H'bad mountaineer set to conquer Mt Bhagirathi II

After successfully scaling Europe’s highest peak, Mount Elbrus, in June 2012, mountaineer Ali Razvi is all set to conquer Mount Bhagirathi II and the expedition will be flagged off from Uttarkashi on May 25.

Razvi, who will climb along with 14 others and two team leaders from Dehradun—Dhanender Singh Negi and Rajeev Rawat—is expected to reach the summit on June 9. The event is being organised with the permission of Indian Mountaineering Foundation (IMF).

Mt Bhagirathi II is the second highest but the most difficult of the three sacred peaks of the Bhagirathi mountains. The peak takes its name from the mythical king Bhagiratha, who brought the Ganga from heavens to the earth. Standing among the highest peaks of the Garhwal Himalayas, Bhagirathi peak is situated across the Gangotri glacier and has been more popular with the mountaineers, Indians and foreigners alike. The snowy peak of Bhagirathi II (6,512m) was first climbed by Austrians Edi Ellmauthaler and Toni Messner way back in 1933.

Explaining the route, Ali Razvi told Deccan Herald that the climbers will halt at Nandanvan after passing through Gangotri and Bhujwasa. After getting acclimatised to the cold and low oxygen levels, they will climb further to establish the second camp at a much higher altitude.

“The real challenge will be climbing 1,000 metres of vertical granite followed by another 200 metres of mixed rock and ice and a top part fully made of steep ice,” Ali Razvi said. He said it will be a thrilling experience and the challenge lies in its technical difficulty rather than its heights. “Rough, unprecedented climate is a major factor in Bhagirathi peaks. The climbers will be heavily dependent on good weather,” he added.

The final ascend to the peak will begin around 2 am on June 8. “It would take at least 12 hours for us to reach the summit. It is difficult to climb that part during day time when the ice starts melting, but at night, the ice will be hard, when it is comparatively easy to climb,” he added.