In July, massive rainfall and flooding in Himachal Pradesh caused widescale loss of life and destruction of roads, properties, and livelihood. My wife, Vineeta, and I were to visit the Miyar Valley, but at the suggestion of a friend in Manali, we made alternative plans to explore the Pologongka Range in Ladakh. This massif lies north of the road over the Pologongka La; the highest summit, Pologongka, is 6,632m (see AAJ 2021).

We hired essential support staff in Manali and drove to Thukje village (4,500m), next to Tsokar Lake on the Manali-Leh Highway. We acclimatized here for a day, then drove east to the Pologongka La (5,000m), where we set up base camp (33°15'33.29"N, 78°11'11.75"E). After making a temporary camp at 5,560m north of the pass, we established a high camp at 5,800m north of Chomo Chonkar Lake (33°17'26.70"N, 78°13'29.62"E).

On July 24, Hemraj (one of our Manali staff), Vineeta, and I climbed a peak of 6,050m (33°17'12.86"N, 78°14'16.05"E) east of camp.  It was an easy walk to the base of the summit pyramid, followed by a scramble over loose rock and boulders. There were no indications of any previous ascent.

During the ascent, the soles of Vineeta’s new-looking climbing boots came apart. With some creative lacing, the soles held up for the rest of the climb and descent, but that ended her climbing for the trip.

The following day, Hemraj and I scrambled up Peak 6,205m (33°17'36.88"N, 78°12'41.68"E), northwest of camp.  We discovered old prayer flags on the summit, despite not finding any earlier references to climbing on this mountain.

Peaks in this area are all non-technical, but the views over the surrounding high-altitude lakes are fantastic, and there is potential for further exploration.

—Divyesh Muni, India