Manirang I and II, Spiti. With 40 paratroopers, I ran a training camp plus expedition in Spiti from August to October. We left the road near the 1000- year-old Tabo Monastery. Crossing the Spiti River to the western side, we walked up the Yangcho to camp at 4800 meters. Thirty of us, including my wife Helga, made the first ascent of Manirang II (6100, 20,013 feet) alpine-style on two separate days. A week later, ten of us attempted Manirang I (6600 meters, 21,654 feet), north of Manirang Pass, alpine-style, and turned back 150 meters from the summit due to very high winds. This is the highest peak in the western catchment basin of the Sutlej-Spiti basins. It was first ascended in 1952 by K. Snelson and J. de V. Graaff. The following day, seven members, including Jagdish Sharma, Nanda and five other soldiers, reached the summit. At the bivouac site at 5700 meters there were signs of an old camp. I have not been able to ascertain if we were repeating a route or were the first to climb the northwest ridge to the top. We found no ropes, etc., above the bivouac. From the bivouac to the summit the route is exposed. We fixed nine rope-lengths.

Balwant S. Sandhu, Lieutenant Colonel, Indian Army