UKH

The IMF and Uttarakhand government have (re)opened 30 peaks in Uttarakand. The IMF and Uttarakhand gov will share 25% of the royalties between themselves which should make the ‘peak fees’ less expensive. I think this is part of the IMF’s move to encourage more expeditions to India.

Note that several of these peaks have been officially climbed before and others ‘unofficially’ climbed for acclimatisation purposes. Many haven’t been attempted since the 1990s so access may have changed.

There is/was a 1990s Polish compilation book- Climbs in the Gawal (don’t have it to hand) which detailed all the Garwal mountains and routes on them to that date. May be hard to get hold of now.

Will have to sit down and add these peaks to my data base but most are off the Gangotri glacier complex.

Enjoy the planning

List of newly opened peaks in Uttarakhand:

1) AVALANCHE: 6443 m

2) BHARIGU PARBAT: 6041 m

3) KALIDHANG: 6373 m

4) YANBUK: 5953 m

5) RATANGARIAN: 5858 m

6) CHIRBAS PARBAT: 6529 m

7) MAHALAYA PARBAT: 5947 m

8) BALAKUN: 6471 m

9) BETARTHOLI: 6352 m

10) BETARTHOLI SOUTH: 6318 m

11) BHAGNYU: 5706 m

12) GARUR PARBAT: 6507 m

13) GARUR FORKED: 6267 m

14) PARBATI PARBAT: 6257 m

15) PAWAGARH: 5306 m

16) PURBI DUNAGIRI: 6489 m

17) RISHI PAHAR: 6992 m

18) NARAYAN PARBAT: 5965 m

19) NAR PARBAT: 5855 m

20) DANGTHAL: 6050 m

21) DEVISTHAN -I: 6678 m

22) DEVISTHAN - II: 6529 m

23) DEVTOLI: 6788 m

24) DUNAGIRIL 7066 m

25) JANHUKOT: 6806 m

26) LAMCHIR: 5662 m

27) LAMCHIR SOUTH: 5209 m

28) LAMPAK SOUTH: 6234 m

29) MAHALAYA PARBAT: 5947 m

30) MANDA-II: 6529 m

31) MANDA-III: 6510 m

32) NANDA BHANAR: 6269 m

33) NANDA KHANI: 6029 m

34) NANDA LAPAK: 5782 m

35) PANCHACHULI-II: 6904 m

36) PANCHACHULI-III: 6312 m

37) PANCHACHULI-IV: 6334 m

38) RISHI KOT: 6236 m

39) RISHI KOT: 6911 m

40) SUMERU PARBAT: 6330 m

In reply to apache:

A great part of the world and good access from Delhi

In reply to apache: Thank you for that. Some interesting peaks on there Now if the IMF and Nepal could only follow Pakistans example and get rid of the need for unnecessary L/Os and their associated costs more people might be interested

In reply to apache:

My 2cents worth of LOs having dealt with them since the 1990s.

LOs while expensive and on popular peaks can be viewed as unnecessary and a hindrance do prove invaluable on remote or complex peaks esp when dealing with authorities and the military.
Many of them are experienced mountaineers in their own rights and looking to expand their technical knowledge. Most are no longer the career soldier sent to ‘chaperone’ an expedition around the place and be obstructive and wanting to get lots of nice new gear from the expedition, but rather want to contribute to the expedition’s success.

Part of the cost of the LO is the IMF charging for the hire of gear for the LO- many young LOs have their own gear and forego the IMFs gear. By using gear from the IMF, the expedition isn’t face with the situation of being told the LO was coming from Tamil Nadu with size 7 feet and having a 6ft 8” Sikh size 12 officer arrive at the IMF.

Seeing how mountaineering and the various ice climbing festival have been taking off in India recently maybe we should consider passing some of our experience on to the LO, if they want it, while at the same time being mindful of the expedition’s purpose.

In reply to L.A.:

Yes, India could gain quite a lot, for almost no cost, by opening up many areas so it's like the Cordillera Blanca or Bolivia. Particularly with new roads and newly opened roads, there are dozens of suitable 6000m peaks of moderate difficulty within reach of roads, enabling the 2-3 week trip that so many now can only get away for. Actual locals could provide whatever service was necessary - jeep ride, horses, portering etc.

The cost is almost never in the peak fees, or even the LO themselves, but in all the add-ons that the agencies deem necessary, particularly if you have an LO - cook, cook assistant, cook tent, etc - plus guide etc. But this is where they make their money, all those little margins. But does anyone NOT use an agency anymore? Not sure I'd like to organise a 'proper' expedition in India doing all the IMF stuff in 38degC Delhi myself, dealing with the LO myself, finding and organising all transport, all porters, by myself with the LO - then wrapping it all up by myself afterwards. And I say this having done three climbing trips to India in the last seven years, and having organised countless climbing expeditions myself on multiple continents.