Nanda Devi Trekking(Base Camp & Milam Glacier Trek)
The people of Johar, as the Milam valley is locally known, were traders whose caravans crossed from India into Tibet by the high passes of Unta Dhura and Kungribhingri La. Once the trading season was over the entire population of Milam and the surrounding areas migrated to Munsyari or lower during winter. Trade stopped with the Indo-China conflict of 1962 and these once prosperous villages are now deserted. However the trail still exists, linking the villages and beckoning trekkers. Munsyari is the starting point of Nanda Devi Trekking and Wayfarer offers you a combined itinerary that includes a visit to the Nanda Devi base camp area followed up by a trip to Milam glacier. Initially five days of walking takes you to Pachu (3950 mts, 60 kms) the base camp area for Nanda Devi East. The location is exquisite and we usually spend a full day over here. We then return from Pachu to camp at Burfu, across th Gori Ganga river. From Burfu we ascend to Milam where we spend a day and then return to Munsyari. We are sure that Trekking In Nanda Devi will be the most cherish moment of your life.
Kumaon Trekking(Ralam Valley and Birje Ganga Pass Trek)
Kumaon Trekking is ideal for those trekkers who wish to encounter tough challenges amidst splendid Himalayan surroundings. Starting at Munsyari(2290 mts.) the trek route winds its way up the Gori Ganga river past Rargari, Mapang and Martoli to Sumdu. From here the route goes up to the snow clad Birje Ganga pass(4666 mts.) and descends to Ralam village. The views are magnificent with peaks such as Rajrambha, Chaudhara, Chirang We and Suitilla on the eastern side. This trek is primarily porter based.
Panchchulli Glacier & Darma Valley Treks
The Panch Chulli peaks lie in Eastern Kumaon Himalaya and form the watershed between the Gori Ganga and Darma Valleys. The eastern approaches are through Sona and Meola Glaciers. The Uttari and Dakshini Balati glaciers guard the western approaches. Nestling snugly in the lap of the snow capped peaks of Panch Chulli, the Darma Valley in remote Pithoragarh district, bordering Nepal and Tibet, is endowed with extraordinary scenic beauty. Between mid-May and end June and from mid-September to end-October the Wayfarer group regularly organizes trekking trips to Punch Chulli Glacier and Darma Valley. The starting point of this adventure is the Wayfarer Mountain Resort at Munsyari from where we drive by jeep for around 95 kms. to the Indo-Nepal boarder town of Dharchulla. From this town a further drive of 35 kms. along the banks of the Dhauli Ganga river takes us to the village of Sobla. Here onwards it’s a 40 km. trail that passes through Dar, Bungling, Sela, Nagling, Baaling and Duktu / Dantu village in the Darma Valley before reaching Punch Chulli Glacier.
Pindari Glacier Trek
The most easily accessible glacier in the Kumaon region, the Pindari Glacier has a beauty of its own. Situated between the snow-capped Nanda Devi and Nanda Kot Mountains, Pindari is a big and steep glacier measuring 3km in length and 0.25km in breadth. River Pindar originates from this Glacier and flows down to confluence into the river Alaknanda. The trekking route to the glacier traverses along the southern wilderness of the Nanda Devi Sanctuary offering some beautiful views of peaks like Panwali Dwar (6683m) and Maiktoli(6803m). A trek to the Pindari Glacier is a "soft adventrue" experience and well within the capacity of any trekker who is amply rewarded by the magnificance and grandeur of the towering Himalayas. The Wayfarer group conducts regular treks to the Pindari region from its own bases at Wayfarer Solitaire in Ranikhet and Wayfarer Retreat in Vijaypur.
Sunder Dunga Trek
"Sunderdunga" means the valley of beauitiful stones. The valley is situated to the west of Pindari valley and has two glaciers: Maktoli and Sukhram. The main peaks near the glaciers are Tharkot (6100 mts.), Mrigthuni (6856 mts.), Pwalidwar (6663 mts.). Sunderdhunga glacier is filled with natural beauty and is well within the capacity of any trekker to reach. The Wayfarer group conducts regular treks to the Sunderdhunga glacier from its own bases at Wayfarer Solitaire in Ranikhet and Wayfarer Retreat in Vijaypur. The actual trek commences from Saung.
Khaliya Trek
Overlooking Munsyari, situated at a height of 11500 ft. this hill top has a beautiful Alpine meadow surrounded by snow laden peaks. Offering an incredible view of the entire Kumaon Himalaya with towering peaks like the Panch Chulli, Rajrambha, Hardeol, Nanda Kot, Nanda Devi, the trek to Khaliya also allows people to experience the snow line in early summer. This is an ideal beginners' trek and for first timers an ideal introduction to the Himalayan landscape. The trek commences from the Wayfarer Mountain Resort at Munsyari.
Wednesday, 30 April 2008
Wednesday, 26 March 2008
Trekking in Garhwal
Garhwal - Best Time
The optimal timing for our trekking trips is between May 1st and June 30th and between September 1st and October 15th. Both seasons have their attractions. During the month of May the spring flowers bloom at the margins of the snowline while the weather is generally settled barring the occasional pre monsoon storm that can blow up at any time. Day time temperatures can rise to the mid 20s even at altitudes while at night they can fall to 0 degrees C. The post monsoon season is a time of settled weather with clear views of the mountains. Day time temperatures will still be quite warm, upto 20 degrees C during the middle of the day, however at night the temperatures will occasionally drop below 0 degrees C.
Roopkund
Roopkund is a lake situated at a height of 5029 mts. in the lap of the Trishul Massif, hidden below a ridge on the periphery of the Nanda Devi Sanctuary. It is often called the “Mystery Lake”, as in it lie some 300 corpses dated to the 14th Century AD, well preserved due to the cold and only seen when the lake thaws. There are two versions for these remains; one, that they are the remains of soldiers under General Jorawar Singh’s army which was on its way to Tibet, the other that they are the remains of people on a pilgrimage to Trishul base about 600 years ago.
High-up in the Himalayas, the Roopkund lake, surrounded by rock-strewn glacier and snow clad peaks, is a marvelous sight. The starting point of our trek is Mundoli village situated in eastern Garhwal Himalaya. To get to this starting point all trekkers are required to initially reach Kathgodam by over night train from Delhi.
The Valley Of Flowers
In 1931, Frank S. Smythe, who was part of a team of six British mountaineers that climbed Kamet, came across a valley beyond Bhyundar Pass that had “lush meadows… embowered amidst flowers. The Bhyundar Valley was the most beautiful valley that any of us had seen.” Smythe in his book recalls that his camp was surrounded by a variety of flowers – primulas, white anemones, golden nomocharis, marigolds, globe flowers, delphiniums, violets, eritrichiums, blue corydalis, white roses and rhododendrons. Higher up, near the moraine, were saxifrage, yellow and red potentilla, geranium, asters and gentians, so many that “it was impossible to take a step without crushing a flower”
Today this Bhyundar Valley is not very different from how Frank Smythe first found it to be. Through strict environmental control and tight Government of India regulations, the sanctity of Frank Smythe’s discovery – the Valley of Flowers has been carefully preserved. If you stand at the foot of the valley, grassy meadows run down to the cleft of the stream, which, even in August, is still fringed by ice. On both sides, green slopes turn to dark rock as they vault into deep blue skies. Rising gently, the valley ends as notch on the horizon, crested by the snows of the Rataban (6,166m) and Nilgiri (6474m) peaks. And underfoot, the flowers that give the valley its name.
The Valley Of Flowers is accessible from a remote village in the Indian Himalaya called Gangharia. Getting to Gangharia is a small adventure in itself.
Nanda Devi Sanctuary Trek
It takes eight days to reach the base camp of Nanda Devi on the south side. The Rishi Ganga River forces its way through two gorges. The first one, near Lata village, cuts off any possibility of an easy approach, and therefore a route over two intervening ridges -the Dharanshi and Malathuni – was explored. Shipton and Tilman called this the Curtain Ridge. Near the second gorge of the Rishi Ganga a route was explored over precarious, rocky terrain.
The approach to the inner sanctuary will always be difficult. The route is: Lata, Lata Kharak, across Dharanshi Pass (4267m/14000ft) to Dharanshi Alp, across MalathuniPass (4270m/14010ft) to Dibrugheta Alp, along the river to Deodi, Ramni at the foot of the gorge, Bhujgara half way through the gorge and Patalkhan across the main difficulties of the gorge. 'The Slabs' are the first of the challenges, where downward-sloping rocky slabs make for a precarious crossing. A narrow staircase of stones ahead cuts across a huge wall. Just one slip and you would plummet thousands of feet down the gorge, aptly called the vaikunth seedi (the 'staircase to heaven') by locals. If you climb up this, you will reach the heaven of the Nanda Devi Sanctuary, whereas if you fall, you might reach heaven anyway. Patalkhan is the first halt in the sanctuary. From Patalkhan, the route crosses the Rishi Ganga to enter the north side of the sanctuary.
The optimal timing for our trekking trips is between May 1st and June 30th and between September 1st and October 15th. Both seasons have their attractions. During the month of May the spring flowers bloom at the margins of the snowline while the weather is generally settled barring the occasional pre monsoon storm that can blow up at any time. Day time temperatures can rise to the mid 20s even at altitudes while at night they can fall to 0 degrees C. The post monsoon season is a time of settled weather with clear views of the mountains. Day time temperatures will still be quite warm, upto 20 degrees C during the middle of the day, however at night the temperatures will occasionally drop below 0 degrees C.
Roopkund
Roopkund is a lake situated at a height of 5029 mts. in the lap of the Trishul Massif, hidden below a ridge on the periphery of the Nanda Devi Sanctuary. It is often called the “Mystery Lake”, as in it lie some 300 corpses dated to the 14th Century AD, well preserved due to the cold and only seen when the lake thaws. There are two versions for these remains; one, that they are the remains of soldiers under General Jorawar Singh’s army which was on its way to Tibet, the other that they are the remains of people on a pilgrimage to Trishul base about 600 years ago.
High-up in the Himalayas, the Roopkund lake, surrounded by rock-strewn glacier and snow clad peaks, is a marvelous sight. The starting point of our trek is Mundoli village situated in eastern Garhwal Himalaya. To get to this starting point all trekkers are required to initially reach Kathgodam by over night train from Delhi.
The Valley Of Flowers
In 1931, Frank S. Smythe, who was part of a team of six British mountaineers that climbed Kamet, came across a valley beyond Bhyundar Pass that had “lush meadows… embowered amidst flowers. The Bhyundar Valley was the most beautiful valley that any of us had seen.” Smythe in his book recalls that his camp was surrounded by a variety of flowers – primulas, white anemones, golden nomocharis, marigolds, globe flowers, delphiniums, violets, eritrichiums, blue corydalis, white roses and rhododendrons. Higher up, near the moraine, were saxifrage, yellow and red potentilla, geranium, asters and gentians, so many that “it was impossible to take a step without crushing a flower”
Today this Bhyundar Valley is not very different from how Frank Smythe first found it to be. Through strict environmental control and tight Government of India regulations, the sanctity of Frank Smythe’s discovery – the Valley of Flowers has been carefully preserved. If you stand at the foot of the valley, grassy meadows run down to the cleft of the stream, which, even in August, is still fringed by ice. On both sides, green slopes turn to dark rock as they vault into deep blue skies. Rising gently, the valley ends as notch on the horizon, crested by the snows of the Rataban (6,166m) and Nilgiri (6474m) peaks. And underfoot, the flowers that give the valley its name.
The Valley Of Flowers is accessible from a remote village in the Indian Himalaya called Gangharia. Getting to Gangharia is a small adventure in itself.
Nanda Devi Sanctuary Trek
It takes eight days to reach the base camp of Nanda Devi on the south side. The Rishi Ganga River forces its way through two gorges. The first one, near Lata village, cuts off any possibility of an easy approach, and therefore a route over two intervening ridges -the Dharanshi and Malathuni – was explored. Shipton and Tilman called this the Curtain Ridge. Near the second gorge of the Rishi Ganga a route was explored over precarious, rocky terrain.
The approach to the inner sanctuary will always be difficult. The route is: Lata, Lata Kharak, across Dharanshi Pass (4267m/14000ft) to Dharanshi Alp, across MalathuniPass (4270m/14010ft) to Dibrugheta Alp, along the river to Deodi, Ramni at the foot of the gorge, Bhujgara half way through the gorge and Patalkhan across the main difficulties of the gorge. 'The Slabs' are the first of the challenges, where downward-sloping rocky slabs make for a precarious crossing. A narrow staircase of stones ahead cuts across a huge wall. Just one slip and you would plummet thousands of feet down the gorge, aptly called the vaikunth seedi (the 'staircase to heaven') by locals. If you climb up this, you will reach the heaven of the Nanda Devi Sanctuary, whereas if you fall, you might reach heaven anyway. Patalkhan is the first halt in the sanctuary. From Patalkhan, the route crosses the Rishi Ganga to enter the north side of the sanctuary.
Friday, 7 March 2008
AMS-Explained
Early AMS
The earliest known account of mountain sickness can be traced back to the first few decades of the first century A.D. One account from the period reads, “The travellers have to climb over Mount Greater Headache, Mount Lesser Headache, and the Fever Hill, where they will develop a fever, turn pallid, feel a headache, and vomit." (Ward 1975)
In 1590 in Peru, a Spanish priest wrote of the ill effects of altitude while crossing the Andes and concluded, “the element of the air is so subtle and delicate, as it is not proportional with the breathing of man, which requires a more gross and temperate air.” (Heath and Williams 1981)
Theories of mountain sickness advanced rapidly with the popularity of ballooning in the eighteenth century and alpine climbing in the nineteenth century.
As man continued to push his physical boundaries by venturing higher and higher, he occasionally paid the ultimate price. In 1875, the flight of the Zenith from Paris resulted in the deaths of two balloonists, Sivel and Croce-Spinelli. However, this did not deter the early pioneers. This century's leap into aviation and space travel has brought with it a deeper understanding of human ability to function at altitude.
Onset of AMS
The incidence and severity of AMS depend on the rate of ascent and the altitude attained as well as the length of altitude exposure, the level of exertion and inherent physiological susceptibility.
The main symptoms of AMS are headache, fatigue, dizziness and anorexia with nausea also being common – in fact the initial symptoms are very similar to that of an alcohol hangover.
Where and at what altitude does AMS occur?
High Altitude is classed as 1500 to 3500m – AMS is common with rapid ascent above 2500m but does not tend to occur below this.
Very High Altitude is 3500 to 5500m – this is the most common range for severe AMS.
Extreme Altitude is over 5500m – any ascent without supplementary oxygen invites severe AMS. There is no human habitation above 5500m.
Himalaya: The Legend of the Chandratal and Surajtal
There is a charming legend about the famous, beautiful lakes known as Chandratal and Surajtal in the folklore of Himachal Pradesh.
The story goes that the daughter of the moon and the son of the Sun were in love. They wanted to meet, but this was very difficult as the son and moon come into the sky at different times. So, they decided to meet on Earth. They chose to meet near the Baralacha Pass.
Unfortunately, when they came down on earth, they landed on different sides of the pass and were still unable to meet. Their resultant great sorrow turned them into lakes of great purity. As their water swelled, they gave birth to two mighty rivers – the Chandra and the Bhaga, which flowed around the mountain range and were finally able to confluence at Tandi.
And the two lovers? They are said to be the two lakes we know as Chandratal and Surajtal, on the two sides of the fearsome Baralacha Pass, in the district of Lahaul and Spiti, in Himachal Pradesh in India.
It is said that the mesmerizing, haunting beauty of the Chandratal is a result of the beauty of the daughter of the moon – who knows? The whole ambience of the lake does seem to be out of this world.
The beauty and taste of crystal clear water, the crown of mountain peaks towering protectively, and yet keeping their distance, the soft, abundant grass, the serenity in the atmosphere, even the air seem to speak of magic.
This is one place you visit once, and just hearing the name takes you there in your mind for the rest of your life.
Thursday, 24 January 2008
Everest Turning into World's Highest Cesspool
The new hazard comes from human waste scattered along the mountain slopes, which could run into hundreds of tonnes...
A deadly peril lurks on Mt Everest, the highest summit in the world, which is far more dangerous than the freezing cold, gale winds and recently posted security forces who are empowered to shoot at the sight of political activities. The new hazard comes from human waste scattered along the mountain slopes, which could run into hundreds of tonnes.
"Toilet paper and human excreta litter the Everest base camp (at an altitude of 6,400 metres), the slopes, and even the summit (8,848 metres) itself," says Ang Tshering Sherpa, chief of the Nepal Mountaineering Association, which is entrusted with promoting mountaineering in this country."In summer, when the snow melts, the frozen human waste comes into sight and starts raising a stink. The grave health and environmental hazard the untreated excreta pose is a matter of great concern," Sherpa added.
While conscious mountaineers have been trying to clear the garbage left on the mountains, nothing has been done so far to treat the human waste lying there.In the past, expeditions have collected used oxygen cans, tents, food tins and other litter and brought much of it down but the human waste remains."As it remains frozen during the expeditions, it is very difficult to remove it and bring it down," Sherpa said.In a bid to prevent the world's tallest mountain from turning into the highest cesspool, an expedition is now introducing, for the first time in the history of the Everest, bio-degradable toilets.
Sherpa's son Dawa Steven Sherpa is leading the 24-member Eco Everest 2008 expedition to the summit in memory of the peak's greatest benefactor, Edmund Hillary, to try and clean the garbage.The team is carrying three "Clean Mountain Cans" with them, a portable toilet manufactured by an American company. The bins are lined with bio-degradable bags that decompose the human waste deposited in them.The expedition is armed with 200 such bags. Besides using them, the team members will also try to remove the frozen waste on the summit, put it in the bags and bring it down to the base camp.The cans, which can be bought for $75 a piece in the US, cost a thumping $150 when brought to Nepal, one of the poorest countries in the world."The cans were gifted by the American Alpine Club, while some of the bags were donated by the factories that made them," Sherpa said.
Sherpa, who runs Asian Trekking, one of the leading trekking agencies in Nepal, said his company would henceforth use the cans and urge other agencies to employ them too.The expedition, that is also highlighting the dangers of climate change in the Himalayan slopes, is tying to put into action a banner in Kathmandu that urges citizens to use garbage wisely and turn it into money.It is offering each climber who brings down human or other waste down from the peak to the base camp $1 for each kg of junk.
A deadly peril lurks on Mt Everest, the highest summit in the world, which is far more dangerous than the freezing cold, gale winds and recently posted security forces who are empowered to shoot at the sight of political activities. The new hazard comes from human waste scattered along the mountain slopes, which could run into hundreds of tonnes.
"Toilet paper and human excreta litter the Everest base camp (at an altitude of 6,400 metres), the slopes, and even the summit (8,848 metres) itself," says Ang Tshering Sherpa, chief of the Nepal Mountaineering Association, which is entrusted with promoting mountaineering in this country."In summer, when the snow melts, the frozen human waste comes into sight and starts raising a stink. The grave health and environmental hazard the untreated excreta pose is a matter of great concern," Sherpa added.
While conscious mountaineers have been trying to clear the garbage left on the mountains, nothing has been done so far to treat the human waste lying there.In the past, expeditions have collected used oxygen cans, tents, food tins and other litter and brought much of it down but the human waste remains."As it remains frozen during the expeditions, it is very difficult to remove it and bring it down," Sherpa said.In a bid to prevent the world's tallest mountain from turning into the highest cesspool, an expedition is now introducing, for the first time in the history of the Everest, bio-degradable toilets.
Sherpa's son Dawa Steven Sherpa is leading the 24-member Eco Everest 2008 expedition to the summit in memory of the peak's greatest benefactor, Edmund Hillary, to try and clean the garbage.The team is carrying three "Clean Mountain Cans" with them, a portable toilet manufactured by an American company. The bins are lined with bio-degradable bags that decompose the human waste deposited in them.The expedition is armed with 200 such bags. Besides using them, the team members will also try to remove the frozen waste on the summit, put it in the bags and bring it down to the base camp.The cans, which can be bought for $75 a piece in the US, cost a thumping $150 when brought to Nepal, one of the poorest countries in the world."The cans were gifted by the American Alpine Club, while some of the bags were donated by the factories that made them," Sherpa said.
Sherpa, who runs Asian Trekking, one of the leading trekking agencies in Nepal, said his company would henceforth use the cans and urge other agencies to employ them too.The expedition, that is also highlighting the dangers of climate change in the Himalayan slopes, is tying to put into action a banner in Kathmandu that urges citizens to use garbage wisely and turn it into money.It is offering each climber who brings down human or other waste down from the peak to the base camp $1 for each kg of junk.
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