Top mountaineer Tomaz Humar killed in Nepal's Himalayas

KATHMANDU — A Slovenian climber recognised as one of the world's greatest-ever mountaineers has died after a daredevil solo attempt on a Himalayan peak, his expedition organisers said Saturday.

Tomaz Humar, 40, had been missing on the colossal south face of Langtang Lirung, a 7,234-metre (23,700-foot) peak in northern Nepal. His last communication was on Tuesday, when he radioed to say he had been injured.

"He had clearly fallen during the climb and broken his spine and leg," said Asian Trekking's Dawa Sherpa, who coordinated the rescue effort.

"He was climbing alone, with no guides or porters."

Sherpa said Humar's body was found early Saturday during an aerial search of the mountain, situated north of Kathmandu and close to the border with Tibet.

His body has been flown to the German embassy in Kathmandu, where his family were waiting, he said.

"The mountain that Humar was climbing, Langtang Lirung, is technically tough and not everyone dare climb it," said Zimba Zangbu Sherpa, president of the Nepal Mountaineering Association.

"Humar was courageous," he said. "It's a tragedy that he slipped and fell. We are very sorry to have lost such a world-renowned climber who had such a deep love for Nepal's mountains."

Humar shot to fame in the climbing world in 1999 with a solo ascent of the massive south face of Dhaulagiri, the world's seventh-highest mountain.

The vertical mixed rock and ice route was the equivalent of scaling eight Empire State buildings stacked on top of each other -- at an altitude where there is less than half the oxygen than at sea level.

At the time, the route was widely seen as near-suicidal -- and Humar's success made him a national celebrity and established him as among the world's top mountaineers.

Humar was hailed by Italian legend Reinhold Messner, the first to climb the world's 14 8,000-metre peaks, as the greatest climber of the modern era.

Humar's exploits also epitomised the way in which Himalayan mountaineering has evolved -- from the big-team, bottled oxygen siege tactics of the 1950's to the 1980's, to purer, "fast and light" alpine-style ascents.

This change was driven by the likes of Messner and the Polish legend Jerzy Kukuczka, and refined further by a host of names including French climbers Jean-Christophe Lafaille and Pierre Beghin, and Humar.

Of these, only Messner is still alive.

Humar's other extreme ascents included a new route, again solo without the security of being roped to a climbing partner, on the imposing south face of Annapurna, the world's 10th highest peak.

His 2005 attempt to solo the Rupal face of Nanga Parbat, the world's ninth-highest peak, in Pakistan, ended in high drama with a helicopter rescue from a narrow, snow-covered ledge at 5,900 metres.

The ill-fated attempt on the south face of Langtang Lirung would have established another extreme solo, alpine-style route.

AFP

Chipko Movement leader lauds Sikkim’s green mission

GANGTOK, November 13: Applauding the efforts of the State Government in pioneering innovative steps with the launch of the State Green Mission and the recently concluded ten minutes to greenery programme, renowned environmentalist and recipient of Padma Vibhushan Sunder Lal Bhauguna said the experiment of Sikkim in regard to forestry and environment conservation should be brought in the notice of all the hilly regions including the Government of India so that they can understand the importance of forest and frame the policy likewise in protection and preservation of forest.
Mr. Bahuguna was here for a two-day visit to the State as part of the ‘Save Himalayan Campaign’ to create environmental awareness and emphasize on the need for more humane and ecologically sensitive development plans for the Himalayan region.
Addressing the State Forest officials during a programme held at the Forest conference hall here today, the Chipko Movement leader said, Sikkim can play a lead role among the States in the Himalayan belt in terms of environment protection. “Today protection and safeguarding of forest has become an essential fact as even the scarcity of water is felt everywhere,” he pointed out while calling for more forestation drive.
He added that the drafting of the new environmental policy would enhance the spirit in saving the environment further more.
On the occasion, C Lachungpa, Chief Conservator of Forest, (Landuse) also made a power point presentation on the green initiatives taken by the State.
Earlier, the State Forest Minister Bhim Dhungel felicitated Mr. Bhahuguna, who was accompanied by his wife Bhimla Bahuguna, his son Rajiv Bahuguna, and Dr. Kishore Upadhya.
India’s renowned scientist also visited Himalayan Zoological Park at Bulbuley and planted Rhododendron saplings in the vicinity of the Governor’s House, few kilometres above Gangtok town.
Later in the day, the Save Himalayan team interacted with the members of the Voluntary Health Association of Sikkim (VHAS) wherein Bahuguna called for more participation from the local NGOs in giving momentum towards tree farming, which he added was the only way to save the Mother Nature.
A delegation of eminent citizens led by renowned environmentalist Sunderlal Bhauguna who have undertaken the Save Himalaya campaign on September 30 to sensitize people on the fragile ecology of Hiamlayan States of India stressed on the point that the framing and the regulation of proper environmental policy is the need of the hour to tackle the issues related with the Himalayas.
Kishore Upadhaya, the convenor of the mission said, the campaign will now head towards north east holding interactive meetings with maximum involvement of the youth.
'Dr Doma Bhutia, the legal consultant of Human Rights Law Network, Sikkim Chapter earlier placed a brief introduction of Mr. Bhaugana and his success story on the successful campaign of the world famous ' Chipko' Movement.

Sikkim eager to protect the environment around the Himalayas, says Chamling

Gangtok,Nov13:  Sikkim government will always like to become a willing partner in the regional endeavour to protect the Himalayas, Chief Minister, Pawan Kumar Chamling has said.

Mr. Chamling made the commitment to noted environmentalist Sundarlal Bahuguna’s call to the countries and states located in the Himalayas to evolve a policy to protect the mountain range from the impact of global warming and climate change.

The state government has taken a series of measures to protect the environment since Sikkim Democratic Front came power in 1994, Mr. Chamling told Mr. Bahuguna in a meeting here on Thursday.

There was a ban on grazing of cattle, free distribution of LPG cylinders in rural areas to dissuade the people from using woods and forest resources for fuel and constitution of a commission to study the glaciers were some of those measures, he said.

16 Bear sightings, nine injured in bear spate in Sikkim so far

Trap set up at Bulbuley to capture elusive Himalayan Black Bear
GANGTOK, November 11: Debate on forest resource conservation have been renewed with increasing conflicts between man and animals in Sikkim with nine persons injured by Himalayan black bears in various parts of the State.
At least sixteen sightings of bears have taken place in the past one month in all the four districts of the State and six of such sightings have turned into an ugly confrontation that led to mauling of nine persons including three foresters by the bears.
The most horrific mauling took place at Upper Sichey here on November 3 where three senior forest officials were seriously injured by a 90 kg adult bear.
A dozen instances of bear sightings and confrontations have been reported from West district alone, it is informed.
The first incident was reported from Tofung reserved forest, Upper Rimbi in West Sikkim where 50 year old Kuber Singh Subba was attacked by a bear. He was admitted to Geyzing hospital for treatment under the care of the doctors and wildlife staff.
The next incident took place on October 21 where Tek Nath Sharma (42) came under a bear attack at Sangku Dentam under Barsey Rhododendron Sanctuary. He suffered head and body injuries and is presently treatment at Geyzing.
Eight days later, it was the turn of 54 year old Lal Man Rai to come under the bear attack at Meli Khechoepalri. He also landed up at SNTM hospital.
Rai was soon joined by Nima Sherpa (52) at the STNM hospital following a bear attack at a private holding in Dokathang, Tikjhuk near Geyzing on November 3.
A bear was also sighted at near Geyzing, Yuksom and Dupidara, Tashiding in a private holding where livestock were attacked. Three bears were also sighted at Tharpu on November 6 and the animals were driven back into the forest areas by the forest personnel.
One report of bear sighting had come from Lower Namling busty, Ralang on October 24. The bear is reported to have killed a livestock.
The forest department has provided financial assistance and necessary support to the injured persons, said CCF (wildlife) HP Pradhan to Sikkim Express. He said that a control room has been set up to launch immediate measures whenever reports of bear sightings come.
“All wildlife and territorial officials along with front line staff are geared up to handle any situation”, said Pradhan. He also acknowledged the support provided by police, local people and Panchayats.
The bear trend drifted towards East Sikkim with a vengeance mauling three forest officials at Sateybazaar, Upper Sichey on November 3 before the animal was captured with tranquilizers and released in Kupup forest area the next day.
A lady also came under a bear attack at Raffong khola, Malling area on November 8. She is presently admitted at Mangan district hospital with injuries.
Another wild bear is presently romping around bushes of Himalayan Zoological Park, Bulbuley here since Monday morning. The forest and police authorities are taking great precaution and measures to ensure that the bear does not spill over into the human habitats at Chandmari.
As reported, the forest and police staff yesterday evening tried to push back the elusive wild animal towards to the deeper forest covers. The zoo has also been shut down till the bear threat is addressed.
ACF Ashoke Pradhan who has been since yesterday morning camped at the spot to handle the situation along with Gangtok Sadar police said that the bear is still elusive. “But we have found all the signs that the bear is in this area,” he said.
The wildlife authorities have decided not to use tranquilizers to capture the bear. “We have instead set up a trap in a cage at the spot frequently visited by the bear,” said Pradhan. “The trail leading to the cage has been littered with food items in order to lure the bear into the trap.”
“All our staff and police personnel have stood their positions since yesterday in order to prevent the transgression of the bear into human habitats,” said the ACF. He expressed his hopes that bear will be captured soon and then dispatched to higher altitude areas.
A bear is said to have also been sighted at Lower Tintek, Marchak yesterday morning but could not be located afterwards by a team of forest and police staff from Mangan. However, the people have been appealed to remain alert when they venture into forest areas to collect cattle fodder.
Meanwhile, the forest department has reiterated its appeal to the people not to retaliate or take any independent action or approach the wild animal in the event the bear is sighted in and around human habitations. The people have been appealed not to fuel or heed any rumours which may create panic in the area.
The department has already released the appeals in the local dailies requesting the people not to dispose garbage especially rice beer wastage in and around human habitations. The department has attributed collection of edible wild items from the forest areas for the increase in man-animal conflicts.

RARE HIMALAYAN SPECIE SCOOPS OWL CRUSHED AT PAKYONG AIRPORT SITE

PAKYONG AIRPORT CONSTRUCTION HEAVY MACHINERY CRUSHED DOWN A VERY RARE SPECIES OF HIMALAYAN OWL, SCOOPS OWL WHICH IS NOW LISTED IN WORLD NATURE MAGAZINE AS EXTINCT BREED OF OWL FAMILY- PIC S. KHATIWADA-VoS

Glaciology centre to study melting of Himalayan glaciers

Shimla,October30: The Glaciology centre, the first of its kind in the country, will be set up in one of the Himalayan states to study melting of glaciers, amid findings that about 21 per cent of the snow cap had receded in the ranges in the last four decades.

The proposed centre would come up in any of the Himalayan states of Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir,Uttrakhand, Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim, said Akhilesh Gupta, Advisor, Union Science and Technology Department.

Glaciology is the scientific study of the internal mechanism of glaciers and their effects on eco-systems.

Studies had come out with shocking findings that Himalayan glaciers had melted by about 21 per cent during the period from 1966 to 2004 under the impact of global warming, Gupta, also coordinator of National Mission on Sustaining Himalayan Eco-systems, said.

Himalayan glaciers are the main source of water for major rivers in north India.On developed countries asking India to cut down its carbon emission, Gupta said the country's carbon emission rate was already low.

Melting Himalayan glaciers endanger Bhutan,Sikkim and North East India

Mount Jomolhar the highest peak in Bhutan.

Reports indicate that the melting of the Himalayan glaciers is threatening the kingdom of Bhutan, the impacts of which will adversely affect the entire South Asian region including Bhutan,Sikkim and north-east India.

According to a report in Nature News, glaciers in the Himalayas are retreating faster than in any other part of the world and they could disappear completely by 2035. This puts the mountainous nation of Bhutan at a special risk. In an area smaller than Switzerland, it has 983 glaciers and 2,794 glacial lakes, some of which have burst to produce deadly glacial lake floods.

A nation without even its own helicopter, Bhutan lacks the resources to combat global warming. It is carrying out the work at Thorthormi glacier with the help of money from various international donors.

As the first nation to get adaptation money from the Least Developed Countries Fund, Bhutan is something of a pioneer among developing nations in their quest to adapt to a warmer future, and the struggles at Thorthormi glacier illustrate the enormous obstacles that adaptation efforts still face. It is only within the past decade that researchers realized that Thorthormi could pose a threat. Thorthormi’s ponds were expanding and merging to form larger bodies of water. The changes have been dramatic even in the past few months. “Just before we started our work here in July this year, that part of the lake was water,” said Karma Toeb, the project’s glaciologist and team leader, pointing down to a number of icebergs. “The ice blocks have been breaking off the mother glacier upstream,” he added.

According to Thinley Namgyel, the deputy chief environment officer at the National Environment Commission in Thimphu, “A few decades down the line, the glaciers will retreat and we are not sure what impact it will have on the economy.” But, the impacts of the melting of the Himalayan glaciers will reach far beyond Bhutan’s borders. The glacier-fed rivers that flow south from the Himalayas are the arteries of south Asia.

It is estimated that the retreat of glaciers will affect the water supply of roughly 750 million people across South Asia and China, according to Rajendra Pachauri, the chairman of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

Across Asia, there are countless cases like Thorthormi, where the needs are great and the resources scarce. Regarding the effects of climate change and their costs, “every single estimate that people have come up with has been exceeded by reality”, said Dr. Pachauri. “The impacts of climate change are clearly turning out to be much worse than what we had anticipated earlier,” he added.

The Eastern Himalayas — Where Worlds Collide :The WWF report

353 wildlife species found in 10 years in N-E India .

Snow white orchid among 353 new species
Gangtok , Aug. 10: The eastern Himalayas is one of the last biological frontiers of Asia with 35 new species being discovered on an average annually for the past 10 years, according to a report of the World Wildlife Fund.

The WWF report titled The Eastern Himalayas — Where Worlds Collide and released today says between 1998 and 2008, at least 353 new species have been discovered in the region.

“The Eastern Himalayas is certainly one of the last biological frontiers of Asia and, without doubt, there are still many new discoveries waiting to be made,” the report said.

The eastern Himalayas is spread across north Bengal, Bhutan, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, and Sikkim besides the far north of Myanmar, Nepal and the southern parts of Tibet.

The report says the cache, quality and diversity of species newly discovered between 1998 and 2008 make the mountainous region one of the world’s most important biological hotspots. “The extent of the new species finds place the eastern Himalayas on a par with more well known biological hotspots such as Borneo,” it says.

The WWF has asked the governments of Bhutan, India and Nepal to commit to cooperate in conservation efforts in the geographic region that transcends the borders of the three countries to protect the landscape and the livelihoods of people living in the eastern Himalayas.

The rugged and largely inaccessible landscape of the eastern Himalayas has made biological surveys in the region extremely difficult, resulting in poor wildlife survey and large areas still remaining unexplored.

One of the discoveries in 2007 highlighted by the report is the bright green, red-footed tree frog Rhacophorus suffry called “flying frog” because its long-webbed feet allow the species to glide when falling.

The species is mainly found in swampy areas and is known only from five specific sites, including the Suffry tea estate in Assam where it was originally found and in neighbouring areas. Other new species from Assam include Amolops assamensis, a green and brown species which is also called the Assamese cascade frog. The report also mentions the “miniature muntjac”, also called the leaf deer (Muntiacus putaoensis) the world’s oldest and smallest deer species. It also highlights growing pressures on the ecosystems and species as a consequence of unsustainable development in the region.

“Despite protection efforts, in the last half-century, this area of South Asia has faced a wave of pressure as a result of population growth and the increasing demand for commodities by global and regional markets. The host of threats include forest destruction as a result of unsustainable and illegal logging, agriculture, unsustainable fuel wood collection, overgrazing by domestic livestock, illegal poaching and wildlife trade, mining,” the report says.

Spring date for Sikkim Everest team

photos: Late Sonam Gyatso & The shoes that he used while scaling Everest.

Gangtok, Nov. 12: Sonam Gyatso Mountaineering Institute here will lead its first independent expedition to Mount Everest in spring 2008 .
While members and instructors of the institute have scaled the peak with other teams, this is the first time the 43-year-old school is organising an independent expedition to tame the 8848m (29,028ft) peak.
The second round of selection began today at the institute here in Baluakhani. The team will be sent on Thursday for the final selection to be held under Alpine conditions in North Sikkim.
The expedition that will be flagged off sometime in April-May next year will include 15 members and five additional climbing support staff. The team will be led by G.T. Bhutia, the principal of the institute.
“Members of the institute have scaled so many summits and broken so many records. So we thought why not an independent expedition,” Bhutia informed.
The team is expected to scale the peak from the North Col ridge, which is considered to be a difficult climb. The ascent to the top from the North Col begins in Tibet, unlike the easier approach from the Southeast ridge in Nepal.
The institute has already made their bookings for the climb through an agency in Nepal and have paid $5,500 for necessary permits.
The first round of selection for the expedition was carried out in July-August this year. Four members from the Jammu and Kashmir police, Uttarakhand and Gujarat are part of the expedition.
The team will also include two women climbers — Phulmaya Tamang and Yangdi Sherpa — both of whom are instructors at the institute. Phulmaya and Yangdi both have climbing stints including those on Everest. D.D. Bhutia and Kunzang Dorjee are the other instructors who will be part of the team.
In the past, instructors and members from the institute have summitted Mount Everest regularly. Sonam Gyatso, after whom the institute is named, was the first Everester from Sikkim and was also the 18th person to have scaled the peak. He was part of the first successful Indian expedition to Everest led by Captain M.S. Kohli in 1965. He was also the first principal of the institute, which was set up in 1964.
Other members from the institute to have scaled the peak are Nadre Sherpa who climbed it twice — first in the 1996 ITBP expedition from the North Col and again in 2003 during the golden jubilee climb of Himalayan Mountaineering Institute in Darjeeling. In 2003, Phulmaya Tamang was also part of the expedition. In 1984, another Sikkimese, Phu Dorji created a record by climbing Everest without oxygen. He repeated the feat later.
The North face route to be used by the Sikkim team begins from Rongbuk Glacier in Tingri county of Tibet. The team will have to first set up a base camp at 5,180m (17,000ft) on a gravel plain just below the glacier. The base camp will be followed by at least six other camps before the team launches its final summit push.
The first independent expedition for the institute is also turning out to be an expensive affair with the entire cost of the expedition likely to shoot up to more than Rs 2 crore. The total amount includes royalty, climbing gear and all other travel and support accessories.
At present the Chinese are paving a 130-km (66-mile) dirt road from Tingri to the base camp in order to accommodate the growing number of climbers on their side of the mountain. Once completed, it will become the highest asphalt-paved road in the world. Construction began on June 18, 2007, at a cost of $19.7 million.

Peak push to tourism in Sikkim

Gangtok, Nov. 1: Mountaineering is fast becoming the most popular form of adventure tourism in Sikkim and a British couple are keen to promote the state’s alpine peaks among foreign climbers.
Roger Pynne and his wife Julie Ann are familiar with the subject, having conquered Mt Thingchinkhang, a 6,010m peak in West Sikkim, in 2005. They have also scaled Choygal Peak (5,750m) and Brumkhangse (5,650m).
Following their trail, three more foreign expeditions have summitted Mt Thingchinkhang in the past couple of years, giving a boost to mountain tourism in Sikkim.
“We will return next season with foreign clients for climbing and trekking expeditions in North Sikkim,” said Pynne. The couple stopped over in Gangtok after a second successful expedition to Brumkhangse.
Pynne added that the Sikkim is ideal for mountain tourism with its abundance of virgin peaks, all above 5,500 metres.
“An alpine climbing zone can be easily set up in the North district with the help of local stakeholders like Sikkim Amateur Mountaineering Association and the state government,” he said.
The climber highlighted some of the advantages Sikkim has in this field. For example, transportation is easily available right up to the base camps of some peaks and, for foreign tourists, getting a permit is not as difficult as it is perceived.
“We are doing a lot of promotion of adventure tourism in Sikkim in the European and Japanese markets,” said Pynne.
The couple have also shared their ideas with the state tourism secretary, G.P. Upadhyaya.
The secretary promised that his department would extend all possible help to them in their project.

Swiss-Dutch team climbs 6010m Sikkim peak

photo:The team at peak

Gangtok, Oct. 28: A Swiss and Dutch team has conquered the 6,010m-high Mt Thingchingkhang in West Sikkim. This is the third successful ascent to the peak in just over a year and is expected to give a big boost to adventure tourism in the state.
The expedition led by the 57-year-old Swiss mountaineer Robert Allenbach included his wife Susana Cornelia, a medical assistant, Robertus Laan, a Dutch national living in Switzerland and Paul P.E. Van Rivere from the Netherlands. They have returned to base after reaching the summit earlier this week.
The expedition was organised by Adarsh Tours and Travels, an agency promoting mountaineering in Sikkim.
Allenbach is an Everester, having scaled the highest peak (8,848m) in the world way back in 1978. A technical engineer by profession, Allenbach has also participated in a number of expeditions in Ladakh.
According to Allenbach, the final stretch of the ascent was technically the most challenging because the team had to negotiate a steep vertical gradient for about 100 metres. The climbers praised Adarsh Tours and Travels for successfully organising the expedition, which included managing the camps and providing support crew.
On October 16, a three-member team from the US had also scaled the peak. That expedition was managed by Yak and Yeti Travels, an adventure tour operator here.
Yak and Yeti Travels had also helped a German team conquer Mt Thingchingkhang last year, soon after it was opened to expeditions by the Sikkim government along with four other peaks.
The Sikkim government earns $350 for each expedition by foreign teams comprising no more than four members and $500 if the number is eight or less.

SWISS TEAM CONQUER MOUNT THINCHINKHANG OF SIKKIM

YUKSOM, (West Sikkim), October 26: A Swiss mountaineering expedition successfully scaled the 6010m Mount Thinchinkhang on October 24.
The expedition, which was headed by Robert Allenbach (57), a professional mountaineer from Switzerland, was joined by his wife Susana Cornelia Allenbach (54), a medical assistant, Robertus Laan (44), a Dutch national based in Switzerland and working as a Sales Marketing Executive and Paul PE Van Rivere (54), a public prosecutor in Holland.
Mount Thinchinkhang has been previously scaled thrice, the first being scaled by the Germans last year in 2006 and for the second time by mountaineers from United States of America earlier this October.
The ten-day expedition organised by Adarsh Tours and Travels based in Gangtok was joined by nine others comprising of the guide, potters, cooks, the Sherpas for locating and clearing the track and 13 yaks.
The group started off from Yuksom on October 15 and reached the base camp at Lamuney on the 19th of the same month.
After 6 hours of climbing from the base camp, the summit of Mount Thinchinkhang was scaled successfully at about 7 am amidst a warm sunny weather from its southern side on October 21.
The summiteers counting seven in total-Allenbach couple, Robertus Laan, Dhan Bahadur Chettri (guide), Phurba Sherpa, Nima Sherpa and Thukpa Tshering Sherpa stayed on the summit for about an hour and half.
Unfortunately, about 300m below the summit, Paul PE Van Rivere had to call it a day due to extreme exhaustion.
Speaking to mediapersons, Robert Allenbach, a technical engineer by profession was in all praise for the Adarsh Tours and Travels for successfully organising the expedition.
According to him, the most challenging part of the expedition was the rock climbing on the steep vertical gradient whereby, the ascent to the top of the summit proved a difficult task for the team.
He also highlighted on the major difference in terms of elevation between his present and past mountaineering expeditions. The Mount Thinchinkhang measured at an altitude of more than 6,000m above sea level in comparison to some of the peaks scaled by him both in India and in his own country in the past measuring at an optimal height ascending up to as high as 5,000m excluding the Mount Everest expedition.
For Ms Allenbach the beautiful landscapes kept her mesmerized during the course of the expedition.
It may be mentioned here that Allenbach has also scaled the summit of Mount Everest way back in 1978 and also scaled mountain peaks in Ladakh in 2006 when he was a young lad of 28 then.
The Allenbach couple have been actively participating in mountaineering expeditions of such kind for the last 40 years. For the duos, scaling mountains have been their hobby and have undergone practical training in the art in Switzerland by scaling on mountain peaks measuring at a height of 4,000 to 5,000 at regular intervals.
Robertus Laan on the other hand expressed his keenness to scale other mountains in North Sikkim recently opened by the State Government.
The guide Dhan Bahadur Chettri stated that Mount Thinchinkhang is cent percent a technical peak rather than just a mere trekking peak.
Mr. Chettri at 27 is a trained professional mountaineer and a guide from Himachal Adventure Institute in Manali in Himachal Pradesh. He also expressed his utmost appreciation to the Chief Minister of Sikkim for having opened the peaks for mountaineers which accordingly to him would definitely go a long way to give a boost to tourism in the State.
Mt Thinchinkhang is the highest amongst the five peaks recently opened by the Sikkim government including Frey’s Peak in West Sikkim standing at a height of 5,830m, Mount Lamawangden at 5868m in North Sikkim, Mount Brumkhangse (5,635m) in Yumthang Valley and Mount Jupuno (5850m) in West Sikkim.

(Sikkim Express)

US climbers set to climb Mt. Thinchinkhang ,Sikkim

YUKSOM (West Sikkim), Oct. 10: Three experienced climbers from America are set to climb Mt. Thinchinkhang situated at an altitude of 21,035 feet near Mt. Kanchanzonga, world's third highest peak. The US climbers began their mountain expedition from West Sikkim this morning. The trio ~ Mr Bruce Kocka (62), Mr Ric Devan (45) and Mr Thomas Richie (63) ~ have already started trekking from Yuksom towards Dzongri in West Sikkim to scale the peak. They will cross through various high altitude hamlets, flora and fauna and hot springs before reaching their destination. "Earlier, Nepal was the only the place to explore mountains. Now, Sikkim has become the second favourite place for mountaineers," said Mr Bruce Kocka who is leading the team to sikkim expedition.

USA team to scale 6010 m peak in West Sikkim

Gangtok, Oct 5,2007 :A three-member team from the USA will be attempting to scale a 6,010 m alpine peak of Sikkim on a sixteen-day expedition, starting from October 5.
USA mountaineer Bruce Kocka will be leading the team which includes two more US nationals-Thomas B.Ritche and Rickey Edward- to Mt Thingchinkhang (6010 meters) located in West Sikkim of the Himalayan range, said Mr Satish Bardewa, CEO of Yak and Yeti Travels and Expeditions to UNI. All three of them had done several climbing stints in parts of Nepal and South America.
Yak and Yeti, an adventure tour operator in Sikkim is conducting the expedition. It had also successfully planned the maiden expedition to Mt Thingchinkhang last year made by a German team. This was after the state government had declared five peaks of Sikkim open for expeditions in 2006.
Mr Bardewa said that the expedition will begin officially from October 6 and will reach the base camp at Lhamuney located in Yuksom-Goechala trek route by the second week of October.
The ascent to the mountain is scheduled to begin at the end of the second week of October. '' Weather permitting, we will try to reach the summit of Mt Thingchingkhang by October 16,'' said Mr.Bardewa. A trekking route is also planned in the famous Goechala trek after the expedition, he added.
The climbing route has been planned with two high altitude camps at 16,000 feet, 2000 feet above ABC (advance base camp) in dome tents with high altitude food, stove burners and all technical equipment. The support crew consists of climbing Shepras, state government liaison officer, trekking guide, cook, porters and yaks to ferry loads

Himalayan Glaciers on Sikkim study table

Gangtok, Sept. 17: The Sikkim government has constituted a commission to study the glaciers in the state and their impact on the river system amid fear that the glaciers are melting at a faster rate.
The commission will be headed by S.I. Hasnain, senior fellow, Centre for Policy Research, New Delhi, and comprise scientists and environmentalists from across the country. The members include Mahendra P. Lama, the vice-chancellor of the central university in Sikkim, and the former chief secretary of the state, K.C. Pradhan.
Apart from reviewing the current status of the glaciers and snowmelts, the commission will also study the impact of climate change on the mountain eco-system. It will suggest the scientific and technological intervention and human resource generation required for better management of the environment.
The commission has been asked to submit its recommendations by December 2008 .
The development comes in the wake of unconfirmed reports that the Zemu glacier in North Sikkim, which is the source of the Teesta, was melting at a faster rate than before, leading to flash floods. Last month, two bridges were washed away by the Zemu Chu, or Teesta, at Zema in the North district.
Sikkim has a large number of glaciers and they act as natural reservoirs and supply water to the major rivers of the state.
The state government’s announcement regarding the formation of the commission referred to the “receding glaciers” and “recurring phenomenon of glacial lake outbursts and floods that have been recorded in the entire eastern Himalayan region”. It added that such a phenomenon could impact people’s livelihood and the “array of hydel power plants that are being built on the Teesta and other river basins” in Sikkim.

Global Warming : A fable from the Himalayas

Enjoy the Video

Nitin Das, an IIM graduate left his corporate career for filmmaking. His eight-minute film is an inspiring story about a Buddhist boy who finds the solution to global warming

FLASH FLOODS IN THE HIMALAYAS

The Himalayas are one of the youngest mountain ranges on earth and represent a high energy environment very much prone to natural disasters. High relief, steep slopes, complex geological structures with active tectonic processes and continued seismic activities, and a climate characterised by great seasonality in rainfall, all combine to make natural disasters, especially water-induced hazards, common phenomena.
Flash floods are among the more devastating types of hazard as they occur rapidly with little lead time for warning, and transport tremendous amounts of water and debris at high velocity.
Flash floods affect thousands of people in the Himalayan region every year – their lives, homes, and livelihoods – along with expensive infrastructure.
According to a report by the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), there are several different types of flash flood. The most common include intense rainfall floods (IRF); glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs), landslide dam outburst floods (LDOF), and flash floods caused by rapid snowmelt (RSM) and ice. Failure of dams and other hydraulic structures can also lead to flash floods.
Intense rainfall is the most common cause of fl ash floods in the Himalayan region. These events may last from several minutes to several days. Such events may happen anywhere but are more common to mountain catchments. The main meteorological phenomenon causing intense rainfalls in the region are cloudbursts, stationarity of monsoon trough and monsoon depressions.
Landslide dam outburst
Debris from a landslide can temporarily block the flow of a river creating a reservoir in the upstream reach. The landslide dam can breach due to overtopping and cause huge floods known as landslide dam outburst floods (LDOF).
Glacial lake outburst
The glaciers in the Himalayas are mostly retreating, and as they retreat lakes can form from melt water held in by the now exposed terminal moraine acting as a dam. If the dam breaks the water can be released suddenly resulting in a glacial lake outburst flood.
Impact of climate change
Intense rainfall floods and landslide dam outburst floods are directly related to the hydrometeorological conditions and likely to be affected by climate change.
Climate models project an increase in monsoon precipitation in the region. Similarly the frequency and magnitude of extreme rainfall events are also anticipated to. GLOFs are related to glacial retreat which in turn is mainly due to climatic warming. It is therefore very likely that flash floods due to intense rainfall, landslide dam outbursts, and glacial lake outbursts will increase in the future.
Zemu Glacier Complex
Zemu Chhu originates as Poke Chhu from Zemu glacier, which is the largest glacier in Teesta basin and is about 25 km in length Zemu glacier lies on the eastern face of Khangchendzonga peak (8,598 m) and is joined by Simvo and Siniolchu glaciers on its right flank and Nepal Gap and Tent Peak glaciers on its left. It is joined by Hidden glacier on its left. Poke Chhu flows in W-E direction and receives drainange on its left bank from Thomphyak Chhu. Thereafter, it flows as Zemu Chhu to drain into Teesta River near Zema village. This glacier complex is comprised of 6 glaciers covering an area of 113 sq km.