Joydeep Sircar

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Joydeep Sircar (b. 1947) is a mountain-traveller and pioneer mountain-historian. In 1979 he published his Himalayan handbook, an index of all the-then named peaks of 6096 meters (20000 feet) and above in Afghanistan and the Indian subcontinent giving chronological entries of expeditions up to 1975 to each peak with a brief summary of results and references to expedition reports, after a decade of solitary research. He was inspired in this formidable undertaking by the pronouncement of the late Soli S. Mehta , Hony. Local Secretary of The Himalayan Club, that the task had never been attempted before and was well-nigh impossible. This book, introduced by the famous British mountaineer-explorer J. O. M. Roberts, one of Sircar's idols, was the first one of its kind. Printed in 500 copies only, it received excellent international notices ^[1] and became one of the basic reference resources.^{[2] [3]}

In 1982 Sircar was the first to suspect and draw public attention to the covert competition between India and Pakistan over the Siachen Glacier in an article in The Telegraph newspaper of Calcutta. ^[4] Subsequently the full essay titled "Oropolitics" came out in London in 1984.^[5] India sent troops into the Siachen Glacier the same year.

Sircar surmised the existence of a feasible pass in Himachal Pradesh, India on the Himalayan divide between Kullu and Spiti Districts. He led three expeditions to the high range separating the Upper Parbati valley from the unexplored Debsa Glacier in 1992,1993 and 1995.The Debsa Pass named by him was reached in 1993 and crossed in 1995, and the team descended the unexplored Debsa Glacier to the Parahio Valley ^{[6] [7]}. The pass has become a regular route as it saves two days over the traditional Kullu-Spiti route by the Pin-Parbati Pass.

Sircar has taken part in a number of other mountaineering expeditions, and is a poet, essayist, birdwatcher and conservationist.

[edit] References

1. ^ The Alpine Journal, 1980, The Alpine Club, London
2. ^ e.g.High Asia : an illustrated guide to the 7000 metre peaks by Jill Neate, The Mountaineers, 1989
3. ^ History
4. ^ The Telegraph - Calcutta : Nation
5. ^ The Alpine Journal, 1984, The Alpine Club, London
6. ^ Expedition report Backdoor to Spiti: Debsa 1992-1995 by J. Sircar, Royal Geographical Society archives
7. ^ Missing Controller