Peak CB 13 | Lahaul Valley | Altitude - 6264 meters
Trip days : 13 (Manali - Manali)
Guide team : Karn Kowshik, Tsewang Namgyal, Rigzin Tsewang
Dates : Aug 2 - Aug 14 [[ Dates are tentative ]]
Team : Max 6 clients, 3 guides, 1:2 ratio or better
Weather : Expect the weather to be cold and windy, with the possibility of snow or rain. Temperatures and night may drop below freezing.
Prerequisites : CB13 is a technical peak, and some mountaineering experience is required. Mountaineering course (BMC/AMC), or equivalent training, as well as prior experience in mountains. Participants need to be comfortable with climbing gear.
Climbing on CB13 - Pic by Karn Kowshik
This trip is planned as a post covid expedition, and is tentative, contingent on the situation improving and it becoming possible and safe to cross state lines. We realise that people’s livelihoods are impacted,and with this trip, and our hope with these trips is to bring work to locals and mountain guides. At the same time, we realise you are also affected, and we don’t want to deny anybody this opportunity. If you are unable to afford the trip, please let us know and we can arrange something that works out for everybody. Please keep in mind - the trip is also contingent on us being able to meet costs, if a certain minimum is not met, I will not be able to run the expedition.
Cost: Rs. 60,000
This includes :
Guiding, travel from Manali to Batal and back, All group technical equipment, Tents, All food in the backcountry, stoves, gas, Accomodation in Manali for 1 night, Basic first aid
Does not Include:
Insurance, any personal expenditures, any purchases made at shops or dhabas, any out of pocket expenses beyond our control, personal clothing and gear (mountaineering boots, clothing, crampons, ice axe), emergency evacuation.
Adventure insurance is mandatory
To confirm your seat on the expedition, make a booking amount of Rs. 5000/-
Key Learnings on the trip
Highlights of the trip :
How to plan and prepare for an alpine style climb
Choose gear and clothing with personal, pre-trip consultations
Learn basic ropework, climbing in parties of three and using fixed lines
Use multi-pitch anchor systems
Safe descending techniques
Summit (possibly!) a technical 6000 meter mountain
Climb on the remote Dhaka Glacier
Boulder in Chattru
Learn how to climb in a self sustained style
Camp at 5500 meters on the most amazing ridge camp
Itinerary:
The fabulous ridge camp
CB13 is a remote and beautiful peak on the Dhaka Glacier in the Chandra Bhaga valley. At the head of the valley is Chandra Tal, the beautiful lake in which the waters of the Baralacha La glaciers collect, and give birth to the Chandra river. This river goes on to become the great Chenab. The peaks here are mostly nameless, maybe because of the lack of human settlements in the valley. The most prominent of the CB peaks is CB13.
We will climb in a self sustained style, which will mean you need to carry your own gear as well as group gear. Fortunately, this is one of the rare 6000 mt peaks which has a short approach - while it can be done in a day, we will break it up into 2 days. Clients are not expected to carry full loads, as staff members will carry most of the weight.
We will approach the peak from the East, starting from Batal. From here, we will go onto the Sutri Dhaka glacier to the north of CB13, and make our way to the NW ridge, which provides a route to the summit. The climbing will be led by the guide team, and climbers will be expected to take part in all cooking and camping duties.
Day wise plan :
Day 0 : Arrive Manali (2000 mt)
Day 1: Drive Manali to Chattru (3319 mt) - Bouldering and acclimatisation in Chattru
Day 2: Acclimatise in Chattru - Walk, relax and Boulder
Day 3: Drive to Batal (4000 mt) - Relax and acclimatise
Day 4: Trek to Samudra Tapu (4050 mt)
Day 5: Trek to Base Camp (4350 mt)
Day 6: Rest and acclimatise at base camp.
Day 7: Move to C1 Bengal camp (4900 mts)
Day 8: Load ferry
Day 9: Load ferry
Day 10: Occupy High Camp (5500 mts)
Day 11: Summit day, return to C1
Day 12: Return to batal
Day 13: return to Manali.
The team after a first ascent of a frozen waterfall in Nubra
About the Guiding Team.
Karn, Namgyal and Rigzen are all independent mountain guides. They got to know each other while training in 2019. They all have a focus on technical skills and climbs. This winter, after climbing many ice routes together in the Spiti Valley, they became the first team to climb frozen waterfalls in the Nubra Valley, where Rigzen lives.
Namgyal specialises in guiding Nun & Kun, and has done 17 expeditions to these massive peaks. He is a passionate rock and ice climber. He lives in Leh, and runs his own guiding service, Ri Guides.
Rigzen is a resident of Nubra valley, and is a pioneer in developing climbing there. He is a founding member of the Ladakh Mountain Guides Association. He has been to 6000 meter summits over 100 times.