0155 hours. 3 Oct 2014. Dussehra. Camp One. Dokrani Bamak glacier. Garhwal Himalaya.
Vijay's alarm shrieks at this ungodly hour in the subzero temperatures of the glacier that could be heard cracking and tumbling beneath our tents on its way to the valley floor. Vijay with his usual crispness, gets up and heads outside to get the morning tea that the gallant staff of NIM (Nehru Institute of Mountaineering) have managed to boil. Predictably, as he's booting up into his UK 11 size snow boots, a couple of us shove our cups and Nalgene bottles at him, "Hamare liye bhi le aana, Vijay Paji" (Get some for us too!).
Ari musters up energy to get the butane stove flaming, and gets some snow into one of our mess tins to melt some water. At this stage, all five of us had our mess tins disjointed and thrown in some corner of the tent. Probably littered with the stains of yesterday's dinner too. The cold had inflicted such sloth in us, that later in the day, Doc would hardly mind eating with a spoon that I'd find lying among someone's shoes !
While the courageous Vijay sped off to expose his butt and dump some in the glacial night, I made peace with the possibility of gastric trouble while on the move. If the worst came, the two feet of toilet paper I had packed in my down jacket would be helpful. Sometime, just before 3 AM, as Vijay expressed his exuberance over his 'shitty' achievement, Doc decided to head out for a dump. But first, he needed water ! With 400 ml of water taking 10 minutes or so to melt, no one was much willing to lend him any. Me being me, despite my full water bottle, I didn't want to lend him any. In anguish, Doc cried out "Koi 200 ml paani hi dedo!!" (Please give me just 200 ml of water). The profound hilarity of this statement was completely subdued by the tension of the summit night. Reluctantly, I gave him some water. After it was all over, this incident was recounted a dozen times to peals of laughter.
As the 3 AM whistle announced the meal, I rushed out with one of the mess tins to grab some calories quick. As I filled in with chapatis, jeera aloo and bhurji (Indian scrambled egg), the feeling of impending struggle was almost washed out. Given the circumstances, this was quite a royal meal. To top it all, there was a bucket of orange tang ! There was no need to fuss over butane stoves and water.
There was one mighty task left to tackle before heading out. I had to wear my thick warm socks and get into my snow boots. I was anticipating some trouble with all of this. Seasoned climbers take all sorts of measures to make it possible to wear snow boots. Washing away the sweat with old socks, and wearing new dry socks. Or sleeping with the inners of their plastic two-layered snow boots placed in the sleeping bag (The cold makes the boots contract somewhat). Or in more drastic circumstances, just sleeping with those boots on !! I got through this easily, but someone in a nearby tent couldn't. His agonized shout left me gaping in his direction for some minutes, thankful that mine went in smoothly.
As all of us assembled in the prescribed order five minutes before four, Doc as usual walked in last. He would have been even late if Vijay hadn't helped him with his harness and self anchors. The push for the top began a couple of minutes later. The first part of the climb was a frustrating crossing of the lateral moraine of the glacier to get to the ice on the base of the mountain. With headlamps bobbing up and down, and clarity of sight reduced to some mere five feet, we boulder-hopped away.
Near the end of the moraine, the orders to wear crampons and gaiters were issued. Naturally, we complied. Jagmohan Sir, the Senior Instructor for our Advanced Course issued a request to the trainees, "Please aap log kam paadiye, peeche chalne walon ka khayaal keejiye" (Please fart less. Think about the ones walking behind). Another epic humor moment that lost its sheen to the ice. I was relieved to be not the only troubled by flatulence !
The part where we started out on ice gave me a big boost. Crampons, ice, the clunking of metal on ice, the night and the headlamps. It all felt unreal. I felt a surge of adrenaline at using my front points, even though it was a mere 20-30 degree slope. All comes from being a climbing romantic at heart, I guess :)
With all this heat in me, I couldn't help myself not cross some of the slower trainees. On one of the crossings, I found myself looking at the snow gogs of Vinod Sir and the elegant beard of Jagroop Sir. That froze me for half a sec, and I quickly decided to fall in line ! I guess a total of four ropes had been fixed on the relatively steep snow slopes (~ 75 degree) that we encountered minutes later. (The ropes had been fixed by a party of trainees and instructors that had gone on ahead yesterday to prepare part of the route.) Streaks of day littered the horizon as we went up these slopes using a biner self anchor on the ropes. A shy yellow was followed by deeper hues of yellow and red on the peaks of the Yamunotri range. The sky resembled a palette that comprised of the whole rainbow of colors from red at the bottom to yellow, blue and lighter shades of black at the top.
And in this divine setting, we plodded on. Moving sedately, my mind went back to the push for the pass summit of Thorong La on the Annapurna Circuit, which I did with college mates last year. Back then, we has started in darkness with two torches (not even a headlamp) between us four boys, as we pushed and hauled our cycles up the snow slopes. That had been my first experience of high altitude, and I'd been agonized by the cold, the thin air and my edgy behavior.
The steep snow slopes gave way to a gigantic snow field at the top. Somewhere near its middle, I found Vijay easing it a bit. Somewhere up and away, the advance party was making steady progress. Moving like a snake, while traversing a gentle slope, I thought they were too far to be caught anytime soon. Vijay whipped his mobile out and called for a couple of clicks. Just then, Jagroop Sir caught us and admonished us for being sluggish, when we should be trying to get to help the leading party. Also, it was crucial to get up before the sun softened the snow. His piercing reprimand got us to move, and move quick.
Although the trail had been broken by the leaders, it was still slow moving given the altitude. Vijay, behind me kept repeating the mantra of rhythm and synchronized breathing while we forged ahead. The presence of Vinod Sir and Jagroop Sir also felt balmy. The two of them, Army Subedars, hid much humor and concern beneath their tough exteriors.
Although, any subjective measure of time is much dulled under such conditions, but after having crossed a dozen or so boys on the steep slopes, I felt as if we'd been on the move at this pace for 90 minutes. Might've been close to 45, you never know ! :P
Anyways, this was when we caught up with the leading party and fell into line, moving only when the ones in front did. The going got much slower, because rope fixing ahead of us took time, and we could only move after they were fixed. Soon, the sun hit us, and the cold receded. No more need to be moving, just to remain warm. A couple of steep slopes, a traverse and another steep slope later, we finally ventured onto the summit hump. Where the air was thin and yet celebratory, the guys thirsty and exhausted, yet wouldn't sip a drop of water for fear of missing out on photos!
The most beautiful of views surrounded and mesmerized us at the top. In every direction around us, stretched a layer of clouds, white, thick, puffy and unbroken over valleys and hills alike, pierced only by the higher mountains. Nanda Devi pierced the sky to our North-east, its distinctive shape and majesty remarkable. Further north, Kamet and Mukut Parbat could be seen. To our east, just a sea of clouds with a couple of mushroom clouds in between stretching to the horizon. Up close and north, Jaonli and the Gangotri massif. To the east, and connected to our peak by a knife-ridge, Draupadi ka Danda I. To the far west, the Swargarohini, Kalanag and Banderpunch peaks were visible.
And quite abruptly, we all started to descend, so that we could reach camp before the rising valley clouds get a chance to cause any disturbance. The last of us only got five minutes or so at the top. Swaying and stumbling in the now soft snow, we hurried downwards. My personal high point of the whole descent, was the chapati with pineapple jam spread that my rope instructor Umed Sir gave me. The smallest of things have the potential for bringing great cheer in moments of exhaustion or/and deprivation.
Looking at it, I think it's quite commendable that all 38 of us trainees who attempted the summit got to the top. Fixing lines, managing the slow ones and our fitness, all quite remarkable ! :)
Vijay's alarm shrieks at this ungodly hour in the subzero temperatures of the glacier that could be heard cracking and tumbling beneath our tents on its way to the valley floor. Vijay with his usual crispness, gets up and heads outside to get the morning tea that the gallant staff of NIM (Nehru Institute of Mountaineering) have managed to boil. Predictably, as he's booting up into his UK 11 size snow boots, a couple of us shove our cups and Nalgene bottles at him, "Hamare liye bhi le aana, Vijay Paji" (Get some for us too!).
Ari musters up energy to get the butane stove flaming, and gets some snow into one of our mess tins to melt some water. At this stage, all five of us had our mess tins disjointed and thrown in some corner of the tent. Probably littered with the stains of yesterday's dinner too. The cold had inflicted such sloth in us, that later in the day, Doc would hardly mind eating with a spoon that I'd find lying among someone's shoes !
While the courageous Vijay sped off to expose his butt and dump some in the glacial night, I made peace with the possibility of gastric trouble while on the move. If the worst came, the two feet of toilet paper I had packed in my down jacket would be helpful. Sometime, just before 3 AM, as Vijay expressed his exuberance over his 'shitty' achievement, Doc decided to head out for a dump. But first, he needed water ! With 400 ml of water taking 10 minutes or so to melt, no one was much willing to lend him any. Me being me, despite my full water bottle, I didn't want to lend him any. In anguish, Doc cried out "Koi 200 ml paani hi dedo!!" (Please give me just 200 ml of water). The profound hilarity of this statement was completely subdued by the tension of the summit night. Reluctantly, I gave him some water. After it was all over, this incident was recounted a dozen times to peals of laughter.
As the 3 AM whistle announced the meal, I rushed out with one of the mess tins to grab some calories quick. As I filled in with chapatis, jeera aloo and bhurji (Indian scrambled egg), the feeling of impending struggle was almost washed out. Given the circumstances, this was quite a royal meal. To top it all, there was a bucket of orange tang ! There was no need to fuss over butane stoves and water.
There was one mighty task left to tackle before heading out. I had to wear my thick warm socks and get into my snow boots. I was anticipating some trouble with all of this. Seasoned climbers take all sorts of measures to make it possible to wear snow boots. Washing away the sweat with old socks, and wearing new dry socks. Or sleeping with the inners of their plastic two-layered snow boots placed in the sleeping bag (The cold makes the boots contract somewhat). Or in more drastic circumstances, just sleeping with those boots on !! I got through this easily, but someone in a nearby tent couldn't. His agonized shout left me gaping in his direction for some minutes, thankful that mine went in smoothly.
As all of us assembled in the prescribed order five minutes before four, Doc as usual walked in last. He would have been even late if Vijay hadn't helped him with his harness and self anchors. The push for the top began a couple of minutes later. The first part of the climb was a frustrating crossing of the lateral moraine of the glacier to get to the ice on the base of the mountain. With headlamps bobbing up and down, and clarity of sight reduced to some mere five feet, we boulder-hopped away.
Near the end of the moraine, the orders to wear crampons and gaiters were issued. Naturally, we complied. Jagmohan Sir, the Senior Instructor for our Advanced Course issued a request to the trainees, "Please aap log kam paadiye, peeche chalne walon ka khayaal keejiye" (Please fart less. Think about the ones walking behind). Another epic humor moment that lost its sheen to the ice. I was relieved to be not the only troubled by flatulence !
The part where we started out on ice gave me a big boost. Crampons, ice, the clunking of metal on ice, the night and the headlamps. It all felt unreal. I felt a surge of adrenaline at using my front points, even though it was a mere 20-30 degree slope. All comes from being a climbing romantic at heart, I guess :)
With all this heat in me, I couldn't help myself not cross some of the slower trainees. On one of the crossings, I found myself looking at the snow gogs of Vinod Sir and the elegant beard of Jagroop Sir. That froze me for half a sec, and I quickly decided to fall in line ! I guess a total of four ropes had been fixed on the relatively steep snow slopes (~ 75 degree) that we encountered minutes later. (The ropes had been fixed by a party of trainees and instructors that had gone on ahead yesterday to prepare part of the route.) Streaks of day littered the horizon as we went up these slopes using a biner self anchor on the ropes. A shy yellow was followed by deeper hues of yellow and red on the peaks of the Yamunotri range. The sky resembled a palette that comprised of the whole rainbow of colors from red at the bottom to yellow, blue and lighter shades of black at the top.
And in this divine setting, we plodded on. Moving sedately, my mind went back to the push for the pass summit of Thorong La on the Annapurna Circuit, which I did with college mates last year. Back then, we has started in darkness with two torches (not even a headlamp) between us four boys, as we pushed and hauled our cycles up the snow slopes. That had been my first experience of high altitude, and I'd been agonized by the cold, the thin air and my edgy behavior.
The steep snow slopes gave way to a gigantic snow field at the top. Somewhere near its middle, I found Vijay easing it a bit. Somewhere up and away, the advance party was making steady progress. Moving like a snake, while traversing a gentle slope, I thought they were too far to be caught anytime soon. Vijay whipped his mobile out and called for a couple of clicks. Just then, Jagroop Sir caught us and admonished us for being sluggish, when we should be trying to get to help the leading party. Also, it was crucial to get up before the sun softened the snow. His piercing reprimand got us to move, and move quick.
Although the trail had been broken by the leaders, it was still slow moving given the altitude. Vijay, behind me kept repeating the mantra of rhythm and synchronized breathing while we forged ahead. The presence of Vinod Sir and Jagroop Sir also felt balmy. The two of them, Army Subedars, hid much humor and concern beneath their tough exteriors.
Although, any subjective measure of time is much dulled under such conditions, but after having crossed a dozen or so boys on the steep slopes, I felt as if we'd been on the move at this pace for 90 minutes. Might've been close to 45, you never know ! :P
Anyways, this was when we caught up with the leading party and fell into line, moving only when the ones in front did. The going got much slower, because rope fixing ahead of us took time, and we could only move after they were fixed. Soon, the sun hit us, and the cold receded. No more need to be moving, just to remain warm. A couple of steep slopes, a traverse and another steep slope later, we finally ventured onto the summit hump. Where the air was thin and yet celebratory, the guys thirsty and exhausted, yet wouldn't sip a drop of water for fear of missing out on photos!
The most beautiful of views surrounded and mesmerized us at the top. In every direction around us, stretched a layer of clouds, white, thick, puffy and unbroken over valleys and hills alike, pierced only by the higher mountains. Nanda Devi pierced the sky to our North-east, its distinctive shape and majesty remarkable. Further north, Kamet and Mukut Parbat could be seen. To our east, just a sea of clouds with a couple of mushroom clouds in between stretching to the horizon. Up close and north, Jaonli and the Gangotri massif. To the east, and connected to our peak by a knife-ridge, Draupadi ka Danda I. To the far west, the Swargarohini, Kalanag and Banderpunch peaks were visible.
And quite abruptly, we all started to descend, so that we could reach camp before the rising valley clouds get a chance to cause any disturbance. The last of us only got five minutes or so at the top. Swaying and stumbling in the now soft snow, we hurried downwards. My personal high point of the whole descent, was the chapati with pineapple jam spread that my rope instructor Umed Sir gave me. The smallest of things have the potential for bringing great cheer in moments of exhaustion or/and deprivation.
Looking at it, I think it's quite commendable that all 38 of us trainees who attempted the summit got to the top. Fixing lines, managing the slow ones and our fitness, all quite remarkable ! :)
