AUTUMN 2014: HIMALAYAN PIONEERING

DARMA VALLEY ALPINE-STYLE

19th SEPT - 14th OCT

A fantastic pioneering opportunity for experienced alpinists. Some of the most exciting unclimbed peaks in the Indian Himalaya are to be found in the Adi Kailash range of Eastern Kumaon. On this trip we plan to take a small team into some of the unexplored mountains on the east side of the Darma valley and with a lightweight alpine-style ethic we will attempt first ascents. The Darma valley is one of the most beautiful we have visited in the Indian Himalaya with a rich cultural history. The 26 day schedule allows this trip to be undertaken within a 3 week holiday leave. Our main objectives will be-

Brammah Parbat (6321m): the highest mountain of the Adi Kailash massif; a well-defended fortress; enigmatic and unclimbed. We have recce'd this peak on its south and west flanks and have concluded that a feasible route will be possible on its West flank or glaciated North-West face. An ascent of this peak will probably require a 5 to 6 day round-trip from base camp.

Yungtangto (5950m): a beautiful spire on the south-west rim of the Rama Glacier - may have been ascended previously by a border police team, but in any event a superb objective that looks to be of alpine Difficile standard.

Cheepaydang (6250m): Peacock Peak An elegant and formidable peak at the head of the Rama Glacier; approaches from the west are serious, but we may find a feasible route on its north and west sides

Peaks 6196m and 6178m: Completely unexplored peaks above Sela in the lower Darma valley - completely secluded at the head of the lovely Mandab side-valley, accessible without special Inner Line permit, and offering alternative objectives if we run into difficulty getting higher up the valley and into the Rama Glacier

The trip is suitable for experienced alpine climbers preferably with previous experience climbing with us and with past expedition experience above 5000m who are competent at Scottish grade III/IV or Alpine AD/D standard. We are looking for a small team, who want to climb in lightweight style and relish the commitment and responsibilities of climbing in remote virgin terrain. All members must be in robust fitness and be willing to carry loads of up to 20kg, and self-reliant to handle the requirements of multi-day alpine-style climbing with exposed camps and bivouacs.

Permissions and access to most of these peaks is only possible with a special X Visa and Inner Line permits. All members will have to obtain these which are essential to satisfy the local military and border police authorities.

Brammah Parbat (6321m) North-West Face taken from Ishan Parbat on our 2006 expedition (climber: Martin Welch)

Cheepaydang (Peacock Peak) viewed from the east in the Kuthi Yangti valley

Left: Yungtangto and the upper Rama Glacier from Ishan Parbat

Itinerary:
Fri Sept 19th: Fly to Delhi; daytime flights arr c.23.00 or overnight flight Fri/Sat
Sat Sept 20th: Sightseeing of Delhi; final preparations and packing; take sleeper train Delhi to Kathgodam at base of Kumaon foothills
Sun Sept 21st: Road journey through the hills of Kumaon via Almora to Chaukori hill station - resthouse accommodation
Mon Sept 22nd: Drive to Kali Ganga valley and Darchula town on India-Nepal border; obtain Inner Line permits from District Magistrate and register with military authorities
Tues Sept 23rd: Complete formalities and drive by jeep to Darma valley and roadhead at Sobale - camp
Wed Sept 24th: Trek up Darma valley from Sobale to Sela (2500m) 17km - camp or resthouse.
Thurs Sept 25th: Trek from Sela to Duktu (3250m), 19km; 6hr - camp.
Fri Sept 26th: Trek Duktu to Rama (3800m) (3km before Bidang); 14km, 5-6hrs; present Inner Line permits to Border Police.
Sat Sept 27th: Final trek up Rama valley (8km) to establish base camp at foot of Rama Glacier (4200m)
Sun Sept 28th-Thurs Oct 9th: Exploration of Rama Glacier and attempts on Brammah Parbat (6321m) and Yungtangto (5945m)
Fri Oct 10th: Trek out from base camp to Rama - Duktu and Nagling; 22km
Sat Oct 11th: Trek out from Nagling to Sobale; jeep to Darchula; stay in local hotel
Sun Oct 12th: Road journey - Darchula to Naini Tal lakeside resort - hotel accommodation
Mon Oct 13th: Road journey - Naini Tal to Delhi; 7hr; meal out in Delhi then transfer to airport
Mon/Tues Oct 13th/14th: Overnight flights back to UK/Europe: arr London 07.00hr

Trip Grade: D; Maximum number of members: 8 with 2 British guides Price: £3,950: Deposit: £400 booking deposit required. Balance payable on or before 19th June 2014 Discounts: 2½% to past-Scottish/Alpine clients; 5% to past Himalayan-clients, 5% to groups of 3 or more; deduct £550 for land-only price

Price includes Flights Heathrow-Delhi, Permit fees , Travel in India, British Guides, Indian staff, half-board Hotels and Hostels in India, use of Equipment/Tents. Not included: Personal Insurance, Visas, Tips, Drinks, Lunches on the road.

Supplementary Information:

BOOKING DEADLINE: To allow time for permit applications all bookings must be received no later than 15th May 2014

MINIMUM GROUP SIZE: We can run this trip with a minimum of 3 members plus guide

TRAVEL: Flight schedules:  Major airlines run regular flights to Delhi - BA, Air India run direct flights daily from Heathrow to Delhi – BA daytime depart 10.20 and overnight depart 17.25. Members can choose whichever flight suits best, the daytime flight being recommended to minimize jet lag. On return we usualluy book an overnight flight dep Delhi 02.10 arr Heathrow 06.50 on Tues morning.
Flight baggage allowance:  23kg per person plus 10kg hand baggage is normal on international flights.

PREPARATIONS: Pre-trip training weekend: We plan to hold a pre-expedition training meet in Scotland in March 2014 when all members can meet together for training and a full briefed in the skills and physical preparation required for this expedition.

Training: All members must be in a good state of physical training before the trip. Plenty of mountain walking with a pack weight of 12-16kg and daily distances of 16-20km is recommended together with regular rock and winter climbing on home mountains. Running, cycling, gym training can be added by those unable to get to the mountains. Short trips to the Alps will be highly useful if time/finances allow. There is no substitute for getting out on the hills and mountains in UK and Europe in preceding months. There is only limited time to acclimatise and get fit on the expedition.

Insurance: All team members must have Rescue, Medical and Repatriation Insurance cover. In addition, cover for Cancellation/Curtailment, Personal Baggage, 3rd party Liability and Personal Accident is strongly recommended.
UK-resident members can take out comprehensive expedition insurance with the BMC www.thebmc.co.uk (2012 premium for up to 31 days £300 plus BMC membership). Rescue-only insurance is available from www.globalrescue.com
Inoculations: Tetanus, TB (BCG inoculation), Typhoid, Hepatitis A, Diptheria – essential. Rabies, Japanese Encephalitis, Hepatitis B – optional.  Anti-malarials – not recommended. We will detail these fully after you book. Can all be obtained in 3 mths before departure.
Money in India:  You should take $300 in cash to cover Drinks, Tips, Lunches and Personal Sundries plus a credit card for use in Delhi. 

PERMITS AND VISA: We will advise on the procedures for obtaining X Visas for access to the retricted Inner Line areas. The normal procedure is that upon receipt of written authorisation from the Indian Government individual visa applications are presented together to one of the UK visa offices. Our agents are experts in finding a way through this maze and we have undertaken three successful expeditions in the Adi Kailash range in 2002, 2004 and 2006.

EQUIPMENT: Boots must be warm enough to go above 6000m. Scarpa Phantom 6000 fabric boots or La Sportiva Spantik plastic boots are recommended plus an insulated overgaiter such as Berghaus Yetis to provide extra warmth and protection. Light trekking shoes or trainers can be worn for all trekking and lower level exploring. Two Axes, technical Crampons, Helmet and lightweight Harness are required. A 4 season sleeping bag, bivouac bag and a down jacket, are essential for warmth. Clothing must withstand a big temperature range from -20degC at night to +25degC by day. Take a 60-80 litre Rucksack to carry plus large tough travel holdall for mules/portering.

MAPS: There are no topographic maps currently available to the area. The US Military 1:200000 sheet NH 44-6 Nanda Devi is the only accessible map, and we will send a photocopy extract from this to all applicants for this trip. All other maps are closely controlled by the Indian military. Google Earth provides good-resolution coverage of this area - Brammah Parbat is named in position 30deg16'32"N 80deg38'56"E

ACCLIMATISATION AND ALTITUDE PROFILE: The schedule provides 4 days of acclimatisation on the Darma valley approach trek from 1800-4200m before arrival at Rama base camp. Base camp altitude is sufficiently low to allow rapid recovery during the climbing phase.

EMERGENCY AND RESCUE PROVISION: We will not be allowed to use satellite phone in this border area. However, our base camp will be only a few hours' walk from Border police posts at Bidang and Tidang which have full radio communication facilities, enabling call-out of rescue services within 24 hours of any incident.

WEATHER AND CLIMBING CONDITIONS: The Adi Kailash massif is normally clear of the monsoon by mid-September. In 2006 we enjoyed three weeks of unbroken fine weather into the second week of October. Night temperatures on the mountain can be very cold - down to minus 20degC or lower at 6000m

ALTERNATIVE SCHEDULE: If we cannot gain access to the Rama valley and peaks due to logistic or bureaucratic difficulties we will explore the peaks above Sela in the Mandab Nala. There are several virgin 6000m peaks here - notably Pk 6178m and Pk 6196m. We have trekked down this valley in 2002 and found a beautiful base camp site at Basu (3800m), but were unable to gain a full topographic appreciation of the peaks. They are heavily glaciated snow summits,

LIFE DURING THE EXPEDITION: Accommodation:  YWCA Blue Triangle hostel with twin en-suite rooms in Delhi – a comfortable quiet lodge very close to the city centre with en-suite twin rooms; hotel in Darchula and Naini Tal on return; on trek nights will be in tents or basic village resthouses
Load-carrying:  During the trek to base camp members should carry 12-14 kg in personal effects and clothing, enough to get fit and acclimatized. On the climbs above base camp members must carry personal kit and some communal kit. Loads of up to 18kg may be required to establish higher camps. Our high-altitude porters, will carry the bulk of communal equipment to advance camps on the Rama Glacier at 5000m.
Porterage to Base Camp: We plan to use mules to make the trek up the Darma valley and into the Rama base camp, but will need to check that conditions on the trail in the final stage to base camp are suitable for horses.

Provisions for medical treatment: We carry a full field medical kit and advertise for a doctor or paramedic to join the team. All Guides have mountain first aid certificates, and long experience of expedition ailments.
Food: The food on the trip will be largely vegetarian. Our cook will provide a wholesome diet:-
Breakfast:  Porage, Muesli, Omelettes, Pancakes, Paranthas, Chapattis
Dinners: Vegetable or Egg Curry, Puris, Pakora, Rice/Dahl/Soya Stew, Corned Beef Hash, Spaghetti Bolognese, Chow Mein, Apples/Custard, Jelly and Fruit Cake
Lunch Food: Dried fruit, nuts, oatcakes/biscuits/paranthas, cheese, meat pate, salamis, jam, honey, peanut butter, chocolate, protein bars, boiled sweets
Drinks: Soup, Fruit Drinks, Drinking Chocolate/Ovaltine, Tea, Coffee, Herbal Tea.
Indian staff:  We will have a Cook/Field Executive from our agent, Himalayan Run & Trek Pvt. Ltd and one or two Sherpas/high altitude porters. All the staff are regulars on our trips and have achieved a very high reputation for service, support and team spirit.
Tents: We will provide tents for the mountain camps and can provide tents for base camp on basis of two or three persons sharing. However, you may wish to take your own lightweight personal tent for use at base camp and on trek, giving you privacy and space for rest and recovery when not climbing.

Please get in touch if you have any questions or would like more information about the trip.