Soliloquy of a Wandering Pilgrim

In autumn,2008, a four-member team from the Alpine Club became the first climbers to explore the head of the little-known Obra Valley, an area of sub-6,000m peaks west of the Bandarpunch-Swargarohini Group in India's far Western Garhwal.    After driving to the road head at Jakhol via Mussoorie, Derek Buckle, Toto Gronlund, Martin Scott and Bill Thurston made a three-day trek to a scenic grassy base camp at 4,055m, arriving in early October. The middle reaches of the Obra are dominated by the splendid icy Ranglana (5,554m), which had previously been the main objective of the only other climbing team to visit this valley: the British pair Gerry and Louise Wilson, with Indian Himalaya guru Harish Kapadia and seven friends. Conditions were poor during a 2006 visit and only a lower summit, Dhodu Ka Gunchha (5,130m), was climbed. Ranglana was not attempted, and neither were the highest peaks, Pts 5,849m and 5,760m , which lie at the head of the valley above the Devkir Glacier. Th...

We are now all set for upcoming expedition to Mount Manirang (6593m) the highest peak in Spiti, Himachal Pradesh. Its going to be small team with faces old and new in Adventure Mania.   Martin Muecke, a climber whom I met in Russia and raced on Elbrus is coming down. Rajeev Ranjan who had joined me in one of exploration treks in remote kishong valley of North Sikkim in 2006 is back with us this year. Matthew Duffy, currently living and working in Mumbai is the new face.   Its going to be same team from Adventure Mania as well with me and Thendup leading the climb; Kiran and Indra will act as support crew. Since I have tried to keep the costs low, it will be a lightweight, semi-alpine style dash on the mountain with the factors of altitude in mind and body. I have called Kaza and Keylong this morning to find out that the high passes of Rhotang and Kunzumla will open by end of this month. And the roads till the last village of our climb is in good condition.   This year, we at A...

Parangla Trek: September 2009 Dates: September 3, 2009- September 26, 2009 Easter Trek to Singalila Ridge : March 2010 Dates: March 27, 2010 to April 11, 2010 Note: both these treks will have Yoga Sessions by Hilde Wasserfall (Germany). Please email us for more info. -- Adventure Mania official website: http://www.adventuremania.com/ Upcoming Trips blog: http://adventuremania-india.blogspot.com/ Raja's personal blog: http://himalaya-raja.blogspot.com/ Real Adventure Journeys Across Himalaya Call Raja: +91 97487 61139 Optional Number :+91 92305 11139

West sikkim objectives around goecha la area. I took this pictures about 10 days ago. This peaks have not been attempted from this side ever. The glacier in the foreground of the pictures is Onglathang glacier. The mountain kanchenjunga is unmistakeable of course. But some of the pictures show opportunites and may be possible lines up Talung, Kabru and Forked peak. There has not been many crossing of the Goechala. Talung glacier can open up a possible approach to Kabru and some lesser peaks from a completely different angle.   I am very excited about my plans to cross Goechala this month and then traverse the Talung glacier to the East and then follow the river all the way down to Mangan. It has NOT been done for last 120 years. Claude White the first political officer to Sikkim did this exploration expedition in 1890. I was lucky to find his book in the Darjeeling Oxford book store and since then it has been insipiring me to go on this journey following his footsteps.   I think ...

"There's no sense in going further--it's the edge of cultivation, So they said, and I believed it--broke my land and sowed my crop-- Built my barns and strung my fences in the little border station Tucked away below the foothills where the trails run out and stop: Till a voice, as bad as Conscience, rang interminable changes On one everlasting Whisper day and night repeated--so: "Something hidden. Go and find it. Go and look behind the Ranges-- "Something lost behind the Ranges. Lost and waiting for you. Go!"... The Explorer- Rudyard Kipling On one everlasting Whisper day... I have always tried to inspire myself ( not succeeded always though). Sometimes when all the Bob Dylan, David Gray, Kipling, treks and climbs on well known path seem a little dull; its time for me to " look behind the ranges.." Well looks like its going to be another of those crazy projects that I have had in the past! My job takes to me to the spectacular Onglathang ...

The sky is grey what should have been seen as a challenge seem to have taken shape of a cancer   and my vision is unclear my naked ape instincts are fading and holi is here... our very own festival of colours   can the colours heal these wounds of this 'slumdog' existance even though they give oscars to our scars of shame and 'booker' to white tigers   its time to escape to the mountains...   -- Adventure Mania official website: www.adventuremania.com Upcoming Trips blog: http://adventuremania-india.blogspot.com Raja's personal blog: http://himalaya-raja.blogspot.com Real Adventure Journeys Across Himalaya Call Raja:  +91 97487 61139 Optional Number :+91 92305 11139

5 persons, 4 days and we brought down 200 kilos of platsic litter and another 100 kilos of misc garbage. They were brought down to the incineretor at the Darjeling zoo (thanks to Sumita Ghatak, DFO, Wildlife-I, Darjeeling)!   Wonder if this action that we have just done becomes infectious, and everyone starts picking up litter from the Singalila trails, the Army (SSB to be specific) stops throwing their empty alcohol bottles outside their camps, the private tea house owners collect plastic litter and keep their neighbourhood clean!!!! Imagine.. a better, cleaner mountains....( since we have raped our cities alreday...)...spare the mountains..if you please!   -- Adventure Mania official website: www.adventuremania.com Upcoming Trips blog: http://adventuremania-india.blogspot.com Raja's personal blog: http://himalaya-raja.blogspot.com Real Adventure Journeys Across Himalaya Call Raja:  +91 97487 61139 Optional Number :+91 92305 11139