Remembering Ueli Steck (1976 - 2017)

Ueli Steck in Wilderswil, Switzerland, 2015. Photograph Christian Beutler-AP
(Photograph courtesy - www.uelisteck.ch)

With the passing of Ueli Steck in an accident On 30th April, during a practice run on Nuptse, the world lost an Alpinist par excellence. Here is a visual journey celebrating his genius.

His final project which remained unfinished.




Ueli Steck (1976-2017)

(Photograph courtesy - www.uelisteck.ch)

Achievements

• 2005 solo ascent of the Borth wall Cholatse (6440m) and the East wall of Tawoche (6505)m
• 2007 Eiger Speed ascent in 3 hours 54 minutes
• 2008 new Eiger Speed record in 2 hours 47 minutes
• 2008 Speed record Grandes Jorasses in 2 hours 21 minutes
• 2009 Speed record Matterhorn 1 hour 56 minutes
• 2009 awarded Piolet d’Or
• 2009 'Golden Gate' Route on El Capitan/USA
• 2009 ascension of Gasherbrum II (8035m) in Karakorum mountain range
• 2009 Expedition to Makalu/Nepal
• 2010 Free Rider El Capitan/USA
• 2011 Sisha Pangma South wall
• 2011 Cho Oyu
• 2012 Mount Everest
• 2013 Annapurna
• 2014 Piolet d’Or
• 2015 Alpine crossing 82 summits

Source

Kanchenjunga: A Dummy's Guide to Mother of All Traverses

Kanchenjunga massif from Darjeeling, India.

Since announcement of Simone Moro and Tamara Lunger’s Kanchenjunga traverse  on social media and the overwhelming response it received, the reactions to Mother of All Traverses have oscillated from absolute 'wow' to they may 'not make it back alive', quite a long swing that perhaps reflects the seriousness and difficulty of the challenge undertaken.

The Mountain

Kanchenjunga (Five treasures of Snow) world’s third highest mountain on the border of India and Nepal is a massif with five high peaks, four of which are above 8000m with Kanchenjunga Main (8586m) as highest, followed by Kanchenjunga West or Yalung Kang (8505m), Kanchenjunga Central (8482m) and, Kanchenjunga South (8494m). Kangbachen (7903m) the fifth peak, misses the 8K mark and its way to glory by 97 meters only!

The Traverse

The North Face Website

Named ‘Kangchenjunga Skyline Expedition’ by The North Face on their website, the intended traverse crosses over four 8000m peaks of Kanchenjunga in the Death Zone where the route never descends below 8300m in Alpine style without the help of pre-set high camps, Sherpa support and bottled oxygen.

Suggested skyline traverse route which goes over four 8000m peaks (Courtesy Google Earth)

A rough GE plot of the ridge shows 4.6 km (without the approach) although their site suggests a distance of 5.5 km. 

(Courtesy Google Earth)

The Team

Simone Moro & Tamara Lunger

The North Face website introduces the 2-member team as:

Simone Moro – The mountains are his playground and his success as an expedition climber has sculpted his legendary reputation.

Tamara Lunger – When she was a 14-year old girl, she announced that one day she would climb an 8,000m mountain. She remained true to her word.

They could have done better is all I’d say.

Simone needs no introduction and is the only mountaineer with four winter ascents of 8000ers under his belt. Only reference to speed climbing in his resume comes from the first ascent of Beka Brakai Chhok (6590m) in Karakoram with Herve Barmasse done in alpine style in 43 hours. And perhaps a 5 hour descent from top while completing a solo South-North traverse of Everest is worth a mention. Tamara Lunger, his partner, garnered world-wide appreciation during 2015/16 the winter ascent of Nanga Parbat as she gave up her climb due to extreme fatigue 70-100m (depending on the report being followed) below the summit, a wise and bold decision indeed. Alex Txikon, Ali Sadpara and Simone Moro made it to the top.

For Simone all of this came with a cost. From the highest brawl on Everest to switching routes on Nanga Parbat, controversy is like a constant companion to him. An article ‘Simone Moro: The Winter Maestro’ in Climbing.com introduces him as : “With four first winter ascents of 8,000-meter peaks, Simone Moro has taken the art of climbing in harsh conditions to new heights, but controversy plagues his climbing résumé.” No wonder therefore as some dismissed this as an impossible climb while a few others dubbed it as a sponsored high-altitude picnic. A Two-member, alpine style push in the Himalaya should help Simone ward off his disliked companion. 

As soon as the traverse was announced people me included, haven’t spent time before reminding of the first traverse in 1989 by Anatoli Boukreev. Although this is correct it does not do justice to the Russian achievements on Kanchenjunga that year when Boukreev almost missed the bus.

1989 Russian Kanchenjunga Saga

After the successful ascent of Everest in 1982, planning for the second Himalayan expedition started with setting up of an Organizing Committee in November 1986, followed by a reconnaissance trip in the spring of 1987 under the leadership of Eugeni Tamm. (leader of Everest 82) The final number of mountaineers in the expedition, both main and reserve, was fixed at thirty which eventually became twenty-nine.

Eduard Myslovsky

In the spring of 1989, twenty-nine climbers with a five-member film crew and seventeen sherpas under the leadership of Eduard Myslovsky head for the Himalaya with around 10 tons of baggage which was dropped at Calcutta by a transport plane. From then on, the climbers and gear travelled to Nepal via Biratnagar by buses and lorries. More than six-hundred porters, trekking for about three weeks in the jungles of Nepal, ferried the expedition’s load to the site of Base Camp on Yalung Glacier.

The team laid siege on the mountain setting up Camp 1 - 6150m, Camp 2 - 6650m and Camp 3 on the plateau at about 7200m. From there six further camps were established in three directions with two camps (4ju and 5ju) on the route to the South summit, two camps (4s and 5s) on the route to the col between the Main and Central summits and two camps (4ja and 5ja) on the route of the first ascent in 1955 placed at heights of 8100-8200m, providing maximum safety while facilitating the traverse.

Kanchenjunga massif  showing routes and high-altitude camps
(Image by Eduard Myslovsky courtesy Alpine Journal, Vol.95)

This elaborate logistical affair resulted in pioneering new routes on Kanchenjunga’s Main, Central and South summits. Then with two different teams of five members each, the Russians successfully traversed all four peaks from opposite directions. Anatoli was one of ten members who had successfully traversed.

Sergei Bershov (L), Anatoli Boukreev, Evgeni Vinogradsky, Aleksandr Pogorelov and, Mikhail Turkevich completed the traverse from Yalung Kang to South Summit. Vasili Yelagin (L), Grigory Lunyakov, Zijnur Khalitov, Vladimir Balyberdin and Vladimir Koroteev completed the traverse starting from South Summit to Central, Main & Yalung Kang.

In doing so, there were altogether 85 men/ascents on all four summits of Kanchenjunga!

With generous help from Eduard Myslovsky’s report in 1990/91 Alpine Journal, and Eberhard Jurgalski’s meticulous data from 8000ers.com in fillling the gaps, here goes the complex details of those 85 summits chronologically. (# of summits in red)

The initial effort concentrated on setting up all Camp five(s) and in this process several ascents were made.

The Main summit (8586m) was reached on 9^th April, by a new route from Camp 5s on the col between the Main and Central summits. (4 summits)

The South summit (8476m) was reached on 15^th April from Camp 5s by a new route to the right of Japanese and Polish routes. (4 summits)

The Central summit (8482m) was reached on 15^th April, by a new route from Camp 3. (4 summits)

The Main summit (8586m) was reached by the standard route from Camp 4ja on 16^th April at 5:30pm. (8 summits)

On 17^th April there was a repeat of South summit route starting from Camp 5s. (4 summits)

Having setup all camps in place, members of the expedition came down to the oxygen rich forest area of Tseram (3750m) for rest, recuperation and finalized plan for next phase, the traverse.

On 29^th April, the first support group for the traverse, ferried oxygen cylinders to Camp 5s and continued their climb to the Central summit reaching the top by 11:20am. (3 summits) Coming down to the saddle they were joined by two more members, all of whom reached the Main summit at 2:20pm coming down to Camp 3 for the night. (5 summits)

Anatoli was in the first group led by Sergei Bershov which started the traverse on 30^th April. Starting from Camp 5ja they climbed Yalung Kang (8505m) and returned to Camp 5 for the night. (5 summits)

On the same day (30^th April) a second support group left Camp 4ja, ferried oxygen up to Camp 5ja, summited Yalung Kang by 3:00pm and returning to Camp 4 by 7:00pm (6 summits)

On 1^st May, Bershov's group continued the traverse as they left Camp 5 at 8:00am, were on the Main summit at 10:00am, on the Central summit at 12:40pm and on the South summit at 2:45pm. While coming down they removed Camps 5ju and 4ju and descended to Camp 3 at 7:00pm for the night. (15 summits)

The second traverse group lead by Vasili Yelagin left Camp 5ju at 9:00am on 1^st May and reached the South summit at 12:30pm, Central summit at 3:50pm, Main summit at 5.40pm, and came down to Camp 5ja by 8:00pm. The two traverse parties met each other on the saddle between the South and Central summits around 2:10pm. (15 summits)

On the same day (1^st May) the second support group left Camp 4ja and reached the Main summit at 12:00pm where they met the second traverse group, and continued down to Camp 5s by 7:00pm. Next day they removed Camps 5s and 4s and came down to Camp 3. (4 summits)

The second traverse group left Camp 5ja on 2^nd May, climbed Yalung Kang, and the same day came down to Camp 3 therefore completing the both the traverses. (5 summits)

On 2^nd May a third support group which included Ang Babu Sherpa, moved on to Camp 5ja, and continued their ascent till the Main summit. They removed Camps 4ja and 5ja while coming down, completing the removal of all high-altitude camps. (3 summits)

Perhaps the most intriguing/striking fact of the 1989 team which goes unnoticed is the strict and rigorous challenges one had to overcome to find a place in the team apart from climbing skills. With lifting of the iron curtain and expeditions to 8000ers becoming a reality, the competition for a ticket to the Himalaya was fierce. During winter and spring 1987-88, thirty candidates were selected from more than 60 of the best Soviet mountaineers by a battery of physical tests and high-altitude training races. The worst liked test required each participant to jog on a treadmill in a compression chamber which was gradually changed to simulate 8,500 meters. In the summer of 1988 the hopeful participants went for a high-altitude traverse of 7439m Peak Pobeda (Victory), in the Tien Shan. The traverse began from the Peak of Military Topographers and led to Peak Vazha Pschavela with total distance of about 10km at a height of 7000m. Twenty-four mountaineers out of twenty-nine, three out of five members of the film crew, and one Sherpa making ascents of summits of the Kanchenjunga massif alongwith the speed of the traverse is a testament to their pre-expedition preparation.

Anatoli Boukreev, 1996 Everest Base Camp
(Image courtesy Aspenpeak-magazine.com)

Although their expedition was a staggering success, the huge bandobast and supplemental oxygen did play an important part. Anatoli later resented at the inflexibility of the team leadership which ‘denied him the opportunity of a success without using supplemental oxygen’. It was his first Himalayan experience. Had it not been for Coach Tchorny who highlighted the fact that not only Anatoli won the endurance races, he had finished among top five in every other category, Boukreev would have missed this opportunity as his name was on line to reduce heavy representation of climbers from (his region) Almaty, alongwith the political and bureaucratic pressure of including a woman in the team. 

Simone Moro and Tamara Lunger
(Image courtesy Cultura.trentino.it)

As I write, the two-member team after reaching Base Camp on Yalung Glacier, is now busy in acclimatizing and opening route till the ridge. According to some reports, Simone has dedicated this project in memory of his longtime partner Anatoli Boukreev who was killed in an avalanche during a winter expedition with Simone on Annapurna in 1997.

“Honestly speaking, this could be already a huge project,” says Simone. “We could also close our aim if we will be able to open a new route in Alpine style to the summit of Yalung Kang and come back. We could celebrate. But we decided to let the game open.”

Sending all wishes and Himalayan luck their way for playing the game safely, for if successful, the “highest traverse possible on the planet” as described by Moro in a Facebook post, could well be the climb of their lifetime and a worthy dedication to a lost friend.

--------------------------------

References:

·         Above The Clouds: The Diaries of aHigh – Altitude Mountaineer by Anatoli Boukreev

·         Kangchenjunga 1989 by Eduard Myslovskyin The Alpine Journal, Vol.95, 1990/91 (pg.24-28)

·         Data on Kanchenjunga Main &Subsidiary peaks from 8000ers.com compiled by Eberhard Jurgalski

·         The North Face Expedition website

·         Adventure Sports withStefan Nestler

·         Simone Moro: The Winter Maestro

--------------------------------

Ashish Chanda, April 2017.

Arnold Louis Mumm (1859-1927)

A.L. Mumm, Snowbird Pass, 1913

In Memoriam

Arnold Louis Mumm, an Honorary Member of this Club, whose father had what was once the creditable, but what has now become a doubtful, distinction of supplying an excellent brand of champagne, died a little over a year ago at the age of 68. For one who had spent so much of his life and energy on the heights, it seemed an incongruous ending to succumb at sea, and be plunged into the depths in the Bay of Biscay on the return voyage to his native land.

Both at school, Eton, and at the University of Oxford, Mumm was distinguished in the line of scholarship and sport. When he left Eton he was captain of the school. Academic successes at Oxford did not interfere with his playing on the university football team. After leaving Oxford, Mumm came to London and studied for the Bar, was admitted at the Inner Temple in 1883, and called to the Bar in 1886. He could have made a good practice for himself, but legal work was not congenial to him; and, owing to an independent fortune, which was quite sufficient for his bachelor needs, a practical incentive was lacking. In 1894 he joined the publishing firm of his relative Edward Arnold, and interested himself in it, both as a reader and a manager for over thirty years.

While cultivating the habits and tastes of a scholar, Mumm continued to show a keen interest in sport and out-of-door pursuits. He is said to have been an excellent shot and a good rider to hounds; and we know that he became a daring mountaineer and a persistent and adventurous traveler. It is in the latter activities that we are interested, and for which we commemorate him here.

At the early age of fourteen, Mumm began his alpine career with the ascent of the Titlis (10,627 f't.), near Engelberg. He celebrated this experience by repeating it fifty years later in 1923. In the meantime he had made scores of big ascents in Switzerland, and in the Dauphiné, had explored and climbed in Africa, in the Himalayas, in the Canadian Rockies, and in Japan, and had visited the glaciers of New Zealand. He was thus a world-wide and legitimately renowned mountaineer; but his inclination was to avoid publicity.

In 1905 he went with D. W. Freshfield to the Ruwenzori, and although this adventure was not successful in its main object, yet it aroused in Mumm the desire to explore as well as to climb. Two years later, he joined General Bruce and Dr. T. G. Long- staff in an expedition to the Himalaya, in the course of which Longstaff, with the two Brocherels, made the first ascent of Trisul (23,400 ft.). Mumm’s chief contribution to mountaineering literature, “Five Months in the Himalaya,” gives a full account of this trip, and incidentally throws a pleasing light on the relations between himself and Moritz Inderbinen, who became to Mumm as indispensable a fellow-traveler as he was a guide.

After his return from Asia, Mumm was attraoted to this continent, where he appeared at the Alpine Club of Canada camps on half a dozen occasions, when he doubtless met many members of this Club, the last time being at Palliser Pass in 1922. He climbed and explored vigorously in the Canadian Rockies, less so in the Selkirks, accompanied by the Right Honorable L. S. Amery, Dr. Norman Collie, Dr. Hastings, and G. E. Howard, and, of course, by the faithful Inderbinen. His attempts on Mt. Robson have become historical. Papers of his, like “Some Characteristics of Mountain Ranges” and “A Mixed Bag,” reflect the combination of a good raconteur with a capable alpinist and experienced traveler. The speaker’s first acquaintance with Mumm began at the Canadian Alpine camp of 1909 at Lake O’Hara. Eleven years later a delightful day was spent with him and Mr. Freshfield at Banff, when Mumm was on his way to the camp at Mt. Assiniboine, which was, I think, the last of his higher climbs in the Rockies. The last of his big climbs seem to have been the Dent du Midi and Dent Blanche in 1921. On the latter he was dreadfully tired, as a Zermatt guide who accompanied him, and whom I employed the following year, informed me. Inderbinen was no longer able to accompany him. He died two years before his “Herr,” who had settled him and his English wife comfortably at Zermatt, and who paid him an appreciative tribute in the Alpine Journal, November, 1927. While traveling in the Tyrol in 1926, Mumm’s physical powers, which had probably been over-taxed for some years, failed him suddenly; and he never regained his health.

Mumm was a person of critical intellect. His friends were inclined to say that he was too prone to be a detached spectator of men and events and to cultivate a philosophic calm. What a refreshing contrast he must have presented to some of the aggressive and futile activity by which he was doubtless surrounded. He was probably very wise in his attitude; it was in accord with his temperament; he was thereby happier and able to radiate this happiness to others. He was devoted to his old Club, in whose interests he spent his time and money freely; but, indeed, he was interested in all alpine clubs and undertakings and helped to inaugurate the Japanese Club.

“It was entirely due to his characteristic diffidence,” says Mr. Freshfield, from whose fine notice of Mumm in the Alpine Journal, May, 1928, I quote, “that he did not succeed to the Presidency. As Secretary his benign and cheerful presence lent a grace even to the most formal proceedings.” And this is part of the tribute which Dr. Longstaff paid to Mumm’s share in the Himalaya campaign: “What struck me most during the whole trip was Mumm’s characteristic patience and unfailing good temper even under discomfort, which was often aggravated in his case by indifferent health. It was wonderful how he endured those awful two nights and three days when we were weatherbound at our high camp, 20,000 ft., on the occasion of our first abortive attempt on Trisul.”

Outstanding features of Mumm’s character were thus modesty, self-control and endurance; qualities which we like to think struggles with Nature in the wilderness and on the great peaks develop and establish as inestimable personal possessions.

J. W. A. Hickson

(Read at the Annual Meeting, January 19, 1929)

Publication Year: 1929

Source: AAC (American Alpine Club)  

Havildar Damar Singh Rana & Mapping of Nanda Devi Sanctuary

 “The ‘discovery’ of Peak XV and the fixing of its height at 29,002 feet above sea level was the work of many hands— (Radhanath) Sikdhar’s certainly among them—over many years, both in the field and in the office. “- Fallen Giants - A History of Himalayan Mountineering by Maurice Isserman, Stewart Weaver

The above comment on the discovery of Everest,  not only describes our tendency towards associating names/faces with achievements but also points out the folly in deleting all those unsung numbers which apart from being necessary are often instrumental in the success of gargantuan efforts like that of surveying and mapping British empire’s Jewel in the Crown, India, by the Great Trigonometrical Survey that included the difficult mountain ranges towards the north, which held the strategic key to Central Asia and thus the empire and its ambitions. The process began in 1802 and continued well beyond hundred years.  

An 1870 map showing the triangles and transects of survey
(Image: Wikipedia)

As years passed, the survey helped in mapping peak and passes, gorges and river systems which gradually reflected on the map as simple ^ mountain symbols got replaced with accurate topographical features. All these had to be surveyed by someone which should mean, by a party consisting of instrument experts and plane-table-ers accompanied by a chief surveyor, the bandobast of which depended on the location of the setup/survey. 

Indian survey porters carry the equipment needed for the massive task of mapping India. 

Image © Royal Geographical Society (with IBG)

It is with this immense awe and respect I have for these cartographers that a name stood out while appreciating the 1908 Garhwal (part) map, posted in an earlier blog. But this seemed no unsung hero for his name HAVILDAR DAMAR SINGH RANA was written in bold, capital letters, preceding mention of his employer’s contribution, a rarity in the colonial times.

Search for Havildar Damar Singh Rana and his contribution, yielded disappointing results. Apart from Longstaff’s report in The Geographic Journal, V.31 with the map, a single mention of him with Longstaff’s mapping party in a study ‘Glacier mapping: a review with special reference to the Indian Himalayas’ by Rakesh Bhambri and Tobias Bolch was not informative enough. Further shuffling and sniffing around led to their companion A. L. Mumm’s fine account of his travels in Garhwal and Kashmir titled Five months in the Himalaya, published in 1909 from where a short (and somewhat somber) sketch of Damar Singh can be extracted alongwith comparative illustrations of his contribution in accurate mapping of Nanda Devi sanctuary. There is a (group) photograph of him too!

Before getting into the details serially, here is a chronology of the 5^th Gurkha Rifles where Damar Singh Rana served as a Havildar.

5th Gurkha Logo

1858 raised as 25^th Punjab Infantry or Hazara Gurkha Battalion

1861 renamed the 5^th Gurhka Regiment

1891 became 5^th Gurkha (Rifle) Regiment

1901 name shortened to 5^th Gurkha Rifles

1921 became 5^th Royal Gurkha Rifles

1947 became part of the Indian Army

1950 renamed the 5^th Gorkha Rifles (Frontier Force)

In page 364 of his report in The Geographic Journal, V.31, Longstaff mentions their contribution thus:

'The others, though accustomed to run about quite regardless of the accepted laws of gravity, were as yet ignorant of the higher mysteries of mountaineering. But to men trained in such a regiment this was of no consequence. They never failed us, they never complained, and they never lost their cheerfulness. Without them we could have done very little. They were superior to the best Garhwalis I have met, and even to the Bhotias, so I need hardly add that they bore no resemblance whatever to the Kumaoni or the down-country native.'

The Geographic Journal 1908 (V-31, T. G. Longstaff )

Longstaff in his report titled A Mountaineering Expedition to The Himalaya of Garhwal, describes Damar Singh’s presence and activities with economy, perhaps as he should in a journal. The parts concerning him are as follows.

Owing to the great kindness of Colonel A. H. Q. Kemball, of the 5th Gurkha Rifles, Bruce was able to bring from this regiment Subhadar Karbir Burathoki, Havildar Damar Sing Rana, and seven riflemen, mostly Magars and Gurungs. Damar Sing was a trained plane-tabler, had charge of the stores, and kept the accounts. ⁽¹⁾

 On June 4 Damar Sing climbed up the steep crags on the right bank of the stream with the plane-table, while I went up the opposite slopes to get a look up the (Trishuli) nala. ⁽²⁾

 It did not seem worth while to carry our base camp any higher, so we decided to leave Damar Sing in charge to carry on the plane-table survey, and to wait for Bruce with the shikari and the three coolies who had elected to remain with us. ⁽³⁾

 And finally where he mentions of Singh’s further observation:

We could see no sign of a glacier filling the head of the Rishi valley, such as is shown on the G.T.S. maps, and Damar Sing reported from his observations from the ridge which forms the eastern boundary of the Trisuli Nala, that the glaciers from the north and south of Nanda Devi do not join each other at the western base of that peak.  ⁽⁴⁾

Glacier mapping: a review with special reference to the Indian Himalayas (Bhambri/Bolch)

Below is the concerning extract from the study.

Longstaff (1908) - Garhwal Himalayas

 Surveyors: Subhadar Karbir Burathoki, Havildar Damar Singh Rana, and seven riflemen from 5th Gurkha Rifles

Instruments used: Plane table, Hypsometers and Watkins mountain aneroid for metrological data collection.

Brief description: This study mapped more than a dozen glaciers, such as Bagini, Trisuli, Betatoli, Kamet, Dunagiri, Juma, Ravikana, Banke, Bhyunder, Khaiam, Bidum, Abijurun, Sukeram, and Maiktoli, using plane-table and trigonometrical points from Survey of India at 1:250,000 scale. 

Map inset showing the survey routes

Five Months in The Himalaya (A. L.Mumm)

Though not much can be inferred from the earlier sources, it was A. L. Mumm’s 1909 account, Five months in the Himalaya, which gives us a short sketch of a reserved, plane-table specialist, Damar Singh Rana. Mumm in his book takes great care in providing us with comparative illustrations highlighting Rana’s contribution alongwith a group-photograph (of him in it) thus satiating our associative tendencies as mentioned in the beginning. It should be remembered that these were the heydays of search to map and penetrate the Nanda Devi Basin from all sides, Rishi Ganga being the primary. It was not until 1934 that a party led by Eric Shipton forced its way to the inner sanctuary and thus the base of the mountain.

Mumm introduces the Gurkhas in Chapter four, Almora to Dhauli Valley, by recounting his meeting with them at Ramni Village.

We descended from Kanol to the Nandakganga just below the junction of its two branches, and had a glorious view of Trisul swathed in morning mists at the head of the main glen ; a long pull up-hill, and a hot trudge down the valley, high above the now invisible river, brought us to Ramni village. Here we found awaiting us the rest of the Gurkhas, and a large quantity of stores. ⁽⁵⁾

The others, too, soon began to take shape as distinct personalities. First I must name Damar Sing,* also older and more sedate than the rest, who came as a surveyor and plane-tabler, and gave Longstaff invaluable assistance in that capacity. He was a man of high skill and intelligence, and his map of the mountains surrounding the Rishi and Bagini valleys was a beautiful piece of draughtsmanship. I was advised to choose him as the best subject on whom to practise myself in conversational Hindustani, but, unfortunately, he was a taciturn person, and not very responsive. This was certainly in part due to ill-health ; he was very unwell when we first met him at Almora, and though he picked up later, and worked as hard and as willingly as any one, the disease to which he succumbed must have had hold of him throughout the journey, and it was with sincere regret that I heard of his death soon after my return to England (in 1907). ⁽⁶⁾

He goes on to describe the others:

Then, there was a delightful trio, whom I always mentally bracketed together as the Three Musketeers: Kul Bahadur, tall and slight, with straight well-cut features, that might have belonged to a European, and an interesting rather melancholy face-a youthful Athos; he lacked the sturdy toughness of the other two, but was a neat and nimble rock-climber. An Aramis was lacking, but either Buddhi hand or Dhan Lal would have made an admirable Porthos. Burly and muscular, great weight - carriers, and good steady goers over any sort of ground, they did yeoman service later in the passage of the Bagini pass. ⁽⁷⁾

Buddhi Chand's large impassive countenance always reminded me of a Chinaman ; Dhan Lal, heavy jowled, and rather sleepy-loolung, one discovered by degrees to be a heaven-born clown. It was first borne in upon me when I saw him dance. They would all, Kharbir and Damar Sing included, take a turn at dancing, of an evening, to some queer melody crooned by the rest in chorus-dancing of the Oriental type, with very little leg movement, and much play with the arms and hands; it was regarded in all cases as more or less of a joke, but Dhan Lal's lumbering motions were subtly instinct with the genius of caricature, and accompanied by grimaces that would have made his fortune on the music-hall stage.

These five, and a bright little person called Ranbir, who took charge of the base camp, when occasion required, were the most prominent during our stay in Garhwal. ⁽⁸⁾

The group at Timorshim, June25th with Damar Singh circled out. (Photo by A. L. Mumm)

Front row, on the lft (standing) : Dina, Inderbinen 

(seated) : Major Bruce, Kharbir, Dr. LongstafF, Dhan Lal, A. Brocherel 

Second row: Jeman Sing, Kul Bahadur, Pahal Sing, Buddhi Chand, Damar Sing, H. Brocherel, 

three coolies, 

and on the extreme right Seban Sing.

In Chapter seven, The Bagini Pass, Mumm while describing his own observations provides us with the comparative maps and a declaratory note which follows the sketches.

01 THE RISHI VALLEY As shown on G.T.S. Map

02 THE RISHI VALLEY -
(The part enclosed in black lines altered in accordance with Dr. Longstaff's Map

Note (included in the list of illustrations) on the Maps of the Rishi valley. 

The lower map is based on that prepared by Dr. Longstaff, which will be found at the end, and has no independent authority. I had it done in the same style as the other, which is an accurate copy of the G.T.S. map, simply to facilitate a comparison between them. I forgot, till too late, to have the ice cleared out of the Rishi cleft, in which, as Graham pointed out, there is no glacier at all. Damar Sing, who ascended with his plane-table to a great height above the cleft from the camp in the Trisuli nala, said that the glaciers enclosing Nanda Devi do not even meet at the upper entrance of the cleft. A recession of the ice may have taken place here, as it has in some other places.

A comparison with Longstaff’s map

Longstaff’s map with the same areas boxed

Other mentions: Chapter nine, First Attempt on Trisul

We found the Three Musketeers ready for us, and Damar Sing well advanced with his plane-table sheets; but there was still no news of Bruce ; and I think it was the consequent uncertainty as to when our store of provisions would be replenished which caused a certain parsimony to prevail in the use of biscuits, etc. ⁽⁹⁾

Various factors including poor weather, General Bruce’s troubled knee, had stopped them from reaching the summit.

Finally in Chapter twelve, The Raikana Glacier and Kamet

They started next morning (June 80) for the Kamet glacier with the Brocherels, six Gurkhas, and ten coolies to carry up tents, etc.; at a height of 16,800 feet a grassy slope, mirabile dictu, was found to camp on, and the coolies returned. Bruce was unwell that night and unable to go farther, but the others, including Damar Sing with hi plane-table, reached the desired point, something over 20,000 feet. Their exertions were very ill rewarded, for clouds and an icy wind rendered plane-tabling impossible, and hid the great south-east face of Kamet, but the upper portion of the Kamet glacier, winding from its foot, was duly inspected; it is a mere death-trap, lying in so narrow a gorge that it would be impossible to avoid the avalanches which constantly fall into it. ⁽¹⁰⁾

And just because we can, here are the contributors.

(L-R) Hav. Damar Singh Rana, A. L. Mumm & T. G. Longstaff

Before conclusion it is necessary to admit that there may well be other documents/books mentioning him which has been overlooked by limitation in search and access. Any further information would be a welcome.

by Ashish Chanda, April 2017

Notes:

* A.L.Mumm uses ‘Sing’ instead of ‘Singh’ in his book

The first use of supplementary oxygen in the Himalayas was apparently in 1907 when A. L. Mumm, T. G. Longstaff, and Charles Bruce went to the Garhwal and made the first ascent of Trisul (7,127 m), which remained the highest summit to be climbed for 21 years. Small oxygen generators were taken along on this expedition, which was partly done to celebrate the Golden Jubilee of the Alpine Club. However, no serious assessment of the value of oxygen was possible. (source)

 mirabile dictu - Borrowing from Latin mīrābile dictū (literally “wonderful to say”).

“The wind suddenly shifted to the northeast, and the remnant of the sea fog melted in the blast. And then, mirabile dictu, between the piers, leaping from wave to wave as it rushed at headlong speed, swept the strange schooner before the blast, with all sail set, and gained the safety of the harbour. The searchlight followed her, and a shudder ran through all who saw her, for lashed to the helm was a corpse, with drooping head, which swung horribly to and fro at each motion of the ship.” - Bram Stoker's Dracula

  

References:

Glacier mapping: a review with special reference to the Indian Himalayas by Rakesh Bhambri and Tobias Bolch

The Geographic Journal 1908 (Vol-31,)

 A Mountaineering Expedition to The Himalaya of Garhwal by T. G. Longstaff (p.361-395)

1-p.364; 2-p.371; 3-p.371; 4-p.376

Five Months in the Himalaya by A. L.Mumm

5-p.51; 6,7-p.53; 8-p.54; 9-p.124; 10-p.163