Nanda Devi East 2013- a tribute to Roger Payne

This year's mountaineering journey for Adventure Mania, will begin with the famed and formidable south ridge of Nanda Devi East (7437m). In May 2013, a team of 5 Indian climbers will attempt to climb this mighty mountain in semi- alpine style, moving lightweight, and using as little fix rope as possible. The expedition will follow the classic route of the 1939 Polish team. This expedition is our humble tribute to Roger Payne. Details and updates will keep appearing on this blog page. We are also considering creating an exclusive blog page for this expedition. More soon!

Sundardhunga Khal – The Goddess Keeps her Secret

Sundardhunga Khal – The Goddess Keeps her Secret George W Rodway and Anindya Mukherjee The Sundardhunga Khal and our route of attempt in 2015 The History Locating a practicable route into the Nanda Devi Sanctuary occupied a very respectable amount of exploration time and effort in the latter half of the nineteenth century and first half of the twentieth century. By the time W.W. Graham made spring and autumn journeys to Sikkim and spent the summer in the Kumaun region around Nanda Devi in 1883, a shift had just started towards looking to the Himalaya as a venue for sporting adventure. Graham and the Swiss guides that accompanied him this year planned an ambitious itinerary for their time in Kumaun. They attempted to penetrate, for the first time in recorded history, the Rishiganga gorge with an eye to ascending Nanda Devi. Not surprisingly the difficulty of the gorge, not infiltrated to its source (after many attempts) until 1934, forced them to reconsider the wis...

Zemu Gap from south: the first documented ascent

view of Kangchenjunga south summit and Talung peaks from Tongshyong glacier. Pic. Anindya Mukherjee Text & Photographs: Anindya Mukherjee Introduction The history of exploration around Kangchenjunga [1] , especially around its south, south east and east flanks; has always fascinated me. The classic journeys and adventures of pioneers [2] like W.W. Graham, John Claude White, Douglas Freshfield, Dr. A.M. Kellas, Harold Raeburn, N.A.Tombazi, Lord John Hunt and Paul Bauer ignited my imagination. The height of inspiration of course came from reading my hero Mr. H.W. Tilman’s account in the Himalayan Journal (vol. IX) on his attempt on Zemu Gap from south in 1936. The primary challenge of climbing Zemu Gap from south has always been its remote & complicated approach. Many failed just to reach the foot of this col. To add to that its apparently impregnable defenses took Zemu Gap to a next level of exploratory climbing. In 1925, Greek photographer N.A.Tombazi is sai...

An Alpine Season in Ladakh

An Alpine Season in Ladakh First Ascents of three 6000m peaks in the Khyam lungpa [1] Text and Photos: Anindya Mukherjee Khyam lungpa Background Sometimes, the most memorable adventures stem from the most unexpected turns. In August 2023, Christian Ranke and I, was aiming to traverse the twin summits of Kang Yatse IV, a feat that would build upon our previous success on Satopanth in 2016 [2] . Kang Yatse IV had already become familiar terrain for me—on 1st August 2021, I had been part of a team known as 2L1B (Two Ladakhi One Bengali), which made the first ‘documented’ ascent of the North summit of Kang Yatse IV (6130m). Along with Ladakhi climbers Sonam Yangjor and Stanzin Wangial Kaya, we climbed the mountain in alpine style, reaching the North Summit via the North Face-North Ridge route [3] . That ascent left me deeply connected to the region, and I was eager to return. However, this time, the mountains had different plans. After spending a week struggling up the northern slopes ...

Trek and Climb with RAJA

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