Lahul & S piti Gangsthang, lower west face; Thirot Shivling (5,324m
H im ac h a l P r a d e sh L a h u l & S piti
Gangsthang, lower west face; Thirot Shivling (5,324m). O u r team o f nine clim bers m et w ith cold, variable w eather b u t discovered a m agnificent new valley for m o u n tain eerin g , the T h iro t N ala in the Lahaul district o f H im achal Pradesh. Initial reconnaisances o f unclim bed N ainghar C hoti (6,094m) were ham pered by heavy snowfall and p oor visibility. However, the splendid pyram idal peak o f G angsthang (6,162m ) offered a m ore accessible objective, and at 4:30 p.m . on Septem ber 30 six o f us stood on th e tiny su m m it, having m ade a new ro u te up th e west face before finishing up the n o rm al southw est ridge. Peter A shw orth, G ustavo F ierro -C arrio n , John Leedale, A run M ahajan, Luder Singh, and I were the lucky sum m iteers, w ho then w itnessed the kaleidoscope o f a H im alayan sunset d u rin g the descent. The clim b rates alpine D-, w ith pitches o f Scottish III and IV in the 600m couloir used to access the final ridge. O n Septem ber 28 Allan C lap p erto n , D avid G eddes, F rank Johnstone, A run, Luder, an d I reached th e su bsidiary rock peak o f T h iro t Shivling (5,324m ), at PD-. T he team also enjoyed a superb jo u rn ey into the area, the nig h t sleeper from D elhi, the am azing narrow -gauge railway to Shim la hill station, beautiful roads th ro u g h the v erdant val leys o f Kullu and M anali, and a breath -tak in g drive over the 13,000-foot R ohtang Pass into the spectacular C handra-B haga valley. M artin M oran , Alpine Club
Gangsthang, lower west face; Thirot Shivling (5,324m). O u r team o f nine clim bers m et w ith cold, variable w eather b u t discovered a m agnificent new valley for m o u n tain eerin g , the T h iro t N ala in the Lahaul district o f H im achal Pradesh. Initial reconnaisances o f unclim bed N ainghar C hoti (6,094m) were ham pered by heavy snowfall and p oor visibility. However, the splendid pyram idal peak o f G angsthang (6,162m ) offered a m ore accessible objective, and at 4:30 p.m . on Septem ber 30 six o f us stood on th e tiny su m m it, having m ade a new ro u te up th e west face before finishing up the n o rm al southw est ridge. Peter A shw orth, G ustavo F ierro -C arrio n , John Leedale, A run M ahajan, Luder Singh, and I were the lucky sum m iteers, w ho then w itnessed the kaleidoscope o f a H im alayan sunset d u rin g the descent. The clim b rates alpine D-, w ith pitches o f Scottish III and IV in the 600m couloir used to access the final ridge. O n Septem ber 28 Allan C lap p erto n , D avid G eddes, F rank Johnstone, A run, Luder, an d I reached th e su bsidiary rock peak o f T h iro t Shivling (5,324m ), at PD-. T he team also enjoyed a superb jo u rn ey into the area, the nig h t sleeper from D elhi, the am azing narrow -gauge railway to Shim la hill station, beautiful roads th ro u g h the v erdant val leys o f Kullu and M anali, and a breath -tak in g drive over the 13,000-foot R ohtang Pass into the spectacular C handra-B haga valley. M artin M oran , Alpine Club
