The first crossing of Chaukhamba Col

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4. The first crossing of Chaukhamba Col

Chaukhamba Col (6042 meters) reached (climbing 400 meters of straight wall & a final hanging ice-wall / cornice of 60 mtrs) after 101 years following the footsteps of Legendary Mountaineer C.F. Meade on 26th May, 2013. We followed his indication and crossed over the col to the Gangotri Glacier (for the FIRST time) jumping down two steps of the ice - fall (approx 900 meters) to reach the bergschrund separating the neve (the snow accumulation point) of Gangotri glacier & the wall of Chaukhamba massif. We enjoyed the fall of Partha (loss of the foam mattress of Partha and near survival of Rucksack of his, Kamal & Raghubir from the gaping Bergchund below .. two excellent porters of ours), two Big Avalanches (and many smaller ones), High wind on the col (at least 160 kms / hr getting in from the Gangotri glacier to Bhagirath kharak. The speed measured thinking of the power as Biman and I had to cross the gaping 70 meters of it making human chain and walking sideways) and while climbing down the ice fall, Falling in crevasses (too many times) & Bergschrunds (Partha experienced a massive hamstring pull so we couldn't proceed to our next goal Gangotri col and had to come down following the Gangotri glacier instead of finishing at Kedarnath). Biplab Baidya & Ritz zz were the other two members & Devram & Kirtan were other two porters in our five members- 4 porters team.

Team Members: Debabrata Mukherjee, Parthasarathi Moulik, Biplab Baidya, Ritabrata Saha, Biman Biswas