Kolkata: With the climbing season back in the Himalayas, mountaineers from Bengal have started scaling heights to achieve remarkable feats. Kolkata-based Surjo Chowdhury climbed Mt Ama Dablam (6,812 m)—known as the ‘Matterhorn of the Himalayas' due to its soaring ridges and steep faces— and 64-year-old Basanta Singh Roy led a team to the summit of Mt Gori Chen, the third highest Himalayan peak in north-eastern India. Both achieved success on Oct 21.
Located in the eastern Himalayas, Mt Ama Dablamis still out of bounds for many Everest summiteers due to its structure. "Ama Dablam is one of the most difficult peaks in the Himalayas. In fact, our first attempt for the summit to Ama Dablam was not successful due to bad weather conditions and a very long stretch from camp II to the summit," said Debashis Biswas, Everest summiteer and an Arjuna awardee from Kolkata.
The challenge starts from camp I as the climber has to gain nearly 1,280 meters in altitude while reaching there from the base camp. The next big challenge is crossing the yellow tower, which falls between camp I and camp II. After the yellow tower, climbers have to negotiate with the grey tower and mushroom ridge. "Loose boulders and steep climbs in these areas need a lot of self-confidence. Finally, a long walk from camp II to the summit," said Chowdhury.
Singha Roy led a team of five climbers from the Mountaineers' Association of Krishnanagar to the summit of Mount Gori Chen (6,630 m), also known as the ‘White Giant.'"There is a steep climb of around 50 meters before the summit. One has to climb by front-pointing or using the front points of the crampons. This requires a lot of muscle strength, and a climber loses energy levels fast," Rumpa Das, a team member, said.