Mount Kanamo Expedition, May-June 2017
Location: Kibber, Spiti Valley
Elevation: 19600 Feet
Difficulty Level: Moderate to Tough
Best time to Visit: July, August for clear sky
Wind: 25-40 mph
The Middle Land
Spiti is known as a cold desert
with average temperatures of between -30 to 30 C in the winter and 1 to 28o C
in summer. The Spiti region of Lahual and Spiti district spans an area of more
than 12,000 sq. km. The local community is agro-pastoral and largely Buddhist.
They cultivate traditional crops of barley and black pea and a cash crop of
green peas. The livestock they rear includes yak, dzo and dzomo (hybrids of yak
and cow), cow, goat, sheep and donkey.
Pic Taken by-Shravan Kumar Poshetty
Chandradeep Chatterjee, Nikita Chavan, Dinesh Nandanwar and Shravan Poshetty has trekked up Mount Kanamo, the third- highest peak in the Spiti Valley of Himachal Pradesh. Peers Rahul Sanas, Meenakshi Sundaram, Khusboo from Mumbai, Nakul Jain from Rajasthan, Manoj Gowda from Bangalore, Renuka Patel and Harshil Patel from Surat stayed back due to acute mountain sickness. After reaching till 300 feet away from the peak, we felt accomplished and blessed to be treated to the unique vistas of snow and forested beauty.
Photo: Shravan Kumar
Poshetty.
We had spent the time in the
heartbreakingly beautiful Spiti Valley in Himachal Pradesh. We stayed at Norling
Home Stay at Kibber village, perched atop a rocky ridge offering a splendid
view of the surrounding peaks. These ranges support a variety of wildlife
including wild ungulates such as the ibex and bharal, small mammals like the
mountain hare and carnivores including the red fox, wolf and the charismatic
snow leopard. The boundaries between people and wildlife, if any, are blurred
as wildlife is pervasive throughout the landscape, so is the sparse human use
of the mountains, primarily in the form of livestock grazing. The small village
of Kibber, located at 4,200 m. and we were looking forward to some real
adventure in the mountains through the Mt. Kanamo summit.
The opportunity arrived at my
door in midst of May’2017 from my friend to climb Mount Kanamo, the third
highest peak in Spiti and the only one that can be done without hardcore
mountain gear. In the event, I decided to go to sar pass through YHAI and then spend
couple of days preparing to ascend to the summit, which would involve a two-day
climb.
THE FIRST STEPS
We group of 11 trekkers reached
Kibber on 30th May’17 midnight, where we hired three porters, one
guide and four donkeys were loaded with tents and supplies. Donkeys are the
beasts of burden in this landscape.
After about 2and a half hours of
continuous trekking with small breaks we reached advance base camp @16500 feet
crossing beautiful Kanamo lake and the first patches of snow appeared. I
marveled as it melted and then disappeared in my hands.
Photo: Shravan Kumar Poshetty
We halted at advanced base camp
that day for next sunrise, Our group of 15 included local guides, and we got
along very well indeed… a critical factor on long treks!
On the way we also saw some
really interesting fossils, probably ammonites. Millions of years ago, the
collision between the Indo-Australian and Eurasian plates had resulted in the
Himalayan mountain chain rising out of the Tethys Sea. The fossils were the
remains of ancient sea creatures lodged in sedimentary rocks.
All of our guides were born and
brought up in these mountains, they were hardy and fast. By the time we reached
the advanced base, they had already pitched the tents at an altitude of 16500
feet. Grateful for some rest, I looked at the breathtaking beauty all around
us. It was like nature was being extra kind and rewarding me with its finest
landscapes.
Throughout the trek one thought
refused to leave me. Snow leopard! We were gratified to see its scat, and we could
site a red fox on a clear note. Little wonder snow leopard is referred to as
the grey ghost of the mountains. It was seriously cold due to relentless snow
flake fall. A quick glance at the thermometer outside my tent, showed it was 12o C
below zero. I had made it thus far and a sense of contentment washed over me. I
looked further up towards the snow-white Kanamo mountain peaks, which appeared
to be gentle and alluring. But I knew enough about mountains to pray for good
weather the next morning. Huddled in my warm sleeping bag, I was out for the
count almost before my head hit the pillow.
Photo: Nikita Chavan.
THE ASCENT
After some tea and a quick
breakfast of Kichidi (I moved with empty stomach and only four (Nikita Chavan,
Chandradeep Chatterjee from Mumbai, Dinesh Nandanwar from Pune and Myself from
Hyderabad of our team has set out just as the rising sun cast its rays on the
snow-capped mountains to usher in a new day. The peaks seemed to exude a
luminous glow. We started on our ascent to Kanamo after we wished by rest of
the troop and all of us wanted to make it extra special by celebrating it at
the very top. We maintained a slow but regular pace over the gradual ascent.
The peak was literally shrouded in a huge blanket of snow with continued snow
fall, with a wind @40 miles/hour and we were eager to reach it, touch it, savor
its splendor.
Myself, Chandradeep Chatterjee,
Nikita Chavan and Dinesh Nandanwar has completed with a step on the summit at
19300 ft marking it as final stretch as the last 300 ft is concealed with snow
storm.
Standing at that point,
contemplating the fact that I had actually made it very near, my exhaustion
began to seep away and I turned 360o to take in the
overwhelming Himalayan vistas. The ranges were a never-ending vista of snow and
when a strong wind began to blow, reminding us not to tarry, I smiled at the
thought that even the wind and the relentless snowfall seemed to be thumping our
back for successfully making it to point at 300 feet away. We held hands in
prayer and in deference to the Kanamo peak she had allowed us all to climb to
that far.
On our return we had bagged loads
of memories to cherish for rest of the times, and managed to return to the base
camp. The pain and exhaustion forgotten, the feelings of accomplishment and
happiness kept me in good cheer.
Last but not least, One has to
check the physical fitness as it involves continuous trek in heavy snow fall
and one can get used to the remedy for acute mountain sickness which is Diamox
as and when required. Acute mountain sickness can lead to Vomiting’s, Nausea,
Indigestion, Sleeplessness, Diarrhea, Sever headache etc. and it can also lead
to Cerebral Edema and Pulmonary Edema if not addressed promptly.
May Kanamo and other beautiful
peaks that we are blessed with always be a beacon for human spirit.
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