Trek and Climb with RAJA

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 ...

The First Documented Ascent of Kang Yatse IV (North Summit, 6130m)  Summary On 1st August, 2021, a team of three Indian alpinists made the first documented ascent of Kang Yatse IV (6130m). They approached the mountain from its West, via the Langthang Chu valley. Using a couple of  days for reconnaissance and adopting a carry, camp and climb style, the trio first climbed the NW face and then the North ridge to reach the North Summit 6130m of the identical twin summit of KY IV. Team: Sonam Yangjor, Stanzin Wangial and Anindya Mukherjee. Duration: 24th July to 4th August, 2021.  Location: Markha and Langthang Chu Valley, Ladakh Himalaya. Grade: AD as per IFAS  Figure 1: The view of all four summits of Kang Yatse family from Hangkar, Photo: Sonam Yangjor, ©2L1B Expedition, 2021  The Mystery of the Disappearing Twin   Although these days the mountain is generally referred to as ‘Kang Yatse or Yatze’ by the locals and tourists alike, while doing the homework...

During the 2nd and 3rd week of December 2020, a team of 4 climbers made an attempt to climb Mt Baljuri 5922m in Him-Alpine style by the Baljuri col-North ridge route. The expedition did not use the services of any HAP or local guide beyond the traditional base camp of Baljuri and adopted a fast and light ‘carry, camp and climb’ style. The team reached Dwali (2610m) on 12th December and used two alternate ferry days via Phurkia (3189m) to station themselves at the traditional Base Camp (3600m) site of Baljuri on 16th December. During the approach march, the team encountered fresh new snow from a kilometer below Dwali and half way up to the Zero Point (3750m) the team found the trail covered in 6 inches to 1 feet of snow.  On 17th December, 3 climbers (Aniket, Rivu and Anindya) started climbing the spur that leads one to the traditional Camp-1 site of Baljuri. The spur was a mixture of frozen grass, mud and boulders under a thick and deceptive blanket of soft new snow. The trio reac...

I am working on our expedition calendar for 2022. It is going to be an interesting calendar with a diverse choice of regions, seasons, grades and duration. I am pretty confident that we will have the full calendar ready by the middle of November. As an experiment, ( a very exciting one for me) I am going to offer Hiking and Climbing in Kenya and Tanzania in 2022 . I hiked Kilimanajro back in 2005, climbed in the Rwenzoris (Uganda) in 2015 and climbed Nelion, Mt Kenya in early 2020. It would be wonderful to go back to Africa and guide a team there. In the Indian Himalaya, our calendar will have a range of expeditions to choose from with a choice for every moutaineering enthusiast- from the beginner to the more experienced. The Indian Himalaya is open and travelling across the Himalayan states is back to normal . Whether you are interested in climbing some of the most iconic mountains of the Indian Himalaya or would rather engage in some exploratory mountaineering- I welcome you to the I...

LAMPAK NORTH 6181M - Inviting Climbers    Garhwal Himalaya, India  Period: June-July 2020 Duration: 15 days ex Joshimath Reporting at: Joshimath, tentative reporting date June 20, 2020*   Grade: Moderate.   Basic snow and ice climb involving multiple camps and glacier travel . Route: Joshimath- Juma-Ruing-Garpak-Kalla Bamak-BC- ABC-C1- East Ridge Expedition type: Full service guided climb, summit support  A few words about the region The region is not much frequented and the records show only five or six visits since 1950. The first foray was by the Scottish team lead by W.H. Murray in the 1950's. There is no record of any ascents during this trip. After a gap of four decades a small team from Mumbai visited this glacier in 1990 but could not climb any peaks. They were followed, more than a decade later, by the large Punjab Police team lead by Dr. P. M. Das in 2003. They claim to have climbed two peaks marked as Lampak...

A Happy Ascent of Satopanth 7075m Summary: In September 2016, a small group of climbers from India and Germany climbed Satopanth (7075m) and an unnamed 6008m peak by the traditional routes in semi alpine style and without using any fixed rope on its famous north-east ridge-north face route.  Text and Photos: Anindya Mukherjee Satopanth from Sundar Bamak, photo: Anindya Mukherjee ~~~~~~~~ The happy climber, like the aged Ulysses, is one who has “drunk delight of battle with his peers”, and this delight is only attainable by assaulting cliffs which tax to their utmost limits of the powers of the mountaineers engaged. This struggle involves the same risk, whether early climbers attacked what we now call easy rock, or whether we moderns attack formidable rock, or whether the ideal climber of the future assaults cliffs which we now regard as hopelessly inaccessible. -A.F.Mummery [1] ~~~~~~~~ Snow coated the mountain range and one mountain in particular. All of...