Changabang
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| Changabang | |
|---|---|
| Elevation | 6,864 m (22,520 ft) |
| Location | Garhwal Division, Uttaranchal, India |
| Range | Garhwal Himalaya |
| Prominence | circa 300 m (1000 ft)[1] |
| Coordinates | |
| First ascent | June 4, 1974 by Tashi Chewang, Balwant Sandhu, Chris Bonington, Martin Boysen, Dougal Haston, Doug Scott[2] |
| Easiest route | Southeast Face/East Ridge (snow/ice climb) |
Changabang is a mountain in the Garhwal Himalaya of Uttaranchal, India. It is part of a group of peaks that form the northeast wall of the Nanda Devi Sanctuary. It is a particularly steep and rocky peak, and all routes on it are serious undertakings. It has been the site of many world-class climbs. It does not have a high topographic prominence, being slightly lower than its near neighbor Kalanka to the east, and lower than many other peaks in the immediate vicinity. But its steep rocky profile has made it a much more attractive destination than its elevation would indicate.
Changabang was first climbed on June 4, 1974 by a team led by Chris Bonington, via the Southeast Face, leading to the East Ridge. This is the easiest route on the mountain, and one of the few that is primarily a snow/ice climb, as opposed to a rock climb with some snow, ice, or mixed terrain.[2]
Other notable ascents include some of the hardest climbs ever done in the Himalaya. The first of these is the ascent of the West Face by Peter Boardman and Joe Tasker in 1976. The route took over 25 days to ascend, and their use of big wall climbing techniques to overcome the serious, sustained difficulties was revolutionary.[2]
In 1997, Andy Cave and Brendan Murphy made the first ascent of the North Face of Changabang, a 1,600 m (5,250 ft) route involving steep, sustained ice, mixed, and rock climbing. Unfortunately Murphy was hit by an avalanche and swept off the face to his death on the descent.[3]
On October 12, 2006, two Mexican climbers, Andrés Delgado and Alfonso de la Parra, were successful in climbing Changabang by a new route. However, while descending, they encountered a storm and have been reported missing since October 15, when they made a contact via satellite phone. India is putting on a rescue effort despite harsh weather conditions. As of October 31, 2006, both climbers are yet to be found.[4]
[edit] Reference
- ^ This is an approximate figure, based on the 1:150,000 scale topographic map Garhwal-Himalaya-Ost, Swiss Foundation for Alpine Research.
- ^ a b c Andy Fanshawe and Stephen Venables, Himalaya Alpine-Style, Hodder and Stoughton, 1995, ISBN 0-340-64931-3
- ^ American Alpine Journal, 1998, pp. 53-68.
- ^ El Universal Grafico
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