A nine-member Indian Navy team
led by Cdr Satyabrata Dam attempted Saser Kangri I and IV through
the west ridge during September 2003. The team reached Leh on
26th August. After few days of acclimatization, Base
Camp was established and occupied at 4750 m on 4th
September. It was located close to the confluence of North and
South Phuk Poche Glaciers, on a grassy patch of flat land.
Advance Base Camp (ABC)
was established at 5360 m on the South Phuk Poche Glacier, on
a flat patch of ice from where the Saser I and IV massif could
be seen in its entirety. No sooner had the first team occupied
ABC on 8th September, the weather packed up and remained
bad for the next few days. The next day’s route opening to C
1 took place in complete white out condition through huge crevasses,
seracs and ice fall. It took two days to tackle the ice section
and three more days to fix the rock band above that till the
shoulder was reached where C 2 was established at 6950 m and
was occupied on 20th September. From there the team
opened route to the Col between Saser Kangri I and IV, where
the true summit ridge to Saser I started. Soon the weather packed
up and anticipating further bad weather, which may prevent the
team from making any further attempts, a team comprising of
Lt Amit Pande (Dy Leader), Surg Lt Viking Bhanoo, CHERA Raj
Kumar and Sherpa Sange Puri attempted Saser IV (7410 m) on
22nd September and summitted the peak around 9 a.m.,
while the other team led by Cdr S Dam continued route opening
for Saser I, beyond the Col.
Cdr Satyabrata Dam and
Sherpa Pemba Norbu summitted Saser IV on the 23rd
Sep around 5.30 a.m. Beginning the same night, the entire
region closed up due to very heavy snow and blizzards. Temperature
and barometer fell alarmingly and the team was hit by a proper
storm. Several avalanches passed over the tents, almost collapsing
them and threatening the climbers. It became an ordeal of survival
for the second team to descend from C 2 through total white
out and the storm. The entire team evacuated the upper camps
and they retreated to ABC, where the gale nearly uprooted the
tents and plastered everything with heavy snow. Temperatures
dropped to below –30 degrees Celsius. With the weather showing
no signs of letting up the team finally gave up the attempt
of Saser I and descended to the Base Camp on 26th
September. The team returned to Delhi on the 30th
September.
Cdr Satyabrata Dam (Leader),
Lt Amit Pande (Dy Leader), Lt Cdr A Kankan, Lt Prabhakar, Surg
Lt V Bhanoo, Lt KS Balaji, CHERA R Kumar, RPO Kanna, LMA R Kumar
attempted Saser I & IV.
Following summitted ‘Saser
IV’: Cdr S Dam, Lt A Pande, Surg Lt V Bhanoo, CHERA R Kumar,
Sherpas Sange Puri and Pemba. About 7300 m was reached on Saser
I.
