the same time there have been difficulties when either party has forced the issue. One major joint expedition to East Karakoram had several problems, some caused by genuine difficulties and some due to cultural differences. A book was written about it which blamed only the Indians and the Indian bureaucracy for all the troubles. But the book never mentioned what had caused such difficulties. It turned out that the foreign side was equally responsible, using far from elegant language, cursing the army and the liaison officer which provoked an extreme reaction.

    This brings us to the problems of bureaucracy and rules for climbing in the Indian Himalaya. There have been several areas of complaint about the Indian bureaucracy despite the efforts to change. Someone has described bureaucracy as an elephant that moves slowly, which is strong and eats lots of paper. After all it is Lord Curzon’s legacy to us. It will help to understand how this elephant operates. The Himalayan areas are classified into several segments. Each is controlled by different states in which they fall. The initial permission is to be granted by the government in Delhi and then to be forwarded to the respective states. For clearance the government has recognised the Indian Mountaineering Foundation (IMF) as the central body. It must be appreciated that the IMF cannot on its own discretion clear any foreign expedition. They are a body to forward papers to the Ministry of Defence and Ministry of Home. That’s where the fun starts. These ministries have almost no knowledge about mountains, mountaineers and mountain areas and they are as slow and probably less efficient than elephants are.

    Many times visiting the ministries I have often wondered how many famous mountaineers have sat in these chairs and what sagas of adventure and courage lay buried in their files. But the answers are buried in mounds of bureaucracy, bureaucracy and more bureaucracy. There are a few things to be remembered about these ministries. First, they do not consider any reputations. Once I walked up to a babu there with none less than Sir Chris Bonington for clearance of our joint expedition. The babu, after one look at him, greeted us with ‘so he is your British leader’. Before I could mention the importance of being Sir Chris, the babu, trying to be polite, asked the fatal question, ‘so Mr Bonington, have you been climbing for long?’ To them only the papers matter and one has to be most patient.

    Secondly, they do not understand the location and intricacies of mountain areas. Recently a Japanese wanted to climb Deo Tibba peak solo. The peak is far away from any borders but the powers felt that a lone Japanese would be a security risk. The IMF appealed again drawing their attention to the current trend of solo climbing. They made the final ruling, ‘let him go but appoint two liaison officers’, defeating the entire purpose of a solo expedition. The distance and the locations of the mountains are also not easily understood. In the East Karakoram in 1991 Dave Wilkinson and I had applied for permission for a six weeks to climb Chong Kumdan whose base camp was about 12 days away from the road. But a German team climbing a small peak just two days away from the road, was given three-weeks’ permission in the past. So the babu was most reluctant to entertain our application. ‘What will you do there for so long. Does Mr Wilkinson want to build a house there?’ he inquired. We have to solve many such hurdles before one takes on the peak. I had to return from the Siachen glacier this year because after all the clearances some higher-up in the army felt that we should not be there. Once a decision is made these bureaucrats stick to it and defend each other, sometimes with the weapon of total non-reply.

    It will be good to know some of the reasons for these restrictions. The Himalaya are not only a mountaineer’s paradise but also a chain that defends the country from its hostile neighbours. At least three major wars were fought in this area and hence the need for security. Along with the international border, which no one is allowed to approach, there is a parallel line drawn on the map, which is called the ‘inner line’. This was originally established by the British to prevent anyone from crossing into Tibet and it runs about 10 to 40 km from the borders. Certain areas were completely banned to visitors. Once established Lord Curzon’s elephant took over and it was only in 1974 that Ladakh was opened and in 1993 many areas like Spiti, Kinnaur and South Parvati were opened. In the areas which are designated as open areas any foreigner can climb after a clearance which is generally granted. While for climbing within the inner line areas either a joint expedition with Indians has to be organised or a special permission obtained. All this takes time.

    Recently the Government of India has been insisting on a special visa for mountaineers wishing to climb in India. They have to obtain what is called an X visa. This is issued after a long procedure and has caused some heart burn. But it must be remembered that such stringent rules are formed to cover troublemakers, of which there were some, and as a result many others have suffered.4  The government had to take all types of climbers in view and insist on certain minimum requirements. If you follow certain rules then problems can be eliminated.

    Apply early, do not change your team later, specially do not add new names, this is treated as a fresh application. Study the area and position of peaks, for example it will be wise to avoid peaks in Kashmir and Kishtwar at present due to political uncertainties. Finally, take dealing with the babus and bureaucracy as a part of the experience. No paradise is gained easily and Rudyard Kipling’s Kim also had to hassle with Huree babu to gain access to the inner areas.

    Now I would like to start with the real thing—the mountains of the Indian Himalaya. For any mountaineer visiting the range I have one suggestion. Normal Mailer is said to have once chided President John F. Kennedy after the Bay of Pigs fiasco. He said, ‘you invaded a country without understanding its music’. I would similarly argue that a climbing trip to the Indian Himalaya can be more enjoyable if you appreciate its rich history and diverse culture. I will endeavour to show with slides the mountains of the Indian Himalaya, their brief history and the other joys of exploration that still await us.

    If I am asked to name one Indian peak which I like the most—I would say Nanda Devi. I have seen it from almost all directions and at close quarters. In fact it is the centre-piece of the Indian Himalaya. The exploration of routes to its base by Shipton and Tilman in 1934, its ascent in 1936, and all other subsequent expeditions are part of mountaineering history. To its east lies the Milam glacier. The Poles who climbed in this valley in 1939, made the first ascent of Nanda Devi East but two of them were unfortunately killed later whilst climbing Tirsuli peak. Further east in Kumaon stands the ‘Mountain of Long Life’—Chiring We, on the Kalabaland glacier. My team from Bombay made the first ascent of Chiring We in 1979 and it has not been climbed since. There are several peaks on the Kalabaland glacier which are attractive. A special mention must be made of unclimbed Suitilla, which could be called the ‘Changabang of Kumaon’.

    To the west of Nanda Devi, on the outer rim of the Sanctuary stand the Bethartoli Himal peaks. In 1970, I climbed the South peak but we lost four climbers on the main peak in an avalanche. One of them was Ang Kami, a charming personality from Darjeeling. Bill Murray had tried this main peak first, in 1950. Finally it was climbed by the Italians after our attempt. Nearby stands Trisul, the ‘Longstaff Mountain’. In 1907 Longstaff had climbed it speedily and it remained a ‘height record’ for a long time. To my mind, it was when Gurdial Singh climbed Trisul in 1951, that the beginning of the age of mountaineering for the Indians.

    The inner Sanctuary was closed to expeditions whilst some nuclear devise was being carried to place on the summit of the goddess. Once that period was over the first expeditions entered the abode in 1974. Chris Bonington and his Indo-British team climbed Changabang, the northernmost peak of the inner Sanctuary. It was an extraordinary achievement by any standards. The southernmost peak, Devtoli was climbed by my team within a few days of the above climb. Whilst returning from the summit, I fell in a crevasse and was carried on a makeshift stretcher or piggyback, for 13 days to be rescued by a helicopter. As I wrote then—looking at the peak from air—‘Devtoli, the honours are even’!

    After two years on crutches to recover from that injury, I was on my way to north Sikkim. Sikkim became an Indian State in 1976 and we were amongst the early trekkers allowed there. On our visit to the Green Lake, Zerksis Boga and I went across high passes to the Lhonak valley. Freshfield had written that the July snow storms here are ‘proverbial’. We were spared a sample. Once, as we neared Thangu Boga suddenly sat down near a bridge. The slope before us was covered with yellow rhododendrons in bloom. Such are the pleasures of Sikkim. I took one photo then he firmly stopped me: ‘No more photos please. This loveliness must belong only to memories, Harish’, he said.

    While trekking I was often reminded of the history of this region. Pre-war expeditions attempting Everest from the northern approaches passed through Sikkim and thus many famous names were registered in the Rest House log-books. Calcutta was the headquarters of the British Raj so the approach to Sikkim was easy and quick. Cooke, Hunt and Kellas had done some excellent climbing here. The Himalayan Club built a hut at the foot of the Sela pass. That allowed trekkers to go across from Lachen to Lachung valleys without carrying a tent or much food. When I visited the hut, it was in ruins, but I could imagine the echoes of memsahibs ordering khansamas to fetch tea!

    Kangchenjunga is the prime attraction of Sikkim Himalaya. Paul Bauer and his German team repeatedly attempted it but were stopped by the northeast spur, which they could not cross. Finally it was in 1977 that an Indian army team crossed that spur to reach the summit from this side. Kangchenjunga rises steeply from the Zemu glacier—too steeply even for the setting sun to be visible from late-afternoon. Doug Freshfield, who was here in 1899 wrote about an ‘Eastern sunset’, which we witnessed years later.5  The steep rise of Kangchenjunga blocks the western horizon and the sun disappears behind it. Thus early in the afternoon dark shadows gather over the glacier. The east, upto Bhutan, remains brightly lighted for a long time with its changing colours, creating a unique illusion.

    Further east, the thickly wooded valleys of Arunachal Pradesh have not been much explored. The only areas which are visited often are in the Tawang valley, famous for its monastery. Tilman visited the area in 1939 and wrote of his experiences in Assam Himalaya Unvisited. In 1913 F. M. Bailey and H. T. Morshead had made an attempt to reach the base of Gorichen. The route was named as the ‘Bailey Trail’. In 1962 the Chinese came down this trail and the ensuing war put this area out of bounds for civilians. The army has constructed ‘ALGs’ (Advance Landing Grounds) to guard the area, avoiding the overgrown valleys. In recent years the peak of Gorichen has been climbed by different routes. Routes to Kangto have also been explored. But still a lot remains to be seen and done here.

    Back to the central Indian Himalaya. The Gangotri glacier is one valley where a lot of trekking and climbing has been done. Satopanth, Chaukhamba, Sudarshan Parvat, Shivling and Thalay Sagar are just a few of the peaks that are the pride of this area. The mountaineering history of the area can fill up an entire volume. Here I must mention a story that comes to mind. A group of four sadhus, barely clad and with sparse food crossed the Kalindi Khal to go from the shrine of Gangotri to Badrinath.6  At the same time, Andre Roch, the famous Swiss mountaineer was climbing several peaks in the area. He met the party, was impressed by this feat and presented an altimeter to them. This instrument was passed on, like a baton, to successive generations of mountaineers with the condition that when one stops climbing it must be passed to the next active mountaineer. It has reached me after a long journey—and I have no intentions of passing it on to anyone in the near future.

    Another landmark in Garhwal is Kamet which stands tall over the Saraswati valley. It was from this valley that early travellers like the Hindu guru Shankracharya and the Spanish priest, Father Andrade crossed to Tibet over the Mana pass. The peak of Kamet was attempted several times and finally in 1931 Frank Smythe and Eric Shipton reached the summit alongwith some others. R. L. Holdsworth, who was with them, smoked a pipe on the summit, which I believe still remains a height record for smokers. (—except someone has had that pleasure on Everest!).

    Moving towards north Garhwal first comes to the Jadh Ganga valley, which was surveyed by J. B. Auden. I visited the valley in 1990 and we climbed Trimukhi Parvat East, a shapely peak. Monesh, my young companion, wanted to catch a leopard-cub and keep him warm in his sleeping bag—like Auden had done. I was worried that the mother wouldn’t like that—this was their territory, Valley of Snow Leopards. Luckily wiser counsels prevailed.

    Western Garhwal can be called ‘Gibson territory’—as a testimony to his training of young Indian mountaineers. Here on the slopes of Kalanag, Swargarohini Indians learned the sport of climbing. More importantly they also learnt about the flowers of Har-ki-Doon, the birds in the Tons valley and the culture of Garhwal. Gibson was a firm believer in small and friendly expeditions and I wish we Indians had remained firm followers of his philosophy.

    The Himalayan range, onwards from Garhwal, takes a northwesterly turn. It enters what is loosely called the western Himalaya. Immediately to the north are the valleys of Kinnaur. This is where Rudyard Kipling sent his agent-boy Kim, in the book of the same title. Travelling on the Hindustan-Tibet road, now motorable, he exclaimed, ‘this is no place for man’. The bungalow at Kalpa was a favourite haunt of Lord Dalhousie. He drew plans for the Indian Railways sitting in front of Jorkanden peak under the pines. A most unlikely place to think of when you sit in an express train in Bombay!

    Amongst mountaineers Marco Pallis comes to mind when one mentions Kinnaur. He climbed Leo Pargial in 1933 and wrote a wonderful book, Peaks and Lamas. Several peaks here have attracted mountaineers—Jorkanden, Gang Chua and Rangrik Rang—highest of the Racho group. It was on the last peak that Chris Bonington celebrated the arrival of his sixtieth birthday. The Indian-British expedition was led by Chris and me. The peak was climbed in style with every one enjoying the effort. We played cricket at base camp. Needless to say we Indians defeated the English team at their game—for we had the porters fielding for us!

    In the northwestern corner of Kinnaur stands Manirang first climbed by J.D.V. Graaff. We climbed this peak with Paul Nunn and Jim Curran. To its north are the barren valleys of Spiti or the trans-Himalayan region. In 1983 and 1987 we explored the Lingti valley in eastern Spiti, one of the largest unvisited valleys at the time. Though several peaks were climbed by us the elusive Gya could only be photographed. Despite several attempts by several teams Gya has not yielded to climbers as yet. Spiti was brought to the knowledge of mountaineers by Jimmy Roberts and later by two expeditions of Sir Peter Holmes, in 1955 and 1956, to the western valleys of Ratang and Pin. It will give you an idea how remote these valleys are—the next persons to go to these valleys were of Kaivan and me in 1993.

    Spiti is generally spoken of in the same breath as Lahaul, for administratively they are linked. They have a common district headquarters at Kyelong in Lahaul. Lahaul is on the western side of Kunzum la. Its centrepiece is the Chandrabhaga region with several peaks above 6000 m and large valleys which are a climber’s paradise. Trekkers visit Chandra tal often and now the Manali-Leh highway passes through Lahaul. It is a popular jeep-safari route. Western Lahaul has some interesting peaks like Mulkila and Phabrang before the range merges with Pir Panjal. The Chandrabhaga flows into the Kishtwar and is thence called the Chenab. Kishtwar could have been India’s answer to the Alps, though the peaks here are much higher than of that famous range. Unfortunately for a decade now the region, like the other valleys of Kashmir, is in political turmoil and mountaineers are not advised to visit it.

    To the south of Rohtang lies Kullu valley, the most accessible of the Himalayan valleys. Since the days when General Charles Bruce passed from the Dhauladhar to Kullu and went across Rohtang, several climbers have visited these valleys. Bob Pettigrew is credited with several climbs and explorations in these ranges. After his climb of Papsura he fell and was carried for 13 days over passes to Manali for an operation. I exchanged notes with him, for we had both suffered the same type of injury—a dislocated hip—under parallel circumstances.

    If Kullu valley is the most accessible, Zanskar remains the visited valley most by trekkers. Many throng to cross Shingo la, reach Padam and proceed ahead to Leh. En route is the jewel of the area—Phuktal monastery. Built high up, almost inside a cave, it has a long history like many of the monasteries in this area. The Hungarian scholar, Csoma de Koros stayed here for many years. Visitors are proudly shown a stone carved in his memory.

    Nun and Kun peaks were first eyed by the mountaineers in 1898. Kun was climbed in 1913 while the first ascent of Nun was made by Monsieur Bernard Pierre’s team in 1953. Zanskaris are a hardy lot and brave the cruel winter there, although cut off from all sides. As the summer approaches they traditionally follow a route along the Zanskar river to Nimo. On this route, called ‘Tchaddar’ they are now sometimes joined by trekkers.

    Leh is at the crossroads of Asia. Being the central place of Ladakh and on the trade route, caravans met here. Traders came all directions: from Tibet in the east, Kullu in the south, Muslims from Balti valleys in west and caravans from Central Asia in the north. Today even with plane-loads of tourists landing here, it has not lost any of its charms. There are many places in the valley for trekkers and mountaineers. The southeastern valley of Rupshu has several peaks; the highest of them Lungser Kangri (6666 m) was climbed by us in 1995. Three of the other high peaks, Pologongka, Kula and Chhamser Kangri were climbed in quick succession by mountaineers of various nationalities. Still, many peaks, like Chakula, Thugje and others are awaiting climbers. Wide barren valleys, blue waters of Tso Moriri lake, the attractive nomads (Changpas) and exploratory treks: that’s what Rupshu offers.

    Behind the town of Leh runs the Khardung range, continuously from west to east. From the meeting point of the Shyok and Indus rivers and going eastwards this range meets the Pangong range. North of both these ranges lies the East Karakoram. Some of the highest peaks in the Indian Himalaya are in this region. A motorable road, one of the highest in the world, crosses Khardung la to enter the Shyok valley. From the pass, Saser Kangri II is seen to advantage. Its west peak was climbed by the Indo-Japanese team while the east peak, at the same height (of 7518 m) remains virgin. The Saser group was explored by Jimmy Roberts and its main peaks have all been climbed, except one. Saser Kangri I has had received ascents from both the eastern and western approaches and has a long record of climbs. Saser Kangri III was once climbed by an Indian team coming from the east. Peak 7287 m, which Roberts called ‘Plateau Peak’ is the major unclimbed feature here.

    Going further north is the Central Asia Trade Route which cuts across the range to cross Saser la. This historic pass whose moods vary with fickle weather conditions has killed many mules and some persons. One is likely to find bleached bones on this pass as well as on the trail ahead, hence the nickname: ‘Skeleton Trail’. On the trail and its subsidiary routes stands Mamostong Kangri, first climbed in 1984 and Aq Tash, a stupendous rocky pyramid. I have crossed the Saser la twice and on the second trip we went to the unknown Chong Kumdan glacier on the Shyok. Three peaks of the group, including the main peak at 7071 m were climbed by us alongwith several others. Chong Kumdan is known for a dam it created several times in the past on the Shyok. The advancing Chong Kumdan glacier blocked the Shyok in the winter. With summer the river swelled up causing the dam to break, and it caused floods and havoc till many hundred kilometres downstream. The trail continues to the Karakoram Pass and finally leads to Central Asia.

    Back to Nubra valley and Sasoma from where the trail had originated. Further north is Siachen glacier. This is one of the longest glaciers in the world and a major climbing ground. It has a long history. Sir Francis Younghusband, Bullock-Workmans and Tom Longstaff were early visitors who brought back knowledge about its length, location and mountains. Several peaks on its western rim, like Saltoro Kangri I, K12, Sia Kangri and others were climbed by expeditions of different nationali-ties. In the 1970s several Japanese expeditions crossed over Bilaphond la in the west, to this glacier and made ascents of Teram Kangri I, Apsarasas and Singhi Kangri. These visits, from Pakistan, prompted the Indian army to take action and in 1984 they stationed themselves on its heights. This was the beginning of the ‘Glacier War’ which is still on. Before that, some Indian army expeditions had been climbing on the glacier repeating ascents of the above peaks, now approached from the Indian side.

    Several teams were allowed to climb on the glacier and in the side valleys from the Indian side. The first joint expedition (Indo-British) in the side valley was to the Rimo peaks in 1985. The team led by me and Dave Wilkinson climbed Rimo III and narrowly missed climbing Rimo I, which was climbed by the Indo-Japanese team the following year. An Indo-American team climbed Sia Kangri at the head of the glacier and then for several years no climbers visited the upper glacier. Saltoro Kangri II at 7705 m remains one of the highest unclimbed peaks in the world today. When things are quieter there, a lot of climbing can be done in the area.

    That was a very brief outline of the Indian Himalaya, its mountains and their history. The range stands on its own even though it does not contain high peaks of 8000 m for which leading mountaineers are queuing elsewhere. Most of the high peaks, including Everest, have now been climbed over a 100 times. Once the interest in them has waned, ranges such as those I have described, will be the climber’s playground.

    Stephen Venables arrived in Bombay in 1988. He was on his way to climb Everest via the Kangshung Face. We went climbing on sea-cliffs near Bombay. Steve climbed a tall coconut tree in hard trekking shoes, instead of bare feet as it is customarily done. As the tree swung in the strong afternoon breeze he was tense and cried out to me to take a picture. I was afraid even to look at him and closed my eyes, expecting a thud and the end of a future Everester. But to my relief, Steve came down the tree safely and eventually climbed Everest, solo. The moral of the story: climb in the Indian Himalaya, or even our trees for that matter—to go successfully up to the highest in the world.

    Thank you!

Notes & References

1. Speech delivered at the ‘Alpine Club Syposium on the Indian Himalaya’, 2nd November 1996 at Plys-y-Brenin, Wales, UK.
2. ‘Oh, to be in England, Now that April’s here’, by poet Robert Browning.
3. This is the name given to the power struggle for the control of the western Himalaya, between the British (who were ruling India then) and the Russians.
4. Requirement of X visa is still in force, unfortunately, in 1998.
5. See Round Kangchenjunga, by Doug Freshfield.
6. Their story is told in the book Across Gangotri Glacier by Swami Anand.

 

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