NZAC Miyar Valley Expedition 2017 Report

Dates: 19th May- 3 July 2017

Peaks: Neverseen Tower (6000m), Toro Peak(4970m), Castle Peak(5900m) and Iris Peak(5200m).

Objectives: Climb New Routes or second ascents in the Miyar Valley, Himachal Pradesh, India.

Team Members: Allison Swintz, Nick Cradock, David Shotwell, Llewellyn Murdoch.

Year:2017

Introduction:

On the 19 May 2017 David Shotwell, Nick Craddock, Allison Swintz and Llewellyn Murdoch travelled to the Miyar Valley, Himachal Pradesh India. Supported by the New Zealand alpine clubs Expedition fund.

The team was able to climb 6 potentially unclimbed lines as well as the 2nd ascent of the route "Horn Please" on Neverseen tower.

Allison Swintz Climbing the “Sporli Memorial Spur” Toro peak, Miyar valley.

Expedition Members:

Name: Llewellyn Murdoch

Age:25

Nationality: NZ

Occupation: Outdoor instructor

• Experience: • Professional Mountain guide • Mountaineering since 2007 • big wall climbing Yosemite (2011&2012) • 2 Expeditions in Alaska(2012&2015) • NZAC sponsored Murdoch-gilmour Expedition to Patagonia(2013-14) • Bigwall climbing in Madagascar (2015) .

Name: Allison Swintz

Nationality: USA

Age:30

Occupation: Architect

• Experience: • Mountaineering since 2011 • 2 Expeditions in Alaska (2012&2015) • Expedition to Patagonia (2013-14) • Bigwall climbing in Madagascar (2015) .

Name: Nick Cradock

Age:56

Nationality: NZ

Occupation: IFMGA Mountain Guide

• Experience: • 40+ yrs of mountaineering world wide • IFMGA Mountain Guide • Extensive experience in Indian Himalayas with successful ascents of Ali Ratni Tibba,

Bhagarathi 2, Shiviling, Kedernath Dome, numerous trips ski touring and Heliskiing over last 30 years.

Name: David Shotwell

Age: 47

Nationality: NZ/USA

Occupation: Climbing Instructor

• Experience: • 30+ years climbing experience. • Big wall climbing in Yosemite and Zion • Alpine rock climbing extensively throughout the USA • Numerous high quality new routes in the Darran Mountains.

“Glacier Camp” with Neverseen tower above the green Macpac Olympus. “Horn Please” takes the left Buttress directly to the summit.

Trip Report:

• 19th May Fly into Delhi. • 20th May Arrive in Manali. • 21-24th May Arrange supply’s and support in Manali. • 25th May drive over Rohtang Pass and to Urgos. • 25-28th May Hike into base camp • 29th May set up base camp • 30st June hike loads to camp below torro peak • 1st June climb new routes on Torro peak • 2-3th June descend to base camp and wait out bad weather period • 4-6th June back up to Toro Peak Camp and climb more new routes • 7th June team moves equipment to “knife camp” further up the Tawa Glacier • 8-10th June team back at base camp for rest and bad weather period • 11-13th June team moves equipment from “knife camp” to “Glacier Camp” underneath

Neverseen Tower • 14-15th June rest days and Bad weather at base camp. • 16-17th June team moves final equipment to “Glacier Camp” • 18-19th June Team climbs lower buttress of the route “horn please” on Neverseen tower.

Rope now fixed to 1/3 ledge. • 20-21nd June Rest and Bad weather at Base camp • 22-24th June Dave, Nick and Llewellyn Walk back to Neverseen tower and climb to the

summit via the Second Ascent of “Horn Please” • 25th June rest at base camp • 26-28th Allison and Llewellyn climb new routes in Nameless valley. Nick and Dave

attempt new route on Iris peak. • 29-1st July Walk out to Road end and drive to Manali. • 2nd July Drive to Delhi • 3rd July Fly out of India

Logistics:

The Miyar Valley is situated in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh and borders onto the Zanskar and Ladakh ranges. It is relatively hard to get to, however it offers a selection of varied alpine style objectives below 6,000m. Because of this no permits, Liaison Officer or Peak fees are required. This significantly reduces the cost and bureaucracy associated with other Himalayan areas.

The area has a myriad of other objectives, specifically great alpine and big wall rock climbing. It is a fantastic venue for self-supported, remote adventure climbing.

The Following points were key logistical strategies that were a massive factor in our successful expedition:

• Our expedition had the advantage of Nick Cradock's vast experience in the area we were travelling to. Although he had not been to the valley we were climbing in, Nick has spent years working out of Manali, which was our starting point.

• On Nick’s recommendation we used a company called Himalayan Heli Adventures Pvt. Ltd. We used this company to help organize our food supply, Basecamp cooks, Basecamp equipment, transport, Ponies and our accommodation while travelling to and from the Miyar Valley. This let us spend less time organizing logistic once we reached India and more time climbing.

• While in the Miyar valley we had two cooks who were at our base camp with us, they used local provisions. When we were in the mountain we ate mountain food we had predominately brought with us from New Zealand, One Square meals and Back Country Dehydrated meals. In the mountains we cooked using one white kerosene stove and two butane gas stoves, Butane canisters are available in Manali but are in short supply.

• Previous expeditions into this area have all been around the months of September and October. We decided to go in June so that we would have frozen snow on top of the glacial moraine to assist our access. The moraine fields on the Tawa Glacier in particular were a major contributor to pervious expeditions failures. Although these conditions made some of the climbing more challenging we were able to approach all the routes with relative ease.

• We used a combination of Ponies and Porters to move our equipment to the basecamp in the Miyar Valley. This let our team acclimatize properly and have enough time to climb. The approach to basecamp is long and shuttling loads from the road end by ourselves was not realistic. Once at basecamp the team was self propelled in the mountains.

• As we were climbing up to 6000m on Neverseen tower we employed a capsule style tactic where we fixed lines as we climbed on two occasions. Climbing with extra rope aloud us an easy decent in case of storms and a practical way to regain our highpoint. Climbing in a “light and Fast” style was not realistic for the terrain and conditions that we encountered.

• We climbed with a standard double rack to #3 with the additions of two sky hooks, a small rack of pins and 4 ice screws. We were happy with that selection. The team had 2x 9.8, 2x 9.0 and 2x 7.8 ropes from Sterling rope. This gave the two pairs different rope configurations and an extra rope in case one got stuck or cut on the trip.

• We had 2x Macpac Olympus tents for up in the mountains. We were very happy with the way they preformed in a verity on terrain and weather conditions.

A massive thanks for the support from the New Zealand Alpine Club Expedition Fund, Macpac and our family and friends who helped out! We couldn't have done this without your help.

Costs:

Appendix 1 – Budget

Total expedition cost: NZD$18,018

Flights: $5148

OSM: $218

Backcountry meals: $440

Ropes: $703

India Logistics budget table: Total NZD$11,509.

Appendix 2

Maps and access:

Topo showing new and established lines on Toro peak.

L=> R “Who Gives a Shit” Cradock/shotwell 2017, “Wind Up Bird” Murdoch/Swintz 2017, “Comfortably Numb” Murdoch/swintz 2017, “No Mind” Previously established, “Moving through space” Shotwell/Murdoch 2017 and “Sporli memorial spur” (2 variants) Cradock/Shotwell/Murdoch/Swintz 2017

The above map shows the Miyar Valley in relation to Manali and the Himachal Pradesh.

Key for the above and below map: Road-end, Base camp, “Toro camp”, “Knife camp”, “glacier camp” underneath Neverseen tower and Nameless valley camp.

Above map showing the walk in to the Miyar Valley.

A hand drawn map showing the summits in the tawa and namelss valleys.

Toro peak is 19, Castle peak and Iris peak are both 29 and Neverseen tower is 22.