preparing for manirang pass

jnumc · Jul 31st, 2005, 17:42

Hello,
We, a group of university students, are planning to trek in Kinnaur in Sept 2005. Our proposed route is Shi Asu-Ropa- Pankthil- Rankali-Manirang pass- Sopona- Mane. We read avidtrekker's and agoramaniac's accounts to the Manirang pass. please write to us about the Snow/ ice conditions you encountered frm rankali onwards, specially if there is any possibility of camping above rankali before the pass, also about equipment used. any info will be appreciated.

visit our website jnumc/tripod.com to know more about us.

JNUMC

AvidTrekker · Jul 31st, 2005, 18:56

Are you all experienced enough to do Manirang Pass? Or you selected it for the high altitude figure it promises you? Even in high summer you will encounter snow and ice. It is a semi mountaineering expedition... so be prepared with double plastic boots and ice axes and ropes.

For experienced folks its do-able. For newbies its a foolhardy venture.

NO one can give you a report on snow & ice conditions at the exact base of the Pass, unless he/she/they have been there most recently.... the conditions are different every year. Snow is permanently present on the pass.

dhananjay · Jul 31st, 2005, 22:20

Hi,
Avid is right ... This is a trek for experienced hikers ... Almost a semi mountaineering expedetion ... September is a good month ... But what september are you looking at .. First week ... I would strongly advise you against it after September 15th .... The pass is high 5,600 mts ... I would suggest doing a thing from Mane to Sapona Lake and back ... However if you are initiated then be prepared to tackle crevasses, ice fields and a bluddy walk upto the pass from the base camp ... Locals who have dunnit have been very vocal about the climb up to the pass and the descent to follow ... some say its a hard climb and you cannot stop anywhere cause the thermals are very high and once on the top you have to descend very quicly as the next PADAV is after quite a while ... In all keep like 8-9 days for the whole thing .. Start from Ropa Valley ... I would suggest reading Kinnaur and Spiti by Deepak Sanan and Dhanu Swadi to get an account of the trek .. Indus Publications ... If you need personal accounts then I think the forum is the best place ... However I am sure you are experienced with the drill ...

And how do u plan to reach Ropa first thats a big big question ... ???????

Cheers,
Dhananjay

AvidTrekker · Aug 1st, 2005, 13:28

Quote:

Originally Posted by dhananjay

And how do u plan to reach Ropa first thats a big big question ... ???????

Fly !!!

Specially chartered chopper.

jnumc · Oct 7th, 2005, 16:50

Hi Guys

Recently the JNUMC organised a trek to Manirang Pass. Here you go with the trek report by the leader.

----------

One

Two

Go!

(What? No Three!?)

Yes, September 2nd 2005. The JNU Mountaineering Club was on its way to Himachal Pradesh, the eternal land of snow capped peaks. Representing the club, five members in all were waved off by loyal members of club. Their hearts wanted them to go with us but had other deadlines to meet.

Starting from New Delhi ISBT (Inter State Bus Terminus), the team reached Reckong Peo, the District Head Quarters of Kinnaur next day. Although Kinnaur is notably famous for the sacred Kinner kailash massif and the Baspa valley. We were heading towards Upper Kinnaur, the remote region east of Reckong Peo. Unfrequented Mountain trails criss cross kinnaur, offering challenging climbs over high altitude passes. Straddling the mighty river Sutlej, which rises on the southern slopes of Mount Kailash, Kinnaur has for centuries been a major Trans-Himalayan corridor. We followed the epic, old Hindustan Tibet road through the remote hamlets of Upper Kinnaur past Shi Asu to the Ropa Valley.

The trek began from the village of Ropa. A day before, the team stopped over for the local Phukachi festival which takes place during the harvest season. The trail then took us to Rangbar, passing through breathtaking scenery. This challenging route across the great Himalayan range from Ropa valley via Manirang Pass is a dramatic approach to the Spiti Valley.

We left civilization behind in the last village of our trail, Ropa. We were lucky to see two Shepards in Rangbar and Pamchung. We then followed our way a trail that took us through narrow deep gorges and beautiful virgin valleys. After an arduous day of ascending and descending, we reached and set up camp close to a grazing ground Sumdo.

To reach the Base camp of the Pass, Rankali we started off from Pamchung early. The trail was hard to follow in places, and nonexistent in some. Nevertheless, the trail offened breathtaking views of a crevassed glacier. Reaching Rankali and as we proceeded a little ahead, glaciers loomed on all sides.

On 5th day of our trek, 10th September, we started off in the wee hours of the morning prepared for the day long trek to the Manirang Pass (5600m). We reached the pass after eight hours of climbing two icefalls roped up in a cordee.The moment we started to descend,we entered Spiti . The Spiti valley was absolutely breathtaking and has massive, enormous mountains when compared to the Ropa valley. We were the only civilian team to have climbed the pass from the Ropa valley into the Spiti valley in this year. Definitely, the highest vintage point, the Club has made in the last couple of years.

The other side of the pass is down a glacier and the boulder-clay required some scrambling on 11th September, we started on a trail that climbs down to a side valley only to follow a lateral moraine up to a gad near Sapona after which we cross through Spiti valley filled with blue grey mountain peaks. The final patch is a steep descent to reach the village Mane. After this, a Jeepable track runs southeast to Kaza.

We then were off to Kaza in a Jeep.on the way, we stopped at Dhankar (3890m) monastery overlooking the convergence of Pin and Spiti Rivers. Built nearly 1000 years ago, it was once the capital of Spiti.

From Kaza, we reached Tabo Monastery which houses multi hued murals and stucco sculptures. It’s one of worlds richest Buddhist Art Treasures, also where the current Dalai Lama plans to retire. We stopped at Kibber, the highest village in the world with motorable road and electricity, way back, we visited the Kye Monastery ,the oldest and largest in Spiti.

Finally we reached Manali passing through the beautiful Kunzum La (4551m) and Rohthang Pass (3900m). Before we packed our bags to delhi, visited the Hadimba Temple, Manali standing at the head of Beas valley. (Contributed By: Sukanya Natrajan)

crimsonriver · Oct 7th, 2005, 17:52

Gr8 stuff guyz.. Can u elaborate on ur preparations ie. the equipment u carried and how useful it was..?

TREKorDIE · Oct 7th, 2005, 18:45

Congratulaions JNUMC Team

Reading your other trek reports

crimsonriver, nice new avatar but I like the previous avatar more

crimsonriver · Oct 7th, 2005, 18:49

@TrekorDie - I came across this BRO sign on the Kargil - Leh road.. and simply fell in love with it.. I guess it will stay for a while..

@JNUMC - Went thru ur website guyz. Gud stuff.. ! I was wondering if you guyz do treks with people outside the JNU too? A more detailed log wud be appreciated..

AndreasW · Oct 7th, 2005, 18:57

Congratulations to this strenuous trek! - Gives photographs? Please share with us!

AndreasW

AvidTrekker · Oct 7th, 2005, 23:51

Congratulations!!!

Please give some photos and details of your equipment. Did you feel plastic overboots were needed? Did you use them?

jnumc · Oct 8th, 2005, 13:27

Hi Guys

The photographs are posted in the website. Please visit the website to see the photographs . We didn’t take any special equipment other than ropes and ice axes. We didn’t even use crampons. No snow boots were needed for our trek. On the day of the pass we used ropes for certain stretches.

Crimsonriver – JNUMC does take guests in their treks too apart from students. You can join the trek if you are selected for the trek (we select students as well as guests on basis of their physical, medical and mental fitness, because there are limited number of seats. A 10-15 day physical training is held before any major trek to examine the candidates and it is mandatory for all who wish to go for the trek).

Cheers!

JNUMC

himadventures · Oct 10th, 2005, 21:04

Congrats to all team.
Kinnaur weather is fine after PHULEJ which is harvest festival.This is big drinking and dancing festival.
Route you described is good one-although I have not been on this one..but people who wish to go should bear points which Avid has said....

jnumc · Oct 11th, 2005, 16:40

[quote=jnumc]Hi Guys
read all the quotes today.
it feels great to know that others are also taking interest in and benefitting from our trek experiences!
i feel that i am still with u al lwhen i am on the forum or when i visit hte website!!!
nina

Jul 31st, 2005, 17:42	#1
jnumc JNU Mountaineering Club Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: New Delhi Posts: 4	preparing for manirang pass Hello, We, a group of university students, are planning to trek in Kinnaur in Sept 2005. Our proposed route is Shi Asu-Ropa- Pankthil- Rankali-Manirang pass- Sopona- Mane. We read avidtrekker's and agoramaniac's accounts to the Manirang pass. please write to us about the Snow/ ice conditions you encountered frm rankali onwards, specially if there is any possibility of camping above rankali before the pass, also about equipment used. any info will be appreciated. visit our website jnumc/tripod.com to know more about us. JNUMC

Jul 31st, 2005, 18:56	#2
AvidTrekker Veda Chanting & Mantra Yoga teacher Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: body in Mumbai, head in Himalaya Posts: 2,784	Experience? Are you all experienced enough to do Manirang Pass? Or you selected it for the high altitude figure it promises you? Even in high summer you will encounter snow and ice. It is a semi mountaineering expedition... so be prepared with double plastic boots and ice axes and ropes. For experienced folks its do-able. For newbies its a foolhardy venture. NO one can give you a report on snow & ice conditions at the exact base of the Pass, unless he/she/they have been there most recently.... the conditions are different every year. Snow is permanently present on the pass. __________________ The Universe is an ellipsoid?... or a Spheroid?? If the sphere smiles... it becomes an ellipse. This IS Creation.

Jul 31st, 2005, 22:20	#3
dhananjay Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Park Cafe, Shimla Posts: 305	Hi Hi, Avid is right ... This is a trek for experienced hikers ... Almost a semi mountaineering expedetion ... September is a good month ... But what september are you looking at .. First week ... I would strongly advise you against it after September 15th .... The pass is high 5,600 mts ... I would suggest doing a thing from Mane to Sapona Lake and back ... However if you are initiated then be prepared to tackle crevasses, ice fields and a bluddy walk upto the pass from the base camp ... Locals who have dunnit have been very vocal about the climb up to the pass and the descent to follow ... some say its a hard climb and you cannot stop anywhere cause the thermals are very high and once on the top you have to descend very quicly as the next PADAV is after quite a while ... In all keep like 8-9 days for the whole thing .. Start from Ropa Valley ... I would suggest reading Kinnaur and Spiti by Deepak Sanan and Dhanu Swadi to get an account of the trek .. Indus Publications ... If you need personal accounts then I think the forum is the best place ... However I am sure you are experienced with the drill ... And how do u plan to reach Ropa first thats a big big question ... ??????? Cheers, Dhananjay

Oct 7th, 2005, 16:50	#5
jnumc JNU Mountaineering Club Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: New Delhi Posts: 4	Manirang Pass Trek Hi Guys Recently the JNUMC organised a trek to Manirang Pass. Here you go with the trek report by the leader. ---------- One Two Go! (What? No Three!?) Yes, September 2nd 2005. The JNU Mountaineering Club was on its way to Himachal Pradesh, the eternal land of snow capped peaks. Representing the club, five members in all were waved off by loyal members of club. Their hearts wanted them to go with us but had other deadlines to meet. Starting from New Delhi ISBT (Inter State Bus Terminus), the team reached Reckong Peo, the District Head Quarters of Kinnaur next day. Although Kinnaur is notably famous for the sacred Kinner kailash massif and the Baspa valley. We were heading towards Upper Kinnaur, the remote region east of Reckong Peo. Unfrequented Mountain trails criss cross kinnaur, offering challenging climbs over high altitude passes. Straddling the mighty river Sutlej, which rises on the southern slopes of Mount Kailash, Kinnaur has for centuries been a major Trans-Himalayan corridor. We followed the epic, old Hindustan Tibet road through the remote hamlets of Upper Kinnaur past Shi Asu to the Ropa Valley. The trek began from the village of Ropa. A day before, the team stopped over for the local Phukachi festival which takes place during the harvest season. The trail then took us to Rangbar, passing through breathtaking scenery. This challenging route across the great Himalayan range from Ropa valley via Manirang Pass is a dramatic approach to the Spiti Valley. We left civilization behind in the last village of our trail, Ropa. We were lucky to see two Shepards in Rangbar and Pamchung. We then followed our way a trail that took us through narrow deep gorges and beautiful virgin valleys. After an arduous day of ascending and descending, we reached and set up camp close to a grazing ground Sumdo. To reach the Base camp of the Pass, Rankali we started off from Pamchung early. The trail was hard to follow in places, and nonexistent in some. Nevertheless, the trail offened breathtaking views of a crevassed glacier. Reaching Rankali and as we proceeded a little ahead, glaciers loomed on all sides. On 5th day of our trek, 10th September, we started off in the wee hours of the morning prepared for the day long trek to the Manirang Pass (5600m). We reached the pass after eight hours of climbing two icefalls roped up in a cordee.The moment we started to descend,we entered Spiti . The Spiti valley was absolutely breathtaking and has massive, enormous mountains when compared to the Ropa valley. We were the only civilian team to have climbed the pass from the Ropa valley into the Spiti valley in this year. Definitely, the highest vintage point, the Club has made in the last couple of years. The other side of the pass is down a glacier and the boulder-clay required some scrambling on 11th September, we started on a trail that climbs down to a side valley only to follow a lateral moraine up to a gad near Sapona after which we cross through Spiti valley filled with blue grey mountain peaks. The final patch is a steep descent to reach the village Mane. After this, a Jeepable track runs southeast to Kaza. We then were off to Kaza in a Jeep.on the way, we stopped at Dhankar (3890m) monastery overlooking the convergence of Pin and Spiti Rivers. Built nearly 1000 years ago, it was once the capital of Spiti. From Kaza, we reached Tabo Monastery which houses multi hued murals and stucco sculptures. It’s one of worlds richest Buddhist Art Treasures, also where the current Dalai Lama plans to retire. We stopped at Kibber, the highest village in the world with motorable road and electricity, way back, we visited the Kye Monastery ,the oldest and largest in Spiti. Finally we reached Manali passing through the beautiful Kunzum La (4551m) and Rohthang Pass (3900m). Before we packed our bags to delhi, visited the Hadimba Temple, Manali standing at the head of Beas valley. (Contributed By: Sukanya Natrajan)

Oct 7th, 2005, 17:52	#6
crimsonriver The Nom@d... Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Some road.. somewhere... Posts: 325	Gr8 stuff guyz.. Can u elaborate on ur preparations ie. the equipment u carried and how useful it was..? __________________ Look around and chose your own ground For long you live and high you fly And smiles you'll give and tears you'll cry And all you touch and all you see Is all your life will ever be... Last ride : Bhutan, Arunachal, Sikkim.. (Where do I ride next?) My Travel Journal... http://the-never-ending-road.blogspot.com

Oct 7th, 2005, 18:45	#7
TREKorDIE A Trekker Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: INDIA Posts: 358	Congratulaions JNUMC Team Reading your other trek reports crimsonriver, nice new avatar but I like the previous avatar more __________________ TREKorDIE: " BECAUSE IT IS THERE ! ! ! "

Oct 7th, 2005, 18:49	#8
crimsonriver The Nom@d... Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Some road.. somewhere... Posts: 325	@TrekorDie - I came across this BRO sign on the Kargil - Leh road.. and simply fell in love with it.. I guess it will stay for a while.. @JNUMC - Went thru ur website guyz. Gud stuff.. ! I was wondering if you guyz do treks with people outside the JNU too? A more detailed log wud be appreciated..

Oct 7th, 2005, 18:57	#9
AndreasW Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Germany Posts: 232	Congratulations to this strenuous trek! - Gives photographs? Please share with us! AndreasW

Oct 7th, 2005, 23:51	#10
AvidTrekker Veda Chanting & Mantra Yoga teacher Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: body in Mumbai, head in Himalaya Posts: 2,784	Congrats!! Congratulations!!! Please give some photos and details of your equipment. Did you feel plastic overboots were needed? Did you use them?

Oct 8th, 2005, 13:27	#11
jnumc JNU Mountaineering Club Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: New Delhi Posts: 4	Manirang Pass Trek Hi Guys The photographs are posted in the website. Please visit the website to see the photographs . We didn’t take any special equipment other than ropes and ice axes. We didn’t even use crampons. No snow boots were needed for our trek. On the day of the pass we used ropes for certain stretches. Crimsonriver – JNUMC does take guests in their treks too apart from students. You can join the trek if you are selected for the trek (we select students as well as guests on basis of their physical, medical and mental fitness, because there are limited number of seats. A 10-15 day physical training is held before any major trek to examine the candidates and it is mandatory for all who wish to go for the trek). Cheers! JNUMC

Oct 10th, 2005, 21:04	#12
himadventures Maha Guru Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: India Posts: 1,069	Congrats to all team. Kinnaur weather is fine after PHULEJ which is harvest festival.This is big drinking and dancing festival. Route you described is good one-although I have not been on this one..but people who wish to go should bear points which Avid has said....

Oct 11th, 2005, 16:40	#13
jnumc JNU Mountaineering Club Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: New Delhi Posts: 4	bravo!! [quote=jnumc]Hi Guys read all the quotes today. it feels great to know that others are also taking interest in and benefitting from our trek experiences! i feel that i am still with u al lwhen i am on the forum or when i visit hte website!!! nina

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