MT. KAMET EXPEDITION (7756m.)

HIGHLIGHTS

• Region:- Joshimath.
• Total Duration – 29 Nights / 30 Days
• Style Of Trip – Climbing
• Maximum Altitude –  7756 m.
• Grade – Difficult
• Best Season – May, June  and September, October
• Accommodation – Hotel/Guesthouse; Organized Campsite
• Food – On trek – All meals included
• Mt. Kamet is an exceptional summit heightening about 7756m. in remote Garwal Himalayas. It is amongst the most glorious summits in the world and is second highest in the state of Uttrakhand. Mt. Kamet has a long approach through steep hikes over meadows devoid of vegetation endless moraine field’s glacial lakes ice fields lasting long enough to test the limits. It is the technical peak requiring long range of experience to sustain in inclement weather conditions devastating winds ready to torn of camps in mere seconds. The peak was climbed numerous times and first being climbed by Frank Smythe, E.B. Beauman, R.L Hordsworth, Eric Shipmen in 1931. This route from Meads Col was established by C.F. Mead providing the summit to be accessible. The Col divides the eastern Abi Gamin from Mt. Kamet and the base is being set up above camp IV for subsequent attempts. The route offers the exclusive hardships unmatched with its incredible rocky mountain of sheer challenges.
• It all starts from the high altitude village of Niti, a cluster of local dwellers living in remote Garwal Himalayas. Initially the route goes moderate to unexpected uphills to the base located near Vasundhra Tal. Further similar glacial lakes emerge and vanish as we pass the barren lands engulfed with mounds of huge boulders and rocks throughout. En route Mana, Deoban and Ganesh Parbat are ready to be glimpsed. Ahead treading towards ABC is tedious and the moraine stretches will keep accompanying and distressing ones spirits. At ABC all the loads are prepared and distributed, climbing route towards further camps are discussed and finalized. Requisite load ferries are performed to the further camps and dumped. The route presents dangers of avalanches rock falls at higher altitudes. Soon the camp I is established the task of ferrying load commences again to certain the requirements of the safe expedition. During ascend to camp II there are multiple crevasses, steep slopes of ice and boulders and dreadful noises of frequent avalanches. Apart from it campsite opens panoramic view of east face Kamet, Mead’s Col and the first glimpse of Abi Gamin. Ascending above to camp III slushy snow, boulders and rock ad icy gully will be waiting to be negotiated. Camp IV can be seen clearly as a non impenetrable fortress surrounded by towering rock and ice wall. Establishing camp IV would be trickiest climbing experience on notorious hard ice wall climbing where digging crampons is a tiring task and the rocky face below camp IV. After camp IV continue the quest to establish camp V located on the vast ice field, vast as three football fields, through Mead’s Col. which reveals deadliest winds speeding upto 80 knots. At the camp V we will wait for the best weather window and hit the right time in the midnight. The weather can be furious at such deadly altitudes and it is necessary to observe the right conditions for a safe climbing. The summit attempt is made via north east edge of the Mt. Kamet’s north face a less technical approach lie across deep and half concealed crevasses. The gradient steepens considerably on hard ice covered with thin layer of snow. As we ascend higher consequent lack of oxygen will hamper climbers seriously and along to it the summit ridge is narrow, as narrow as a single person can walk on knife like edge. The summit slope on the north falls steeply to the Mead’s Col and to the south falls gently to the southern rock precipice of Mt. Kamet. After spending some quality time at 7756m on Mt. Kamet’s summit we will descend carefully to the camp V rest there and so on the rest of the campsites taking requisite measures until we reach back to the civilization. It takes almost a month to cover the whole expedition which means returning back to inhabitation would spur to a strange feeling of returning back in the busy lives of the world.