Early Times Report
LADAKH, Aug 13: A team of climbers from the Mountaineering Association of Jammu and Kashmir, led by Sumit Khajuria, successfully reached the summit of Kang Yatse peak (20500ft) in Ladakh on August 11, 2023. The other members who also reached the summit were Manik Slathia, Shashi Kant, and Shilpa Charak. Unfortunately, the fifth member of the team, Sonam Sidharth, couldn't attempt the peak due to health issues. The expedition began when the team was flagged off from Jammu to Leh on August 1, 2023, by Anil Goswami, the former Home Secretary of India. After two days of light acclimatization in Leh, the team headed to the mountain for proper acclimatization through height-gaining treks. The journey started with a 20-kilometer trek from Skiu, the end of the road, to Markha valley, which served as the first halting point. The following day, the team covered 15 kilometers to reach Hunker, situated at an altitude of around 4000 meters. The team made good progress, and on the next day, they reached Nimaling (5000m), gaining 1000 meters in a 13-kilometer trek through rough terrain. The team stayed at Nimaling for two days to complete their final height gaining exercises. With only 4 kilometers between the base camp (5200 meters) and Nimaling, the team reached the base camp early on August 10th. Given the challenging nature of the long route to the 6250-meter summit, which involves steep climbs on soft snow and loose rocks, the team decided to attempt the peak at night. Equipped with mountaineering gear and headlamps, along with two sherpa guides, the team started their ascent at 9 pm on August 10th. Despite the grueling climb lasting around nine hours, the team proudly unfurled the National Flag on the peak at 5:44 AM on the following day. After spending about half an hour enjoying the breathtaking scenery, the team descended to the base camp for a well-deserved rest.
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