14 Peaks

After concluding last year's climbing season, I took some time to tally the number of 6000m peaks I had scaled in the past few years. It turned out I had climbed my own version of 14 peaks (6000m edition). Although these are a couple of thousand meters lower than the 14 peaks featured on Netflix with Nirmal Purja aka Nims Dai, I felt my experience of climbing each peak was significant enough to document.

1. 14.08.2022: Peak 6080m, my first 6000er.

   • A nameless summit located far behind the village of Nurnish on the Leh-Chumathang route. We ascended this peak in true expedition-style, using mules to transport our gear to the base camp and having 2 guides for our team of 7. Climbing under the guidance of Rambo da from West Bengal was an invaluable learning experience; this mountain gave me confidence in my own strength and ability to scale a peak as high as 6080m.

     

     
     

2. 23.05.2023: Deo Tibba, 6001m.

   • This has been my most challenging expedition to date. Starting from the second day, we trekked through snow and had to carry our equipment daily because our mules were unable to navigate the snowy terrain. We had a robust team and an even stronger group of guides. Successfully reaching the summit on May 23rd, this expedition was memorable in many ways.

   • Regrettably, two of our guides were lost in an avalanche on Hanuman Tibba a few months afterward. These are bittersweet memories that will last a lifetime. Rest in peace Ravi and Jonu, much respect and love.

     
     

     

     
     

3. 21.07.2023: Mt Yunam, 6111m.

   • My first expedition as a guide with TMNA. Since Mukunda had previously ascended Yunam, we accepted a client to guide for this specific expedition. Chetan, another friend, joined us, and the two of us opted to cycle all the way to the Bharatpur tent colony (the starting point for Yunam) before proceeding with the climb. It was a success for all four of us, and we effectively merged a cycling and mountaineering expedition.

   
   

   

   
   

4. 19.08.2023: UT Kangri, 6030m.

   • My initial solo ascent. Following a ride to Leh through Zanskar with Mukunda, we chose to proceed to UT Kangri to scout the peak for TMNA. Unfortunately, Mukunda became ill at the base camp, leaving me to attempt the summit alone. I successfully reached the top, and despite experiencing a challenging fall on the descent, the confidence gained from climbing this peak solo was tremendous.

   
   

   

   
   

5. 23.08.2023: Mentok Kangri, 6150m.

   • We reached the Mentok Kangri summit from Leh within 24 hours. Mukunda and I joined Ramesh, an instructor from HMI, and left for Tso Moriri at about 11am. We set up our camp by 6pm and reached the summit around 10am the following morning, achieving the summit of Mentok from Leh in less than 24 hours. We descended the same day and arrived back in Leh around 11pm. Intense stuff.

   
   

   

   
   

6. 16.06.2024: UT Kangri, 2nd summit.

   • The initial climb of the season to scout the route before clients arrived for TMNA was accompanied by Vinay and Milind. Since it was our first hike of the season and none of us were well acclimatized, it turned into a challenging session towards the end. We turned back at 6005m, just 25m shy of the actual summit. Can we consider it a true summit? (Or not?)

     

     
     

7. 01.07.2024: Mentok Kangri, 2nd summit.

   • On another reconnaissance climb of the season, I was accompanied by Vinay, Ridam, and my longtime friend Sid. Our expedition faced challenges when some of our food spoiled, forcing us to endure on minimal rations before the final ascent. Despite this, we had sufficient time to rest before the summit day and exerted all our energy to reach the peak, successfully arriving at the top around 10am, safe and sound.

     
     

     

     
     

8. 20.08.2024: UT Kangri, 3rd summit.

   • Guiding my initial group of clients to the summit of this peak was a truly magnificent experience. The gentlemen from Pune performed admirably, especially considering it was the first 6000-meter peak for two of them. Sanjay, our cook from Sikkim, supported us well and has since become an essential member of my team.

     
     

     

     
     

9. 31.08.2024: Mt Yunam, 2nd summit.

   • Just one day after I turned 35, River, Arindam, and I successfully reached the summit of this stunning peak. River, hailing from the USA, and Arindam, originally from India but settled in Spain, were my first international clients connected with TMNA. Sanjay supported us up to the base camp and assisted me in carrying down a sack of trash left by other teams at the Yunam base camp.

     
     

     

10. 05.09.2024: Kyagar Ri, 6100m.

    • On our first attempt to Kyagar Ri with a client, we successfully guided Arun to the summit of this magnificent peak situated across from Kyagar Tso lake. Its lack of fame among tourists offers a secluded and unspoiled adventure. The route was fairly simple, making the climb perfect for a beginner like Arun, who was well-prepared due to his endurance and strength training back home. Overall, it was a fantastic experience.

      
      

      

      
      

11. 17.09.2024: UT Kangri, 4th summit.

    • Guided 2 out of 3 clients to the summit within 2 days. The clients were well acclimatised and in excellent condition due to their recent attempt on Kang Yatse 2, which enabled the bold effort to reach the peak with them within 2 days.

      
      

      

      
      

12. 25.09.2024: Dzo Jongo East, 6220m.

    • Speed hiking with Manav and Mohit, who aimed to climb as many 6000-meter peaks as possible this season, while I joined to scout more peaks for TMNA. This peak pushed me past the 6200-meter mark for the first time, and we successfully summited it from the Nimaling campsite in a single day and returned. Meanwhile, M&M managed to summit both the East and the West peaks in a single attempt.

      
      

      

      
      

13. 30.09.2024: Peak 6270 & 6250.

    • Successfully completed my first twin summits in under 10 hours from the road-head and back, with a total ascent of approximately 1500m. I stepped into a crevasse and managed to get out safely, and found my rhythm again while walking with M&M. These were the final peaks of the 2024 climbing season before we descended back to Manali.

      
      

      

Most of these peaks have been non-technical so far, making them suitable for beginners with an easy approach and relatively lower risks. If you're a beginner reading this blog post, these peaks are a good starting point for you. The approach to each peak varies according to the season and weather conditions, so always keep that in mind when attempting any peak. Despite sounding easy, climbing a 6000m peak is a challenging task, and the risks of AMS, HAPE, and HACE are always present, so these peaks should not be attempted without prior experience, technical knowledge, a support team, guides, medical equipment, etc. Looking forward to updating the number of peaks climbed in 2025.

Cheers,

Ninja