Asia, India—Garhwal, Nanda Devi East

Publication Year: 1995.

Nanda Devi East. Our Catalan expedition was composed of Xavier Laporta, Manel Lobe, Salvador Angles, Josep Antón Alarcón, Ricard Miquel, Marc Martinez, Marc Cercós, Antón Rañé, Anna Rodríguez and me as leader. The route we followed was the only one yet climbed to the summit of Nanda Devi East (7434 meters, 24,390 feet), the south ridge. We gained access to the ridge after climbing a 50° couloir to Longstaff s Col at 5995 meters. In constrast to previous expeditions that placed three or four camps on the ridge, we established only two. The ridge had 300-meter-high sections of UIAA III to IV rock and mixed climbing. We got to Base Camp on June 10 and placed Advance Base first on June 11 at 4630 meters but later moved it to 4995 meters. Camps I and II were placed on Longstaff s Col and at 6500 meters on June 16 and 24. It took three days of hard work to prepare the route from the col to Camp II. From there, Miquel and Martínez climbed to the summit on June 27.

Ferran García i Creix, Unió Ecursionista de Catalunya, Spain