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A team of four professional mountaineers has successfully scaled Manirang Peak, 6,593 metres or 21,625 feet above sea level, in Lahaul and Spiti district of Himachal Pradesh on September 21, marking the first alpine expedition of the current July-September season at a time when the state is struggling to recover from the devastation caused by recent natural disasters.
This expedition holds significance because at least three earlier teams had failed to summit Manirang this season.
The expedition was led by Vishal Thakur, a seasoned mountaineer, and comprised Aman Chauhan from Shimla, Brij Mohan Kewala from Matiyana (Shimla district) and Teja Singh from Banjar in Kullu district. Initially, six mountaineers had registered for the expedition, but two could not join for personal reasons.
There are two routes to reach Mane village, from where the expedition starts: one is the Manali-Kunzum Pass and Kaza, and the second is the Shimla-Rampur-Kinnaur-Kaza.
The first route is blocked due to the recent landslides and flash floods.
“It was an alpine-style expedition, i.e., without any external assistance. We did not take porters, guides or cooks with us. Everything was managed by our team members,” Thakur said. “We started on September 16 and completed the climb on September 21, reaching the summit at 2:26 pm. During the ascent, we established three camps — base camp, advance camp and finally the summit camp at an altitude of 6,100 metres — from where we launched the summit push.”
Manirang Peak, located on the border between Kinnaur and Lahaul-Spiti districts, is known for its challenging mix of rock, snow and ice. The nearby Manirang Pass once served as an important trade route between Spiti and Kinnaur before motorable roads were laid.
According to the Indian Mountaineering Foundation (IMF), Delhi, the body which regulates climbing permits in India, only mountaineers completing both the Basic Mountaineering Course (BMC) and the Advanced Mountaineering Course (AMC) are allowed to participate in expeditions on peaks above 6,000 metres.
IMF Director Col. Madan Gurung (Retd.) told The Indian Express, “There are several takers of the Manirang Peak in Lahaul & Spiti district, but many of the adventure expeditions, especially alpine expeditions, were postponed due to the extreme weather events in Himachal Pradesh. On average, we would receive around 100 applications from domestic mountaineers and 50 to 60 applications from foreign mountaineers. But now the number of applications from foreign mountaineers has drastically reduced. We received the report of the recently concluded expedition. The report is being examined for its authentication.”
Describing how the adverse weather conditions disturb the winter expeditions, Col Gurung said, “While expeditions are usually permitted until the end of October, worsening weather conditions may further dampen interest. After October, high peaks start receiving heavy snowfall. We fear there may not be many takers this season.”
Manirang’s first recorded ascent was made on September 12, 1952, by Dr J. de V. Graaff, his wife Clare (daughter of Nobel laureate Sir George Paget Thomson
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