Brammah

Infobox Mountain
Name = Brammah I
Photo =
Caption =
Elevation = 6,416 m (21,050 ft)
Location = Jammu and Kashmir, India
Range = Kishtwar Himalaya
Coordinates = coord|33.5063|N|76.0512|E|type:mountain
Prominence =
First ascent = August 24, 1973 by Chris Bonington and Nick Estcourt
Easiest route = Southeast Ridge: snow/ice/rock climb

Brammah is a mountain massif in the Kishtwar Himalaya of Jammu and Kashmir, India, east of the town of Kishtwar and near the border with Himachal Pradesh. It comprises four peaks, listed in order from west to east:

* Brammah I, 6,416 m (21,050 ft), first ascent 1973
* Flat Top, 6,103 m (20,023 ft), first ascent 1980
* Brammah II, 6,485 m (21,276 ft), first ascent 1975
* Arjuna, 6,230 m (20,439 ft), first ascent 1983

Note that Brammah II is the highest of the group, contrary to usual practice. While Brammah I is not the highest, it is the most dramatic, as it is situated at the western end of the massif, above a low base.

Brammah I is particularly notable both for its huge rise above local terrain and for its being the site of the first successful major climb in the Kishtwar Himalaya. Famed British mountaineer Chris Bonington, along with Nick Estcourt, and aided by the Indian Institute of Skiing and Mountaineering, made the first ascent of Brammah I in 1973 via the Southeast Ridge. Estcourt notes that "it is not the highest peak in Kishtwar, but it is the most obvious and elegant.""American Alpine Journal", 1974, p. 215.]

The second ascent of Brammah I was also made by a British group, comprising Paul Belcher, Duncan Nicholson, Jon Scott, and Anthony Wheaton, in 1978. Unfortunately Nicholson and Scott perished on the descent."American Alpine Journal", 1979, p. 292-293.]

Anthony Wheaton returned to the sister mountain, Brammah's wife in 1979 and made the first British ascent with Richard Hester on September 16th 1979.

References