Nanda Devi is the mountain named after the Goddess tucked away in a remote corner of the Indian Himalaya.
In 2005, after years of dreaming, I finally got the time to spend nearly six weeks in the region.
The area has attained an almost mythical status among trekkers for the Shipton and Tilman classic exploration in the thirties; at a time when all mountain exploration was going for throwing lots of gear, from india rubber bathtubs to gramphones and quails in aspic, they travelled light and fast.
In 1983 the inner sanctuary was closed to trekkers, but the areas around it, Nanda Devi east (in the picture) and the Pindari glacier, are incredible trekking.
This weekend the Nanda Devi treks start in earnest; Steve, Lois, Tom, Cliff, Kim and Lauren will be joining us over the next six weeks.
We travel up on the Ranikhet express (and sorry to Bill and Eric, first class!) to Kathgodam on the edge of the plains, then on to Munsiari by jeep.
Lois, Steve and I are pioneering a route from Munsiari to the Pindari glacier, hoping to put another side to the Mystery of the 'moving Traills pass'.
Then, in May, Kim, Tom, Lauren, Cliff and I are following the route below.
Expect photos and trip reports in Late May.
Trek details below.
Nanda Devi Pilgrimage
"An audience with the sisters of Kumaon"
Bob Rosenbaum on the 05' recce trip
The sacred peaks of Nanda Devi 7816m and Nanda Devi East 7434m cleave the skies in a remote corner of the Indian Himalaya, locked in a sisterly embrace on the border between the ancient kingdoms of Kumaon and Garwhal in the state of Uttaranchal. 2006 is the 70th anniversary of the first ascent of this mythical peak, the culmination of probably one of the last great epics of mountain exploration. This, then, is a good year to launch our treks here.
Our trek takes us from narrow gorges with rivers thundering far below, over snow bridges to high pastures, and the stone villages that were the homes of the pundits, the first real geographers of Tibet. And then to the peaks; we cross glaciers and crevasse fields to stunning views of the sisters, and their friends, Nanda Kot and Kat.
For lovers of the remote, and those wanting to linger and learn, rather then just pass through, this trek has it all.
Outline Itinerary
There is a detailed itinerary lower on the page. Joel and Lobsang spent six weeks in the area in 2005, this trek is the result of that research.
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