A team of the Nature & Trekkers’ Club of Jalpaiguri (NTCJ) on Wednesday scaled Mt. Manirang, a Himalayan peak located in Himachal Pradesh at a height of
21,625 feet.
“We left Jalpaiguri earlier this month for the expedition and could make it to the summit around 10.30am on August 21. It is yet another success for the club,” said Bhaskar Das, who led the expedition, over the phone on Friday.
Although the team’s nine members, including two women, had joined the expedition, only three of them could make it to the summit, along with two high-altitude porters. The three are Das, Janak Koch and Bijoy Chakraborty.
Das said the climbers had reached Delhi from Jalpaiguri and had then gone to Maney, a village and the last motorable point in Himachal Pradesh.
On August 12, the team set up its base camp at a height of 15,000 feet.
“From there, we ferried load and could set up another camp (camp I) at 17,000 feet on August 15. On August 17, the second camp was established at 18,000 feet. The third camp (camp III) was set up on August 19 at 19,000 feet,” he said.
One of the team
members was sent back to Maney for health issues. All others could make it to Camp III, said Das.
“To make it to the summit, we decided to set up camp IV, or the advanced summit camp. Despite detrimental weather, we could set up a camp at 20,000 feet on August 20,” he said,
From the afternoon till 2am, four team members, along with the porters, stayed at the camp.
“We then started for the summit, crossing the crevices at a temperature of minus 15 degrees Celsius. However, Bishakha Sharma, one of us, fell sick and was sent back to camp III,” said Janak.
The remaining members fixed ropes on the ice walls of the mountain and
moved ahead.
“We have to confront an intense cold wind during the ascent. Also, small pebbles were regularly descending along the route. Finally, around 10.30am, we could make it to the summit,” he added.
After achieving the success, they unfurled the national flag, the club’s flag, and other flags. Then they started descending to Camp III.
“It is a major success for our club. In the coming years, we will organise similar expeditions,” said Das, who had scaled other Himalayan peaks also.
On Friday, the NTCJ team reached Maney village from the base camp.
“We will head for Manali and take a train from Delhi. On August 28, we will reach Jalpaiguri,” said Das.