IBN 7 on Satopanth Tal & Shipton-Tilman trail

babuchand · Sep 11th, 2007, 17:24

I have watched the SWARG KI SIDI program on satopanth lake and the legendary path pandavas traversed to reach heaven. That was aired on 8th Sept evening on CNN IBN.

Being a trekker I know the pain their correspondents took to go there but what I disliked was the way they overstated the whole thing, even the heights quoted are not actual.

Another thing was the claim that no one ever climbed the SIDI (actually an ICEFALL). It was the legendary SHIPTON & TILLMAN who in search if the legendary route between Kedar & Badri climbed the ice fall and crossed the col above (called shipton's col) then another team led by Martin Moran crossed along the same path in 98-99. there is account of Martin Moran in Indian mountaineering Foundations website article.

Moran writes "At the holy lake of Satopanth Tal, we met another holy man who told us that he was living on sun and air, a diet which we quickly supplemented by surplus nuts and raisins. The last thin strips of grazing ground at Sunkunni and Surajkunni were smothered in deep snowfields and just beyond we made our decisive camp some 2 km from the base of the col at a height of 4650m. The porters returned from here with Pandey and we were left to contemplate our first real commitment of the enterprise, the gaining of the col."

link : http://www.indmount.org/shiptonslostvalley.htm
part 3-4-5-6

But in CNN IBN program it was stated that while they were standing some 1-2km from the base of the ice fall it was 6000m high

I hope this will not discourage the mountaineers or trekkers who also take the same pain to go there (as taken by CNN team) not for filming but for internal pleasure and accomplishment are not mislead and dissuaded.

I think as a leading news channel they are well aware of their duty as provider of correct information (not only breath taking)

want to see the view of indiamike trekkers community on this...

solo_trekker · Sep 11th, 2007, 18:36

all my colleagues know exactly how crazy i am about anything to do with the himalayas... so, when this programme on ibn7 started, i got a call letting me know about it...

i haven't been to satopanth or swargarohini yet - walked it to vasudhara though - but am quite familiar with all the trekking routes of uttarakhand... done many similar treks...

i was literally shocked when i saw the way these guys were gloating about what they had achieved... agreed, this was something major they had done (maybe it was the first time they had ventured outta their cosy offices...!) (ok ok - that was nasty of me...!) but honestly it seemed as if they had conquered k2 (doin' everest is supposed to be easy these days) from the most difficult side, and without oxygen, and while walking on their hands...! i mean, come on, last year even a guy who had lost his legs reached everest's peak - and that WAS somethin' remarkable & commendable - not these bunch of guys who didn't do anythin' great...

the actual content in that 90 minute programme wasn't more than 15 minutes - not only was it horribly done, they made it sound as if there was so much suspense yet to come - like it was a who dunnit mystery...!

never again...!

yes, i have to do this route in the next couple of years - and that is not because of, but despite, what this channel showed...!

chits007 · Sep 11th, 2007, 21:02

few months back they aired similar program on roopkund..in which the jornalist depicted roopkund a very very difficult trek ..
my parents also watched the program..now when i tell that i am going to roopkund they scared..

these reporters make so much hype and being a trekker we know how they are making fool of common man..
in roopkund episode the camera man was literally weeping

these are all media war..anyway..

ustadjohnny · Sep 11th, 2007, 23:36

Great thread. It makes my blood boil too to see these 'journalists' lying through their teeth. In the IBN7 programme on Roop Kund, they were saying "75 to 90 degree ascent" I wondered if they were rock climbing! and then i found this blog which kinda said what i wanted to say: http://www.buzz18.com/showblog/chand...-lizards/10121

livedead · Sep 12th, 2007, 13:30

hmmm..the episode name was swarga ki seedi...a.k.a ladder to heaven...well what was so funny is they were already in heaven and tryin to find the so called ladder..as somebody said the music was eerie as if they were showin some horror clips...it was so much based on mythology that the real content was lost...they didnt elaborate on the mountains,the glaciers,the rivers..etc...cmon i m not sayin that mythology shdnt be linked...i mean thats fine but show ppl whats there in a cosmic place like himalayas....finally the msg that the main guy on the show gave to the viewers is..do not try such a trek..theres landslides every now and then..one can perish on this trek..these were the messages..which summed up the whole episode as a total flop for me..

babuchand · Sep 12th, 2007, 14:52

It looks flop to us who are aware of these parts of himalayas and the rewards such treks can offer. but to newbees who are starting to think of trekking and trying to get a nod from their parents in their late teens... this program can dissuade them so much so that they will think thrice before planting foot on trek paths.

More over the wrong quote of heights, bringing a sadwi in was a menace.

adventurenorth · Sep 12th, 2007, 15:49

I was also shocked to see that program although i have never been to santopanth tal & above but last time i went till vasudhara & i was planning to do santopanth tal & laxmi van but after watching that program i don't know whether my parents will allow me to do that trek. It's all rubbish which these channels show, once u get there in himalayas you get peace new areas, adventure it's just like a soup which has got all the ingredients of exploring hidden nature.

travel joy · Sep 13th, 2007, 13:55

Haven't seen the program but was really surprised when I heard about a reputed news channel dishing out such material.This is what happens when the truth gets suppressed due to needs of gaining more viewership.Also the reporters are rookies who do not know the basic differences between plain tourism and trekking.But for the people who loves the spirit of trekking and the Himalayas this is nothing less than profanity.

Almoraboy · Sep 13th, 2007, 21:09

Yes, this is really ver bad. I am a member fo the YU (Young Uttaranchal) group and saw it over there for the first time. the himalayas are such a beautiful palce, how can anyone even think of them as being horrific? this is really bad. elsewhere also, the people are complaining on this issue. Here is the link:

http://younguttaranchal.com/communit...ic,1645.0.html

Dilliwala · Oct 3rd, 2007, 06:55

I saw the prog on Saturday night. All I can say is that IBN7 was totally in character - their target audience is not u and me but those folks who lap up the late-night murder/mystery/mayhem/superstition shows. Btw, they are not a reputed channel, just becos they are now part of the larger '18' group. Of all those late-night shows, industry-walas rate theirs the worst, i.e. most sensationalist.

Sep 11th, 2007, 17:24	#1
babuchand Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: KOLKATA, INDIA Posts: 304	IBN 7 on Satopanth Tal & Shipton-Tilman trail I have watched the SWARG KI SIDI program on satopanth lake and the legendary path pandavas traversed to reach heaven. That was aired on 8th Sept evening on CNN IBN. Being a trekker I know the pain their correspondents took to go there but what I disliked was the way they overstated the whole thing, even the heights quoted are not actual. Another thing was the claim that no one ever climbed the SIDI (actually an ICEFALL). It was the legendary SHIPTON & TILLMAN who in search if the legendary route between Kedar & Badri climbed the ice fall and crossed the col above (called shipton's col) then another team led by Martin Moran crossed along the same path in 98-99. there is account of Martin Moran in Indian mountaineering Foundations website article. Moran writes "At the holy lake of Satopanth Tal, we met another holy man who told us that he was living on sun and air, a diet which we quickly supplemented by surplus nuts and raisins. The last thin strips of grazing ground at Sunkunni and Surajkunni were smothered in deep snowfields and just beyond we made our decisive camp some 2 km from the base of the col at a height of 4650m. The porters returned from here with Pandey and we were left to contemplate our first real commitment of the enterprise, the gaining of the col." link : http://www.indmount.org/shiptonslostvalley.htm part 3-4-5-6 But in CNN IBN program it was stated that while they were standing some 1-2km from the base of the ice fall it was 6000m high I hope this will not discourage the mountaineers or trekkers who also take the same pain to go there (as taken by CNN team) not for filming but for internal pleasure and accomplishment are not mislead and dissuaded. I think as a leading news channel they are well aware of their duty as provider of correct information (not only breath taking) want to see the view of indiamike trekkers community on this... __________________ Njoy babu visit : http://www.webmania.co.za/travelmania/babu/index.shtml "The stupid neither forgive nor forget; the naive forgive and forget; the wise forgive but do not forget."

Sep 11th, 2007, 23:36	#4
ustadjohnny Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Mumbai Posts: 9	bang on. these channels lie Great thread. It makes my blood boil too to see these 'journalists' lying through their teeth. In the IBN7 programme on Roop Kund, they were saying "75 to 90 degree ascent" I wondered if they were rock climbing! and then i found this blog which kinda said what i wanted to say: http://www.buzz18.com/showblog/chand...-lizards/10121

Sep 13th, 2007, 21:09	#9
Almoraboy Trekker Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: London.....Himalayas in between Posts: 917	Yes, this is really ver bad. I am a member fo the YU (Young Uttaranchal) group and saw it over there for the first time. the himalayas are such a beautiful palce, how can anyone even think of them as being horrific? this is really bad. elsewhere also, the people are complaining on this issue. Here is the link: http://younguttaranchal.com/communit...ic,1645.0.html __________________ Trek blog over here

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Sep 11th, 2007, 18:36	#2
solo_trekker Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: noida Posts: 450	all my colleagues know exactly how crazy i am about anything to do with the himalayas... so, when this programme on ibn7 started, i got a call letting me know about it... i haven't been to satopanth or swargarohini yet - walked it to vasudhara though - but am quite familiar with all the trekking routes of uttarakhand... done many similar treks... i was literally shocked when i saw the way these guys were gloating about what they had achieved... agreed, this was something major they had done (maybe it was the first time they had ventured outta their cosy offices...!) (ok ok - that was nasty of me...!) but honestly it seemed as if they had conquered k2 (doin' everest is supposed to be easy these days) from the most difficult side, and without oxygen, and while walking on their hands...! i mean, come on, last year even a guy who had lost his legs reached everest's peak - and that WAS somethin' remarkable & commendable - not these bunch of guys who didn't do anythin' great... the actual content in that 90 minute programme wasn't more than 15 minutes - not only was it horribly done, they made it sound as if there was so much suspense yet to come - like it was a who dunnit mystery...! never again...! yes, i have to do this route in the next couple of years - and that is not because of, but despite, what this channel showed...!

Sep 11th, 2007, 21:02	#3
chits007 Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Noida Posts: 268	few months back they aired similar program on roopkund..in which the jornalist depicted roopkund a very very difficult trek .. my parents also watched the program..now when i tell that i am going to roopkund they scared.. these reporters make so much hype and being a trekker we know how they are making fool of common man.. in roopkund episode the camera man was literally weeping these are all media war..anyway..

Sep 12th, 2007, 13:30	#5
livedead Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: mumbai Posts: 12	hmmm..the episode name was swarga ki seedi...a.k.a ladder to heaven...well what was so funny is they were already in heaven and tryin to find the so called ladder..as somebody said the music was eerie as if they were showin some horror clips...it was so much based on mythology that the real content was lost...they didnt elaborate on the mountains,the glaciers,the rivers..etc...cmon i m not sayin that mythology shdnt be linked...i mean thats fine but show ppl whats there in a cosmic place like himalayas....finally the msg that the main guy on the show gave to the viewers is..do not try such a trek..theres landslides every now and then..one can perish on this trek..these were the messages..which summed up the whole episode as a total flop for me..

Sep 12th, 2007, 14:52	#6
babuchand Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: KOLKATA, INDIA Posts: 304	It looks flop to us who are aware of these parts of himalayas and the rewards such treks can offer. but to newbees who are starting to think of trekking and trying to get a nod from their parents in their late teens... this program can dissuade them so much so that they will think thrice before planting foot on trek paths. More over the wrong quote of heights, bringing a sadwi in was a menace.

Sep 12th, 2007, 15:49	#7
adventurenorth ADVENTURENORTH Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Delhi Posts: 26	I was also shocked to see that program although i have never been to santopanth tal & above but last time i went till vasudhara & i was planning to do santopanth tal & laxmi van but after watching that program i don't know whether my parents will allow me to do that trek. It's all rubbish which these channels show, once u get there in himalayas you get peace new areas, adventure it's just like a soup which has got all the ingredients of exploring hidden nature.

Sep 13th, 2007, 13:55	#8
travel joy Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: India Posts: 94	Haven't seen the program but was really surprised when I heard about a reputed news channel dishing out such material.This is what happens when the truth gets suppressed due to needs of gaining more viewership.Also the reporters are rookies who do not know the basic differences between plain tourism and trekking.But for the people who loves the spirit of trekking and the Himalayas this is nothing less than profanity.

Oct 3rd, 2007, 06:55	#10
Dilliwala Funky flunky Join Date: May 2007 Location: Dilli Posts: 3,590	I saw the prog on Saturday night. All I can say is that IBN7 was totally in character - their target audience is not u and me but those folks who lap up the late-night murder/mystery/mayhem/superstition shows. Btw, they are not a reputed channel, just becos they are now part of the larger '18' group. Of all those late-night shows, industry-walas rate theirs the worst, i.e. most sensationalist.

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