NEC Ecological Mountaineering Expedition to Mt. Kalanag - 1996

Mr. K.V. Mohan

NEC launched its second ecological mountaineering expedition to Mt. Kalanag (6,387 m) in Uttar Pradesh in July 1996. As per the schedule, five team members - Mr. K.V. Mohan (leader), Mr. T.S.S. Swamy, Mr. P.G. Nagnath, Mr. Umashankar and Mr. Manchar left Bangalore on 30 June 1996. The team reached New Delhi on 2nd July and left for Dehradun the same night by train, reaching Dehradun on 3rd morning. The next day we left for Sankri after purchasing vegetables and other essential items.

We were met by our HAPs Mr. Pyar Singh Rawat, Mr. Karan and Mr. Ranveer (our cook) at Sankri. The same day we left for Taluka by jeep and stayed at the Forest Guest House. On 5 July morning we started our approach march towards our Base Camp (BC) after hiring mules, and reached Seema in the evening. The next day was scheduled as the acclimatization trek to Har Ki Dun, as the weather was turning bad, we returned halfway through as we did not want to strain our climbers. On the 7 morning we started towards Ruinsara Tal. It started to rain at about 12.00 noon but we continued our trek and reached Ruinsara Tal by about 6 P.M. and camped on the banks of the Tal. The next day we continued our approach march and reached BC by 12 noon, where on we set about establishing the camp. On 9th we spent the day sorting gear and rations in preparation of the climbs ahead.

On 10th we readied ourselves by 7 A.M. and after performing pooja at the traditional temple next to BC, the team members along with the two HAPs left for the recce cum ferry to Camp I (C I). The weather was good in the morning but started to deteriorate by mid day. We however managed to locate the C I site at approximately 17,500 feet on a small moraine strip near the big show field at around 1.30 p.m. After pitching one tent we dumped the loads in it, and returned to BC by 5 P.M. On the next day, Mr. Manohar and Mr. Umashankar along with the two HAPs and the cook did another ferry to camp I while the rest of the team took rest. On 12th the entire team took rest at BC and planned the climb ahead. It was planned that all team members and HAPs would complete another ferry to C I and the HAPs would occupy C I on the next day.

As planned on the 13th, the entire team except for Mr. Naganath who was yet to fully acclimatize, completed the ferry and the HAPs occupied  C I while the team members returned to BC. On the 14th, Mr. Swamy, Mr. Manohar, Mr. Umashakar and myself left to occupy C I. We reached C I by 2.30 P.M. and occupied it. In the mean while the two HAPs had recced the site for Camp II (C II) and came back. The weather on that day was very good allowing us a beautiful view of our goal Mt. Kalanag.

The next day we decided to ferry, establish and occupy camp II since the weather was very good and all the members at camp I were felling fit and eager to go. This entailed some repackaging and we left for camp II by 10 A.M. The snow conditions were very good but the weather turned foggy towards the afternoon and we had to cross many crevasses. We continued  on till about 3 P.M. when we establish camp II at an approximate height of 19,000 feet. We pitched our tent on the slope and prepared some soup and tea and ate biscuits and dry fruits.

After studying the weather conditions, the team decided to leave camp at 3.30 A.M. for the summit attempt on the following day. As planned on the 16th we had set off at 3.30 a.m. for our summit attempt and headed towards the Col. Approaching the Col. the gradient became very steep, about 50 to 55 degrees and we had to rest very often. After 5.30 a.m. we were able to see the summit route more clearly. The final summit slope was very steep, around 70 degrees and one by one we crossed over from the left side of the corniced summit ridge and reached the summit at 7.15 A.M. As is the normally accepted Indian tradition of not setting foot on the summit, we stopped about 20 meters before the top on the summit ridge, offered prayers to the almighty, lit doop sticks and took photographs. The summit team comprised of Mr. Mohan, Mr. Swamy, Mr. Umashankar, Mr. Manohar, Mr. Pyar Singh and Mr. Karan. Climbing down the summit ridge and slope was very dangerous and we very carefully made our way down, and reached camp II by 10 a.m. After taking rest for a while and having some refreshments we wound up camp II, cleaning the site thoroughly and carrying back all the wastes, returned to camp I by 1.30 p.m. Since there was enough time, two team members and one HAP decided to go to BC and reached BC by 4.30 p.m.

On the 17th, the other members reached BC around 11.00 A.M. and took rest. The next day and three team members, one HAP and one cook went up to camp I, and wound it up. After cleaning the campsite including garbage from previous expeditions, reached BC by 4.30 P.M. in the evening. The other HAP meanwhile was sent to Seema to arrange for porters.

The next day was spent in cleaning and packing of equipment etc. And in the preparation of porter loads. On the 20th at about 8.30 A.M. we wound up BC, burnt all disposable garbage, packed all plastic and metal wastes and set off for Seema. We reached Seema Forest Rest House by about 2.00 p.m. The next day we left Seema and reached Taluka by 1.00 P.M. We had to trek about 3 kms. As the jeep track had collapsed. The jeep came around 5.00 P.M., we reached Sankri by 7.00 P.M. and as the bus was already there, we loaded all our luggage on the bus and slept in the same bus. The bust left Sankri early next morning and reached Dehradun in the evening, and we left for Delhi on the same night. We reached New Delhi on 23rd morning, left Delhi for Bangalore on 25th and on 27th safely reached Bangalore.

Back to Anveshan