The Indian Himalaya:

Delhi to Lahore

Delhi is a watershed in this expedition. From here on, we go Himalayan. For the next 4 months, the horizon will never be flat and will usually be white. The 2008 Hot Rock Silk Road expedition will have climbed extensively in the Indian himalaya and Pakistani karakoram; we will make full use of their experience to find and climb the best crags.

We first wend our way to one of the holiest sites in India: the Gangotri Gorge. Source of the Ganges, major pilgrimage destination and set in 200m high cliffs, Gangotri has been recommended by a number of Indian climbers. We’ll spend a few days checking it out and enjoying the hospitality of the locals.

According to the Indian Mountaineering Association, “the best thing about rock-climbing in the Himachal is the availability of all rock features like – slabs, chimneys, walls, overhangs, at almost all the places…” They have their headquarters in Manali, and it is to Manali, an important hill station and nowadays hippy enclave in the heart of the Himalaya, that we will be heading.

The small town was the beginning of an ancient trade route – that we follow - to Ladakh and from there, eventually, over the Karakoram Pass into Tibet. Manali has spectacular views of snowcapped mountains and is surrounded by towering peaks – not for nothing has it been nicknamed ‘The Valley of the Gods.’ We’ll be following in the footsteps of previous Hot Rock expeditions here, so we’ll pick and choose the very best valley cragging.

There is a hardcore option here, at extra cost. For those that want some serious ticks, or just a fantastic trek, we can arrange ten days or so in the Miyar Valley. There have been a number of reports in the AAJ and in MountainInfo in recent years about this exceptionally scenic and rarely visited corner of the himalaya with unclimbed, soaring 1000m lines all around and we’ll have all the info on board. It is invariably cheaper to arrange porters, liaison officers etc on the spot rather than from back in the UK, so you can decide at the time whether to go for the hardcore option or to enjoy the valley cragging in this area..

With heads full of big walls, we climb aboard Birt again and turn our attention to Ladakh for a week.

Ladakh – the Land of High Passes – straddles the borderlands between India and Tibet. Its high and arid landscape has captured the imagination of travellers since it first opened to visitors in 1974. Here, we travel through remote valleys, scattered high villages and past hilltop monasteries as we hope to become the first rock climbing expedition to develop crags in this area. We’ll spend a day or two scouting, then up to a week bush camping beside the most promising looking objective. This is plenty of time to develop an area so if you have a new route name stored up, you can dust it off here!

Alternatively, mountain goats can head off to Stok Kangri, a straightforward 6500m peak, ideal for fit trekkers without Himalayan experience. The South Ridge provides an exhilarating climb in fantastic surroundings. Although straightforward, the route is challenging and interesting, with stunning views of the Karakoram Range and on a clear day, even K2 in the far distance. This peak would be at extra cost and once again we’ll arrange things when we get there. Currently the peak fee is just $1200 for a group of 12 (50 quid each) plus porters etc.

Our final stop in Ladakh will be one of the highlights: Leh, the ancient capital. The regal air of the city, and the charm of the friendly and traditionally dressed Ladakhi people, all contribute to the experience.
By this stage we’ll have spent well over 2 months in the colourful kaleidoscope of India. Many people fall in love with India and return time and time again to experience the rich cultural heritage and riot of activity that always leaves lasting memories. It’s time to go, but before crossing the border into Pakistan we will stop at the golden temple of Amritsar, the holiest of Seikh palaces.

We now head to Lahore, the westernmost point of the expedition and another possible start or finish point. Lahore’s fantastic mogul architecture rivals that of Agra and even the Taj Mahal. Spending some time in the city exploring the forts we may stumble into one of the many festivals that enliven the streets or, if we’re lucky, catch a tribal polo match before we carry on north into the mighty Karakoram.