THE HIMALAYAN CLUB E-LETTER VOLUME 36 Contents Volume 36, June 2017 Ninety Year of The Himalayan Club – Celebrations and New Beginnings 4 The Himalayan Club Logo for the 90th Year Celebrations 4 An Overwhelming Annual Seminar 4 Launch of Commemorative Himalayan Journal Issue 7 Kekoo Naoroji Book Award 8 Jagdish Nanavati Award for Excellence in Mountaineering 8 Jagdish Nanavati Garud Medal 8 Annual Dinner 9 Banff Film Festival 10 Arun Samant Memorial Lecture 10 Visit to Dharamsala 10 A short Sojourn with the Himalayan Club 17 New Beginnings with the Digital Age 18 Activities of the Delhi Section 18 Climbs and Explorations 19 Tibet 19 Exploration of Southern Tibet 19 International team climbs in Genyen massif, Sichuan - Mt. Hutsa & Peak 5912m 20 Small Australian-Chinese team explores new ground in Tibet 23 Tibet’s Jang Tsang Go climbed 27 South Face of Shisha Pangma in 13 hours 28 Sikkim and Nepal Himalaya 28 Kangchenjunga Skyline Project 28 New Catalan climbs in Nepal 29 Three new routes in Nepal’s Rolwaling Valley 30 First alpine style ascent of Gimmigela East’s North Face 32 Everest - Hillary Step collapsed 33 Kumaun and Garhwal Himalaya 33 Direct route up Thalay Sagar North Face(6904m) 33 Himachal Pradesh 35 Shiv Shankar – 6050m – First ascent of the North Buttress 35 2 THE HIMALAYAN CLUB E-LETTER VOLUME 36 Kishtwar Himalaya 37 A new Route on South face of Brammah II 37 News & Views 39 IMF News 39 Augmented Climbing Wall 40 Dirtbag: The Legend of Fred Beckey 41 Piolets d’Or Awards – 2017 41 Obituaries 42 Warwick Deacock 42 Ueli Steck 44 The man to remember 47 Erich Abram, the last Italian K2 mountaineer 48 Office bearers of the Himalayan Club for the year 2017 50 Narration for Cover Page A 90 year Journey. The Himalayan Club was established in 1928. The foundations of it were laid strongly by a number of people who were devoted and passionate about the Himalaya. The president and the editor of the Himalayan Club served as the two strong pillars of the Club. In the issues of this year, we celebrating their contribution to make the Club strong and vibrant. Presidents : W.R. Birdwood (1928-30), W.M. Hailey (1931-32), Kenneth Wigram (1933), Sir Herbert Emerson (not on Cover Page1934-35), Harry Haig (1936-38), Roger Wilson (1939-40), M.W. Yeatts (not on Cover Page1946-47) Editors of HJ : Kenneth Mason (1928-40), Wilfred Noyce (1946), H.W. Tobin (1947-57) 3 THE HIMALAYAN CLUB E-LETTER VOLUME 36 Ninety Year of The Himalayan Club – Celebrations and New Beginnings The Himalayan Club Logo for the 90th Year Celebrations The large community of the HC was used to crowd source a logo design. The final design was selected through a voting process. The final design by Mr. Rohit Anand was the winning entry. The design will be used for our communication, website and other Merchandise to be made for the year. The final design is The Himalayan Club Logo for the year An Overwhelming Annual Seminar This year annual seminar was held on February 18 and 19, 2017 to an overwhelming crowd. The well publicised announcement and a stellar line up of speakers ensured a large gathering. The venue was accordingly chosen to be the K.C. College Hall at Churchgate Mumbai, which can seat 900 people. We almost felt short of seats as the number of people attending it was large. Mr Tanil Kilachand welcoming the chief guest Mrs Godrej. [Photo: Alka Kedia] The seminar was inaugurated by Mrs Pheroza Godrej. Then Leo Houlding delivered the Kaivan Mistry Memorial Lecture – His highs and lows in the life on the vertical. It was mesmerising to hear his ordeals and achievements all around the world. He is a person to watch out for the new adventures. 4 THE HIMALAYAN CLUB E-LETTER VOLUME 36 Inauguration of the Annual Function. Mrs Godrej addressing L to R: Mr Kilachand, Mrs Godrej, Nandini Purandare, [Photo: Alka Kedia] Doug Scott, Malik. [Photo: Alka Kedia] Leo performing theatrics off the mountains! [Photo: Alka Kedia] A full house enjoying the talks. [Photo: Alka Kedia] 5 THE HIMALAYAN CLUB E-LETTER VOLUME 36 Subsequently Doug Scott the veteran climber from England received the Kekoo Naoroji Book award for his Book Up and About – The Hard Road to Everest and talked about the Everest Adventure by the SW face route a daunting effort of its time. Doug Scott receiving the Kekoo Naoroji Book award from Mr Rishad Naoroji [Photo: Alka Kedia] Next day saw even greater crowds to see, meet and hear the Malik Twins about their adventure – Explorer’s Grand Slam. It was followed by a film by Leo Houlding on his climb of Everest in the foot steps of Irvin and Mallory. The Seminar ended with Dough Scott talking about his adventure on the Ogre – A crawl down the Ogre. Ogre still attracts lots of climbers. The Malik twins enjoying the function. [Photo: Alka Kedia] 6 THE HIMALAYAN CLUB E-LETTER VOLUME 36 The speakers. L to R Doug, his wife, Leo with the Malik twins and Rigzin. [Photo: Alka Kedia] Launch of Commemorative Himalayan Journal Issue The commemorative issue of the Himalayan Journal was launched during the Annual Seminar. It is produced in the classic style with Articles from Volume I thru XIV covering up to1947 - The golden age of the Himalayan Exploration. Ms. Nandini Purandare, our Hon. Editor of the journal talks about the motivation in the introduction. Our Editor Emeritus Harish Kapadia traces the journey of the Journal. Please contact the Himalayan Club office to get your copy. It is a collector’s copy so please order it now. The Himalayan Journal being unveiled. Nandini Purandare, Harish Kapadia and Shailesh Mahadevia. [Photo: Alka Kedia] 7 THE HIMALAYAN CLUB E-LETTER VOLUME 36 Kekoo Naoroji Book Award Doug Scott was the recipient of this years Kekoo Naoroji Book Award for Himalayan Literature. He received the award for his book Up and About – The Hard Road to Everest. The book talks about the South West Face Everest Expeditions and eventually he was one of the summiteer in the successful British Expedition. Jagdish Nanavati Award for Excellence in Mountaineering Award for excellence in mountaineering was not awarded due to lack of appropriate entries. Jagdish Nanavati Garud Medal Skalzan Rigzin was awarded the Garud medal this year for his support to the numerous expeditions to the Himalaya. Rigzin is an old friend of the HC community. We are very proud of him for the achievement. Rigzin receiving the JCN award from Sachin Nanavati. 8 THE HIMALAYAN CLUB E-LETTER VOLUME 36 Annual Dinner The annual dinner of the Club was held at Mr Tanil Kilachand’s residence in the tony Nepean Sea Road area of Mumbai to a full house. The generous hospitality and an excellent Gujrati meal ensured a lively gathering with with great stories from the mountains. Harish Kapadia enjoys the company of the beautiful ladies at the dinner. [Photo: Alka Kedia] Annual Dinner. The dancing shoes are almost on! [Photo: Alka Kedia] The crowd joins the party! [Photo: Alka Kedia] 9 THE HIMALAYAN CLUB E-LETTER VOLUME 36 Banff Film Festival The Banff Film Festival has a busy and a pan India schedule. It has been screened or will be screened in Mumbai, Kolkata, Delhi, Surat, Nashik, Pune, Bengaluru, Chennai, Chandigarh, Lucknow, Leh, Nagpur, Mussoorie, Asansol and Ahmedabad. Visit the HC site for dates and details. Arun Samant Memorial Lecture The Arun Samant Memorial Lecture was held to a record full house on April 22, 2017 in Mumbai. The five inspiring talks were 1. Crossing Ralam Dhura in the footsteps of W. H. Murray by Rohit Bhat 2. Indian Army Mt Thalay Sagar (6940m) Expedition 2016 by Maj Jay Prakash Kumar (Leader) 3. My quest for the snow leopard: ten years of explorations in the Spiti valley of Himachal Pradesh by Kulbhushansingh Suryawanshi 4. Our trek to Auden’s Col, Sep 2016 by Sonali Bhatia & Kersi Dastur 5. White Vision: A Journey from Imagination to Exploration by Anindya Mukherjee The talks went on until 10 pm with a full house and lively discussions after the talk. Visit to Dharamsala As a part of the 90th year celebration, the HC planned a visit to Dharamsala to meet His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Forty members and friends joined for a four day visit from April 23 to 26, 2017 to Dharamsala. Members from Japan to UK and Ladakh to Bengaluru joined the trip. Apart from meeting His Holiness, members trekked for a day to Triund on the fringe of Dhauladhar range. 10