Swargarohini

Infobox Mountain
Name = Swargarohini
Photo = Swarg-BandarCrop.jpg
Caption = Swargarohini and Bandarpunch massifs
Elevation = Convert|6252|m|ft|0|abbr=onH. Adams Carter, "Classification of the Himalaya", "American Alpine Journal", 1985, p. 141.]
Range = Garhwal Himalaya
Location = Uttarakhand, India
Prominence =
Coordinates = coord|31|05|04|N|78|30|58|E|type:mountain
Topographic
Type=| Age=
First ascent = 1990 by a team from the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering
Easiest route = technical rock/snow/ice climb

Swargarohini is a mountain massif in the Bandarpunch Range of the Garhwal Himalaya. It lies in the Uttarkashi District of the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand, west of the Gangotri group of peaks. It comprises four separate peaks; Swargarohini I is the main peak, and is the subject of this article. While not particularly high by Himalayan standards, and not the highest in the Bandarpunch range, Swargarohini I is notable for its dramatic local relief. For example, its north face drops Convert|2000|m|ft|-1 in under Convert|2|km|mi|1 of horizontal distance, and its south face achieves the same drop in under Convert|3|km|mi|1. This makes it a steep and challenging climb. Swargarohini I has two summits, east and west. The east summit is given an elevation of Convert|6247|m|ft|0|abbr=on|abbr=on, slightly lower than the west summit. However the first ascensionists of the west summit claim that that summit is the higher of the two.Kamal K. Guha, "Swargarohini", "American Alpine Journal", 1976, p. 527.]

Climbing history

Swargarohini I has seen many climbing attempts. As of 1994, fifteen attempts had been made.Ake Nilsson, "Swargarohini", "American Alpine Journal", 1994, p. 236.] On October 25, 1974, Charles Clarke (England); Dilsher Singh Virk, Peter Fuhrman and Bruce MacKinnon (Canada); and Mohan Singh and Rattan Singh (India) made the first ascent of the west summit of Swargarohini I, ascending from the west side.

The first ascent came on May 3, 1990, by a team of instructors from the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering. They climbed from the Ruinsara Valley on the north side, via the eastern col connecting the peak to the rest of the range, and found challenging rock climbing to achieve the col, leading to easier snow slopes above.Harish Kapadia, "Swargarohini I", "American Alpine Journal", 1991, pp. 255-256.] However, other sources claim that this ascent stopped (Convert|5|m|ft|0|abbr=on) short of the summit due to the presence of an unstable cornice.

The south face of the peak was attempted unsuccessfully in 1991.Harish Kapadia, "Swargarohini I, South Face Attempt", "American Alpine Journal", 1992, p.238.] On June 7, 1993, an expedition from Sweden made the first undisputed ascent of the peak via this face. The summit team comprised Birger Andrén, Ingela Nilsson, and Ake Nilsson. They ascended a rock ridge on the eastern side of the south face, leading to the easy east-southeast ridge.

ee also

* Himalayan Peaks of Uttarakhand

References