Nanda Devi. An eleven-man Indian expedition, organized by the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute and under the leadership of Major Narendra D. Jayal, failed to climb Nanda Devi in July, 1957. They followed the route of the British-American Himalayan Expedition, which made the first ascent of the 25,645-foot peak in 1936. The Indians, including three Sherpa instructors—Da Namgyal, Ang Temba, and Nawang Gompu—reached Camp IV at 23,500 feet, where they were stormbound for three days and had to retreat. In 1951 a French expedition lost Duplat and Vigne on an unsuccessful attempt on the peak.