원정 개요

On 29th our team of 20 members left Darjeeling for Yuksam in West Sikkim. All our 20 climbers belonged to the famous 11 Gorkha Rifles in the Indian Army. We arrived BC at 4420m on 4th May at Chaurikiang. ABC at Dudh Pokhari on the northern slope of East Rathong Glacier at 4800m.

3 Sherpas, Lakh Bahadur and Cherian went up the ridge and located a Camp I on the western flank of an icefall on the rocky ledge at 5700m. Reached the upper plateau of the Dome to establish C2 on 5 May and climbed through steep ice-gully of the icefall and reached the upper plateau of Kabru Dome.

May 15 they climbed the Dome and reached the top of Dome peak where the head of the Dome exploring and observing the upper plateau. But soon realized that the route ahead was too dangerous with wide crevasses and a wide bergschrund which could not be negotiated. So returned to the last camp.

16 May Captain A. K. Singh and party left camp next day around 4:30 am to climb Forked Peak to view the upper plateau. The team had to cross crevassed area to reach the slope of Forked Peak and took righthand gulley. It took them 8 hours to reach the summit at 1 pm and returned to camp by 5 pm. By now the team was exhausted but they had the slight hope to try Rathong from the western route which the pre-Everesters of 1964 had followed. We decided to give it a try. They removed all of their gear from the highest camp to Dudh Pokhari camp. One party went out from Dudh Pokhari camp to Colonel Mall towards Rathong La to locate a camp across it.

Within two days we established a camp at 5180m across Rathong La at West Rathong Glacier. We moved further to the junction of Yalung and West Rathong Glacier, turned north and reached just below the overhang of the Rathong icefall. We camped just close to this overhang on the Yalung Glacier at 5500m. Our route opening party inched its way up to the camp at 6400m just below the col between Kabru South and Rathong. We got down to 5500m camp planning for the summit bid. Weather indications were not good and the route which we had cut was semi-permanent in nature due to the frequent avalanches and fragile ice conditions. We had fixed six ropes on route which we knew would fall off in two days or so. It was a real effort to go up these ropes prussiking. Due to the steepness of the route and temporary nature, we could not anyway carry any load across. It was decided to put in an effort as fast as possible and that too in strength to avoid any fatal accidents.

Next day fourteen of us left our high camp with very light food and few ropes. It took us seven hours to reach the middle of the icefall front-pointing and prussiking up the rope. We took a little rest and again continued. After a few meters of climb we came across corniced ridge on the steep face where we had fixed 2 ropes previously. First group belayed each other and that to the plateau. Next was my groups turn Dendi Sherpa got through and fixed his ice axe belaying Teknath from the rear Basudev also belayed Teknath. It happened all of a sudden. I got pulled by Basudev rope and could not do anything and rest of the rope. Lakh Bahadur was behind me also did a self-arrest then called to me for a help. What had happened? Our rope was stretching down into a crevasse down where Basudev had fallen. There was no time to waste because the ice chamber can freeze a man within 15 minutes. Lakh unhooked himself, fixed a self belay for me and himself. We got down a few metres and saw Basudev dangling on his rope inside a crevasse about 40 metres below. It was an anxious moment, more help was required when we did not know as to whether he was hurt or not. Certainly he was not speaking. The last group also reached us. Lakh Bahadur and Cherian went down front-pointing and belayed from the top. Thank god! Basudev was not that badly hurt, he was breathing and could move. It took us another 20 minutes to get him out, semi-conscious and exhausted to the shock and chill. We had no option but to carry him all the way up to the summit camp 6400m.

Next morning was chilly, around -30 degree Celsius or so. We climbed fully roped up to the col and called on to corniced knife ridge fixing 3 more ropes. By around 10 am we were on the upper slope of Rathong and another 2 hours of steep climb got us to the summit. Wind was blowing high on the summit. Magnificient view of Everest, Lhotse, Makalu and other peaks on the west and Kangchenjunga on the east kept us on the summit for another 15 minutes. After taking a few photographs and offering prayer we descended to our camp clutching the ropes and carefully taking each step in high wind and blizzard, we reached our camps in about 6 pm. We spent the night in our high camps almost hungry and holding onto our ropes in our tent. The wind was very strong that night. Next morning we got down to our tent at 5500m. Here we spent the night and finally returned to our BC.

Source: Himalayan Journal, 1986-87, pg 48-52.