Nilkantha
Encyclopedia
Neelakant is a major peak of the Garhwal division of the Himalayas
, in the Uttarakhand
region of the India
n state of Uttaranchal. Although substantially lower than the highest peaks of the region, it towers dramatically over the valley of the Alaknanda River
and rises 3474 metres (11,398 ft) above the Hindu
holy town of Badrinath, only 9 km (6 mi) to the east. Frank Smythe
described the peak as "second only to Siniolchu
in Himalayan beauty."
The Satopanth Glacier
lies on the northwest side of Nilkantha, below a 2500 m (8,202.1 ft) face of the peak. The Panpatia Glacier lies to the southwest, and feeds the Khirao Ganga, a stream running under the south side of the peak. Further away, to the west of the peak, lies the well-known Gangotri Glacier
and its associated peaks. Across the Alaknanda valley lie the Kamet
and Nanda Devi
groups.
The peak was first climbed on June 13, 1961, by an expedition led by Col. Narinder Kumar. Shri O.P. Sharma and Sherpas Lakpa Giyalbu and Phurba Lobsang reached the summit. They placed their base camp on the Satopanth Glacier
and ascended via the north face. This climb was disputed by the Himalayan Club, Bombay but was subsequently ratified by the Indian Mountaineering Foundation.
The second ascent was made on June 3, 1974 by Sonam Pulzor, Kanhiya Lal, Dilip Singh, and Nima Dorje of the Indo-Tibet
an Border Police. The expedition was led by S. P. Chamoli. After unsuccessfully attempting the west ridge, they reached the summit via the north face, making three camps above base camp.
The third ascent of Nilkantha was in 1993 under Col. H.S. Chauhan by the north-east ridge; successful west ridge ascents were recorded in 2000 and 2001. In 2000 the west ridge was climbed by Martin Moran. In 2001, a team under Marko Prezelj
climbed the same route.
The Himalayan Club, Calcutta claimed an ascent via the west ridge in 2007, but their climb was later shown to have stopped a few vertical metres short of the highest point on the mountain.
Himalayas
The Himalaya Range or Himalaya Mountains Sanskrit: Devanagari: हिमालय, literally "abode of snow"), usually called the Himalayas or Himalaya for short, is a mountain range in Asia, separating the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau...
, in the Uttarakhand
Uttarakhand
Uttarakhand , formerly Uttaranchal, is a state in the northern part of India. It is often referred to as the Land of Gods due to the many holy Hindu temples and cities found throughout the state, some of which are among Hinduism's most spiritual and auspicious places of pilgrimage and worship...
region of the India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n state of Uttaranchal. Although substantially lower than the highest peaks of the region, it towers dramatically over the valley of the Alaknanda River
Alaknanda River
The Alaknanda is a Himalayan river in the state of Uttarakhand, India that is one of the two headstreams of the Ganges, the major river of Northern India and the holy river of Hinduism...
and rises 3474 metres (11,398 ft) above the Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
holy town of Badrinath, only 9 km (6 mi) to the east. Frank Smythe
Frank Smythe
Francis Sydney Smythe better known as Frank Smythe was a British mountaineer, author, photographer and botanist. He is best remembered for his mountaineering in the Alps and the Himalayas. He identified a region that he named the "Valley of Flowers", now a protected park...
described the peak as "second only to Siniolchu
Siniolchu
Siniolchu is one of the tallest mountains of the Indian state of Sikkim. The mountain is considered to be a particularly beautiful mountain, having been described by Douglas Freshfield as "the most superb triumph of mountain architecture and the most beautiful snow mountain in the world"...
in Himalayan beauty."
The Satopanth Glacier
Satopanth Glacier
The Satopanth Glacier is situated in the Indian state of Uttarakhand.The term ‘Satopanth’ is perhaps derived from two words – ‘Sato’ meaning heaven, and ‘Panth’ meaning path or way. The glacier is one of the popular glaciers of Uttarakhand...
lies on the northwest side of Nilkantha, below a 2500 m (8,202.1 ft) face of the peak. The Panpatia Glacier lies to the southwest, and feeds the Khirao Ganga, a stream running under the south side of the peak. Further away, to the west of the peak, lies the well-known Gangotri Glacier
Gangotri Glacier
Gangotri Glacier is located in Uttarkashi District, Uttarakhand, India in a region bordering China. This glacier, source of the Ganges, is one of the largest in the Himalayas with an estimated volume of over 27 cubic kilometers. The glacier is about 30 kilometres long and 2 to 4 km wide...
and its associated peaks. Across the Alaknanda valley lie the Kamet
Kamet
Kamet is the second highest mountain in the Garhwal region of India, after Nanda Devi. It lies in the Chamoli District of Uttarakhand, close to the border with Tibet. It is the third highest mountain in India Kamet is the second highest mountain in the Garhwal region of India, after Nanda Devi....
and Nanda Devi
Nanda Devi
Nanda Devi is the second highest mountain in India and the highest entirely within the country ; owing to this geography it was the highest known mountain in the world until computations on Dhaulagiri by western surveyors in 1808...
groups.
Mythological Beliefs
It is believed that there was no mountain on the spot where Nilkantha stands today. There was an adage route between Kedarnath and Badrinath. The "Purahita" or the worshipper of the two temples worshipped them in one day. This continued for a long time until due to some sins of the worshipper, Lord Shiva became displeased with him and stood blocking the way as huge sky-kissing mountain, which is said to be modern Nilkantha.Climbing history
With its steep ridges and faces, Nilkantha resisted seven climbing attempts, beginning with Frank Smythe in 1937.The peak was first climbed on June 13, 1961, by an expedition led by Col. Narinder Kumar. Shri O.P. Sharma and Sherpas Lakpa Giyalbu and Phurba Lobsang reached the summit. They placed their base camp on the Satopanth Glacier
Satopanth Glacier
The Satopanth Glacier is situated in the Indian state of Uttarakhand.The term ‘Satopanth’ is perhaps derived from two words – ‘Sato’ meaning heaven, and ‘Panth’ meaning path or way. The glacier is one of the popular glaciers of Uttarakhand...
and ascended via the north face. This climb was disputed by the Himalayan Club, Bombay but was subsequently ratified by the Indian Mountaineering Foundation.
The second ascent was made on June 3, 1974 by Sonam Pulzor, Kanhiya Lal, Dilip Singh, and Nima Dorje of the Indo-Tibet
Tibet
Tibet is a plateau region in Asia, north-east of the Himalayas. It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people as well as some other ethnic groups such as Monpas, Qiang, and Lhobas, and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han and Hui people...
an Border Police. The expedition was led by S. P. Chamoli. After unsuccessfully attempting the west ridge, they reached the summit via the north face, making three camps above base camp.
The third ascent of Nilkantha was in 1993 under Col. H.S. Chauhan by the north-east ridge; successful west ridge ascents were recorded in 2000 and 2001. In 2000 the west ridge was climbed by Martin Moran. In 2001, a team under Marko Prezelj
Marko Prezelj
Marko Prezelj is a Slovenian mountaineer and photographer.Prezelj received two Piolet d'Or awards. He won the inaugural "Oscar of mountaineering" in 1992 with Andrej Štremfelj for their new route on the south ridge of Kangchenjunga South in alpine style...
climbed the same route.
The Himalayan Club, Calcutta claimed an ascent via the west ridge in 2007, but their climb was later shown to have stopped a few vertical metres short of the highest point on the mountain.