Climbs by Indian Expeditions. A 12-member team of the Mountain Lovers Association left Asansol, West Bengal for the virgin peak Srikanta (20,120 feet) in the Gangotri region. They trekked from Jhala via Harsil and established Base Camp at 14,500 feet on June 8 at the edge of the Khargudhar basin, only eight miles southwest of Gangotri. Camps I and II were established on June 9 and 17. Srikanta is sharply conical and the last 1500 feet are steep and would have necessitated fixed ropes at many places. So they tried an unnamed peak of 20,500 feet in that region, but had to turn back in bad weather, barely 500 feet from the top. A Bombay University group led by R. G. Desai failed to climb Bhagirathi II (21,365 feet) in June. On November 2 Daphne Z. Khiangte, a trainee of the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering, Uttarkashi got to within 500 feet of the summit but had to turn back due to heavy snowfall and avalanches. A 14-member team from the National Defence Academy, led by Major P. P. S. Cheema, established Base Camp at 18,000 feet on the Satopanth Glacier. Chaukhamba (23,420 feet) was climbed on June 15 by 18-year-old cadet R. S. Cheema and two Sherpas. (First ascent by Lucien George and Victor Russenberger, June 13, 1952.) They also climbed an unnamed peak of 22,050 feet in that region. Jogin III (20,065 feet), a virgin peak in the Gangotri region, was climbed on June 4 by Miss Kokila Mehta, Miss Lakpa Sherpani and three Sherpas. The group was led by Dr. Patwardhan of Poona. The twin peaks of Sudershan Parbat (20,225 and 19,690 feet)* also in the Gangotri region were climbed in June by six advance-course students of N.I.M., Uttarkashi.

Kamal K. Guha, Himalayan Club

*These cannot be the main summits, since the summit is given as 21,350 feet.