Changabang from inside the Nanda Devi Sanctuary?

A couple of days back I learned from social media that a jumbo sized (14 member, 6 sherpas, 2 cooks etc) expedition is going to climb Changabang. In an interview to Dream Wanderlust website the expedition leader has mentioned that they are going to climb the mountain either by the West Face ( of Boardman-Tasker fame) or cross into the Rhamani glacier, climb Shipton's col, get to Changabang glacier then climb the mountain by its East ridge (Chris Bonington route). Now, my question to the Indian Mountaineering Foundation is, are they allowing groups to go into the inner sanctuary of Nanda Devi? Is the Nanda Devi sanctuary open? Or is this a special case doing yet another covert operation? Because all the intended route described by the team leader clearly falls inside the inner sanctuary of the Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve.

Anindya Mukherjee

anindya.adventuremania@gmail.com