Kang Yatze I

Highlights

In the summer of 2013, I participated in a complex and fascinating scientific, mountaineering and photographic field project in the remote, high topography and arid region of Ladakh in the Indian Himalayas. The project was coordinated by the University of Edinburgh Geoscience Department, mainly by Dr Hugh Sinclair, Professor of Surface Geodynamics at the Drummond Institute of Geography in Edinburgh, United Kingdom. The expedition project was sponsored by the Edinburgh University Development Trust through an Innovative Initiative Grant.

The expedition team comprised: Sergiu George Jiduc as logistics leader and scientific investigator, Oliver James Forster as a scientific investigator and Christopher Lu Rubey as a photographer. Additionally, two other scientific investigators, Kirstie Dallas and Nick Robert accompanied us in the field, carrying out a slightly different research project.

The main aim of our research project was to investigate the role of glacial lake outburst floods in the 2010 extreme storm event, which resulted in the death of over 600 people and the devastation of over 50 rural settlements. Secondary objectives included the ascent of Kangyatze I (6400m) and to compose a photo-journal about the socio-cultural and environmental aspects of Ladakh.

Cultural, architectural, religious impressions

The culture of Ladakh is heavily influenced by Tibetan culture. There are more Buddhists than Muslims in certain areas and the ratio changes as one moves southwards towards the Zanskar Range. Ladakhi food has much in common with Tibetan food, with the most popular foods being thukpa (noodle soup) and tsampa, known in Ladakhi as ngampe (roasted barley flour). A dish that is strictly Ladakhi is skyu, a heavy pasta dish with root vegetables. As currency started making its place in the economy of Ladakh, food from the Indian plains gained popularity. Tea in Ladakh is traditionally made with strong green tea, butter, and salt. It is mixed in a large churn and known as gurgur cha (Butter Tea), after the sound it makes when mixed. The milk and sugar-based sweet tea made in Indian style are also common now. Most of the surplus barley that is produced is fermented into chang, an alcoholic beverage drunk especially on festive occasions.

The architecture in Ladakh resembles heavily that in Tibet and the rest of India. The monastic architecture reflects a deeply rooted Buddhist approach. The Buddhist wheel, along with two dragons, is a common feature on almost every gimp, including the likes of Hemis and Thiksey. The clothing of Ladaki people is often colourful and richly embroidered. Their social ceremonies such as weddings and the annual September harvest festival could last for days or even weeks at a time.

There are many festivals in Ladakh and they are an important part of life. The festivals mark several occasions such as harvesting, New Year, and the commemoration of the head Lamas of the founding monasteries. The festivals of Ladakh are conducted by various monasteries and often have religious masked dances, which are an important part of Ladakh's culture. The dances typically narrate a story between good and evil, which typically end up in the victory of the former. One festival we managed to see was in Phyang valley - a bizarre but interesting event. 

Ladakhis are very fond of ice hockey, which is generally played in January on natural ice. Archery is a traditional sport and many villages still conduct archery festivals, which also include drinking, dancing and gambling. Polo is another traditional sport of Ladakh.

The first week was spent in Ladakh exploring the surroundings and getting accustomed to the environmental conditions, local culture and food.  We also confirmed logistics plans and acquired supplies through our contact in the field, Fidda Hussein. After landing in Leh (3500m) we needed to acclimatize with rest and drinking large quantities of water for the first two days. Oxygen concentrations were much lower than in the lowlands of New Delhi and consequently, we all felt rather dazed. Later as we began to acclimatize, we visited some of the old Buddhist monasteries known as gompas.  These are skillfully constructed on jagged peaks, silently guarding the human settlements below like the citadels of the medieval times. 

One of these, Hemis, is considered to be an oldest and wealthiest monastery in India and it is famous for its rich collection of ancient remnants like Buddha statues made of copper, and numerous stupas (burial mounds) made of gold and silver. The Tibetan style architecture of the monastery is very colourful and attractive. The monastery is divided into two parts – the assembly hall known as Dukhang and the temple, which is called Tshogkhang. There are many monasteries in Ladakh of which we managed to visit Spituk, Stok, Leh, Thiksey and Rangdum – where we participated at a full Buddhist puja. Puja is a Pali word, which encompasses honour, worship and devotional attention. The elements involved in a puja ceremony include offerings, bowing, lights, chanting and meditation.

Schools have appeared all over, taking children out of their homes to place them in classrooms.  Unfortunately, the majority of what they learn is of questionable value, or only suitable for placing them in hard-to-find jobs in the consumer economy. Instead of learning practical, appropriate skills from parents, grandparents and siblings, young Ladakhis are now isolated into classes of their age bracket, learning lessons which have little value for their cultural and ecological context. Thankfully, initiatives such as the Students' Educational and Cultural Movement of Ladakh (SECMOL) aim to reform the educational system. Students attending SECMOL learn useful sustainability concepts and practices, which in turn will help them to face challenges such as climate change, cultural degradation and unemployment.

One of these, Hemis, is considered to be an oldest and wealthiest monastery in India and it is famous for its rich collection of ancient remnants like Buddha statues made of copper, and numerous stupas (burial mounds) made of gold and silver. The Tibetan style architecture of the monastery is very colourful and attractive. The monastery is divided into two parts – the assembly hall known as Dukhang and the temple, which is called Tshogkhang. There are many monasteries in Ladakh of which we managed to visit Spituk, Stok, Leh, Thiksey and Rangdum – where we participated at a full Buddhist puja. Puja is a Pali word, which encompasses honour, worship and devotional attention. The elements involved in a puja ceremony include offerings, bowing, lights, chanting and meditation.

Schools have appeared all over, taking children out of their homes to place them in classrooms.  Unfortunately, the majority of what they learn is of questionable value, or only suitable for placing them in hard-to-find jobs in the consumer economy. Instead of learning practical, appropriate skills from parents, grandparents and siblings, young Ladakhis are now isolated into classes of their age bracket, learning lessons which have little value for their cultural and ecological context. Thankfully, initiatives such as the Students' Educational and Cultural Movement of Ladakh (SECMOL) aim to reform the educational system. Students attending SECMOL learn useful sustainability concepts and practices, which in turn will help them to face challenges such as climate change, cultural degradation and unemployment.

Mountaineering against the odds: Kang Yatze I 6,496 meters

After more than five weeks of geographical fieldwork, the desire to climb a mountain had grown strong in me. Unfortunately, our proposed exploration trip to the notorious Shyok valley of the Great Eastern Karakoram, where I also intended to ascend a 6000m peak, had not been approved by the Indian Military Authorities. The military officials, stationed at the entrance of the Shyok valley informed us that to have access to the valley, we needed a special permit from the Indian Defence Minister. This permit could only be obtained by applying four to six months in advance. Additionally, the application must include a strong mountaineering component, such as climbing a 7000m peak.

Quite disappointed by this bureaucratic nonsense, we had to accept the outcome of our daring mission and think of an alternative to spend the remaining time and food resources. After consulting the map and discussing with the local community of Shyok village, we decided to go to Pangong Tso (Lake). This narrow mass of enclosed glacial water (134km long) is situated at 4350m altitude, between the borders of India and China, only 50km distance from Shyok village. After a couple of hours driving through a massive gorge, cut in the hard Cenozoic plutonic granites, of a type only seen in the Karakoram, we arrived at this elongated endorheic lake. Our spirits were quite low due to our failed Shyok mission. Additionally, Oliver was suffering from a form of gut infection, which made him very weak. To make matters worse, strong gusts of wind blowing from the East were bringing large quantities of fine sand, severely blinding us while pitching the tent.

In one of the tents, pitched on the lake’s western shore, we met a group of Israeli travellers who came from Leh via Chang La (5360m) on their Royal Enfield motorbikes. The group seemed friendly and curious about our presence here at Pangong. After a series of both hilarious and serious conversation topics, we became more comfortable with each other. Under these circumstances, I soon found a potential climbing partner amongst these Israelis. His name was Yotam and he was a tank driver for the Israeli Army. Freshly graduated from military conscription, his current mission was to travel through Central and South-East Asia on his 350cc Royal Enfield to find interesting rock-climbing opportunities amongst exciting people - the type you find when travelling in remote places. It did not take us very long to bond together and agree on a common mountaineering target. This objective was Kang Yatze I, measuring over 6400m and situated in the Markha valley of the Great Himalaya. Kang Yatze I is the highest peak in central Ladakh and one of the most technical.

Excited about this fruitful encounter, we decided to return to Leh the next day and arrange logistics. Unfortunately, during the return journey to Leh, one of the Israelis travellers suffered a severe bike accident which almost permanently compromised his left leg. Without the possibility of being rescued by a helicopter, the injured man was transported back to Leh via a military vehicle. The bumpy road, cutting into the steep sides of the mountains, was real torture for the bleeding man.  We all felt very sorry for him. This unfortunate accident made us more aware about the real dangers to which one is exposed when riding a motorbike on Indian roads.

Arrived in Leh, we allowed ourselves two days to prepare for the big mountain quest. Transport and camping logistics, food supplies, all were resolved in record time despite the limited financial resources available at this late point of the trip. Early on the morning of August 1, we packed our equipment on Yotam’s Royal Enfield and left Leh in great spirits, heading towards Hemis National Park. The intended route was Leh – Somdu village via bike and then trek by foot to the foothills of Kang Yatze I without porters or animals to aid our quest – a pure alpine-style ascent. The bike ride along the Indus River Valley was brilliant. There was a sense of freedom characterizing the state of our minds. There we were, two travellers, from different parts of the world, heading on a motorcycle to climb a Himalayan Mountain. What else could two adventurous guys in their early 20s wish for from life? 

We arrived at Martse La (3600m) in the afternoon  – the entry point into Hemis National Park and the last place with vehicular access. We were very fortunate to find a Ladakhi family selling noodles and chapatti here. Since our food supplies were low, this meal provided a good boost in energy for the long journey ahead. We trekked for several hours with our 25kg bags, until sunset when we reached Chiksumo Camp. We left this camp at 6 am and started trekking through the spectacular gorge of Shang, which is rife with magnificently hued rock formations that provide dramatic evidence of the collision between the Indian and Tibetan plates. The trail crossed rivers several times before we reached the Lartse campsite around noon. Tired, we tried to rent a donkey to help us carry the equipment. Unfortunately, the donkey drivers were more stubborn than the donkeys themselves, and so we had to push forward with whatever energy we had left. Difficult terrain lay ahead as we had a steep 3-hour climb to Kongmaru La (5265m), where there are jaw-dropping views of Kang Yatse, the Zanskar and the Karakoram Ranges. From here we descended towards the pasture of Nimaling (5030m), where the villagers of the Markha Valley tend their sheep, goats and yaks during the summer. From Nimaling we climbed a steady slope to Base Camp (5100 m).

Next day we crossed the western moraine and shoulder of the mountain and climbed the steep scree slope of the north-eastern rim of the mountain until 5500m where we set an advanced camp on a narrow rocky ridge. Summit day started very early and we were making great progress on the narrow north-east ridge. We reached the steep snow face shortly after sunrise. The last 200m of the climb were excruciatingly tiring due to a combination of soft snow, steep slope and hot temperatures.  At every step, we got buried up to our waists. Finally, after a challenging four hours in the soft snow, we reached the summit around 1 pm, completely exhausted. The surrounding awe-inspiring scenery of Tibet, and the Zanskar and mighty Karakoram ranges, all of our numbing pains melted away in a warm glow of success! The descent was long and tiring but we managed to reach Leh in just two days.