The food had been very bland and tepid until Col Sharma arrived at the Base Camp with Lama-our cook and waiter on 16th. By 17th every member is in the Base Camp except for Jaidev who is looking after the steady supply of provisions from Ramche to Base Camp.
Mar 04, 2010 | Categories: Kanchenjuna Expedition Diary 2004 | Tags: adventure in Himalayas, adventurous climb, army expedition, asia, base camp, base camp kanchenjunga, camp, climbers, climbing mountains, glaciers, Himalayan mountain photographs, himalayas, ice, ice cap, india, Indian army climbers, Indian army mountain expedition, Indian army mountaineers, Indian Himalayas, kanchendzonga, Kanchenjunga, Kanchenjunga mountain, mountain climbers, mountain expedition, mountain expetidions, mountaineering, mountaineers, mountains, Nepal, nepal photographs, nepali sherpas, photographs of expeditions, photographs of Kanchenjunga, receding glaciers, Sherpa mountaineers, sherpas, snow, south east asia, third highest mountain, travelogue from nepal | Leave A Comment »
My hands are numb and when the time comes to leave I cannot zip up my rucksack. Today was perhaps the toughest walk ever. It took me and my two fellow travellers Mahi Ram and Balwant over 5 hours of constant walk through glaciers , soft sand that sucked your foot in, boulders that threatened to roll over you or twist your ankle mortally and slopes that could drop you down into the snot-green glacier waters where one was sure to die of hypothermia even though today the sun shone its best.
Mar 03, 2010 | Categories: Kanchenjuna Expedition Diary 2004 | Tags: adventure, adventure in Himalayas, adventurous climb, army expedition, asia, climbers, climbing mountains, glaciers, Himalayan mountain photographs, himalayas, ice, ice cap, india, Indian army climbers, Indian army mountain expedition, Indian army mountaineers, Indian Himalayas, kanchendzonga, Kanchenjunga, Kanchenjunga mountain, mountain climbers, mountain expedition, mountaineering, mountaineering photographs, mountaineers, mountains, Nepal, nepal photographs, nepali sherpas, photographs of Kanchenjunga, photographs of mountaineering, receding glaciers, Sherpa mountaineers, sherpas, snow, south east asia, third highest mountain, trekking in nepal, trekking photographs | 2 Comments »
We move through glaciers, big boulders but the soft pebbly mud make it an ordeal for me. To make matters worse it begins to rain. By the time we reach the intermediate Base Camp-after over 3km of walk-I am drenched to the skin
Mar 03, 2010 | Categories: Kanchenjuna Expedition Diary 2004 | Tags: adventure in Himalayas, adventurous climb, army expedition, asia, climbers, climbing mountains, glaciers, Himalayan mountain photographs, himalayas, ice, ice cap, india, Indian army climbers, Indian army mountain expedition, Indian army mountaineers, Indian Himalayas, kanchendzonga, Kanchenjunga, Kanchenjunga mountain, mountain climbers, mountain expedition, mountaineering, mountaineers, mountains, Nepal, nepal photographs, nepali sherpas, photographs of Kanchenjunga, receding glaciers, Sherpa mountaineers, sherpas, snow, south east asia, third highest mountain, trekking in nepal | Leave A Comment »
Jaidev looks quite something when he takes the ear-phones from Gary and pretends to enjoy the hard-metal music Gary listens to. Saunta, closes his eyes and begins to dance. Jagdev says the music is best for morning PT. I couldn’t agree with him more.
Mar 03, 2010 | Categories: Kanchenjuna Expedition Diary 2004 | Tags: adventure in Himalayas, adventurous climb, army expedition, asia, climbers, climbing mountains, glaciers, high altitude climbers, high altitude climbing, Himalayan mountain photographs, himalayas, ice, ice cap, india, Indian army climbers, Indian army mountain expedition, Indian army mountaineers, Indian Himalayas, kanchendzonga, Kanchenjunga, Kanchenjunga mountain, mountain climbers, mountain expedition, mountain top, mountain trek, mountaineering, mountaineers, mountains, Nepal, nepal photographs, nepali sherpas, photographs of Kanchenjunga, ramche, receding glaciers, Sherpa mountaineers, sherpas, snow, snowing, south east asia, third highest mountain, trek, trekking in nepal, yak in snow, Yaks | 2 Comments »
The final members of the expedition arrive and we are all set to move up to Base Camp. 8Sep- Final expedition team arrives The weather has been playing spoil-sport ever since we arrived in Tapleyjung. The helicopter has not been able to make a sortie since the last one on 5th sep in which I […]
Mar 03, 2010 | Categories: Kanchenjuna Expedition Diary 2004 | Tags: adventure in Himalayas, adventurous climb, army expedition, asia, climbers, climbing mountains, fields, glaciers, Himalayan mountain photographs, himalayas, ice, ice cap, india, Indian army climbers, Indian army mountain expedition, Indian army mountaineers, Indian Himalayas, kanchendzonga, Kanchenjunga, Kanchenjunga mountain, mountain climbers, mountain expedition, mountaineering, mountaineers, mountains, Nepal, nepal photographs, nepali sherpas, pasture, photographs of Kanchenjunga, rain, receding glaciers, Sherpa mountaineers, sherpas, snow, south east asia, third highest mountain, Yaks | 2 Comments »
After breakfast we go on a trek towards Base Camp. The idea is to acclimatize oneself and I am more than eager to go even though the army guys neither invite us nor inform us. Gary for his part is reluctant but he comes along seeing my enthusiasm.
Mar 03, 2010 | Categories: Kanchenjuna Expedition Diary 2004 | Tags: adventure in Himalayas, adventurous climb, army expedition, asia, climbers, climbing mountains, glaciers, Himalayan mountain photographs, himalayas, ice, ice cap, india, Indian army climbers, Indian army mountain expedition, Indian army mountaineers, Indian Himalayas, kanchendzonga, Kanchenjunga, Kanchenjunga mountain, mountain climbers, mountain expedition, mountaineering, mountaineering in nepal, mountaineers, mountains, Nepal, nepal photographs, nepal terkking, nepali sherpas, photographs of Kanchenjunga, receding glaciers, Sherpa mountaineers, sherpas, snow, south east asia, third highest mountain, trekking, trekking in nepal | Leave A Comment »
There are over 80 yaks I am told with the herder who has the stone-hut nearby. Three of them are bulls and they snort powerfully. They probably want to mate, but none of the female Yaks are in heat, all have calves and Balwant tells me, when they wallow in the lake-they do so to cool off their sexual hea
Mar 03, 2010 | Categories: Kanchenjuna Expedition Diary 2004 | Tags: adventure in Himalayas, adventurous climb, army expedition, asia, climbers, climbing mountains, glacial waters, glaciers, Himalayan mountain photographs, himalayas, ice, ice cap, india, indian army, Indian army climbers, Indian army mountain expedition, Indian army mountaineers, Indian Himalayas, kanchendzonga, Kanchenjunga, Kanchenjunga mountain, mountain climbers, mountain expedition, mountaineering, mountaineers, mountains, Nepal, nepal photographs, nepali sherpas, photographs of Kanchenjunga, photographs of mountains, ramche, ramche nepal, receding glaciers, Sherpa mountaineers, sherpas, snow, south east asia, third highest mountain, yak herds, Yaks | 2 Comments »
However I am lucky to be in Ramche as the weather `packs up’ soon after . I am in the third sortie –today’s second and no other sortie comes through bedsides the two today.
Mar 02, 2010 | Categories: Kanchenjuna Expedition Diary 2004 | Tags: adventure in Himalayas, adventurous climb, army expedition, asia, camping, climbers, climbing mountains, glacier, glaciers, Himalayan mountain photographs, himalayas, ice, ice cap, india, Indian army climbers, Indian army mountain expedition, Indian army mountaineers, Indian Himalayas, kabru peak, kanchendzonga, Kanchenjunga, Kanchenjunga mountain, mountain camps, mountain climbers, mountain expedition, mountaineering, mountaineers, mountains, mt kabru, Nepal, nepal mountains, nepal photographs, nepali sherpas, photographs of Kanchenjunga, ramche, ramche nepal, receding glaciers, Sherpa mountaineers, sherpas, snow, south east asia, third highest mountain, Yaks | Leave A Comment »
Today its confirmed. The famed punctuality of the army and their being different is a big myth. The weather clears up quite unexpectedly and the expedition team is in a huddle. They have been caught napping literally as they didn’t expect the weather to clear.
Mar 01, 2010 | Categories: Kanchenjuna Expedition Diary 2004 | Tags: adventure in Himalayas, adventurous climb, alcohol, alcohol local, army expedition, asia, brew, climbers, climbing mountains, drining local alcohol, glaciers, Himalayan mountain photographs, himalayas, ice, ice cap, india, Indian army climbers, Indian army mountain expedition, Indian army mountaineers, Indian Himalayas, kanchendzonga, Kanchenjunga, Kanchenjunga mountain, local brew, mountain climbers, mountain expedition, mountaineering, mountaineers, mountains, nelapese brew, Nepal, nepal photographs, nepali sherpas, photographs of Kanchenjunga, receding glaciers, Sherpa mountaineers, sherpas, snow, south east asia, tapleyjung, third highest mountain, tomba brew in nepal | Leave A Comment »
Due to the protocol unique to the army all of these perishiables items had to be bought from Delhi which means they have been lying around for over a good 15 days.
Mar 01, 2010 | Categories: Kanchenjuna Expedition Diary 2004 | Tags: adventure in Himalayas, adventurous climb, army expedition, asia, chetak helicopter, climbers, climbing mountains, glaciers, helicopter, Himalayan mountain photographs, himalayas, ice, ice cap, india, Indian army climbers, Indian army mountain expedition, Indian army mountaineers, Indian Himalayas, kanchendzonga, Kanchenjunga, Kanchenjunga mountain, MI-17 transport helicopter, mountain climbers, mountain expedition, mountaineering, mountaineers, mountains, Nepal, nepal photographs, nepalese countryside, nepali sherpas, photographs of Kanchenjunga, receding glaciers, Sherpa mountaineers, sherpas, snow, south east asia, tapleyjung, third highest mountain | Leave A Comment »
Whenever the weather is clear we all pick up the racket and play. It is our favourite pastime.
Mar 01, 2010 | Categories: Kanchenjuna Expedition Diary 2004 | Tags: adventure in Himalayas, adventurous climb, army expedition, asia, climbers, climbing mountains, game of badminton, glaciers, Himalayan mountain photographs, himalayas, ice, ice cap, india, Indian army climbers, Indian army mountain expedition, Indian army mountaineers, Indian Himalayas, kanchendzonga, Kanchenjunga, Kanchenjunga mountain, mountain climbers, mountain expedition, mountaineering, mountaineers, mountains, Nepal, nepal photographs, nepali sherpas, photographs of Kanchenjunga, receding glaciers, Sherpa mountaineers, sherpas, snow, south east asia, tapleyjung, third highest mountain | 2 Comments »