Expedition Report: Longstaff Col and Pachu Col 2024

In June 2024, the expedition to Longstaff Col and Pachu Col, led by Raju Chakraborty and a team of Indian climbers, was a challenging yet successful journey through the remote Himalayas. Starting from Munsyari, the team navigated difficult terrain and unpredictable weather. They reached Longstaff Col on June 15 after battling rockfalls, snowstorms, and treacherous ascents. The team then proceeded toward Pachu Col, where they became the first Indian team to reach the col, marking a significant exploratory achievement. Despite exhaustion and depleting rations, they completed the expedition safely, returning to Munsyari on June 23.

The following expedition report is provided by team member Runa Dey.

Nanda Devi Base Camp

Expedition report

Reported by Runa Dey

On June 3, 2024, Sumanta Bose from Gaighata, West Bengal, and I boarded the Bagh Express from Howrah Station at 9:45 PM. Our team leader, Raju Chakraborty, along with our two Sherpas, Lopsang and Lakchong, were scheduled to board the same train from Asansol around midnight. We arrived at Kathgodam on the morning of June 5, where we were joined by the other four members of our team: Jibin Joseph (Kerala), Chandramauli Singh, Mayukh Banik, and Srikumar M (Tamil Nadu). With all seven members and our two Sherpas assembled, we took a reserved cab to Munsyari, where our remaining three high-altitude porters (HAPs) Dev Singh, Pratap Singh, and Narendra Singh were waiting.

Route Map

June 6 was primarily spent in purchasing groceries, vegetables, kerosene, visiting local authorities, and completing the final packing. After organizing the load, we found we would need seven local assistant porters (LAPs), whom we hired that day. The following morning, we set out at 6:00 AM in two reserved vehicles to Rargari, the last point of motor able road, where we began our trek towards Bugudiyar. Reaching Bugudiyar by noon, we decided to push for another two hours to Nahar Devi, where we set up camp for the night.

Our initial itinerary was:

On the morning of June 8, we started early from Nahar Devi and reached Reilkot by late afternoon amidst a light drizzle. We set up camp by the river. To conserve rations, we decided to arrange meals for the local assistant porters (LAPs) at a nearby hotel, as they had been consuming more than anticipated. The LAPs had also been complaining about the heavy load, so we redistributed their packs before dinner.

The next day, we headed for Lawa Village, passing through Martoli. At Martoli, we were fortunate to witness the inauguration ceremony of the beautiful Pahari Nanda Mata temple, which we had seen under construction during our descent from Traill’s Pass in June 2022. Reaching Martoli top, there is an initial steep descent to Salang Nala and crossing the makeshift bridge took a strenuous climb and reached Lawa Village by 3:00 PM, only to find no available water. Remembering past experiences, we pushed on to Bugaldhar/Pattajhar camp, about an hour and a half further ahead, which had two reliable streams on either side of the campsite. We spent the night comfortably at Bugaldhar on a soft bed of wild shrubs.

Pattajhar Campsite

On June 10, we proceeded to Nanda Devi Base Camp, where we relaxed by late evening. We tried persuading the LAPs to carry our loads one additional camp, but they declined, so we paid them and provided food for their return journey.

June 11 was dedicated to rest and acclimatization. We focused on redistributing loads, performing a final gear check, and practicing rope-fixing on a nearby slope in the afternoon. Our main challenge was managing the additional load previously carried by the seven LAPs, which now fell on us. To lighten our packs, we decided to leave some clothes and rations (required for our Pachu Col expedition) at Base Camp, moving forward with only the bare essentials and necessary equipment for Longstaff Col.

The following day, we reached Longstaff Col (LSC) Advanced Base Camp [30? 20.246’N, 080? 00.812’E; Alt. 4910mtrs.] by late afternoon, exhausted from the added weight. On June 13, we sent our two Sherpas and one HAP for route opening and locating a place for an intermediate camp, while Pratap Singh and Dev Singh went for a load ferry to ABC. They returned early and handled the kitchen duties. Some team members took an acclimatization walk, while others enjoyed the scenic beauty. The route opening team returned to camp by late evening and reported that partial rope fixing was done and a suitable place to set up intermediate camp was located.

Advance Base Camp

On June 14, we set off early, reaching the Intermediate/Hanging Camp [30? 20.411’N, 080? 00.345’E; Alt. 5230mtrs.] by late afternoon after a challenging ascent, jumaring over loose, decayed rock. The intermediate (or "Hanging") camp had space for only three tents, so we decided to send Dev, Narendra, and Pratap back to the Advanced Base Camp, where we had left a back-up tent. They were to rejoin us on the route next morning, starting by 4:00 AM.

Hanging Camp

June 15 was the day of our final push towards Longstaff’s Col. We started early and reached the waterfall, our primary obstacle, by 11:30 AM. There, we had to wait in line to jumar up the tricky section, which had become even more treacherous as the waterfall gained strength. With constant rockfall from above, it felt like a death zone! Once we crossed the waterfall, we began the exhausting climb and the weather condition started to deteriorate.

By 4:00 PM, snowfall began, with intermittent whiteouts adding to the challenge. We had used up our 1,000 meters of fixed ropes but managed to use some left by previous groups. Some of our rock pitons were dislodged under the strain of 12 climbers and the brittle rock. We faced a critical decision: either to jumar up or scramble through; it was a do-or-die moment. At 5:00 PM, Dev, Narendra, and Pratap met us on their way down, returning to ABC due to insufficient space at the Col. We sent some butane with them to be left at the intermediate camp, agreeing to regroup the next day at the waterfall’s edge.

On the way towards Longstaff Col

Utterly exhausted, we finally reached Longstaff’s Col [30? 20.358’N, 079? 59.825’E; Alt. 5852mtrs.] amidst snow and whiteout conditions by 6:00 PM and scrambled into our tents. There was little else we could do but have a light meal of Maggi before we collapsed into sleep.

On the Longstaff Col

Early the next morning, we offered our prayers to the mountain gods, took pictures, and savoured the breath taking beauty of Nanda Devi’s inner sanctuary. Although we had initially planned to spend the day atop the Col, we had to abandon this due to limited rations (only enough for one meal) and an unfavourable weather forecast for the evening. We began rappelling down in turns and reached the intermediate camp by afternoon. After a brief rest, we continued our descend to Advanced Base Camp, arriving by 5:00 PM. We were all relieved and grateful that our Longstaff Col attempt had been completed successfully, with all members being safe.

On June 17, we set off for Bhitalgwar, our intended base for the Pachu Col attempt. Four of us descended from the true left side of the Gori Ganga River toward Bhitalgwar, while the other eight members crossed the river to retrace along the right bank and retrieve our rations and gear from Base Camp. However, they were unable to cross back by evening due to the rising water levels, so we set up two camps on either side of the river. With no rations on our side, we improvised a pulley system to bring over two tents and some packed dinner.

That evening, Mayukh and Chandramauli informed us that they would return, as they did not feel confident about attempting Pachu Col.

The next day, June 18, we ferried loads and completed a river crossing early in the morning, reuniting our camp on the Bhitalgwar side [30? 20.116’N, 080? 03.089’E; Alt. 4402mtrs.] and pushing a little ahead to the base of the dual waterfall. Mayukh and Chandramauli departed with a foreign team based at Nanda Devi Base Camp. At 9:00 AM, we sent our two Sherpas (Lopsang and Lakchong), along with Dev and Narendra in pairs, via two different routes for a route survey. We had minimal rations left, and the ropes we retrieved were insufficient for crossing Pachu Col. Our captain decided we would attempt Pachu Col lightly equipped, carrying only a day’s rations and sleeping bags, aiming for the elusive col on the left ridge of Nanda Lapak.

Lopsang and Lakchong returned to camp by 3:00 PM, but Dev and Narendra lost their way and didn’t arrive until 6:00 PM, causing much anxiety. On June 19, we set out early, following the right waterfall behind Bhitalgwar, and reached the Advanced Base Camp for Nanda Lapak [30? 20.84’N, 080? 03.266’E; Alt. 4970mtrs.], by 2:00 PM. We had a light lunch and took in the area’s pristine, unexplored beauty. By evening, however, the weather began to turn once again.

On June 20, we planned to start at 5:00 AM, but a complete whiteout delayed us! Ready to go, we waited as the team debated whether it would be safer to descend instead. At 7:00 AM, our captain instructed the Sherpas to begin the ascent, and by 8:00 AM, we were following. What initially appeared to be just one final ridge and hump to the col proved far more challenging. We waited beside a glacial pool for nearly an hour, relying on whistles to communicate since our Sherpas, who were opening the route ahead, were out of sight and all our walkie-talkies had drained out.

Eventually, we sent our cook, Pratap (an experienced route finder) ahead to help us navigate. He guided us across the first ridge, leading to a notorious free climb section. Although we had brought our climbing gear to the Nanda Lapak Advanced Base Camp, most of us did not have it with them, so we had to rely on free climbing. Under a shifting mix of sunlight and whiteouts, we reached Pachu Col [30? 21.518’N, 080? 03.219’E; Alt. 5389mtrs.] using the last of our fixed rope. It was a truly exploratory achievement, marking us as the First Indian team to reach the Col. Unfortunately, the other side of the Col was obscured by the whiteout, and could not be explored.

On the Pachu Col

After a quick puja ceremony, we descended amidst snowfall, passed Nanda Lapak ABC by 1:00 PM, and continued down to Bhitalgwar.

On June 23, we were scheduled to reach Munsyari, as our train reservations were for the night of the 24th. So, on the morning of the 21st, we set off for Martoli—a challenging target after climbing two Cols on exhausted legs. We arrived in Martoli around 8:00 PM, barely able to eat a few bites before collapsing into sleep from sheer exhaustion. The strain on our legs was immense.

TThe next day, we started early and made our way to Nahar Devi, stopping for a light breakfast at a roadside dhaba. At Nahar Devi, we split accommodations—some of us stayed in a dhaba, while three members pitched a tent. With rations nearly exhausted, we had dinner at the dhaba.

On the morning of the 23rd, we managed to get a ride on a road construction company truck to Bugudiyar. After breakfast there, we arranged for a cab from Munsyari to Ragari. We walked the last 4 kilometers to Rargari Bridge, where our cab was waiting, and arrived in Munsyari by 1:00 PM.

Sunrise at the Longstaff Col