Nanda Devi

This article is about the main western summit. For its twin summit to the east, seeNanda Devi East.

Nanda Devi
Highest point
Elevation	7,816 m (25,643 ft) Ranked 23rd
Prominence	3,139 m (10,299 ft) Ranked 74th
Listing	Ultra List of Indian states and territories by highest point
Coordinates	30°22′33″N79°58′15″E
Geography
Nanda Devi Location in India Nanda Devi Nanda Devi (India)
Location	Chamoli,Uttarakhand,India
Parent range	Garhwal Himalaya
Climbing
First ascent	29 August 1936 byNoel OdellandBill Tilman
Easiest route	south ridge: technical rock/snow/ice climb

Nanda Deviis the second-highest mountain inIndia,afterKangchenjunga,and the highest located entirely within the country. (Kangchenjunga is on the border of India andNepal.) Nanda Devi is the23rd-highestpeak in the world.

Nanda Devi was consideredthe highest mountain in the worldbefore computations in 1808 provedDhaulagirito be higher. It was also the highest mountain in India until 1975, whenSikkim,anindependent kingdomuntil 1948 and a protectorate of India thereafter, became astate of India.It is located in theChamolidistrict ofUttarakhand,between theRishigangavalley on the west and theGorigangavalley on the east.

The peak, whose name means "Bliss-Giving Goddess",is regarded as the patron goddess of theGarhwalandKumaonHimalayas. In acknowledgment of its religious significance and for the protection of its fragile ecosystem, the Government of India declared the peak as well as the circle of high mountains surrounding it—the Nanda Devi sanctuary—off-limits to both locals and climbers in 1983. The surroundingNanda Devi National Parkwas declared aUNESCO World Heritage Sitein 1988.

Description and notable features

Nanda Devi is atwo-peakedmassif,forming a 2-kilometre-long (1.2 mi) high ridge, oriented east–west. The western summit is higher than the eastern summit, which is calledNanda Devi East,(locally known asSunanda Devi). The main summit stands guarded by a barrier ring comprising some of the highest mountains in the Indian Himalayas, twelve of which exceed 6,400 metres (21,000 ft) in height, further elevating its sacred status as the daughter of the Himalaya in Indian folklore. The interior of this almost insurmountable ring is known as the Nanda Devi Sanctuary, and is protected as theNanda Devi National Park.Nanda Devi East lies on the eastern edge of the ring (and of the park), at the border ofChamoli,PithoragarhandBageshwardistricts in India'sUttarakhandstate.

In addition to being the23rd highest independent peak in the world,Nanda Devi is also notable for its large, steep rise above local terrain. It rises over 3,300 metres (10,800 ft) above its immediate southwestern base on theDakshini Nanda Devi Glacierin about 4.2 kilometres (2.6 mi), and its rise above the glaciers to the north is similar. This makes it among the steepest peaks in the world at this scale, closely comparable, for example, to the local profile ofK2,inPakistan.Nanda Devi is also impressive when considering terrain that is a bit further away, as it is surrounded by relatively deep valleys. For example, it rises over 6,500 metres (21,300 ft) above the valley of the Goriganga in only 50 km (30 mi).

On the northern side of the massif lies theUttari Nanda Devi Glacier,flowing into the Uttari Rishi Glacier. To the southwest, one finds the Dakkhini Nanda Devi Glacier, flowing into the Dakkhini Rishi Glacier. All of these glaciers are located within the Sanctuary, and drain west into the Rishiganga. To the east lies the Pachu Glacier, and to the southeast lie the Nandaghunti and Lawan Glaciers, feeding the Lawan Gad; all of these drain into the Milam Valley. To the south is the Pindari Glacier, draining into the Pindar River. Just to the south of Sunanda Devi, dividing the Lawan Gad drainage from the Dakkhini Nanda Devi Glacier, is LongstaffCol,5,910 m (19,390 ft), one of the high passes that guard access to the Nanda Devi Sanctuary.For a list of notable peaks of the Sanctuary and its environs, seeNanda Devi National Park.

Exploration and climbing history

Main article:Shipton–Tilman Nanda Devi expeditions

Shaded contour map of Nanda Devi region

The ascent of Nanda Devi necessitated fifty years of arduous exploration in search of a passage into the Sanctuary. The outlet is the Rishi Gorge, a deep, narrow canyon which is very difficult to traverse safely, and is the biggest hindrance to entering the Sanctuary; any other route involves difficultpasses,the lowest of which is 5,180 m (16,990 ft).Hugh Ruttledgeattempted to reach the peak three times in the 1930s and failed each time. In a letter toThe Timeshe wrote that 'Nanda Devi imposes on her votaries an admission test as yet beyond their skill and endurance', adding that gaining entry to the Nanda Devi Sanctuary alone was more difficult than reaching theNorth Pole.[1] In 1934, the British explorersEric ShiptonandH. W. Tilman,with threeSherpacompanions,Angtharkay,Pasang and Kusang, finallydiscovered a way through the Rishi Gorge into the Sanctuary.

Nanda Devi (center) withSunanda Devi(on the right), Shot fromRanikhet,Almora

When the mountain was later climbed in 1936 by a British-American expedition, it became thehighest peak climbed by manuntil the1950 ascent of Annapurna,8,091 metres (26,545 ft). (However, higher non-summit elevations had already been reached by the British onMount Everestin the 1920s, and it is possible thatGeorge Malloryreached Everest's summit in 1924.) It also involved steeper and more sustained terrain than had been previously attempted at such a high altitude.The expedition climbed the south ridge, also known as the Coxcomb Ridge, which leads relatively directly to the main summit.The summit pair wereH. W. TilmanandNoel Odell;Charles Houstonwas to be in place of Tilman, but he contracted severe food poisoning. Noted mountaineer and mountain writerH. Adams Carterwas also on the expedition, which was notable for its small scale and lightweight ethic: it included only seven climbers, and used nofixed ropes,nor anySherpasupport above 6,200 m (20,300 ft). Eric Shipton, who was not involved in the climb itself, called it "the finest mountaineering achievement ever performed in the Himalaya."

After abortive attempts by Indian expeditions in 1957 and 1961, the second ascent of Nanda Devi was accomplished by an Indian team led by N. Kumar in 1964, following the Coxcomb route.

CIA mission

From 1965 to 1968, attempts were made by theCentral Intelligence Agency(CIA), in co-operation with theIntelligence Bureau(IB), to place a nuclear-powered telemetry relay listening device on the summit of Nanda Devi.This device was designed to intercept telemetry signals from missile test launches conducted in theXin gian gProvince, at a time of relative infancy inChina's missile program.The expedition retreated due to dangerous weather conditions, leaving the device near the summit of Nanda Devi. They returned the next spring to search for the device, which ended without success.As a result of this activity by the CIA, the Sanctuary was closed to foreign expeditions throughout much of the 1960s. In 1974 the Sanctuary re-opened.

Subsequent climbs

The southwest side of Nanda Devi photographed fromKausani

A difficult new route, the northwest buttress, was climbed by a 13-person team in 1976. Three Americans,John Roskelley,Jim StatesandLouis Reichardt,summited on 1 September. The expedition was co-led by Reichardt,H. Adams Carter(who was on the 1936 climb,) andWilli Unsoeld,who climbed the West Ridge of Everest in 1963. Unsoeld's daughter, Nanda Devi Unsoeld, who was named after the peak, died on this expedition.She had been suffering from "diarrhea and flare-up of aninguinal hernia,which had shown up originally on the second day of the approach march ", and had been at 7,200 metres (23,600 ft) for nearly five days.

In 1980, theIndian Army Corps of Engineersmade an unsuccessful attempt.

This was followed in 1981 by another Indian Army expedition of theParachute Regiment,which attempted both main and eastern peaks simultaneously. The expedition had placed a memorial to Nanda Devi Unsoeld at the high altitude meadow of Sarson Patal prior to the attempt. The successful attempt lost all its summiteers.

In 1993, a 40-member team of the Indian Army from theCorps of Engineerswas given special permission. The aim of the expedition was multifold: to carry out an ecological survey, clean up the refuse left behind by previous expeditions, and scale the summit. The team led by Lt Col V.K. Bhatt included a number of wildlife scientists and ecologists fromWildlife Institute of India,Salim Ali Centre for Ornithologyand Natural History,World Wide Fund for Natureand Govind Ballabh Pant Institute for Himalayan Environment and Development amongst others. The expedition carried out a comprehensive ecological survey and removed from the park, by porter and helicopter, over 1,000 kilogrammes of litter. Additionally, five summiteers reached the summit: Amin Naik, Anand Swaroop, G. K. Sharma, Didar Singh and S. P. Bhatt.

Recent history and conservation

Mask Dance in lata village, the gateway to Nanda Devi National Park

After the re-opening of the sanctuary in 1974 to foreign climbers, trekkers and locals, the fragile ecosystem was soon compromised by firewood cutting, littering and grazing. Serious environmental problems were noted as early as 1977, and the sanctuary was closed again in 1983.Currently, Nanda Devi forms the core of the Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve (which includesNanda Devi National Park), declared by the Indian government in 1982. In 1988, Nanda Devi National Park was declared a UNESCOWorld Heritage Site,"of outstandingculturalornaturalimportance to the common heritage ofhumankind."The entire sanctuary, and hence the main summit (and interior approaches to the nearby peaks), are off-limits to locals and to climbing expeditions, although a one-time exception was made in 1993 for a 40-member team from theIndian Army Corps of Engineersto check the state of recovery and to remove garbage left by prior expeditions.Sunanda Devi remains open from the east side, leading to the standard south ridge route. After a sustained campaign by the local community as reflected in the Nanda Devi Declarationof 2001, the core zone of the Nanda Devi was opened for limited eco-tourism activity in 2003. In 2006, the campaign invited women trekkers from 4 countries during the inaugural trek inside the National Park. As a follow-up, the Campaign for Cultural Survival and Sustainable Livelihoods has now designed an Interpretive Trek to the Nanda Devi National Park.An Interpretation Centre on Bio Cultural Diversity of the Nanda Devi National Park is under development in the village of Lata, the gateway to the Nanda Devi National Park. A maximum number of 500 trekkers are now allowed to enter the core zone until Dharansi between May and October. The trek to Nanda Devi National Park starts from the village of Lata, located 25 kilometres upstream from the town of Joshimath on Niti-Malari highway.

2021 flood

Main article:2021 Uttarakhand flood

On 7 February 2021 it was reported that a portion of the Nanda Devi glacierbroke away,causing the Dhauliganga and the Rishiganga rivers to flood. One dam at the Dhauliganga hydropower project atReni villagewas destroyed and another suffered a partial collapse. Initial reports said nine people were dead and 140 missing. Water levels on the Alaknanda also rose.

Gallery

• 
  Nanda Devi peak view from the west near Deodi camp in Rishi Ganga gorge
• 
  Nanda Devi peak view from outer Sanctuary near Bujgara
• 
  Nanda Devi peak view from outer Sanctuary near Bujgara closeup
• 
  Nanda Devi peaks wide view SE from slopes of Kalanka in Changabang Gal
• 
  Nanda Devi peak N face view from slopes of Deo Damla
• 
  Nanda Devi north face viewed from Deo Damla approach valley

See also

• Sacred mountains of India

Books

• Aitken, Bill.(reprinted 1994).The Nanda Devi Affair,Penguin Books India.ISBN0-14-024045-4.
• Kohli, M.S.& Conboy, K.(2003).Spies in the Himalayas: Secret Missions and Perilous Climbs,University Press of Kansas.ISBN0-7006-1223-8.
• Jose, Vinod(2010).River Deep, Mountain High,The Caravan Magazine.
• Malhotra, Ashok(2011)Nude Besides the Lake,CreatespaceISBN978-1463529390
• Roskelley, John.(2000).Nanda Devi: The Tragic Expedition,The Mountaineers Books.ISBN0-89886-739-8.
• Sanan, Deepak.(1995)Nandadevi – Restoring Glory– New Age International (Wiley Eastern Ltd), New Delhi.ISBN81-224-0752-8.
• Shipton, E.,Tilman, H.W.& Houston, C.(Reprinted 2000).Nanda Devi:Exploration and Ascent,The Mountaineers Books.ISBN0-89886-721-5.
• Sircar, J.(1979)Himalayan Handbook,(private pub., Calcutta).
• Takeda, Peter.(2006)An Eye at the Top of the World: The Terrifying Legacy of the Cold War's Most Daring C.I.A. Operation,Thunder's Mouth Press.ISBN1-56025-845-4.
• Thomson, Hugh(2004)Nanda Devi: A Journey to the Last Sanctuary,Weidenfeld & NicolsonISBN0-297-60753-7
• Tilman, H. W.,The Ascent of Nanda Devi,Cambridge University Press. 1937.

External links

• "Kargil war hero missing in Nanda Devi snowstorm" Indianexpress
• Nanda Devi Campaign– web site of the local inhabitants
• "Nanda Devi".Peakware.Archived fromthe originalon 4 March 2016.– photos
• Unesco World Heritage Siteon Nanda Devi
• GMVN – Uttarakhand Tourism page on Nanda Devi National Park
• 'High heaven: a trek to the top of the world' The Independent- article describing the Nanda Devi Sanctuary