Volume 29 l June 2014 CONTENTS The Himalayan Club elects President Emeritus and Editor Emeritus ....... 2 Climbs & Explorations Kishtwar ......................................................................................... 4 Nepal .............................................................................................. 5 Events and News Death of Sherpas on Everest ......................................................... 9 Club Activities The Himalayan Club Annual Seminar .......................................... 7 Report by Shyam Menon ............................................................. 2 Obituries Aspi Moddie ................................................................................. 26 Ian McNaught-Davis ..................................................................... 27 Dick Isherwood ............................................................................ 27
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Volume 29 l June 2014
CONTENTS
The Himalayan Club elects President Emeritus and Editor Emeritus........2
Dr. M. S. Gill, Past President of the HimalayanClub, has long and abiding interest in theHimalaya.Hewas theDeputycommissioner forthestateofLahaulandSpiti(�96�-62)andservedalongstintinthisremotearea.HeundertooktheBasic Mountaineering course under Tensing atDarjeelingandhascontinuedhiskeeninterestintherange.
Dr. M.S. Gill attendedSt. George’s CollegeinMussoorie,India.Hecompletedhiseducationfrom theCambridgeUniversity in theUKwithaPh.D.inDevelopmentStudies,(Honoris Causa)
Dr.GillwasamemberoftheIndianAdministrativeServicesand served as theChief Election
Commissionerof Indiafrom�996 to200�Hismajorachievementwas introductionofElectronicVotingmachineswhichcurbedmalpracticestoalargeextent.HewasawardedthePadmaVibhushanforhiswork in theyear2000. InApril2008,Dr.GillwasinductedastheMinisterofYouthAffairsandSports, fortwotermsandisnowtwotimeM.P.oftheRajyaSabhaoftheIndianParliament.
He has written the book “Himalayan Wonderland: Travels in Lahaul – Spiti”,(twoeditions)andpublishedseveralprofessionalpapersincourseofhisduty.
He was the President of the Indiana Mountaineering Foundation for six years.SubsequentlyhewaselectedasthePresidentoftheHimalayanClubforsixyears.He undertook reforms in both these organisations and used his administrativecapabilitiestothemaximum.
TheHimalayanClubowesagreatdebttohimforhistirelessworkingtoraisefundswhichenabled theClub tobuyanOffice inMumbai, first time that theClubhasahomeinitslonghistory.
HarishKapadiahasmadeauniquecontributiontoourknowledgeoftheHimalaya:aseditoroftheHimalayan Journal,oneof themostauthoritativeandcomprehensiverecordsofexploratoryactiv-ityintheHimalaya;throughhisnumerousbooksandasaleaderandorganiserofexpeditionsovertheyears.HebeganclimbingandtrekkingaroundMumbaias a young man, in the ranges of the WesternGhats.HisfirstvisittotheHimalayawasalmost45yearsago.Heisstilltrekkingandclimbingactively,to explore unknown areas and, in a number ofcases, to open up climbing possibilities. Hemade explorations in the Himalaya, particularlytheSiachenglacierandtheEastKarakoram,and
Harish Kapadia was elected Honorary Member of the Alpine Clubs of London,America, Japan, Poland, and was awarded the IMF Gold Medal in �99� and KingAlbertGoldMedalinSwitzerlandin2005.Itismostfitting,thatintheyear200�,whenthe50thanniversaryof the first ascentofEverestwascelebrated,HarishKapadiawashonouredwith theRoyal“Patron’sMedal”,by theRoyalGeographicalSociety‘for contributions to geographical discovery and mountaineering in the Himalaya’.Hewasthefirst Indiantoreceivethisawardafter�25years. Inthesameyear.ThePresidentofIndiapresentedhim‘TheTensingNorgayNationalAdventureAward’,forLifeTimeAchievement,thehighestadventureawardofIndia.BoththeseawardshededicatedtohissonLt.NawangKapadia.
HarishwasHon.EditoroftheHimalayan Journalfor�7yearsbringingthepublicationtohighinternationalstandards.HeproducedtheannualHimalayan Club Newslettersfor�0years(from�978to2007)whenitwasconvertedtoELetter.Hehaswrittenseveral books, including two specially for the Himalayan Club: namely. Exploring the Hidden Himalaya (with Soli Mehta)-three editions, and A Passage to Himalaya(editor).
Accordingtoextensiveresearchandfarascouldbeestablished,KishtwarKailashhadbeenattemptedonlyoncepreviously,namelyin�989byaScottishexpedition,whileensuingacutepolitical troubles resulted in theareabeingclosed tomountaineersfrom�994until last year.The fact thatKishtwarKailashwasaplumobjectivecanbegleamedfromthe followingdetail:Fowler firstspottedKishtwarKailashback in�99�duringhissuccessfulexpedition toCerroKishtwarandaphotohe took fromthesummitrevealedastrikingpeakthat,intherightcircumstances,wouldbeperfectforexploratorymountaineering.Thisexplainswhy,atthefirstopportunitylastyear,Fowlerappliedforapermittoattemptthepeak.
Supported by MikeMorrisonandRob Smith, Fowler and Ramsden climbed alpinestylefrom4-�0Octoberupa�500mlinealongtheSWFace,describedbyFowleras“agreatroute,withspectacularsituationsandvariedclimbinguptoScottishVI.”
Fowler explained: “There is no easy way up Kishtwar Kailash and Paul and I areextremelyhappy thatwemanaged tomake the first ascent via thedramaticsouthwestface.Afteracclimatising,we leftbasecampon4thOctoberand, followinganopenbivouacat6,200m,gottothesummitduringthemorningof9th.Theoutcomewasinparticulardoubtondayfour,whichinvolvedseveralveryhardmixedpitchesup a couloir cleaving monolithic walls. The descent was almost entirely by abseildownthelineofascent.Wemanagedtodescendafairwayonthesummitdayandcompletedthereturntobasecampbyaverylongdayon�0th.”
Mick Fowler and Paul Ramsden form a formidable,long standing partnershipwith countless successful expeditions to the Greater Ranges to their name suchas the Central Couloir of Mt Siguniang (China,2002),Manamcho(Tibet, 2007),theNorthFaceofSulamar(China,20�0)andMt.Shiva(India,20�2).BothSiguniangandShivaclimbswereawardedtheprestigiousPioletd’or.
Bowie and Steck had previously visitedShishpangmatogether in 20��, which ledtoSteck’sultra-fastsoloascentof themountain.Eighteendays laterbothof themreachedthesummitofChoOyu.
On this year’s expedition the two climbers were accompanied at the base ofAnnapurna’ssouthfacebyfilm-makerJonahMatthewson,photographersDanandJaninePatitucciandNepaliclimberTenji.TenjihadclimbedEverestwithUeliSteckin20�2.
Steck’s routeonAnnapurna takesadepressionbetween thepillar followedby theoriginal�970BritishrouteuptheSouthFaceto themainsummit(809�m),andthepillar to the right takenby the�98�Japanese route,which finisheson the slightlylower middle summit (806�m). The line is vulnerable to spindrift and avalanchesinbadweather,sogoodtimingandafastascentareessential.
The team established an advanced basecampnear the foot of wall, at around5000m,attheendofSeptember.Afterafewdaysacclimatising,UeliSteckandDanBowieclimbedupthebottompartofthewallandpitchedatent(CampI)onaledgeatabout6�00m.Theyspenttwonightstheretoacclimatise.Whilethere,theynoticedconsiderablerockfallonthefaceabove(thecampsiteitselfwasrelativelyshelteredfromrockfall).
“I felt that theextremelymild temperatureswouldhave todropsignificantly for theface to solidify into safer condition.” -DonBowie
On the second morning they took thetent down, left acacheofequipment,and went down to base camp to awaitfavourableconditions.
Don Bowie was by this time beginningto feel that the long section from CampI to the headwall was steeper and moresustained than he was willing to tackleunroped,whichtheirstrategyfortheclimbwouldrequire.Butheagreedtohave“onemorelook”beforereachingadecision.
Annapurna South Face, showing Ueli Steck’sroute (solid line),�970British route to its left,�98�Japaneseroutetoitsright
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On6OctoberUeliSteckandDanBowiemovedbackuptoadvancedbasecamp,alongwithDanandJaninePatitucci andJonahMatthewson.On8OctSteckandBowie set off towards the face, still accompanied by Dan Patitucci and JonahMatthewson.Bowiemadehisdecision-hewasnotwillingtoclimbunropedaboveCampIandwouldnotattempttheface.SoSteckcontinuedalone.
Steck found a crevasse, pitched his tent in its shelter, and waited to see whetherit would be possible to continue. The sun went down, and the wind stopped - aphenomenonhehadnoticed fromadvancedbasecamp thepreviousevening.Soheconcludedthatthewaytoreachthesummitwasatnight.Therewasagleaminglineoficeandsnowrunnelsuptheheadwall-probablyanexceptionalstateofaffairs-makinganascentofthissectioninthedarkafeasibleproposition.
Beforenight fell,Steck tookaphotoof theheadwall toguidehim in thedarkness.Spindriftcaughthimwhilehewasdoingthis.Grabbinghisicetools,hedroppedthecameraandoneofhisdowngloves.
About an hour after reaching the bivouac, he set off up the headwall, climbing inunderglovesandswappinghisonedownglovefromhandtohand,asrequired.
“During short passages the ice/firn was quite thin and a couple of times I had toclimbintherock.Thesteepnesswassurprisinglynotreallyvertical,onlyacoupleofupliftswerevertical.”-UeliSteck
Afterafewminutesonthesummithesetoffbackdownthelinehehadclimbedup,down-climbing with just a few abseils on the headwall. He reached the glacier 28hoursaftersettingoffuptheface.
TheSouthFaceDirectwasfirstattemptedin�992byPierreBéghinandChristopheLafaille.Havingovercomethemaindifficultiesoftheroute,theywereforcedbybadweather to descend from the top of the headwall. Béghin fell to his death, takingthe rope and much of the climbing gear with him, when an abseil anchor pulled.Lafaillecompletedanepicdescent,sufferingabrokenarmduetorockfall.
ASouthKoreanteamattemptedtheroutein20�0,butturnedbackataround6�00mdue to bad weather. Koreans Park Young-seok,Shin Dong-min and Kang Ki-seok
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made another attempt in 20��, but bad weather and rockfall turned them back atabout6400m.Thethreeclimbersdisappearedduringthedescent.
UeliSteckmadeasoloattemptontheroutein2007,butabandonedhisexpeditionafter being being struck by a rock on the lower part of the face. He and SimonAnthamattenmadeanotherattempt in2008,butwereturnedbackbybadweatheratabout5900m.Meanwhile,BasqueclimberInakiOchoadeOlzafellill-apparentlywithbraindamageandpulmonaryoedema -highon theeast ridgeofAnnapurna.SteckattemptedarescueandreachedtheBasquecampat7400m,butintheendOchoa died. Steck and Anthamatten made no further attempt on the south facethatseason.
Ueli Steck’s smooth ascent this year, besides being an astounding achievement,lookslikeahintthatforthiskindorroute,aradicalapproachmaybetherightone.
EarlierthisyearUeliSteck,alongwithSimoneMoroandJonathanGriffith,wasthethe victim of anattackby a large group of Sherpas at a campsite in the WesternCwmofEverest.
Kusum Kanguru - southwest face – 2013
In October 20��Alexander Ruchkin and Slava Ivanov made the first ascent of thesouthwestfaceofKusumKanguru,intheKhumbuareaoftheNepalHimalaya.They
climbed the routealpine style in 9 days, hamperedby verypoorweather. At the summit they ran outoffoodand fuel. The descent took a further 4 days -threeofthemwithnothingtodrink-andresultedinthepair becoming lost amongst forest and gorges. Theywereeventuallyevacuatedbyhelicopter.
Their ascent route,which theynamed “Fallinginto thevoid”,involvedaseriousclimb.
Teng Kang Poche - North-East ridge – 2013
Marina Kopteva, Galina Chibitok and Anastasia PetrovahavemadethefirstascentofthenortheastridgeofTengKang Poche (Tengmoche) in the Khumbu area of theNepalHimalaya.
Thenewlinewascalled“TheBattleforLove”
InatextmessagefromNepal,theclimberssaid:“52hrsfromtheendoffixedropestothetop,plusthedescent.Without rest and food. �7 days from all �9 on the wallwere in extremelybad weatherand �0 of them - awfulsnowfalls! Itwas themostdifficult andscary routeeverforus!”
KusumKanguru(6�67m)
TengKangPoche(6500m)FirstascentofNorth-Eastridge
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Teng Kang Poche (6500m) stands above Thamevillage.Climbershave previously focussed on alpine-styleascentsofthemountain’sfaces,involvingdifficultmixedclimbing.Thisyear’sascentisthefirsttotakeuptheobviouschallengeoftherockynorth-eastridge.
The photo below shows the intended line of ascent.Furtherdetailsof theclimb, includingthe lineactuallytaken,areawaited.
Marina Kopteva (fromUkraine) and Galina Chibitok(fromRussia), climbing with Anna Yasinskaya (fromUkraine) made the first ascent of therouteParallelniyMironGreatTrangoin20��.
Kang Nachugo East,
On 2� and 22 October 20�� Santiago Padros and Domen Kastelic made the firstascentof“Monsoon”(�500m/75°)uptheSWFaceofKangNachugoEast,Rolwalingvalley,Himalaya,Nepal.
Inautumn2008JoePuryearandDavidGottliebtravelledtotheRolwalingvalleyandmade thefirst ascent of Kang Nachugo (6735m) by climbing the West Ridge alpine style over 5 days.Priortothissuccessthetwohadattemptedtoforgea direct line uptheSWFacebutwereforcedtobailfrom6400mduetobadweather.IntheensuingyearstheformidablePuryear–GottliebclimbingpartnershipestablishednumerousotherfantasticroutessuchasuptheSouthFaceof Jobo Rinjang in2009andupthe
East Face of Takargo in 20�0. Unfortunatelythough tragedy struck in October that sameyear: Joe Puryear fell to his death on Labuche Kang while attempting to establish a new line togetherwithGottlieb.
PadrosandKastelicreachedNepalattheendof September for “an exploratory expeditionin the semi-unknown Rolwaling valley” butthe unusually long monsoon forced themto choose an objective right at the very last minute. With just 5 days at their disposalbefore returning to Europe, they headed toKangNachugo.
On20October the twoalpinists reachedAdvancedBaseCampat5200mand thenextdaytheysetoffearly, climbingnon-stopuntil�8:�0andbivyingat6400m.Afteracold, sleeplessnight theycontinuedonandreachedKangNachugoEastsummit,at6640m,atmiddayon22October.ThemainsummitwasinviewbuttheexposedridgethatleadsfromtheEastSummitwasindangerouscondition,sothetwowiselydecided todescend;7hoursand20abseils later they returned toABC,while thevillageNawasreachedthenextday.Afterthe2008climbbyPuryearandGottlieb,therecentascentbyPadrosandKastelicisonlythesecondrouteupthismountain.
Events and NewsThe worst tragedy on Everest - Death of 16 Sherpas on a single day
On �8th April 20�4, �6 brave Sherpas died on Everest in a single avalanche. Theywere carrying heavy loads to establish camps and prepare the route for westernclimberswhoweretofollowwhenthemountainwasinabetterconditiontoclimb.TheconfirmeddeadareDorjeeSherpa,AngChiringSherpa,MingmaSherpa,NingmaSherpa, Ang Kaji Sherpa, Pasang Karma Sherpa, Lakpa Tenzing Sherpa, ChiringWankchuSherpa,WangeleSherpa,KhemDorjeeSherpa,FurwaTembaSherpa,andAasamnTamangSherpa.Someofthebodieshaveyettobeidentified.
SherpasaretraditionallythebackboneofanyexpeditiontoEverest.Therecentsurgeofcommercialexpeditionshasputaheavyburdenof them, though financially it isrewarding. They prepare the route, take all the risks, do the hard work and whenthe route is ready, high paying clients start from the base camp to be guided tothesummitofEverest.Unlike inearlier times,mostclimbersplaynoactive role ispreparingtheroute,whichisthemostdangerouspartoftheclimb.
The Himalayan Club firstly offers its deepest condolences to the families of theseSherpas, their community and strength to the Sherpas who are expecting faircompensationsandfinallyasksquestionsabouttheevent.PresidentEmeritusoftheHimalayanClub,Dr.M.S.Gill,haswrittenanopenlettertomemberstheinternationalmountaincommunityandtheGovernmentofNepal,whichisattached.
This is a letter by President Emeritus Dr. Manohar Singh Gill who has sent an open letter to members of the Himalayan Club and International Climbing community.
I have readwithsorrowandconcern,of the tragicdeathof�6sherpasonEverest two days ago. Thirteen bodies have been recovered, and threepersonsaremissing,obviouslydead.Newspapersreportthatasmanyas60Sherpas hadbeensentout,soearlyintheseasontoopentheroutetotheWesternCwmand further toEverest.Noexpert tourguide,oranyclimberfromtheWesternWorld,whoallcomeonthiscommercialenterpriseeveryyearwaswiththeSherpas.Thedeathstherefore,areallofthesepoorhillmen,whogoonthesecommercialenterpriseeveryyeartoearnsomemoney.
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This incident raisesdisturbingquestions.TheyearlyEverestclimbby thisroute,withoxygen,tourguidesandeverypossibleassistance,haslittleofthe�9thCenturysportsendeavourleftinit.Thosewhoclimbwithhelpofalltheseaides, theassistanceof tourguidesandSherpas,evenwhensomeof themareneither trainednor fit,doso for theirmomentofglory,simplybecause theycanafford themoney.Therefore,wehave todayvery largenumbers,goingupincrowdedqueues,sometimeleadingtofatalities,andalwaysenvironmentaldamage.
Questionsneedtobeansweredonthistragedy.Wasitcorrectsoearly intheseasontopushsuchalargenumberofSherpasintotheicefallwithsuchheavy loads? Why did the tour guides and the experts stay back? Is thedangerelementtobefacedby“paidmerceneries”,andtheglorysuchasitis,absorbedbythosewhopayfortheadventure?WeretheSherpasinsured,ifso,forhowmuch?IstheInsurancecoverfortheSherpas,thesameasforthecompanyowners/tourguides/westernrichclimbers?Ifnot,Whynot?Alltheseandmanymorequestionsneedtobegoneintobyanindependentinquiry committee, suitable equipped, to find the correct answers. I callupontheNepalPrimeMinisterandhisGovernmenttoholdsuchaninquiry,immediately,andlettheworldknow,whattheanswersare.
Page�5oftheTimesofIndiadatedApril20,20�4hasapictureonthecentreofthepage. The caption reads “A Sherpa is comforted by a relative as she mourns thedeathofherfather,oneofthe13 Nepalese guideskilledintheavalancheonMountEverestonFriday”(italicsaremine,Iwillsaywhyalittlelater).Ithinktomyself,‘is this the best a reporter with a photographer can do?’Iscantheinternetovertwodays,mymailboxfillsupwithnewsfromthemountain,ofthishorribleaccident–onethathasburiedthreeSherpasforeverandof��bodiesthathavebeenrecoveredandbroughtdownforelaboratefuneralrites.Therearedescriptionsoftherescue,photographsoftherituals,heartrendingpicturesoffamilymembers...
Celebrity Himalayan experts are introspecting, analysing, bringing in their teams tocollatestatisticsonSherpadeathsonEverest,figuringoutwaystocompensate,tomakethemountainsafer,tostandonhighmoralgroundaboutEveresttourismandsoon.
feltas responsible for theirmenas theclimbingcommunity feels today.Ofcoursethe sherpas of today are savvier; they demand their price for doing what they do–whichisdancingwithdeath.
However, there has always been a sense of wonder, a sense of guilt that someclimbershaveabout the time that sherpas spend in thedanger zone tomake thearea safe and quick to move through for the clients. In the meantime technologyhasassuredwesternclimbersthattheyaremuchsaferonthemountainthemselves–theyshootthemselveswithdifferentsteroids,acclimatizeinartificialconditions
JonKrakauersaysinhisblogpost
‘It’s becoming increasingly common for Western guides and members toacclimatizeinhypobaricchambersbeforetheyarriveinNepal,oronother,less hazardous Himalayan peaks in advance of their summit assaults,greatly reducing the number of times they must expose themselves tothe perils of the Icefall. Some members now make only a single roundtrip through it,whileeachof theSherpassupporting themmuststillpassthrough thathazardous terrainbetween twoand threedozen times.MostWesternclimbersfeelmorethanalittleguiltyaboutthis,butIknowofnonewhohaveeverofferedtotakeanextralapthroughtheIcefallwithaheavyloadinordertoreduceasherpa’sexposure.’
As soon as the climbing community starts to recognize these men as individualhuman beings , not as a collective, the whole approach to the value of their livesmaychange.Doyouknowthatthereisabsolutely no record of the names of all the Sherpas killed in 1922?
IfweimmediatelystopreferringtoDorjeeSherpa,AngChiringSherpa,MingmaSherpa,Ningma Sherpa, Ang Kaji Sherpa, Pasang Karma Sherpa, Lakpa Tenzing Sherpa,Chiring Wangchu Sherpa, Wangele Sherpa, Khem Dorjee Sherpa, Phurba TembaSherpa, and Tamang Sherpa among others as ‘�� brave Sherpas died in the mosthorribletragedyonEverest’inasimilartoneas’�2sturdymuleswerewashedawaybytheriverinaflashflood’,wemight,justmightbeabletoseethemasindividualhumanswhodeserveseparateobituariesbyfriends,families,fellowclimbersineveryclimbingjournal intheworld.Anameleadstoapicture,apictureleadstoanassociation,anassociationmakesanotherpersonrealandonlywhenoneseesthatrealpersonforhislaughterandhisfoiblesandhisweaknessesandstrengthsthatonecangrowtofeelthepainofhiswifeorfatherorsisterormotherorfriend.
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ThecaptioninTOIshouldhaveread“Ang DomaiscomfortedbyPasang, her brother, asshemournsthedeathofherfatherLakpa Tenzing Sherpa,oneofthe13 Nepalese guideskilled in theavalancheonMountEverestonFriday(namesare imaginary–pleaseforgiveme).TheotherSherpaswhoperishedinFriday’saccidentwere.....”
We really need to feel the pain of loss if we want to bring about a change in theapproachtothismountain.
(Nandini Purandare & Deepa Balsavar, The Sherpa Project)(Nandini.Purandare.is.Hon..Secretary.of.the.Himalayan.Club)
Death and anger on Everest
Formanyyears,themostlucrativecommercialguidingoperationonEveresthasbeenacompanycalledHimalayanExperience,orHimex,whichisownedbyaNewZealandmountaineernamedRussellBrice.Inthespringof20�2,morethanamonthintotheclimbingseason,hebecame increasinglyworriedaboutabulgeofglacial ice threehundred yards wide that was frozen tenuously to Everest’s West Shoulder, hanginglikeamassiveswordofDamoclesdirectlyoverthemainrouteuptheNepalsideofthemountain.Brice’sclients(“members,” in theparlanceofHimalayanmountaineering),Western guides, and Sherpas repeatedly had to climb beneath the threatening icebulgeastheymovedupanddownthemountaintoacclimatizeandestablishaseriesofhighercampsnecessaryfortheirsummitassault.Oneday,Bricetimedhowlongittookhisheadguide,AdrianBallinger(“whoisincrediblyfast,”hewroteintheblogpostexcerptedbelow),toclimbthroughthemosthazardousterrain:
Ittookhim22minfromthebeginningtotheendofthedangerzone.FortheSherpascarrying aheavy loadit took �0 min and most of our members took between 45minandonehourtowalkunderneaththisdangerouscliff. Inmyopinion,this isfartoolongtobeexposedtosuchadangerandwhenIseearound50peoplemovingunderneaththecliffatonetime,itscaresme.
Adding to Brice’s concern, some of his most experienced Sherpas, ordinarilyexceedinglystoicalmen,approachedhimtosaythattheconditionsonthemountainmade them fear for their lives. One of them actually broke down in tears as heconfessedthis.SoonMay7,20�2,BricemadeanannouncementthatshockedmostofthethousandpeoplecampedatthebaseofEverest:hewaspullingallhisguides,members,andSherpasoffthemountain,packinguptheirtentsandequipment,andheading home. He was widely criticized for this decision in 20�2, and not just byclients who were forced to abandon their dreams of climbing the world’s highestmountainwithoutreceivingarefundfortheforty-threethousandeurostheyhadpaidhiminadvance.ManyoftheotherexpeditionleadersalsothoughtBricewaswildlyoverreacting.ThereputationofHimextookamajorhit.
AfterwhathappenedlastFriday,though,it’shardtoarguewithBrice’scall.OnApril�8th, shortly before 7A.M.local time, an overhanging wedge of ice the size of aBeverlyHillsmansionbrokeloosefromthesameicebulgethathadfrightenedBrice
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into leaving Everest in 20�2. As it crashed onto theslopebelow, the ice shatteredintotruck-sizechunksandhurtledtowardsomefiftyclimberslaboringslowlyupwardthroughtheKhumbuIcefall,ajumbledmazeofunstableicetowersthatloomsabovethe �7,600-foot base camp. The climbers in theline of firewere at approximatelynineteenthousandfeetwhentheavalanchestruck.Ofthetwenty-fivemenhitbythefallingice,sixteenwerekilled,allofthemNepalisworkingforguidedclimbingteams.Threeofthebodieswereburiedbeneaththefrozendebrisandmayneverbefound.
Although manynews reportsindicated that all the victims were Sherpas, thelegendary mountain people who comprise just half of one per cent of the Nepalipopulation,threeofthesixteenweremembersofother,muchlargerethnicgroups:one was Gurung, one was Tamang, and one was a member of the Hindu Chhetricaste. All, however, were employed as high-altitude climbing Sherpas—an éliteprofession that deservedly commands respect and admiration from mountaineersaroundtheworld.
Itwas theworstclimbingaccidentinthehistoryofEverest, twiceasdeadlyas theinfamousstorminMay,�996,thatkilledeightpeople,thesubjectofmybook“IntoThinAir”(fourofmyteammatesaccountedforhalfof thatgrimtally).ButdyingonEverest has been an occupational hazard for Sherpas ever since a team led byGeorgeLeighMallorytoattempttheTibetansideofthepeak,in�922,becamethefirstmountaineerstoascendhigherthanthelowerflanksofthemountain.Inthefinaldays of that expedition, seven Sherpas from Darjeeling, India, were swept to theirdeathsinanavalanche.Sadtosay,thejobhasn’tgottenanysaferforSherpaswiththepassageoftime.AccordingtoapiecebyJonahOglespostedonoutsideonline.com, the death rate for climbing Sherpas on Everest from 2004 until now wastwelvetimeshigherthan thedeath rate forU.S.militarypersonneldeployed in Iraqfrom200�-07.
There is no denying that climbing Everest is a preposterously dangerous undertaking for the members who provide the Sherpas’ income. But running counter to the disturbing trend among Sherpas, climbing Everest has actually grown significantly safer for Western guides and members in recent years, according to the available data. This can be attributed to a number of factors. Western climbers now use bottled oxygen much more liberally than they did in the past; many Western climbers now prophylactically dose themselves with dexamethasone, a powerful steroid, when they ascend above twenty-two thousand feet, which has proven to be an effective strategy for minimizing the risk of contracting high-altitude cerebral edema (HACE) and high-altitude pulmonary oedema (HAPE), potentially fatal ailments that are common on Everest; and weather forecasts are much more accurate than they were eighteen or twenty years ago.
During the seventy-six years from the first attempt on Everest, in �92�, through�996,whenIwasguidedupEverest,ahundredandforty-fourpeoplediedandthesummitwasreachedsixhundredandthirtytimes,aratioofonedeathforeveryfoursuccessfulascents.Notably,overtheeighteenyearsthathavepassedsince�996,ahundredandfourpeoplehavediedandthesummithasbeenreachedsixthousand
Thereasontheriskremainssomuchgreater forSherpascanbetracedtoseveralthings.Sherpasaren’tprovidedwithnearlyasmuchbottledoxygen,because it issoexpensivetobuyandtostockontheuppermountain,andtheytendtobemuchbetteracclimatizedthanWesterners.Sherpasarealmostnevergivendexamethasoneprophylactically,because theydon’thavepersonalphysicians in theirvillageswhowillprescribethedrugonrequest.Andperhapsmostsignificant,SherpasdoalltheheavyliftingonEverest, literallyandfiguratively.Themostlyforeign-ownedguidingcompanies assign the most dangerous and physically demanding jobs to theirSherpastaff,therebymitigatingtherisktotheirWesternguidesandmembers,whosebackpacksseldomholdmuchmorethanawaterbottle,acamera,anextra jacket,andlunch.TheworkSherpasarepaidtodo—carryingloads,installingthealuminumladders, stringing and anchoring thousands of feet of rope—requires them tospendvastlymore timeon themostdangerouspartsof themountain,particularlyintheKhumbuIcefall—theshattered,creaking,ever-shiftingexpanseofglacierthatextendsfromjustabovebasecamp,atseventeenthousandsixhundredfeet,tothenineteen-thousand-five-hundred-footelevation.ThefactthatmembersandWesternguidesnowsuckdownalotmorebottledoxygeniswonderfulforthem,butitmeanstheSherpashavetocarrythoseadditionaloxygenbottlesthroughtheIcefallfortheWesternerstouse.
Historically,moreEverestclimbershaveperishedfromsevereweather,HACE,HAPE,exhaustion, falling from steep terrain, or some combination of these hazards thanfrom being crushed or buried in the Khumbu Icefall. This seems to be changing,however.Accurateweather forecastinghas reduced the riskofbeingsurprisedbyakiller storm like theone thatstruck in�996.But thepronouncedwarmingof theHimalayanclimateinrecentyearshasmadetheIcefallmoreunstablethanever,andthere is still noway topredictwhena serac isgoing to toppleover.AndSherpasspendmuch,muchmoretimeintheIcefallthantheirWesternemployers.
In �996, for example, I made four round trips through the Khumbu Icefall: threecircuitsasIprogressivelyacclimatizedtotwenty-fourthousandfeetduringthemonthofApril,andafinalroundtriponmyjourneytothe29,0�5-footsummitandback.IwasterrifiedeachoftheeighttimesImovedthroughthefrozenchaos,whichusuallytookmore than threehours toascend,evenwithmynearlyemptybackpack,andslightly less thananhour todescend. Incontrast,eachof theSherpassupportingmyteam’sascentwasrequiredtomakesomethinglikethirtytripsthroughtheIcefall,oftenwhilecarryingeighty-poundloadsoffood,propane,andbottledoxygen.
Thesedays,moreover,membersareapttospendevenlesstimeintheIcefallthanIdidwhenIwasonEverest,eighteenyearsago.It’sbecomingincreasinglycommonforWesternguidesandmemberstoacclimatizeinhypobaricchambersbeforetheyarrive in Nepal, or on other, less hazardous Himalayan peaks in advance of theirsummitassaults,greatlyreducingthenumberoftimestheymustexposethemselves
Thestatistics suggesting thatEverest hasbecomesafe formembersmay, in fact,begivingWesternersafalsesenseofsecurity,however.Theastoundingnumberofclimberswhonowattempttoreachthesummitonthelimitednumberofdayswhentheweather is favorablepresentsanewkindofhazard.AnotoriousphotoshotbyRalfDujmovitsinMay,20�2,showedmorethanahundredandfiftypeopleattachedto a series of fixed ropes as they ascended the Lhotse Face toward the SouthColofEverest, jammed together so tightly that theyhad tomove in lockstep.Thestaticweightofallthesepeopleandtheirgearwaswelloverthirtythousandpounds.If some mishap had occurred that caused more than a handful of the climbers toput their fullweightononeof the ropessimultaneously, theshock to theanchorssecuringtheropestotheicecouldeasilyhavecausedthemtofail,resultingintheclimbersfallingtwothousandormorefeettothebaseoftheLhotseFace.Ifsuchanaccidentshouldcometopassinthefuture(whichisn’tfar-fetched),thedeathcountforbothmembersandSherpaswouldbehorrific.
In any event, no Western members or guides were killed or injured in last week’savalanche. At the moment, in the immediate aftermath, almost everyone climbingontheNepalsideofEveresthasretreatedtobasecamptotrytocometogripswiththecatastrophe.Mostofthem,Sherpasandforeignclimbersalike,arereelingfromtheunprecedentedlossof life.At leastoneexpeditionhasalreadyannouncedthatitwillabandon the mountain. For the foreign climbers, to go home now will meanforfeiting most or all of the fifty to ninety thousand dollars they have spent to beguidedupEverest.FortheSherpaswhomaketheguidedascentspossible,however,toquitnow,afteronlyafewweeks’wages,willbeanevengreatereconomicsacrifice,relativelyspeaking.
unlesstheNepaligovernmentagreedtomeetthirteendemandswithinaweek.Thethreat of a work stoppage was provoked by the Sherpas’ outrage over the Nepaligovernment’s offer to provide just forty thousand rupees—slightly more than fourhundreddollars—tothefamiliesoftheSherpaskilledintheavalanche,todefraytheirfuneralexpenses.AmongtheSherpas’demandsare that thegovernment increasethis compensation to approximately a thousand dollars per family; provide tenthousanddollars toclimbingSherpaswhohavebeenseriouslydisabled;establishapermanentrelieffundforinjuredSherpaswithaportionoftheten-thousand-dollarpermit fee every Western Everest climber is charged by the Nepali government;doublethecurrentinsurancebenefitprovidedbytheguidingcompaniestotwenty-onethousanddollars;requiretheguidingcompaniestopaySherpastheirsalaries,eveniftheycallofftheremainderofthe20�4Everestclimbingseason;andestablishamonumentinKathmandutomemorializethedeceasedSherpas.
The collective anger and resentment expressed by the Sherpas over the past fewdaysisunprecedented.OnApril20th,TimandBeckyRippel,theownersofaguidingcompanycalledPeakFreaks,whichlostaSherpanamedMingmaTenzingtoafatalcaseofHAPEearlierinthemonth,stated,inablogpost:
As we suggested in a previous post the Sherpa guides are heating up, emotionsarerunningwildanddemandsarebeingmadetosharethewealthwiththeSherpapeopleon the table.Now that therearemoreSherpaoperators todayonEverest,they’vecometolearnhowmuchthegovernmentofNepalmakesinrevenuesfromEverest expeditions and they are asking for a share. This is their time and underveryunfortunatecircumstances.…Inanycase thingsaregettingverycomplicatedandthereisalotoftensionhereandit’sgrowing.…PeakFreaksisinsupportoftheSherpapeopleanywhichwayitgoes.Theyareourfamily,ourbrothersandsistersandthemuscleonEverest.Wefollowtheirlead,weareguestshere.
The Himalayan Club held the Annual Seminar on Saturday �5th and Sunday �6thFebruary20�4.Leadingmountaineers,explorersandwriterspresentedaudio-visualsandillustratedtalksonvarioustopics.
Jim talked about his award winning book including theconceptualization, research and the process of understandingthe unique position of Eric Shipton and Bill Tilman in history ofexplorationandmountaineering.
David,anAmericanmountaineerandfilmmaker,hasclimbedEverestfive times and has made several award winning mountaineeringdocumentaries. He is the founder of Glacier works, a non profit,devoted to saving the fragile ecology of the Himalaya. His audio-visualshowabouthisexpeditions,hisfilmsandabouthisprojectwasscreenedashecouldnotbepresent.
DIVYESH MUNI“FirstAscentofChamshen(70�7m)”
TheHimalayanClubsponsoredanIndian-BritishJointexpeditionto Chamshen peak in August 20��. This was the first everexpeditiontothispeak.Theycrossedahighcoltothefootoftheirpeak but an accident to a member delayed them. Not deterredby an accident causing serious injury to a British member, theteamcontinuedtomakethefirstascentofthishighpeak–arareachievementinfaceofodds.
(born October ��, �965, Ljubljana, Slovenia) Trained in University of Ljubljana asa chemical engineer (completed in 1994*) but at the moment work as a climbinginstructor,mountainguideandphotographer.Married (1994*)withKatjaandhavetwosons–Tim(1994*)andBor(2000).*All this happened in one month!
Istartedinthe“oldschool”ofalpinism,mademanymistakesandsoonlearnedthatthepursuit isbothcomplexand immeasurable.Curiositywas the impulse that firstbroughtmetoalpinism,anditleadsmestill.
Alpinismteststhelimitsofmystrength,intuition,personality,character,emotionandcreativespirit.Every “test” isdifferent.Howwill I resolve the logisticalpuzzleofaparticularclimb?Will Ibeable to figureout theroute, themoves?Will Ibeable toadapttotheconditions,theweatherandabovealltothefriendswithwhomIsharetheexperience?WhichcompromiseswillIaccept,andatwhatcost?
Itisconsiderednormaltoavoidtheuncertain,theunexpectedandtheunknown,buttheseare thecatalysts forhumanprogressand they’remycatalystsaswell.At thesame time I’m aware of the constant influence of commercial interests. Money andpublicitycandestroypersonalethicsinaninstant,justifyingthemeanswiththeend.
Someofhiswellknownascentsare:�988NewrouteonthenorthfaceofChoOyu,�989 solo ascent of theKang Ri(6240 m), �99� Kangchenjunga (8476 m) southridge new route, first ascent of Boktoh (6�42 m), second ascent ofTalung(7�49m), �992 First ascent ofMelungtse(7�8� m), �998 New route on Porong Ri EastSummit(7284m)andYebokangalRi(7��2m),�999FirstascentofthenorthwalloftheGyachungKang(7952m),2000Secondascentofthe“GoldenPillar”ofSpantik,200�BegguyaandDenali(6�9� m) in Alaska - “Light Traveller” on the south face,newroute,freeclimbedinasinglepushstyle,andNilkanthwestridge(6596m),2004FirstascentofKapuraPeak (6544m),2006Chomolhari (7�26m)northwestpillar,2007FirstascentofK7inKarakoram,2008NewrouteonWestfaceofKangchungtse(7678m),2009BaghirathiIV,IIIandIInewroute.
An Englishmountaineer, travel and outdoor writer, and in his youth was anaccomplishedrock-climber.Hemademanynewroutes,significantsoloascentsandfreeascentsathighstandards.
Asawriter,hehasmaderegularcontributionstoanumberofnewspapersandclimbingmagazines. He has won theBoardman-Tasker prizetwice, first forMenlove(�985),hisbiographyofJohnMenloveEdwards,andagainasajointwinner(alongsideAndyCave’sLearning to Breathe) forThe Villain(2005),abiographyofDonWhillans.FormanyyearshehascontributedmountaineeringobituariesforTheGuardian.HisotherbooksincludeMirrors in the Cliffs(ed.)(�999)andThe Climbing Essays(2006).
AnAmericanmountaineerandfilmmaker. In�985,hebecamethefirstAmericantoreachthesummitofEveresttwice.HehasworkedonfeaturefilmsincludingSevenYears in TibetandCliffhanger, as well as on the award-winning documentaryRedFlagoverTibet.In�98�hetransmittedthefirstlivepicturesfromthesummitofMountEverest.HeistherecipientoffourEmmyawardsforachievementincinematography.BreashearshasmadeeightexpeditionstoEverest,reachingthesummitfivetimes.He isalsoknown inclimbingcircles forfreeclimbingsomeof themost technicallychallengingrockwallsinColoradoasayoungman.
In �996 he co-directed, photographed, and co-produced the acclaimed IMAXfilmEverestand contributed still photos to the bestselling bookEverest: MountainWithout Mercy. In �998 he was a director and producer for aNovatelevisionprogram,Everest: The Death Zone, in which he and fellow mountaineerEdViestursclimbedEverestwhileundergoingphysicalandmental tests to record theeffectsofaltitudeonhumans.In2000hedirectedtheIMAXfilmKilimanjaro:TotheRoofofAfricafortheNationalGeographicSociety.Heistheauthorofseveralbooks,including an autobiography,High Exposure: An Enduring Passion for Everest andUnforgivingPlaces.In2007,BreashearsfoundedGlacierWorks,anon-profitcompanythatusesscience,art,andadventuretoraiseawarenessaboutclimatechangeintheGreaterHimalaya.
DIVYESH MUNI
HeisaCharteredAccountantbyprofession,andhasclimbedmorethan20Himalayanpeaksmakingseveralfirstascentsofdifficultpeaks.Hisclimbsincludeanewrouteon Chong Kumdan I (707� m), first ascents of Chamshen (70�7 m), Rangrik Rang
An engineer presently stationed in Harare, Zimbabwe overseeing the businessinterestofhiscompanyinSouthernAfrica.AfteraninitialintroductiontotheHimalayaas a student at University of Roorkee, he completed his Basic and AdvancedMountaineeringCourses(�992)andAlpineStyleClimbingCourse(�99�)fromHMI,Darjeeling.Overlasttwodecades,heorganisedandparticipatedinover�0HimalayanexpeditionsincludingSriKailash,Shivling,Kamet,PanchChuli,MamostongKangri,SaserKangriandPlateauPeak.
The Himalayan Club Annual Seminar - 2014 (Report)The two day seminar started on theeveningof�5February20�4atMumbai’sAir Indiaauditorium. Itwas inauguratedby Dr M.S. Gill, Member of ParliamentandPresidentEmeritusoftheHimalayanClub. The Annual Seminar 20�4 wassponsoredbyJSWgroupofcompaniesheadedbyMr.SajjanJindal.
Two things stood out at the HimalayanClubAnnualSeminar20�4.
The first was the sight of a well builtsharply dressed man, clearly from
the mountains, walking up to receivethe Jagdish Nanavati Garud Medalpresented every year to a deservingcandidatefromexpeditionsupportstaff.In a place filled with several eminentpersonalities, it was the unassumingPembaNorbu(a.k.a.KingKong)whogota standing ovation from the audience.Theannual JagdishNanavatiAward forExcellence in Mountaineering went tothe Chaukhamba col expedition led byDebabrataMukherjee.
Second, the two guest speakers fromoverseas–MarkoPrezeljandJimPerrin– gave insightful thought provokinglectures.Jim,whowontheKekooNaorojiBookAwardforhisbookonEricShiptonand Bill Tillman, was the quintessentialauthor,atonceinformalandincisive.Hisanimated and dramatic presentation onthe Shipton-Tillman team made the twocharacters spring to life. It was both, awindowintothecontrastingpersonalitiesof these twogreatBritishexplorersandhowawriterviewedhissubject.Anyoneaspiring to write would have foundsomethingvaluableinJim’stalk.
area. A mentor to young climbers inSlovenia, Marko used his experiencesto not just talk about mentoring andexpeditions cast in that genre but alsolookintothemediafilledlivesoftoday’syoung people, wondering how muchthataffectedaproperunderstandingoftheoutdoors.
Otherlecturesincludedatalkbyveteranmountaineer and explorer, HarishKapadia,(whowasconferredthetitleofEditorEmeritus,of theHimalayanClub)about the Chaukan Pass on the India-Myanmarborder.Hemixedthenarrativeof his recent visit to the pass with itshistory, including the forgotten storyof a fantastic rescue, during the WWIIyears. During the inauguration, HarishKapadia,nowtheEditorEmeritusoftheHimalayanJournalwaspresentedwithaspeciallycreatedmemento.
Therewere two talkson firstascents inthe Himalaya - Divyesh Muni from theMumbai chapter of the Himalayan Clubspoke on the first ascent of Chamshen(70�7m),apeak located in theEasternKarakoram. The ascent involved a
maidenapproachfromwestcrossingtheSakangcoltoNorthShukpaKungchangglacierbeforetheclimberswerereadytoclimbthepeak.Theexpeditionfacedanaccident but the situation was broughtunder control by air-evacuation of theinjuredmember.
Pradeep Sahoo of the Club’s Kolkatachapter described the first ascent ofPlateauPeak(7�00m).Thepeak,locatedin the famous Saser Kangri group ofmountains, was not climbed even aftermany determined attempts by variousexpeditions. The Himalayan Club teamfound a route through the threateningseracs just below the top and reachedthesummit,thuscreatinghistory.
Jerzy Porebski’s film on the Polishmountaineer, Jerzy Kukuczka was alsoscreened. The film, a documentarycovering interviews of Kukuczka’s familyand friends was a study of the man, upclose,excitingforallthosecuriousaboutthecultureofclimbinginthegoldenage.
American mountaineer and film makerDavid Breashers, who was expected forthe seminar couldn’tmake it due to lastminute travel complications. But he wasgraciousenoughtosendtwoofhisfilmstitled ‘GlacierWorks’ and ‘20�2 EverestBaseCampExhibit’.Theseveryimpacting
films focus onthe alarming rateat which glaciersystems in theHimalaya arereceding.Climatechangeisacriticalissuethatmustbefacedasiftheseglacierscontinuetodisappearatthisrate,theriverssupplyingwatertooursubcontinentwilldisappeartoo.
Jagdish Nanavati Award For Excellence in Mountaineering
JagdishNanavatiawardforexcellenceinmountaineeringwasawardedtoDebabrataMukherjee’sExploration over the sources of Ganga - crossing Chaukhamba col.Thisexplorationofadifficultroutewasdeemedmostdeservingofrecognition.Thejuryhasalsoexpressed thatAshutoshMishra’sJadungValleyexpeditionbegivenspecialmentionasitwasthebestpresentedreportandshouldbeusedasamodelforfutureapplicants.
Arun Samant Memorial Lecture series is held every year in memory of Late ArunSamant–aleadingmountaineerandanactiveHimalayanClubMember.Explorationof unknown was very close to Arun’s heart. This year, the Arun Samant MemorialLecturewasheldonJanuary�2,20�4inMumbai.
Explorations and Climbs in Rongdo Valley by Group Captain V. K. SashindranRongdo valley lies in the eastern Karakoram and though easily accessible was not explored till recent times. An Indian Air Force team led by Group Captain Sashindran thoroughly explored the valley and climbed many peaks; most of them were first ascents.
Climbing Kuchela Dhura by Dhruv JoshiKuchelaDhura(6294m) is located in theKumaunHimalayaandhasdefiedmountaineersformanyyears.Intheyear20��,IndianMountaineeringFoundationorganisedanexpeditiontothisunclimbedmountainundertheleadershipofDhruvJoshiandtheteamsuccessfullycompletedthefirstascent.
Jadung Valley Exploration by Ashutosh MishraJadung valley of the Nelang watershed of the Garhwal Himalaya had never ever beendocumented, even by the early explorers- a rare and hidden treasure of untouched andpristinebeauty.InJune20��,ateamsponsoredbytheHimalayanClubandledbyAshutoshMishrasuccessfullyexploredthisvalleyandexperiencedglimpsesofitsromantichistory.
First Crossing of the Chaukhamba Col by Partha Sarathi MoulikThishighcollocatedontheshoulderoftheChaukhambamassifwasattemptedbymanyexplorersbutvery fewweresuccessful in reaching it. InMay20��a team ledbyDebabrataMukherjeecreatedhistorybysuccessfullycrossingthis605�mhighcolandthuslinkingBhagirathKharakglacierwithGangotriglacierbyamostdirectroute.
Bara Bangahal and Chhota Bangahal by Dr. Manoj Kamdar and Harish Kapadia These twoadjoiningvalleys form theancientkingdomofBangahalwhichwasonce ruledbyrulersofKullu.Theareaiswellknownforthespectacularviewsandremotelylocatedvillages,notmuchconnectedtotheouterworldandthuspreservingoldcultureandlifestyles.Dr.ManojKamdarandHarishKapadiaspokeabouttheirrespectivevisitstothisareain20��.
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About the Speakers
Group Captain V. K. Sashindran: a doctor by profession in Indian Air Force andcurrentlybasedinKanpurAFbase.DuringhisstintinAFMC,Puneasaninstructor,hestartedtrekkingandoutdooractivitieswithhisstudentsandcolleaguesandthenonwards gravitated to Himalayan trekking and exploration. He has done severalexplorations in Arunachal Pradesh, Eastern Karakorams, Himachal Pradesh andUttarakhand.
Dhruv Joshi:Dhruvhasbeenclimbingmountains formore thanadecadeand isbased in Almora, Uttarakhand. He has completed various courses such as Basic,Advance,Methodof Instruction, searchand rescueandNOLS leadership.Hehasbeenmemberand leaderof several expeditions to theHimalayaandhasclimbedmanypeaks.
Ashutosh Mishra: In June 20��, a team led by Ashutosh Mishra successfullyexploredJadungvalleyandexperiencedglimpsesofitsromantichistory.AshutoshMishra has been trekking more than two decades and is an ardent reader andresearcheroftheHimalayas. AshutoshisanavidexploreroftheHimalayaforthelasttwodecades.Hepreferstochooseroutesthatareunusualorlessfrequented.WithadegreeinElectricalEngineeringandaMastersinBusinessAdministration,herunsaManagementConsultingfirm,toursaroundtheglobeadvisingclientsondevisingstrategiesandimprovingefficiencies.HeisbasedinDelhi.
Partha Sarathi Moulik: He has been trekking in Himalayas for more than twodecades.UndertheguidanceofDebabrataMukherjee,hestartedhisforayinseriousMounataineering. In 2009, they succeeded in finding a route from Kedar to Badrivia Gondharpongi valley and they were the first to descend from Panpatia glaciertoSatopanthbamakglacierthruBadricol.ThesuccessofthisexpeditionpropelledthemtofindaroutefromKedarnathtoBadrinathviaChowkhambacol&Gangotrocol. The team was led by Debabrata Mukherjee and consisted of 4 members.Importantly,thecrossingwasdonewithoutanySherpa.
OnreturnfromNepalhejoinedtheHimalayanClubin�949anddevotedmanyyearstohelptheClublater.HismostenjoyablevisittotheHimalayawasin�959when,withGurdialSingh,hetrekkedaroundtheouterwalloftheNadaDeviSanctuary.Duringhis several trips he met famous mountaineers like Eric Shipton and Sir EdmundHillary.Trying to talkonadifferentsubject,AspionceaskedSirHillary ifhecouldsuggestagoodbookofMaoripoemsfromNewZealand.SirHillaryreplied:“Iamabloodyfarmer”,thusdeclaringhisignoranceaboutliterature!
Aspi became Vice President of the Himalayan Club (�972-74) and later Presidentof the Club for nine long years (�975-�985). As the President he introduced manychanges that rejuvenated the old spirit of the Club. During his tenure the Clubshifted itsmainofficefromKolkatatoMumbai.HeusedhisadministrativeacumentobenefittheClub,topromotemembershipbeyondstatic600then,madefiveyearfinancial forecast,raisedmembershipfeestoarealistic levelanddevelopedcloserinternational relationswithotherMountaineeringClubsworldover.HewaselectedasaHonoraryMemberoftheClub.
InlateryearshedevelopedanactiveinterestintheHimalayanenvironment,andwiththree international colleagues promoted a movement to protect the environment.It took them eight years to give their vision concrete shape and in �98� ICIMOD(‘International Centre for Integrated Mountain Developments) was formed atKathmandu.ThiscentreflourishestodayastributetolikesofAspi.
Inlateryears,oldwarinjuriesbegantotroublehismovementsandthelossofhissonalso caused great sadness. However whenever we met, he would enthusiasticallytalkabout theHimalayaandHimalayanartwithmywifeGeetaandmyself.Wewillcherishthosedays.
He started as a leading rock climber and till old age he was climbing at goodstandards. His greatest achievement in climbing was to make the first ascent ofMuztaghTower[7,276m]withJoeBrown,JohnHartogandTomPateyin�956.Macbecamewellknownto theBritishpublicaspresenteron the televisedclimbof theOldManofHoyandlaterwhenclimbingfortelevisionuptheEiffelTowerwithLionelTerray. Hewasasuperb raconteurentertainingaudiencesandguestsatclimbingeventsanddinners.
MacenteredtheworldstagewhenhebecamePresidentoftheUIAA[InternationalMountaineering and Climbing Federation] from �995-2004. It was during theseyears that some of us from the Himalayan Club came to associate with him aswemetatseveralmeetingsandwherehestoodhisgroundbutat thesametimewasreadytoaccommodatetheviewsoftheAsianworld,wheremostofthehigherrangesaresituated.
He finally “settled down” in �999 in Port Townsend, Washington and whilst stillmountaineering, became an accomplished sailor, frequently taking himself off onlongsolotripsinhisseakayakorsailingboataroundthenorthPacificcoast.
Abloggerrecentlywrote“Everyone had a Dick Isherwood story”.Thisanthologytellsmanyasdescribedinhiswritingsandthoseofhisfriends.Theyillustratesomeofhisextraordinaryadventuresovermorethan50years.
Chaukhambacol
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Office bearers of the Himalayan Club for the year 2014 elected at the AGM held on 15th February 2014
