Gulmarg 2013

One of my friends once told me that, in the mountains one quite often tends to visit the same places more than once. Its been quite true for me in that I have climbed twice in Sikkim, thrice in Ladakh and so on; but with Gulmarg, its been a prolonged affair. Its hard to reason out this constant need for more in Gulmarg. Afterall there are other places in India where one can ski off piste. There is Manali and then there is Auli. So why Gulmarg? The Kashmir valley is rife with militancy, political unrest, constant bandhs and what not. In the last few years that I have visited Kashmir, I have almost always landed at Srinagar in the midst of a statewide bandh, with illiterate youth, who neither care for the cause of the province, nor are aware of who their instigators are, waiting to hurl stones (for a couple of 100 rupees) at vehicles plying between Srinagar and Gulmarg (perhaps to other neighbouring villages and towns as well). Perhaps the apt ones to answer this question are the number of foreigners who visit Gulmarg just to explore the Afarwat. Especially the ones who I keep running into year after year. Its the same story each year. Bandh on arrival, stone pelting or road blockade on departure. But if one can somehow rise above this irksome recurrence, there is so much fun to be had in Gulmarg. Its almost as if Gulmarg is cut off from the rest of the state. In my numerous visits to this small village, I have not once come across a violent incident related to militancy or law and order.



I almost cancelled the trip this year; lot of things to be taken care of at home. But Mangal Ustaad, an acquaintance of mine in the Indian Army and an Instructor with JIM, persuaded me to visit. All he had to say was that the snow conditions this year were terrific and it seemed like a mouthwatering prospect to me. So I reasoned that a couple of weeks would do me no harm. I booked a flight to reach Srinagar on the 20th of Feb. I reached Srinagar at about 1/2 past noon. Surprise surprise, it was a statewide bandh. I was stranded at the exit gate of the Srinagar International Airport, with a few gentlemen who were on their way to JIM (Jawahar Institute of Mountain Sports). Stranded because there were incidents of locals pelting stones at vehicles on their way to Gulmarg, Anantnag etc. I hung around for an hour, thats about how long my patience lasts; spoke with a cab driver who was willing to drop me at Tangmarg (about 13 Km short of Gulmarg) for 1200 Rs. I asked the guys if they wanted to join me. A bandh, stone throwers enroute and a vehicle which didnt belong to the institute seemed like recipe for trouble to those poor guys. So we parted ways. The driver kept calling his other driver friends to inquire about the situation enroute. Fortunately, for the 2 hours that I was driving with him, there was not too much trouble along the way. I reached Tangmarg by 4 in the evening. I met a few foreigners who had skied down to Tangmarg earlier that day. I asked them if they would drop me at Gulmarg, and they agreed. I reached Gulmarg by 1/2 past 5 and stayed at Bakshis for the first couple of days. I would advise folks to stay away from this place, unless you are White. After two horrible days at Bakshis, I moved over to Yemberzaal, my favorite hotel in Gulmarg. Perhaps the only good thing about the first two days, was skiing on the highland slope in the village. I always spend a couple of days skiing in the resort before venturing in to the mountains. Although the technique for skiing off piste is quite different than what one would use on a beaten track, its the confidence factor that counts. A few days in the resort does a world of good to ones confidence.

I was using Dynastar Legend this year. Good all purpose skis. After I continued skiing at Highland and 85 slope for a couple more days after moving out of Bakshis. By the fifth day I was feeling pretty good about going to the mountains. I was planning on doing a couple of downhill runs from Merry shoulder, but the chair lift was under maintenance. Therefore the only two options left for me were to go to the top of Afarwat or to ski down from Kongdoori (also known as phase 1). I chose the former. The run from the top of Afarwat to Kongdoori was pretty nasty. Had a couple of mighty falls, but since the limbs were in their respective places, I continued skiing after a brief inspection of my equipment. The rest of that day was spent skiing down from Kongdoori to G1 (point where the Gondola service begins - quite near the resort). I must have done may be 10 runs, since the Gondola was up all day.

 The following day, I came back to the mountain. I was not keen on going to the top. I wanted to explore new routes between Kongdoori and G1. After may be 4 rounds, on my way up towards Kongdoori in the Gondola, I met with a chap who called himself Hem. He offered me some water since I was thirsty and had somehow managed to empty my water bladder. It turned out that he was an officer in the Army, posted at the HAWS. The two of us hit it off rightaway. He told me that he belonged to the 108 NDA course. I told him about my brief visit to the NDA in 2001. We did about a dozen rounds together. After a few hours on the mountain, we decided to call it quits. Hem was kind enough to drop me at my Hotel and he even invited me to HAWS before leaving Gulmarg.

The following day, I did to Merry shoulder, what Hem and I did to Kongdoori. I cant remember how many runs I did between Merry shoulder and Kongdoori. Must have been at least a dozen. It had snowed the previous night and the conditions were fantastic. Its amazing how quickly a mountain as big as Afarwat gets tracked out. 2013 was tremendous in that regard. There were very few bad weather days this time. Almost every time I was on the mountain, the weather was favourable. In the evenings I used to meet with Mangal, Jitu and other instructors at JIM. Very good friends and humble people. As are most soldiers from the army. Mangal and Jitu are on deputation at JIM. After a brief chat, I usually head out to try out the local cuisine. Rista (spicy meat balls), Mathe Maaz (Minced meat in gravy), Sheekh Kebab (Spiced meat on skewers), Kokur (Chicken in red gravy), Kashmiri Roti, etc. I mostly ate at the restaurant in Yemberzaal. I seldom ate out, and that too only for change of taste.

 After a couple of weeks, it was time to head back home. These two weeks were the best of all times I have visited this beautiful place in the past. The day before leaving Gulmarg, I called on Hem. It was a sunday and he was busy with a demonstration in his unit. I met with a few of his fellow officers. Ben, Boro and Chandra. All fine gentlemen, as one would expect of an officer. After a drink with the boys, I thought it apt to return to the hotel and begin packing for the flight the following day. The skiing experience was excessively satisfying this year. The piste conditions in the resort were splendid. Off piste skiing was brilliant. Unfortunately, the only thing this year that was consistent with the past was the unrest. On my way back, there were blockades, because a guy called Afzal Guru had been hanged and the locals felt that that was reason enough to smash windows of vehicles transporting innocent tourists. I was traveling with 4 foreigners who were quite anxious since we got into the cab. I assured them that we would reach unharmed at the airport. We were held up at Tangmarg for a while but were mobile in about 15 minutes. I noticed an army convoy and asked the driver to stay with the army. In a couple of hours we reached the airport. I reached Chennai by 11 in the night.

Chumser & Lungser: Part 2 (Lungser and after)

Click here for Part 1

 

Part 2

 

September 16th Day - 9 High Camp

This was supposed to be a rest day. As was customary during this expedition, I had little to no sleep in the night just gone by. By now, Deepak and Nabarun could tell without looking at my face, that I was suffering AMS. Deepak even suggested that I skip the summit attempt. I ignored the advise. Deepak and Nabarun had developed some sort of a camaraderie by now and much to my dismay, they were actually competing during meals. "You had 8 chapatis, I had 9 - I win"; common guys give me a break.

Afternoon, the weather showed signs of deteriorating. Deepak and Nabarun, went to the top of the feature in front of our camp, to assess the route. The route was extremely challenging to say the least. They were back by 4 in the evening. Deepak was hoping that Nabarun or I would drop the summit bid. His argument was that we have one summit almost as high as Lungser under our belt, and that we had nothing to prove. I asserted that we made a plan to climb two mountains. We were going to stick to our plan. Nabarun maintained a neutral viewpoint. He had summitted Stok and Chumser and apparently was a very happy man. To make him comfortable, I told Deepak, that if the weather deteriorated, we wont even attempt the summit. I am certain, Deepak must have been calling on his ten million Gods to spoil the weather.

I went to bed by 7 with a headache and a bowel condition. I had not had a proper meal in the last 5 days. Chumser had taken a huge toll on me and by now I was actually beginning to hope that all this was over sooner than later.

 

September 17  - Day 10 Attempt Lungser

Really early day. We woke up by midnight. I woke Deepak by quarter past midnight. The sky was clear. I asked Deepak, if he wanted to stay back, and he said he wont if Nabarun and I were going. Him and Nabarun were wearing their hiking boots and they carried their Plastic boots till the snowline. I committed the greatest blunder of wearing the plastic boots right from the camp and paid dearly with compromised pace. The scree and moraines were just too much and at any point I was 5 to 15 minutes behind them. It was my fault, since Deepak had asked me to wear my approach boots till the snowline. I ignored his advice. I thought holding them back would be criminal, so I suggested to Deepak that He go on as fast as he could with Nabarun. I assured him that I would be safe and will follow them to the snowline and from there to the summit. He suggested that that was not going to happen. We go together or we dont go at all.

It took us close to 5 hours to climb and descend the feature between our camp and Lungser, cross the moraines leading to the base of Lungser and climb and descend numerous scree slopes. By the time we reached the base of Lungser and began to strap on our crampons to climb the snow/ice section, the weather began to deteriorate. We were already exhausted too. Deepak asked me if I wanted to abort the ascent. I suggested that we had covered the ugly rocky part and the snow and ice section were all that were between us and the summit. I think I was able to drive home the point. The visibility was about 50m. The initial ascent was straightforward. After about an hour, we began encountering the really steep sections on Lungser.

The major difference between Chumser and Lungser was that on the former we were always gaining altitude since the very beginning while on the latter, after 5 hours, we were at 6200 odd metres (only slightly higher than our high camp) with still about 450m to summit. By this time we had actually summitted Chumser, whereas we were just at the base of the snowline with well over 400m to the summit still to go. But we always knew that Lungser was not an easy peak to ascend, so no one was weeping yet. We climbed at least 3 steep sections. Deepak was leading, I was in the middle while Nabarun was on the trailing end. Deepak lost his foothold on a couple of occasions, and I just about managed to arrest the fall. It didnt deter us from continuing though. We took a break at a shoulder where the altimeter was reading 6350m. There was another steep section above this shoulder and this was probably the last really tough section before the summit. We were able to negotiate this obstacle without any serious concerns. From here our ascent was quite gradual for the next half hour. The last time Nabarun took a position fix, the altimeter reading was 6470m; the summit just 180m away. From this position we climbed for close to half hour and I reckon that would put us close to the 6550m mark and then the thing happened that would rend ones heart - whiteout. We had somehow managed to climb in adverse weather and in low visibility. But in a whiteout and close to zero visibility there was no way to go but either wait or climb down. Waiting was not an option since it was close to 1000 by now. Deepak asked me, if I wanted to abort the climb. With a heavy heart I asked him and Nabarun to call. They chose to return, and I think they made the right choice. The whiteout continued till we returned to the snowline about 90 minutes later and even then the mountain was not visible. Staying would have been a recipe for disaster, and I am glad I asked Deepak and Nabarun to call; I might have made the wrong choice. 

Down at the snowline; I was spent by now. Deepak and Nabarun tried to be patient with me, but I was too weak and too slow. We took a different route to our high camp and I tried to maintain pace with Deepak and Nabarun but I couldnt. I just let them disappear and made my own way to the camp. I was lost on a couple of occasions but used Lungser, Chumser and the feature between our high camp and Lungser as reference points to home in to the high camp. I was extremely slow and deliberate since I had very little strength left. I made it to the top of the feature by 1400 and could see the camp beneath me, the lake to my left, Chumser (one of its false summits) to my right and the mighty Lungser behind me. I hung around for a few minutes and began the descent to our camp. I was there in about 20 minutes. I was kind of cross with the two gentlemen for abandoning me, but to give them the benefit of the doubt, they assumed that I was a good enough navigator to get back to base; I take that as a compliment. :)

I went to my tent and decided to get some rest. I was in severe pain and had a slight temperature too. This was probably the worst expedition for me healthwise. There wasnt one day where I actually felt on top of my game. Around 4 in the evening the pony guy showed up. I was in my tent and could hear Deepak conversing with him. He should have come by 0800 the following day, but for some strange reason he decided to show up early. At 6 I decided to get something to eat. The dining tent was nice and warm. The pony guy was the latest addition to the list of gentlement affected by altitude. We gave him a dispirin and some garlic soup so he would feel better. Spare a thought for the poor beasts outside; It was getting extremely cold, ponies usually do not go this high. I only had a little custard for supper and went to bed in pain. I was only glad that we were returning to Churchu the following day. The greatest incentive was the summit of Chumser, while Lungser was a heartbreaker- so close.

 

September 18th - Day 11 Skurchyu

I did the most terrible thing. I actually refused to help Nabarun undo our tent. To be fair, I was just in no position. With my head pounding and body aching and little to no strength left, packing a tent was not even the last thing on my to do list. And I had more important things to worry about. With the terrible weakness, I had to figure out a way to stay on my feet with a pack on my back. The team managed to lose me again, or was it I who lagged. Common, we were going back down to the roadhead. I am sure considering my condition, the guys could have been slower. On the brightside (or was it) I was able to test my navigation skills. I had to hike to Churchu on my own and this time alone was well used thanking my Lord Jesus for the success on Chumser and almost making it to the top of Lungser.

I could manage to eat only half a chapathi for breakfast and the last straw to break the camels back was when, alone, in the middle of nowhere, I realised that my water bottle was missing from its slot. With no streams on the way and such a long hike in front of me, I decided to slow down to avoid perspiring. I decided to descend to an altitude of 5000 - 5100m and them traverse right towards Churchu (which was at 4700m). I made it to the campsite by half past one. Deepak and Nabarun were busy setting up the camp.

I just fell on my belly to relax which is when I saw a vehicle approaching the campsite. The vehicle was to arrive the following day to pick us up. However, since Tenzin and Thundup had returned owing to AMS, Sam sent a vehicle to check on us. SInce the vehicle was here, we didnt see the point in camping at Churchu and decided to drive to Leh the same day. We packed up by 1500 and were on our way in a jiffy. I was extremely weak, hungry (for meat) and thirsty for Thums Up. Nabarun offered me some water, and I emphatically told him that the next thing I drink will be Thums Up or something similar (Coke may be) and the next thing I eat will be meat or chicken. We stopped over at Chumathang where I had my most cherished drink in the last two weeks, Coke and Limca and some terrible Haldirams Potato Wafers to go with it. Nabarun and Deepak were delighted to see a smile on my face. I could now go back to climb Lungser, thats how relieved I was after the drink.

At 8 we reached Upshi, where Nabarun and I had Chapathi with chicken while Deepak had vegetarian meals. Tashe our driver went to a neighbouring restaurant to have some Thukpa. After the meals, we continued towards Leh. We were there by nine. Rudra was there to receive us. We were shown to our room. Rudra told us that there was no hot water, but that was not going to stop me, I managed to clean up in the freezing cold water, while Nabarun wisely decided to wait till the morning. We stayed up till about 11, checking out the photographs and talking about our recent adventure. I had the most sound sleep in the last two weeks and even Nabaruns symphony couldnt take that away from me.

 

September 19th - Day 12 Leh

The headache was gone. I was recovering. I had the heaviest breakfast loaded with eggs. Scrambled eggs and masala omlette with toast and aloo paratha and mango juice. Thundup, Deepak and Sam had come to see us. Sam was extremely glad that the expedition was a success. Lungser was not exactly a blemish; but it was just unfortunate. At 6550m, the point from where we returned, we were still higher than most of the peaks in Ladakh. Besides at 6635m, the summit of Chumser was only 30m shorter than Lungser, and we had bagged that. These are some of the things we told ourselves. Perhaps Sam said the most practical thing, "Well you can come back and climb it again". I said,"Perhaps. but it wont be too soon, it wont be the next peak I climb".

Nabarun and I went to Sams office later in the day to settle the payment and collect some of the stuff that we had left in his office. We went around the town after that and returned for Lunch by 2. Chicken in spicy gravy with rice and chapathi. Nabarun had to receive his parents, so we agreed to meet at Sams office at about 4 in the evening. He needed the snaps to be sent to IMF. After sharing the photographs, we went back to exploring the town; who am I kidding, we went back to the Masjid to try the sheekh kababs. Deepak was with us too and I had even called John (with whom I climbed the Mentok range last year) to meet with us. He was glad to meet with me. He gave me the most bizarre news that he had decided to quit climbing. I told him that the news made me sad, since I was hoping to climb with him in the future. I however managed to get some contacts for some climbs that I am planning in the future.

We said our goodbyes and went back to the hotel. We had a very light supper and began packing our stuff. The following morning, Sam picked me from the hotel at about 0830 for the flight departing for Delhi at 1020. At the hotel, I thanked Nabarun for accompanying me on the climb. The drive to the airport was short. Sam and I shook hands and I told him that I was grateful for everything. We embraced at the airport before he drove away.

 

Chumser & Lungser: Part 1 (Leh - Churchu - Chumser Kangri)

Part 1 


Tso Moriri from Chumser High Camp

 

This year, right from the beginning, Ladakh was a pot pouri of uncertainties. I should not have even gone to Ladakh in the first place.

 

I had planned a climb in Kyrgyztan (Lenin or Khan Tengri) and I had to call that off because a friend invited me to climb MK4 and the peaks in its vicinity with him in HP. While we were planning on that, IMF detailed me for an expedition in Bataal (CB9, 10 etc). There is a certain Wg Cdr Chaudhury with the IMF who was supposed to lead the climb. He came across as an eccentric and "Do I care?" kind of a person to me. IMF called off the climb on two occasions; and on both occasaions causing immense monetary loss and logistical inconvenience to the participants. I spoke to the Wg Cdr and he sounded  unapologetic and carefree. I had resolved in my mind that this was the last time I would let IMF ruin my plans, even if it meant spending out of my own pocket. 

Because IMF ruined my climbing calender (well almost), I decided to go to Jaipur and work some more on my riding. My last trip to Jaipur was smashing and I was hoping Vishal and Ajay will make this one worthwhile too. This would keep me fit and give me some time to sort out a new plan. 

So I decided to climb peaks higher than those planned by my friend and IMF. And to soup things up, I decided to climb two such peaks for good measure. The icing on the cake was to do all this in a two week window (including acclimatisation). The two peaks that came to my mind were Chumser and Lungser in Ladakh. Chumser is 6625m tall while Lungser is 6666m tall. Climbing even one of these bulbous objectives can be a handful, not to mention two. Doing that in 10 climbing days is another matter altogether. I have heard of so many people gloating over the fact that Chumser is a "trekking" peak and come back empty handed and a truck load of cold injuries and high alt illnesses to add insult to injury. True - sections of Chumser can be classified as "trekking" peak. But there are some sections that we did which were quite steep especially just short of "our" summit which @ 6635m was 10m higher than the main summit.

A few reasons why I feel expeditions to Chumser fail are (Not even talking about Lungser now)

1. The mountain is humongous. People underestimate the magnitude of the climb. The base camp is at an altitude of 5688m which is higher than the everest base camp

 

2. The tree line in Ladakh is low (very low) sometimes even non existent. Oxygen levels are lower than in other parts of the Himalayas. Climbing 22000 ft in Ladakh is not the same as climbing 22000 ft say in Himachal, Uttaranchal or even Sikkim.

3. For anyone serious about summiting Chumser, one must consider a high camp at 6100m. The downside is that the weather is very fickle at this point and it is perpetually cold. We experienced this bitter coldness (we climbed in september) but the reward was sweet - "summit".

 

So much for planning. But I was a lone climber. Not that that was going to deter me. But that just meant more funds and better logistical support. I had made an enquiry with a couple of logistics agencies in Leh. One of these agencies, put me in touch with Nabarun Ghosh, an aspiring climber from Kolkata. He too had aimed to climb chumser and lungser in a very small window (timeframe); what are the odds? Without wasting much time, We got down to the finances and logistics. Nabarun was more than willing to let me manage the climb and I obliged. We planned the climb between the 8th and 20th of Sep with a days rest between the two summits and a reserve day which turned out as good as non existent.

 

Mistake - 12 days is just about enough for ONE peak measuring well over 6500m, let alone two, to be summited in a period of 72 hours. We realised the magnitude of the task only one day before attempting Chumser. That is when Nabarun my new friend suggested that we concentrate on one objective as opposed to two. I said that we should believe in our plan. We were the ones who made the plan, and of all the people we should show faith in it. More on this episode later.

 

I reached Delhi on the 7th of Sep. I had a flight for Leh the following day. I picked up a pair of CAMP G-Shell lite+ from Munesh, my acquaintance in Delhi. I didnt use the gloves though. My Millet Ice Fall did stellar duty on the arduous ridges of Chumser and Lungser.

 

September 8th  - Day 1 Leh

48 hours in Leh was what I had planned for acclimatisation. Sam, who helped organise KY1 for me in 2010, picked me up from the airport around 10. Rudra the Manager of Hotel Mansarovar on Fort Road was delighted to have me as his guest. I quickly settled into a sedentary mode for the next few hours. On my back, on the bed was the preferred course of action, apparently. The sudden difference in altitude from around zero in Delhi to 3500m in Leh is bound to affect the most hardcore outdoor junkie and I wasnt willing to take my chances.

I had to meet Sam sometime in the evening. So after a nice heavy lunch and a nap, I walked up Fort Road towards Raku Complex to visit Sams new office. I spent some time at his desk discussing the trip and also met with Deepak, my mountain guide, a native of Manali. He appeared to be a very "crisp" fellow and has somekind of a reputation among his clientele. A reputation for being forthright, which I thought was good. We didnt need someone who would beat around the bush either. After meeting with Sam and Deepak, I spent sometime lazing around the main bazaar in Leh, especially near the Masjid, where native Kashmiris sell delightful meaty delicacies on skews called sheekh. There was also Rista, a spicy meatball cooked in soupy stew; a mouthwatering affair. After hanging around the town, I headed towards Mansarovar. Rudra told me that someone had been meaning to meet me while I was gone. I assumed it was Nabarun. We had agreed to meet the following day, but 8th was not totally ruled out. Nabarun had made it to Leh a week earlier, since he intended to climb Stok Kangri before attempting Chumser and Lungser with me. I was keen to find out if the gentleman was Nabarun. I had to wait a few more hours until the next morning to learn about the mysterious visitor.

 

September 9th  - Day 2 Leh

The next morning after breakfast, I was hanging around the lawn, testing the GPS and altimeter on my N8. The altimeter was about 40m off. The positioning was pretty accurate though. While I was busy testing my device, Nabarun walked into the entrance towards the hotel lobby. We shook hands and it turned out that the mysterious visitor from last evening was him indeed.

 Nabarun told me about his stok expedition; how he just about managed to scrape through a summit at the last moment due to bad weather. They stayed put at the base camp for 5 days due to incessant weather. The weather only just about cleared up late on the 7th. So the leader suggested that they venture into the mountain as far as possible. By the time they left the base camp, it was 10. They somehow made it to the summit by 1730. The string of events on stok sounded like a satirical imitation of a laurel and hardy episode. Well! to me. :)

 After a brief chat, Nabarun and I walked to his guest house, to pick his pack. By proportion, his daypack was comparatively heavier than his rucksack. His guest house was somewhere on the upper tukcha road. What better way to home in to Mansarovar, than to backtrack on my N8 GPS. The positioning worked like a charm. Nabarun was carrying his own Garmin eTrek Vista. With two GPS sets, we felt secure like a swiss locker on our forthcoming adventure.

 After dumping Nabaruns luggage in our room we went to have lunch. Cant quite remember what was for lunch. Sometime in the evening, we walked to Sams office to check the paperwork and equipment. We also met with Thundup, the cook and Tenzin, Deepaks assistant. We agreed to depart from Mansarovar the following day at 0800 and went out to my favourite place in Leh, the courtyard of the Masjid, to try the sheekh kabab of course. Well I "tried" the meats, Nabarun actually "feasted" on it. It was good nonetheless.

We went back to the hotel and began packing our stuff for the expedition.

 

 September 10th - Day 3 Drive to Tso Moriri/Churchu

We were both up by 0600. Sam caught us in the Hotel Restaurant @ 0800 and was quick to point out that he was not late. I requested for 15 minutes. After a heavy breakfast, we stuffed our packs in the vehicle and headed out towards Tsomoriri. Deepak had about only 3 million anecdotes to tell us, and at times we would wonder if he was ever gonna cease talking.

We made it to Churchu by about 4 in the evening, dumped our luggage and drove to the other side of Tsomoriri, towards Korzok. I showed Nabarun around the village (I climbed the Mentok range from here last year) while Deepak went to arrange for the ponies. We made it back to Churchuk by about 6 in the evening, just in time for supper. The guys seemed to be having a good time; I on the other hand had to retire into my tent to deal with an embarassing bowel condition.

 

September 11th - Day 4 Hike to Base Camp

This was the most crucial day of all as far as the expedition was concerned. Churchu was at 4700m, 300m higher than Tsomoriri in the backdrop. The base camp was at 5650m (thereabouts). Thats a humongous 1000m height gain right in the beginning. We hiked the distance in about 7 hours, good timing, considering Nabarun and I were carrying really heavy packs.

 

We stopped at a couple of places to try out the packed lunch that Thundup had prepared for us. While Deepak and Nabarun seemed to relish the offering, I couldnt even manage a bite. I never seemed to like the concept of a packed lunch. cheesy sandwich, boiled potato and hardboiled egg; always gave me a feeling that I was being punished for something. I somehow managed to stay on my feet, sipping my carefully concocted Tang; thats 5 parts water, 2 parts tang, 1 part love --- I am kidding. I like Tang though; no two ways about that.

 I requested Thundup to make some Khichdi for supper. His Khichdi seemed more like Pulao, but it was definitely more palatable than his sandwich. I felt a slight headache and thought it wise to keep Nabarun informed. He suggested that we stay at the base the following day rather than setting up a higher camp.

 

 September 12th - Day 5 Base Camp

Tenzin was not very well (so was I). The altitude had got the best of him. Deepak suggested that he descend immediately, while he can do it on his own. If he delayed then the whole team might have had to accompany him, till he was at a safe altitude. Tenzin agreed. Sometimes valor is in saying "I cant".

 After lunch we hiked to the high camp for acclimatisation. Since my pack was over 20 kilos, I felt a little load ferry would do no harm. I carried some of my heavy stuff, crampons, harness, gauntlets etc to be left at the ABC. Because Tenzin didnt acclimatise well, we thought We should take Thundup along so that he was reasonably well acclimatised by the time we establish the high camp the following day. There were two possible locations for a high camp. One at 5950 and another at 6100. The one at 5950 was a proper camp site while the one at 6100 was a little difficult for the ponies to reach. Since this bunch had more insane people than sane, we agreed to camp at 6100m. Too bad for the ponies was the general concensus. Sorry Menaka Gandhi! Thundup had to return to the BC from 5950m because he showed symptoms of AMS, plus we thought by the time we got back we would be hungry, so we might as well let the cook do his job.

 We returned to base with a spring in our strides and sleet in our faces. Spring in our strides because setting up a high camp at 6100m increased our chances of summit manifold, sleet in our faces, because there was severe precipitation. LOL

 

September 13th - Day 6 High Camp

Sometimes I wonder, if I could eat like Nabarun (in the mountains of course; I eat well in the plains) or sleep like Deepak, I would be the perfect mountaineer. It turns out I cant eat or sleep well, and most of the climbing is done out of sheer will, or whatever is left of it.

 After a very slight breakfast (Nabarun ate well, thank God), Nabarun and I started off to the ABC. Deepak, Thundup and the Pony guy took their sweet time loading up the ponies (and a couple of donkeys too). By now I have been in a state of heavy headedness for about 48 hours. The only good thing about the whole thing was that the pain was at least shifting from behind my skull to forward and back. Everytime Nabarun would enquire about my condition, I would say "I would like to think I am fine". I have felt better during climbs though. So this was not very encouraging, with the summit attempt just about 36 hours away. Nabarun and I maintained a leisurely pace. We made it to the high camp in well under three hours. We laid out our tent while Deepak got busy with the Dining tent. By 1400 or so we had established base at the high camp.

 I was glad at least Deepak and Nabarun were enjoying their meals. I on the other hand had to do with black tea and more black tea. I am not even a tea drinker and was craving for food, but for the loss of appetite. At 6100m, Thundup was beginning to feel the effects of altitude. Deepak helped him with the cooking. Nabarun, Deepak and I agreed that if Thundup was still not acclimatised by morning, we would send him back, albeit there was another person who for some strange reason was not acclimatising well in this expedition and was still hanging around. For dinner we had Khichdi, and tonight was probably the only night during the expedition when I actually ate well.

 

September 14th - Day 7 High Camp

Our worst fears had come true. Thundup was not doing too well. He had thrown up more than once last night and felt a severe pounding in his head. Deepak and Nabarun insisted that he climb down to a safe altitude. Although I agreed with them in words, I was really hoping that Thundup stayed; may be he would acclimatise eventually. Who was I kidding. We all knew that his situation was only going one way- from bad to worse. He hung around till about 1100. Deepak suggested that he would accompany Thundup till halfway between the BC and Churchu. Although that was the right thing to do, we had planned to leave for the summit attempt on Chumser by 0100 the following morning. If Deepak went with Thundup, he will be spent by the time he got back. We sent Thundup and Deepak on their way with some juice and chocolates. We had some stale Khichdi and soupy noodles for lunch. I suggested to Nabarun that we go for the summit without Deepak. He just wouldnt have the strength to climb after today, besides I thought he would slow us down. Boy was I wrong?

 Deepak was back by 1600, and seemed in high spirits. I suggested that he take some rest and forget about Chumser. Perhaps he could guide us to the top of Lungser. "No way" was his response. He said he was being paid to guide us, and he was not gonna sit back. It was hard to reason with him, so Nabarun suggested that he at least take some rest. I told him I will gear up and wake him at quarter to 1 in the morning. By the time we went to our tent, it was 2000. Nabarun slept and I played owl. 

 

September 15  - Day 8 Summit Chumser

The day began early. I stayed awake all night and developed a slight headache. Woke Nabarun at midnight. We took our time gearing up. I woke up Deepak by 0045. He was fast. We had some black tea and left by 0130. The initial ascent to the snowline was slow. It took us about 100 minutes to hit 6300m. This is where Nabarun put on his plastic boots. I was trying out my Forclaz 900 boots. My feet were freezing in them. The boots are good for hiking till about 5500m. They are definitely not suited to climbing/hiking in snow. (My feet are still numb from the cold injury, and its been about 10 days since I came back from Leh). Anyways, after wearing our crampons, the gradient increased and so did the volume of snow and ice. Deepak could barely stand on his feet, but he somehow managed.

In another hour we reached fork from where one could go to the false summits. From here there was a straight forward 40 deg climb for about 40 odd minutes leading to a sharp ridge which was quite steep. It was this steep ridge measuring only little less than a 100m, which would lead us to the summit. After this ridge, climbers are exposed and it begins to get extremely windy and cold. By 0540 we were at the summit. Nabaruns Garmin Vista was reading 6635 while my N8 was reading 6595m. I would say the Garmin reading was correct, since my N8 was off by about 40m since Leh.

We snapped the surrounding peaks (mainly Lungser - our next objective) and Tsomoriri beneath us. Also the Mentok range on the other side of Tsomoriri and the peaks either side of the Mentok range. Since Nabarun was busy with his GPS receiver and Deepaks digicam had conked, photoevidence was now my department, but only just. In about 90 seconds my fingers were frozen and I had to pass on my phone to Deepak to be turned off. Since we were beginning to feel the chill, we decided to headback. The jubiliation was short and would only be complete once we made it back safe. On our way back, Deepak found a strange place to check his boots and feet for comfort; the point where we began climbing the steep ridge towards the summit. We waited for him on that exposed part of the mountain for about 15 minutes. Although he seemed to be enjoying the brief halt, I was feeling like throwing him down the slope. Of course I managed to keep a smile on my face, afterall this was the guy who was going to guide us to the top of Lungser in a couple of days.  

We made it back to the camp in a couple of hours but not without any misadventures. While Deepak decided to take a different route to the camp, Nabarun and I backtracked the same route we took to the summit. Nabarun almost got into a crevasse. I used my Ice Axe (and his) to anchor and and he somehow managed to push himself to the surface. We just thanked heavens, and continued towards the camp, wishing this was the last of our woes. It was - at least for the day. Since the cook was gone, there was no hot cup of tea or breakfast or snack. Deepak went to the dining tent. Nabarun and I went to our tent. I had some cold water, dispirin and went to sleep, hoping that the headache would be gone when I woke up. It had only aggravated by the time I woke up. I had very little lunch and dinner. I was in so much discomfort that I hardly remember anything from the rest of that day.

Part 2 continued here

 

Gulmarg 12

Gulmarg was terrific this year (Although the post is a month too late). It was nothing like last year. There were no bans on routes from the top of Afarwat and on a personal front, I was feeling really fit in a long time. The operated foot last year left a sour taste in my mouth and although I was able to try a few things especially routes down Kongdoori, it wasn't quite satisfying. Especially not being able to ski down G4 was painful. 

This year however, G4, Mary's Shoulder, Kongdoori and Monkey Hill were all done on more occasions than one. I got my equipment from JIM & WS. Rossignol Alpine Ski's, 48" Kerma Poles and and Salomon boots. Maj. Mahajan had accommodated me in Mount View; a decent place to nestle for two,  may be three weeks. The staff at Mount View is brilliant. Tariq, the Manager is thoughtful while Adil, the help, always exceeds ones expectations.  

I had not skied for about 10, may be 11 months. So revisiting the skills on the many beaten slopes around Gulmarg seemed like a wise idea. Slopes like "Highland" and "85" are especially popular with professionals and novices alike. The Army Skiing Team and the HAWS (High Alt Warfare School) Skiers practice in and around the Highland Slope and are always willing to lend advise, point errors or correct ones technique. I was practicing with Hazari and Mangal, instructors with JIM & WS; brilliant skiers and excellent teachers.

Kongdoori & Mary's Shoulder

Between Mary's Shoulder and
Kongdoori

After about 5 days in Gulmarg (last week of feb), I felt confident of being able to face the natural slopes. G4 (The top of Afarwat) was not operational for some reason. So we took the "Gondola" (Telecabine System) till Kongdoori and hiked about a Km towards Mary's Shoulder. Surprisingly, most part of our hike was beaten earlier in the morning. A little off piste slope joined this beaten route to form a ski run leading to Kongdoori roughly about 2 miles long . Excellent fun, especially the beaten part of the track was extremely fast. On the way back we followed the beaten  track  from Kongdoori to Gulmarg which was by now a regulation route, with varying degrees of descents and sudden curves thrown in for good measure.

Kongdoori & G4  

The next couple of days, I went back to the slopes in the resort with some guys who had enrolled for the advanced course @ JIM. We practiced edging, waddling and other turns. In the meanwhile, Sqn Ldr Pramod, Mahajans course mate, was in the institute for a couple of days. He expressed his desire to ski down from Kongdoori to Gulmarg. Pramod practiced some basic skills at a resort while Hazari's team and I refreshed some advanced skills. When Pramod felt like he was ready, Younis (another instructor at JIM) and I accompanied him to Kongdoori. We took a day pass on the Gondola and did a couple of runs to Gulmarg from Kongdoori. On the third trip to Kongdoori, I requested Pramod to wait while Younis and I went to G4 and skied down the top of Afarwat. The next 90 minutes were the most exhilarating moments to begin this year. 

Pramod and I @ Kongdoori

Younis and I had a drink and left Pramod with his camera at Kongdoori. In about 15 minutes we were at the top of Afarwat at 13000+ feet. I had no time for sightseeing and just got on with the business. We negotiated the steep slopes with a combination of jumpy stem and dynamic turns. Younis was obviously more fluent of the two since he had been on these mountains earlier this year. This was the first time for me this year. I was more deliberate and meticulous in my approach. By the time we made it to Kongdoori, it was time for lunch. We met with Pramod, skied down to Gulmarg and returned to Kongdoori for lunch - Chicken Mughlai, Chicken Masala, Naan and Rice. 

With that scrumptious meal, we had enough energy to do a few more rounds to Gulmarg. The ride to G4 was again blocked for some reason. I left Pramod with Younis for guidance and went ahead exploring new routes from Kongdoori to Gulmarg, on  my own. Quite a hectic day this one.

Solo - G4 and Mary's Shoulder

By now I had had enough opportunities to ski down so many mountains and slopes. This year was exceptionally good in that regard. Very few bad weather, no activity days. In fact even on bad weather days, I was able to get some sort of mileage on the skis. So the logical progression would have been to go solo, which I did. 2 days after Pramod left, I was on my way to G4 via Kongdoori with Mr. Reshi, my old friend from Gulmarg, employed with the youth services dept in Gulmarg. A genuinely good person and excellent instructor, Reshi has known these mountains for 23 years. He was on his way to Kongdoori to help with the management and administration of a tournament called Gondola Cup being conducted between Mary's shoulder and Kongdoori. I saw him off at Kongdoori and headed off to G4. The descent was quite emphatic, although I did see a few snow boarders and skiers overtaking me, thanks to better equipment and exposure, I believe I was doing alright, considering the fact that I have been to the top of Afarwat on fewer occasions. I even managed to ski down Mary's shoulder towards Kongdoori a couple of times. Wow! G4 and Mary's shoulder on the same day. Quite an exceptional day. 

On my way down from Mary's shoulder I ran into Hadee. The day before I came across this inquisitive little girl at the highland slope. We had a little chat while waiting our respective turns at the lift. Sometime during  our conversation I shared the gospel with the young lady. She never told me that she was going to the mountains as well. She had somehow managed to get facedown, out of exhaustion, I think. She asked me for some water. I offered her some juice and chocolate (which I always carry handy). I suggested that she follow my lead. She did. Once in Kongdoori, at the site of the competition, I politely implied that she shouldn't be skiing on the mountains without a guide. Not at her age and skill level. The lady smiled. I said good bye to her, and did another round of Mary's shoulder before heading back home.

Monkey Hill

Pradeep & Wg Co Padda

With just two more days left for my return flight, Pradeep (and Wing Co Padda) my new friends, asked me  if they could ski down from Kongdoori. Since there are a few straightforward tracks between Kongdoori and Gulmarg, I suggested it was plausible and offered to be their guide. I checked with Mangal and he was willing to go too. Unfortunately, the Gondola was halted for the day due to strong winds. Pradeep and Padda Sir had to go the slopes with a sullen face. Mangal, his friend and I instead headed off on the trail towards Monkey hill. Deep woods with tall trees and chilly winds; stuff from the movies. Anyways, we were at the top in about half an hour. The ski descent was pretty boring to be honest. Too many trees for my liking. Mangal and his friend landed on their butt a coupl of times. I was more deliberate and careful. Especially because of the number of trees on the route. We hit the road connecting Gulmarg with Tangmarg in about 15 minutes. A newly wed couple were generous enough to offer us a ride to Gulmarg. They were in some sort of mischievous mood, which was apparent from the place where they were seated, right on top of the Sumo. Can't complain though! they offered us a ride. We handed the skis to them for safekeeping and got into the vehicle. It was really comfortable in there. Why would they sit on top? Beats me. I presume, when you are in love, the wires in the top floor go all wrong. We got off at the bus stop and thanked the couple. Lunch at Yemberzal was .... what can I say? Vegetarian. :(

Mentok I & II - Climb

A brief intro to the climb

We had about 48 hours to acclimatise in Leh. A drive to Shanti Stupa, Shankar Monastery and Leh Palace followed by brisk walks from the Hotel to the town did help somewhat. On the 11th, Ram and Shiva picked up liners for their sleeping bags and weatherproof clothing for the climb. We had to leave for Korzok the next day and so we stayed up late packing our gear.

Day 1 - Jul, 12

We had an early breakfast on 12th and waited for Rigzin and the MUV. They were there by 9. John the mountain guide was also traveling with us. In about half an hour we were on our way. I had a red eye so we stopped at Choglamser (or some similar sounding place) to pick eye drops for me. The drive along Indus was beautiful. We crossed the river at least at three places. Hats off to Himank for maintaining the roads in these conditions and in such inhospitable terrain. We had lunch at a restaurant along the way and made it to Korzok by about 4 in the evening and set camp away from the crowd (yes oddly Korzok is really crowded – Tsomoriri is quite an attraction in the summers).

Day 2 - Jul, 13

We hardly got any sleep. The ground beneath was at a slight incline and it was all wrong. Siva and I woke up with a headache, Siva's headache was also accompanied by slight temperature. We had to go to the base camp in order to get acclimatised and check the conditions up there. I didn't think it wise for Siva to join us. I left some Paracetamol and Diamox with him and advised him ample rest outside the tent since it would get really hot inside the tent and that could dehydrate him. It is amazing that when the instructions are specific, the execution tends to be the exact opposite. When I got back I was told that Siva got a good rest “inside the tent”. Anyways, John and I had a good chat about some doctrines from the Bible. I was able to convince him (from the scriptures) that Jesus is the ONLY way to God. So after our chat, John, Ram and I headed out to explore the Base Camp. The initial ascent was gradual. But remember we were starting at an altitude of 4600m, which itself is quite high. The base camp is at 5100 or 5200m. The terrain was OK initially but slowly it began to get steep and kind of difficult. After covering about three fifth of the distance, there were at least 3 stretches where we had to walk on rocks and boulders which required balance and agility. Ram was doing well till here. Since we had covered enough distance and gained some height, I advised him to put on his down and wait at a cleft, while John and I went to the base camp. I requested him not to get adventurous, and he assured that he will be OK. We made it to the base camp well within an hour from where we left Ram. The conditions were perfect. There was water and the campsite was not as bad as some made it to be. And then there was the view of Tsomoriri in front of us and the Mentok Range behind us - Beautiful. The base camp was the place to be. We had a drink and some chocolate. It began to drizzle, so we rushed to pick Ram. We made it to where he was in about 15 min and in an hour we were at Korzok. Siva had recovered from his headache and gone for a walk. His headache seemed to have relayed to me. (Pun intended). After an early supper we headed to our tents. I could hardly get any sleep; the noise from the stream nearby just kept me awake all night. May be they should make soundproof tents.

Day 3 - Jul, 14

We woke up early. Siva woke up with a severe headache again. It was disturbing, but I was hoping that the ache would be gone in an hour or so. After breakfast we packed up. Decided to move base. Siva suggested that his head hurt, every time he stepped up. The hike was supposed to be gruelling, and even if he made it to the base camp, his condition would only get worse because of the gain in height and lack of acclimatisation. So I suggested that he stayed at the village and recover. John found him a nice hotel in the village. Ram and I continued towards the base camp. I was constantly checking on him till I saw that John had caught up with him. I was then able to rush to the base camp and with help from the cook and the pony guy, we were able to set up the base camp. At about 1300 Hrs, it began to pour down rain and sleet. I was concerned about Ram and John and just when I decided to go check on them, the pony guy told me that they had weatherproof clothing. They arrived in about an hour and we warmed ourselves in the mess tent. We stayed in the mess chatting about everything under the sun, Goa, Everest, Nepal, Mountaineering, Skiing .. anything at all.

Day 4 - Jul, 15

Acclimatisation hike to the advance camp. John, Ram and I took some gear along with us so I could demonstrate some basic climbing and rescue techniques to Ram. The plan was also to dump the gear at the advance camp site, something like a load ferry. John and I made it to the advance camp site in about 2 hours. Ram was slow but steady. We waited for about an hour at the advance camp site, but it didn't look like he was going to reach there soon. Since the weather seemed to be packing up again, we had a drink and some chocolate and started to head back down but not before discussing the route of ascent. We left the gear that we brought along under a boulder and caught up with Ram in about 10 minutes. He was just 15 or 20 minutes short of the advance camp, but it was not safe to go back to the ABC since we could feel the precipitation slowly coming down. So sanity prevailed and we returned to the base in about an hour. In the evening we had supper and John and I discussed the gear we might need in order to ascend.

There was a vertical ice wall right from the advance camp to a point about 20 or so meters short of the summit of Mentok 2. But instead of climbing with our front points we agreed that we would do a zig – zag traverse. The wall was really steep and tall at about 400+m and “traversing” is usually done on 60 – 70 degree slopes. So this was something new that we intended to try.

Day 5 - Jul, 16

I slept with a slight fever and woke up with a headache. Headaches seemed to be in fashion during this expedition. John did his best to keep my mind focused on the climb and in hindsight, how grateful I am.

We had a light breakfast and spoke for a long time every once in a while turning around to get a glimpse of the two peaks. The weather was terrific and we were hoping it stayed that way for the next 24 hours. Ram was busy snapping the lake, the mountains, the flowers, the streams and just about everything under the sun. We had an early lunch and got down to check our gear one last time. We packed some boiled eggs, potatoes, chocolates and juice. At about 1500 we began the ascent to the advance camp site. We intended to camp there till about 0100 the next morning, so technically this wasn't a campsite, just a bivy site really. The climb was lot quicker since there was just John and me. John reached in about 90 minutes and I made it in about 110 minutes to the advance cam. We set up the tent and gazed around us for a while. The lake was something else .. so beautiful. I just couldn't get enough of the wall though. It was tall, really tall and steep. Most of the 350+ meters of the wall was steeper than 75 degrees and some sections were even 85+ degrees. There was a route over the rocks too, but I am not a big fan of moraines and scree. I don't mind rock climbing, but scrambling makes me feel like an amateur. So I offered a couple of choices to John – Ice wall or Ice wall and He said may be we will do the ice wall, and I agreed that he had made the right choice. (Pun Intended). By now we both admitted that Mentok was as technical as it got especially Mentok 2, thanks to the ice wall.

John is from Nepal, and in the tent he told me interesting anecdotes about climbing in Nepal. Sometime during the chat he fell asleep leaving me awake with his rhythmic snores. Since “sleep” and I are sworn enemies I kept myself busy admiring my newly acquired gear and after a while I slipped into my sleeping bag. I could hardly get any sleep. I think I barely fell asleep at 2230 or something like that and the alarm went off at about 0030. We lazily woke up and began to gear up. Harness, Down, Boots, Crampons and headgear. I wasn't feeling too well. Headache and may be temperature too. But I didn't tell John, which was not right. Never hide any condition from the team no matter how good you are or you think you are. Anyways; we headed out to the wall at about 0100.

Day 6 - Jul, 17

Summit - Mentok 2

In about 10 minutes we reached the wall and began the ascent. John asked me if I was ok minus the rope, I nodded to affirm. So we tried to ascend using a strange traversing technique. It felt awkward traversing such a steep wall (about 75 Degrees), but the positive is that it was not as exhausting as front point climbing tends to be. On really steep sections, I would do the conventional front point climb and even 40 – 50 m would really take a toll. In about 65 minutes we reached a ledge located at about 60 % of the wall. John suggested that we were gaining height at an exceptional rate (did I mention that John has climbed Mentok before). We had a drink and that is when He mentioned that the last time he climbed Mentok II, it was with a Polish team which had attempted K2 and they had a tough time climbing Mentok. Which is why Kaushal's description of Mentok as “Interesting” and not as “tough or somewhat challenging“ surprised me. Anyways, we got off the ledge and resumed the ascent on the vertical wall. The section above the ledge was extremely steep. John was comfortable traversing, but although tiresome, I found the front point style to be much more convenient, in that it felt right to employ the technique, after all, what is the point in knowing something and not trying it at all. Plus with under 150m to go, I felt I could pull it off, although I wished I had two Ice Axes. So in about half an hour we reached the top of the ice wall. I was ecstatic when John showed me the summit over the rock face that was above us. Since there was lot of verglas formation, it made sense to climb the rocks with the crampons on. After some rock climbing and bouldering, we reached the summit. We shook hands and I think may be even embraced one another. We took some snaps. I thought about a drink, but the chill was really “cutting” (I think it must have been -20 something) and the best thing to do was to march to the next objective. At about 0300 it was extremely dark, so we couldn't snap the surrounding peaks. Therefore, we just took some snaps on the summit and headed out to Mentok 1.

Summit - Mentok 1

The route to Mentok is not very technical, it is the cold and the gradient which could get to you. At places the scree slope was over 70 degrees and with the verglas it was trying ones resolve. I don't remember taking any breaks or halting for a drink or to gasp since the ridge was exposed and it was extremely windy and chilly. In about 140 minutes we got to a place about 50m short of the summit (vertically) from where the slope was gradual, but still extremely cold. From here it takes about 5 minutes to identify the true summit of Mentok 1 which we did. At 0527 we were on the summit of Mentok 1. John took some snaps of the surrounding peaks including Mentok 2 and of the lake. I prayed to the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, the True Living God. I thanked him for his Christ, the success of the expedition, and I thanked him for a new found friend in John and I thanked him for everything that I don't see right now, which he has planned for worthless people like me.

So we slowly started climbing down to the col between Mentok 1 and 2. We reached there in an hour. We had a drink and just short of the summit of Mentok 2 we began the descent. John suggested we climb down the same ice wall we climbed earlier in the morning. I thought he was out of his mind. He casually said, “You can do it.” and I was like, “Yeah Right”. We didn't even rope up. I still can't believe that we actually accomplished the task. We descended facing downhill which can be extremely scary and at  times implausible. Word of caution - those short on climbing experience must refrain from this technique. It is better to be safe than to be sorry. Rope up and use a front point technique "facing the slope" or a traversing technique with your weight towards the slope.

John was smashing quick. He made it to the ABC in 20 odd minutes. Since this was the first time I descended  using this “strange” technique, it took me about 35 may be 40 minutes to get there. We just sat there for an hour or so, sipping some much deserved juice, and letting the whole thing sink in. Both the summits in well under 5 hours and back to ABC by about 0800. Thats just 7 hours since we started early in the morning. Splendid work. We took some snaps of the surroundings. the tent, the campsite, the lake and the wall (somehow couldn't get enough of the wall). By 0900 we were packed up and all set to head back to the base camp. The descent from ABC to BC was fairly uneventful. Got there in an hour my be 70 minutes and since the climb was out of the way, it was time to tend to useless things like headache and sprains and sundry. We packed up and cleaned the camp site. Headed out to Korzok at about 1400. Since the climb was behind us and the only important thing to do at Korzok was “eat and sleep”, we were very slow in our descent. A snap here, a chat there, and a drinks break every now and then. We even got shots of some really cute marmots. In a couple of hours we made it to the lake, We lazed around a bit. I even managed a dip in the lake. Ram exhausted all the settings and angles on his camera. And when we had had enough of the lake, we headed towards the village. At one of the viewpoints along the lake, we were intercepted by a couple of Ladies, tourists perhaps, who were kind enough to offer us a ride till the village. Being in the “Mountaineering” mode, I politely refused and we continued our hike on the final stretch to the village, not before we showed those inquisitive ladies the peaks that we conquered just a few hours ago. We reached Korzok at about 1700. We set up the camp and I was eager to meet Siva, to let him know that the expedition was a success. At about 1830 Ram and I reached the hotel which was Lord Siva's abode. Knock Knock .. and there he was, his usual gleeful self. I have seldom come across people as polite and as warm as Siva, not to mention gentle and generous. A real Gentleman. Enough superlatives I guess.

So we went back to the campsite. Coke, snacks, supper and sleep, just as planned. Ram and Siva went to the Hotel. I had to be in the tent, may be to reflect on things and consider how things had transpired over the last few days .. NONSENSE. I fell asleep in 5 minutes which is unlike me. I guess it was the sleep deprivation over the last few days and the sedatives too. But who was complaining, as long as I got some sleep.

Day 7 - Jul, 18

Wow! I didn't wake up with a headache. It was about 0600. At about 0630 I went back to the place where I met those two ladies yesterday; not to meet them, of course. The view of Mentok 1 and 2 from that view point is really nice and before leaving Korzok, I had to be there. Besides, Chumser Kangri, on the Eastern  side of the lake looked good too, and from that place I could plan a route; who knows, may be some day I will climb Chumser too. It was a 20 minute hike. Stayed there for about 5 minutes. I thanked my God once more and headed back to the village. I thought of going to the Monastery which was en route, but  gave up the thought, wondering about the point in visiting the place. Once back, I fried some eggs for the whole team. They seemed to like it.

By 1000 or so we began the long arduous drive to leh. We halted at Thadsang Tharu a much smaller lake than Tsomoriri, but just as beautiful. We halted at some place midway, I keep forgetting the name of that place, for lunch – Dal Rice and Pickle. We reached Leh at about 1800, Hotel Khasdan again. Freshened up and headed out to town to EAT. Chicken and Coke had to top the list. It was some restaurant in a complex called Mentok Lin, nicely laid out in a lawn. The restaurant plays movies on a big screen. They were playing "Catch me if you can" that night. Good movie, good food. Nice way to end an expedition.

Mentok (Chennai to Leh)

Mentok 1 & 2 - Click here for the day by day synopsis

Its been a year since Kang Yatze and the disaster at Leh. No serious climbs since. I did do some off piste and cross country skiing in and around Gulmarg earlier this year but that doesn't constitute “mountaineering” by any stretch of the imagination.

And so it was time to decide on a peak to climb. I started with Kun and at least a dozen people showed interest in the project. I sat down to fix the budget – And its funny how in a matter of two weeks, the people “who loved the mountains” and “lived to climb”, found it hard either to manage leave from work or were "unwell". So I had to scrap the plan. I was now looking to do something smaller and manageable financially, since I had almost made up my mind that “solo” was the way to go. In the nick of time Ram, a trekker from Chennai buzzed saying he would love to climb, no matter what the cost. I also checked with Siva, a colleague from where I used to work. He did exhibit interest in photography at high altitudes earlier when we were in Gulmarg. In a couple of days he confirmed he would like to be a part of the team. We decided on the Mentok massif, particularly Mentok 1 and 2, the highest summits in the Mentok range of peaks. I read somewhere on the internet that Mentok is a trekking peak (if only I ever meet the guy who called this a trekking peak .. Ahem!!), so I was hesitant initially, since I have always been interested in technical climbs (and NO, having to ascend a peak with crampons doesn't qualify it as a technical peak). But Kaushal (an acquaintance), a mountaineer suggested that some sections of Mentok are “interesting”. That coupled with the fact that both the other members of the team are not trained mountaineers drove me to decide on Mentok. Something reasonably trying and easy enough to ascend would be the ideal peak for this team. The mistake I made was I did not ask Kaushal to elaborate on “interesting”, and this I realized at the Advance Camp when I saw a 400+m vertical ice wall right from the base of Mentok 2 till about 20m short of the summit. More on that later.

So it was July and we boarded the train to Delhi on the 8th, where I had to pick some gear. The journey was uneventful and fast thanks to Duronto Express taking less than 30 hours to reach Delhi. Ram tried his swanky new DSLR when the train halted near the bridge on River Krishna. On the 9th, we visited Protos Adventures and I picked up a CAMP Arctic Plus Sleeping bag, Snugpak gloves, a liner by Trekmates and a balaclava by OR. We had a flight to Leh early next morning, so we quickly met with Sid (an ex-colleague), grabbed a bite at McD and said our goodbyes, but not before a round of Aloo Paratha at an eatery near Rivoli and a walk around India Gate. 'Twas nice to catch up with Sid after a really long time.

A Striking Face

Although we just had about 5 hours at the hotel, Siva and Ram slept like there was no tomorrow, and I stayed awake till about 2 in the morning gazing at the newly acquired gear. We drove to the airport at about 6, had breakfast at the terminal and boarded the flight at about 8. We reached Leh at about 10 and were received by Lungden who works for Summit Adventures, the agency which provided the logistical support for the expedition. We drove to Hotel Khasdan which is near Zoravar Fort. A nice place to retreat if you don't mind the absence of wi-fi and having to walk half an hour to reach the town. In the evening we met with Rigzin, who runs Summit, and discussed the itinerary and the possible route of ascent. The whole team was reacting well to the altitude at Leh and there seemed to be no issues with acclimatization. The perfect start I would say to an expedition to an “interesting” peak.

A synopsis of the climb

Gulmarg '11

So far so good this year. No disasters as yet like the debacle last year at HAWS and I hope there is nothing in store, Lord willing.

I arrived at Gulmarg on the 19th hoping to ski down the Afarwat at least a couple of times. But injuries compel me to postpone it for a few days. The highest point on the Afarwat is about 4200 m and a 1500 odd meter drop has some really steep slopes. Powder, often crusty snow is characteristic of the mountain and this makes for some awesome runs.

I have not been skiing for a while now, so I thought it best to spend some time familiarizing with my gear and practice on the slopes within Gulmarg before skiing down the imposing Afarwat. 3rd may be the 4th of March may be the day to head out to the top.

Siva, a colleague from my former work place was keeping me company this winter. I got him to learn the basics of skiing. Capt. Mahajan, the VP at JIM & WS was kind enough to enroll Siva to the Basic Course at his institute.



In the evenings we would head out for a stroll around Gulmarg. This would involve a short hike to Khilanmarg or to The HAWS via BSF Bn 4. The hikes were an opportune moment for Siva to try out his Nikon SLR and the swanky new Samsung Galaxy. Or we would head out to Tangmarg or to the market place or to a local restaurant to try out the local cuisine. Rista easily makes it to my favourites list. The days were spent honing ones skills on the numerous slopes that Gulmarg had to offer.