Bandarpunch

Little did I know back in 2009 that
my trusty pack and I would someday
be traversing Bandarpunch!

Next week, I will walk up to the last meeting of the school year with my hiking pack and trekking gear. First stop on my summer vacation: Bandarpunch.

Bandarpunch (Hindi for "monkey tail") is a Himalayan peak that is visible from Mussoorie. It was the first peak I could identify and will be the first major peak I attempt to summit. At 20,722 feet, it is among the highest peaks in the area (and, notably, higher than any peak in North America).

The expedition consists of over 20 Woodstock staff members, including staff from the U.S., India, England, South Korea, and Canada. Though organized by the Hanifl Center (Woodstock's Outdoor Education Department), we are trekking with the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering based in Uttarkashi. The expedition is a total of 19 days, including travel.

Our rough itinerary:

-June 15: travel from Mussoorie to NIM (Uttarkashi)

-June 16: orientations/preparations at NIM

-June 17: depart for trail head

-June 17-22: trek towards Base Camp

-June 22-28: Base Camp, high camps, and summit attempt

-June 29-July 2: backtrack to NIM

-July 3: return to Woodstock

The first part of the hike will be like other treks I've been on: each day we will move to a new camp and gain altitude. After we reach Base Camp, however, things will look a bit different. First of all, we will don our high-altitude gear and put our snow/wind/ice game faces on. Balaclava? check. Ice picks? check. Cramp-ons? check. Harnesses? check. Secondly, we will follow the standard "hike high, sleep low" method. This entails hiking each distance twice: The first day, we will hike part of our load up to the next camp, drop it off, and walk back down to sleep at the lower camp. The second day, we will move all remaining gear up with us to sleep at the higher camp. We will repeat this 3 times, I believe. This method decreases our susceptibility to high-altitude sickness. If health and weather permit, we will have a 1- or 2-day window of opportunity to summit.

As you'd probably guess, this is no small endeavor. Many of us have spent hours training this semester. I've mostly been running and lifting weights. Woodstock has a small fitness room equipped with two treadmills and a small variety of weights. I've never been a huge fan of treadmills, but at least these ones offer interesting views out the windows - most days I watch monkeys, and a few times I've sighted a jackal. Recently, I've been rockin' some pretty snazzy ankle weights (that only come in a teal and purple color combo), carrying around extra water bottles as dead weight, and taking short hikes with a full hiking pack.

As the departure date draws closer, I must keep reminding myself that this is a "Summit Attempt" - standing at 20,722ft is not a guarantee. The biggest issue we will face is high-altitude sickness, which may strike anyone at anytime regardless of health, age, or fitness. Another factor to our success will be the weather. We are flirting with the beginning of the monsoon season, which means unpredictable storms are likely.

A few photos I've taken of Bandarpunch over the years:

Bathing in the sunset. Christmas Day on the Chukkar, 2009.

Blue skies of October. From Sisters Bazaar, 2009.

Catching the sun through the evening haze. Fairy Glen campsite, 2009.

Tibetan Prayer Flags. Sunrise from Flag Hill, 2010.