This autumn Slovenians Rok Blagus, Luka Lindic and Marko Prezelj blitzed the Bhagirathi Group in the Indian Gangotri, making three significant first ascents.
The trio was reasonably lucky with the weather: during a month in the area, only the first week was poor. When conditions improved, they set off for their first objective, the unclimbed Bhagirathi IV (6,193m), a small top on the ridge between two grander neighbours; Bhagirathi II (6,512m) and III (6,454m).
The west side of Bhagirathi IV is characterized by an elegant rock pillar leading to summit shale bands, this shale forming an infamous obstacle on most routes to the tops of most Bhagirathi peaks. The pillar has been attempted several times in the past. To the left a broad, moderately-angled, snow couloir leads up the South South West Face of Bhagirathi II, to reach a shelf that can be traversed right to the ridge just north of Bhagirathi IV.
In the past gaining this shelf has sometimes been threatened by seracs, but in mid September the three Slovenians were able to access it without too much difficulty via a steep, rightwards-leaning ice/mixed ramp through the rock wall below. From here they reached the North Ridge and continued to the summit of IV. The 1,000m route was graded D+ and down-climbed (with four rappels).
A week later the three squeezed a 1,300m hard, new, mixed route onto the South West Face of Bhagirathi III, between the 1982 Scottish Pillar (the original route on this face, climbed by Bob Barton and Alan Fyffe, and now a quasi-classic of the Gangotri) and the 1993 Czech Route up the Central Pillar.
The Slovenians climbed their line with one bivouac, overcoming difficulties of 6b, M5 and WI 5 (two diagonal rappels were needed on route). An overall grade of ED was considered appropriate. Reaching the summit, they descended the original Kirkus-Warren route on the South East Flank/Ridge, which a number of parties in the past have found surprisingly difficult, dangerous and insecure.
After a well-deserved rest, the three completed a hat trick of new lines by climbing the virgin 1,300m South South West Face of Bhagirathi II. This took three days, finishing on the 1st October. The steep rock wall leading towards the upper South West Ridge was again climbed as a mixed route, with pitches of 6b+, M8 and WI 6+ (and an overall grade of ED+/ABO).
After their second bivouac at the top of the wall, the Slovenians followed more mixed ground to reach the crest of the South West Ridge (climbed by Italians in 19840, and followed it to the summit. Once again the mountain was traversed in alpine style, as the three descended via the classic 1938 Austrian Route on the East Face.
In the accompanying photograph, the sun catches the summits of - from left to right - Bhagarathi II, IV and III.
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