Num Themga and Other Peaks, Losar Valley, Western Spiti. The aim of “Spiti Adventure— 1994” was to climb in the Losar valley, where 14 peaks over 5900 meters rise above the Suvita Nala. The highest is Karcha Parbat (6271 meters). Joss Lynam and party climbed Fluted Peak at the head of the valley in 1958. On August 7, climbers Anil Chaval, Dharanjay Ingalkar, Sunil Chavan and I as leader, accompanied by our trekking group and three permanent porters, left the roadhead at Losar and spent a day to reach Base Camp at 4500 meters. Small glaciers in the Losar valley drain into the Suvita Nala. Assisted by porters, we explored all branches, established high camps and climbed independently in two teams. On August 25, Anil Chavan, Ingalkar, Sunil Chavan, Pasang Bodh and Tashi Chhopal climbed Fluted Peak (6139 meters, 20,142 feet) from Losar Pass. All the other climbs were first ascents. Lagbhor-che and Tarimo (5980 and 5900 meters, 19,620 and 19,357 feet) lie on the ridge that runs northeast from Karcha Parbat. Lagbhor-che (“Elephant’s Head”) was climbed via the northeast ridge on August 23 by Prakash Chand and me, and Tarimo (“Horse Head”) via the southwest ridge on the same day by the same pair from a common col. Larimo (“Mountain near Pass;” 5995 meters, 19,669 feet), which rises north of Gyundi Pass, was climbed from the pass on August 29 by Ingalkar and Pasang. On the ridge that runs south from Gyundi Pass rise Num Themga (6024 meters, 19,764 feet). Dongrimo (6160 meters, 20,210 feet) and Loushar (6040 meters, 19,817 feet) from north to south. Num Themga (“Staircase to Heaven”) was the hardest. The crux of the route, which zig-zagged around séracs and crevasses, had 12 difficult pitches on the steep ice wall of the north face. Prakash and I gained the summit on August 29 at 2:30 PM. after eight hours of hard work. It was impossible to descend by the same route. We descended into the Gyundi basin via the east face, crossed the Gyundi Pass in the dark and descended to the high camp at 10:30 P.M. Dongrimo (“Sickle Mountain”) was climbed via the south face on August 19 by Sunil Chavan and me and Loushar (“Eastern Light”) via the west face and northeast ridge on August 20 by Ingalkar, Anil Chaval, Pasang and Prakash. The return journey to Bombay was difficult because of heavy rains.

Arun Samant, Holiday Hikers’ Club, Bombay