Jaonli Mountaineering Expedition
(Height 6632 Meters)
May-June 2009,
Organized by Giripremi Mountaineering Club, Pune, India.
Detailed Report
15th May 2009, Party left Pune by train. We were six out of eight. Paresh Naik, Mahesh Kalbhor, Tekraj Adhikari, Ranjeet Shinde, Bhushan Harshe and myself. Two members Avinash Kandekar and Harshad Rao were to join us after couple of days. Our destination was Uttarkashi. This is a long journey of about 1800 kms via Delhi, Haridwar and Rishikesh.
16th May2009- In Journy
17th May2009 We reached Uttarkshi on 17th May in the noon, exhausted with the long journey. And last 150 kms of it is through mountains and that makes it even more tiring.
18th & 19th May 2009 Two days we spent in Uttarkashi preparing ourselves for mountains finally. We hired some high altitude equipment and clothing from NIM by paying full amount of rent for estimated 20 days. We purchased required food, grocery and fuel etc. from Uttarkashi. Getting kerosene in Uttarkashi is little difficult so we had managed it from Delhi in advance. Rest almost every thing is available in Uttarkashi. Some basic equipment can also be available for purchase. Re-packing of all the stuff was necessary because low altitude porters were going to carry our loads up to base camp and they have a limit of 25 kg per load.
20th May2009, We the advance party left Uttarkashi with minimum load with five porters, traveling to the village Dabrani at a distance of 50 kms on the Gangotri road. At Lohari Nag, just after Dabrani village we crossed the newly constructed metal bridge to reach the starting point of our trek to base camp. Even none of our local porters had ever ventured in this area before. We crossed two rivers one was Bhagirathi and other was a relatively smaller Lod gad. After an initial steep climb the route turned gradual and entered a thick forest. We had heard and read about the presence of brown bear and panthers in this forest but we never happened to cross paths. As we had started walking a bit late at around 12.30 in the noon we had a short walk today. We reached our first transit camp before our base camp at around at 3.30 pm and called it a day. Campsite was pretty good along the true left bank of Lod Gad, measuring a height of 2500 meters which was a normal elevation
As we pitched our tents it started showering but thick cover of trees saved us from direct hit. Showers stopped in the late evening. By that time our supper was ready.
21ST May 2009 We started early morning to explore the further route and place for next transit camp. We entered in to thick woods and the route climbed steep through high trees and dried waterfalls which were now turned rock falls. The climb was interesting. The climate change was pleasant. We had left burning summer climate far below. Now, it was pleasantly cold. We walked for around 4 hrs after starting at 7.30am, to find a group of shepherds at a grazing ground at a height of around 3080 meters. After a small rest at their camp we moved ahead. Walking of about one hour landed us in a rocky terrain on river side. We realized that there was no proper camp site as it was a steep, narrow valley and there was very little plain ground which was full of huge boulders on the bank of load gad. We decided to clear up a relatively less uneven area for camp, dumped our loads and retreated to transit camp 1 (TC1). It took around 8 hrs for the round trip of TC2.
22nd May2009, We wound up TC1 and marched along day 2 track for TC2. Today there was no route finding but we were carrying all our personal loads. Five Garhwali porters were carrying our ration, tents and other common stuff. We reached the TC2 site at 2.30pm after a tiring trek with loads. It was difficult to make space for 3 tents in that area. We literally carved out space and pitched our tents on the riverside. All Garhwali porters found their shelter in a cave formed below a huge rock boulder. It was indeed a nice shelter. By the time tents were set our cook managed to setup a kitchen with the help of a large piece of tarpaulin and stones. In mountains day begins early and ends early. At around 7.00pm our dinner was ready and we were off soon after that.
23rd May 2009 As per the plan we had decided to spend a day at TC2 for acclimatization. But, As TC2 was established a way behind the planned location and looking at the terrain we realized that reaching to the Base camp was not as easy as we had thought, hence we decided to shift higher directly. Our target for the day was to hit to Base camp. we started off along the the Lod gad valley. There as no route at all. It was a steep slope full of loose rocks that we had to traverse. Now were out of the vegetation it was all barren rocky area. We kept walking and gaining height with every step. Lod gad was thundering all along the way. Finally we reached at the end of the narrow valley and we entered the broader valley and area of high altitude grazing grounds. Snow clad peaks were shining white with fresh snow on them. Here we met another group of shepherds. These people cross high passes and leave a very hard life. They travel hundreds of kilometers in these mountains and are hardly equipped well to fight any emergencies.
As it was a huge meadow, now issue of finding a camp site was resolved, but we wanted to camp higher. Hence we decided to continue to walk till a higher ground was reached. But, we hardly walked for couple of hours and the weather turned on. It was a sudden attack and in no time heavy snowing started in the valley. We promptly put on our rain wear and halted near a huge bolder but it was not a shelter for sure. Porters had no proper rain wear and were half wet by the time thy found a rock cave again. Weather showed no sign of retreat. We had to make a decision. We decided to establish a camp at that point calling it a Lower base camp as it was few hours short of actual base camp.
By the time on the same day second team comprising of Avinash and Harshad was started off from road head with 17 low altitude porters, and one high altitude porter. They skipped TC1 and made a hectic approach to stop at TC2 directly.
On our LBC, It seemed to be a very bad evening. It was continuously snowing. We pitched tents in chilling winds and very unpleasant conditions. In the late evening snowing stopped for couple of hours. And we could have a first look of our target Jaonli. View was not complete but it was looking beautiful in the evening sunlight.
24th May 2009, Grassy meadow was turned into a white snow field with about a feet of snow. We split into two teams one moved to find and establish the Base camp and other to receive and guide the second team with porters. This was mainly required because the route taken by us from TC2 to LBC was not a proper track and after talking to shepherds we had came to know their route which was far better tan ours. And hence, we wanted the second team and porters to come the proper way.
Every thing went as planned. And all teams met at LBC at around 2.30pm. By his time all the snow was melted away and it was hard to believe that there was a feet deep snow in the morning. In the evening it started snowing again. When snowing starts main problem is temperature drops drastically and wind chill resists one to come out of the tent.
25th May2009 , We started a bit late, as it had snowed whole night again covering the tents with snow. Way to base camp was once again a very steep traverse. It was at a distance of about 3 hours from LBC. It was a good camp site with fresh water running nearby. We finally established the base camp; yes it was an important milestone.
26th May 2009 From base camp view of Jaonli was blocked as base camp was just below the huge glacial moraine field starting ahead. We had retained seven porters from for a load ferry to Advance base camp to save our valuable mountain days. On eighth day we all picked up loads for dumping to ABC. We climbed first seep hump to ride on the Jaonli glacier. Reaching at the top of the hump opened up a beautiful view of the Jaonli glacier. It is huge wide glacier, full of moraines. Snout of the glacier was visible. And our probable route was difficult to guess. Peak looked far away than expectations. But, there was no option than to continue walking and push hard. After walking for 5 hrs we marked a site for ABC. It was in the middle of the glacier in moraines. We dumped all the loads and retuned back to Base camp.
27th May2009, a team of 6 members including Bhushan, Ranjeet, Paresh, 2 HAPs,and myself shifted to ABC. All others did a load ferry on the same day to shift remaining load to ABC. On reaching ABC we setup a good kitchen by piling up stones to form walls and a tarpaulin cover. Then tents were pitched on the moraine after leveling the surface as far as possible to make our nights comfortable. By the time the second party had returned to Base camp. Now our walkie talkie sets were in action. It’s the best mode of communication in the mountains.
28th May 2009 Next day we started for Camp I. we crossed the glacier to reach on the lateral moraines on the true right side of the gal. It was a indeed tiresome and tricky way. Walking though moraines is always same any where you go. we rode on the lateral moraine and kept walking towards its end which was clearly visible. Finally we found a site for camp I. It showed an altitude of 4750 meters at Camp I. Still we had not touched any part of the mountain that we had to climb. We couldn’t hide signs of worry on our faces, because all our camps were being pushed back by hundreds of meters than what we had planned. Due to this we were going to land up in two situations that were either to have one more high camp or to have a long summit push. And both were not healthy for the success of climbing the peak. As an extra camp would have messed up out food plan on high camps and a long summit push had a risk of failure due to excessive exhaustion.
After dumping loads at Camp I we returned to ABC. Team from base camp was to shift to ABC that day. As usual evening snowing had started. Team reached in to camp in bad weather. It was not very surprising to see such weather pattern in Himalayas. Generally, after 12.00pm good weather gives up and clouds start covering the skies. It’s a regular pattern. But, snowfall was a little surprising and importantly annoying.
29th may 2009 Having ABC occupied by team B it was time for us to move to Camp I. We moved to Camp I on 28th May. Camp shift days are relatively easier because you already know the distance and difficulty, plus your body has been adjusted to the height due to last day’s ferry. Camp I was located on the narrow lateral moraine with water point far below the ridge. So fetching water was an additional task. Camp I offered nice panaromic views of surrounding. On our south was Jaonli peak and glacier can be seen clear. The broken crevasses in the glacier were looking main hurdle in our route. On the western side there was a series of unnamed and unclimbed peaks. Though lesser in height these peaks are beautiful and demanding technical climbs. On the north side our approach valley was visible with a panoramic backdrop of Bandarpunchh and Black peak region. It was a beautiful view.
Once again snowing started in the evening. The snow deposition was rapid and high. We kept clearing snow off our tents. Assuming that snowing would stop after few hours we went to bed after having some instant noodles as dinner. But, it snowed continuously.
30th May 2009 Our alarm clock rang at 5.00am, but it was still snowing there was no point in getting out of sleeping bag. Every now and then we kept clearing snow and waiting for clear weather. Similarly second day passed. Two days wasted, these whole days we hardly came out of our tents. It was like an imprisonment. Team B was also stuck at ABC. Days passed, now there was a reason for worry. Had the supplies failed to reach us due to bad weather for couple of days more, we would have to retreat back to ABC.
31st May2009, Fortunately opened clear. It had snowed until early morning on 30th May, but now it was stopped. We prepared ourselves for a route opening task to Camp II. We started at around 9.00 and entered the huge crevasse field after an hours walk. It was a maze of open crevasses and crossing this field required ups and downs and twists and turns. Finally, after spending one and a half hour in this field Team reached on the main glacier. On left side a high wall of Gangotri range, which ran in south to and then turned west to meet the east ridge of Jaonli. We could here frequent cracking sounds of avalanches triggered on the other side of the wall.
Team continued on the glacier it was long way. The glacier was hiding a prime danger below it and that was the deep crevasses. These crevasses are covered with snow and are very difficult to locate. A simple wrong judgment and the one can met with serious accident. So, moving together with roping up is important in such area. Team worked hard trough this glacier and reached to the high point of 5100 meters marking it as Camp II. It was right in the middle of glacier to avoid all possible avalanches. Team retreated to C I after dumping of loads at C II. Team B was to shift to Camp I and they reached in the late afternoon. Camp I became a crowded place with four tents and 11 people on that small ridge.
1st June2009. Team A and B moved together for CII. After crossing the lateral moraine we reached the open crevasse field. Team B was first time entering this field. We all halted for a rest. Team A members were explaining the route and pointing the trails of yesterday’s movements and suddenly something cracked. For first many seconds there was just a thunder, we felt that its another avalanche in the Gangotri valley, but soon it increased and a we saw an avalanche triggered from the wall on the left of us few hundred meters away from us. Starting in a small gully a big chunk of a hanging glacier slumped onto the Jaonli gal. A cloud of powder snow was formed. Once the dust got settled we could see out trail marks almost vanished and the glacier was full of stone hard huge ice cubes spread all over. It was a just miss for us. Had it been delayed by 30 minutes, all of us would have gone for sure. It was tough to move ahead after such a close miss. But, then that’s what this game is all about. We continued, slowly and firmly. It was very tiring walking through soft snow. After a three hrs of walk on the glacier we reached camp II. On returning back to camp I snow fall caught us in the same crevasse field and we wandered all around in that maze to find the correct way. Finally reached camp I a bit late but safe.