Changabang | |
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Changabang
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Elevation | 6,864 m (22,520 ft) |
Prominence | circa 300 m (1000 ft) [1] |
Location | |
Location | Garhwal Division, Uttarakhand, India |
Range | Garhwal Himalayas |
Climbing | |
First ascent | 4 June 1974 by Tashi Chewang, Balwant Sandhu, Chris Bonington, Martin Boysen, Dougal Haston, Doug Scott[2] |
Easiest route | Southeast Face/East Ridge (snow/ice climb) |
Changabang is a mountain in the Garhwal Himalaya of Uttarakhand, India. It is part of a group of peaks that form the northeast wall of the Nanda Devi Sanctuary. It is a particularly steep and rocky peak, and all routes on it are serious undertakings. It has been the site of many significant climbs. It does not have a high topographic prominence, being slightly lower than its near neighbor Kalanka to the east, and lower than many other peaks in the immediate vicinity, but its steep rocky profile has made it a more attractive destination than its elevation would indicate.
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Changabang was first climbed on 4 June 1974 by an expedition led by Lt. Col Balwant Sandhu and Chris Bonington, via the Southeast Face, leading to the East Ridge. This is the easiest route on the mountain, and one of the few that is primarily a snow/ice climb, as opposed to a rock climb with some snow, ice, or mixed terrain.[2]
Other notable ascents include some of the hardest climbs ever done in the Himalaya.
On 12 October 2006, two Mexican climbers, Andrés Delgado and Alfonso de la Parra, were successful in climbing Changabang by a new route. While descending, they encountered a storm and were reported officially missing by the Indian Mountaineering Federation since 15 October, when they made a contact via satellite phone. India put on a rescue effort despite harsh weather conditions, but on 8 November 2006, the search for them was canceled due to inclement weather.[8][9]