Mt Bandarpunch Expedition May 2026 | 6316 M (20721 Ft.) Garhwal Himalayas
Introduction
Hello, my name is Virendra Singh, I hail from the Garhwal Himalayas of Uttarakhand, I want to share my climbing journey on the Mt. Bandarpunch expedition, organised by White Magic Adventure in May 2026. I served as the Liaison Officer for the Indian Mountaineering Foundation during this expedition. It was an incredible experience, and this peak holds a special place in my heart. This stunning peak needs no introduction; it is one of the most beautiful and visible peaks from a large part of Uttarakhand, located in the Garhwal Himalayas. Finally, I had the opportunity to attempt the peak. After three weeks of climbing through beautiful forests, rivers, alpine meadows, rocky mountains, snowy slopes, and over icy glaciers with many hidden crevasses and a steep ice wall—facing strong winds with ice crystals in the dark at a temperature of almost -15°C—we finally reached the top of the South Summit of Mt. Bandarpunch at an elevation of 6240m (20472ft) on 23-May-2026 at 7:15 am. It is particularly significant to me as I used to see it from my hometown on every clear day and this was the day I looked back at home from the mountain itself. It felt like a dream come true. The 360° view from the top was heavenly beautiful.
“Journey to Heaven goes through Hell.” This expedition felt exactly like that as we reached the South Summit, which was like heaven. It was a magical experience, standing on one of the thousands of towering snow peaks almost touching the sky, like a planet where only white mountains exist. At that moment, we were the only humans there, completely disconnected from the world we live in. Of course, reaching this point required immense effort, as the quote says, “Journey to Heaven goes through Hell.”
In this blog, I’ll share my experience from home to the summit & I’m sure If you are a mountaineer, love to see those snow-capped peaks, and always wonder how people climb them, want to learn how it feels to be up there, or are planning to climb yourself, then this article is for you. Let’s get started.
Flag off from Indian Mountaineering Foundation, New Delhi | India – Alt. 218 M (715 ft.)
This expedition started on 7 May at IMF(Indian Mountaineering Foundation), with a briefing with the climbing team and a representative of White Magic Adventure by Vinod Chauhan, Foreign Expedition Officer. Departure from Dehradun was scheduled on the 11th of May, I collected necessary documents, permission letters, and all climbing equipment and came back home to rest for 2 days as the big adventure was about to start.
Travelling to Uttarkashi – Alt. 1158 M (3799ft.)
I left for Uttarkashi on the 11th of May and reached around 11:00 am while the rest of the team was travelling from Dehradun. I submitted all the letters to related departments like the Divisional Forest Officer, District Magistrate, and Sub-District Police in Uttarkashi. Accommodation was arranged at Monal Tourist Home in Uttarkashi. I checked in and repacked my bag after making sure all the equipment was available.
All team members got together in the evening for dinner. Sanjeev Rai Expedition Leader gave a briefing about the expedition followed by team introductions, and we all had a good sleep at this beautiful stay.
The Team
Before I proceed, let me introduce the Expedition team and participants.
This was one of the best team i have ever climbed with
Sanjay Suri | Christine Pemberton from UK | Hanumant Khanna | Sunil Rollen
Arjun Mitra | Gaurav Vohra | Tormod Haavi | Virendra Singh
Sanjiv Rai | Mohit Oberoi | Akhil Sapru
Ming Temba Sherpa | Naresh | Pasang Sherpa
Raghav | Eshay | Sunny
Dava | Rahul Thapa | Vipin Panwar
Deviram Rai | Deokumar | Sanjiv Chetri
Expedition Leader – Sanjiv Rai – Very humble and a great personality, he is a very professional and experienced mountaineer from Darjeeling who has already climbed many peaks in Nepal and the Indian Himalayas.
Route Opening Team (Sherpa)
(I) – Ming Temba Sherpa (II) – Pasang Sherpa (III) – Naresh
All of them are very strong and fearless. I will never forget watching Ming Temba Dai fixing the rope up there below the shoulder of the south summit, climbing without a rope just using crampons and ice to stay anchored on that steep ice section while putting the ice pitons, during the process any mistake would take the climber almost 1400ft down within few seconds, We met them at base camp once, then at Summit Camp and further climb without these three mountain men climb would very difficult, Thanks to
Six Mountain Guide –
(I) – Raghav, (II) – Sunny, (III) – Rahul Thapa, (IV) – Eshay, (V) – Vipin Panwar, (VI) – Dava
All of them are hardworking, professional guides, always active and involved in the task. Raghav and I was a course mate at HMI Darjeeling during the advanced mountaineering course in 2023. He is very strong, soft-spoken, and very helpful. It was my pleasure to climb with such a great team; all of them are amazing mountaineers.
Three Cooks – (I) – Deviram Rai, (II) – Deokumar (III) – Sanjiv Chetri (Camp 1, 2, 3) –
They have provided the most delicious food I have ever had in the mountains during the trek and expeditions.
21 Posters for Sukhi Village to base camp 16 Porters Base camp to back
It is hard to name all of them, but I respect all these mountain friends who carried all our expedition logistics to base. Without them it would not be possible to do the expedition the way we did it.
Leaving Sukhi Village – Alt. 2820M (9251ft.)
On 12th May, the team started the car journey from “Monal Tourist Lodge” around 8:00 am and reached the last road head Sukhi Village, a beautiful Himalayan village surrounded by towering mountains and forests, It is 12 km before Harsil, nestled at an altitude of 2820m. A route-opening team of 3 sherpas had already left for the base camp a day before. After a briefing for the day at Sukhi Village, all the expedition logistics were packed and carried by 21 strong mountain porters and 6 guides and expedition leader and finally the team started the trek to Jungle Camp Located at the bank of the Songad (River) which is coming all the way from Bandarpunch Glacier, which later joins mighty Bhagirathi River below Sukhi Village. A 6-7 hour journey as we first climb Sukhi Pass at 3520 meters and descend on the other side to Jungle Camp at 2820 meters, the same as Sukhi Village.
With this strong team, 10 climbers, including me, and 2 trekkers who were part of the expedition till the base camp finally started the trek to Sukhi Pass at 11:30 am. All of us were carrying personal backpacks. After reaching above the village, as I looked down, the mighty Bhagirathi River was making its way down through towering mountains. These mountains were covered with silver firs and Bhojpatra on the steep slopes till the alpine region just below snow-capped mountains on the other side. On our side, the village was surrounded by farming fields and apple orchards. After 1.5 hours of trek, we reached a beautiful open meadow where packed lunch was served by the team. As we continued, we reached the alpine valley just below the Sukhi top where hundreds of mountain sheep were grazing on the meadows covered with tiny Himalayan flowers and bushes. We reached the pass at an altitude of 3520 m, took a break while admiring the surrounding views as Mt Shrikantha and the Gangotri Group were visible in the front, and the Songad River was looking beautiful on the other side. The summit of Mt Bandarpunch was visible a little bit far up in the clouds towards the northwest. It’s visible from only three points during all the expedition: the first one is Sukhi Pass, the second is a beautiful meadow located between the base camp and Jungle Camp, and after that, it’s visible from the South Summit just 60 meters below. After everyone arrived at the pass, the team started descending to Jungle Camp. One of the climbers twisted his ankle while going down as there is one steep and slippery section. After first aid was provided by Sanjeev, he started descending with his injured right ankle with one guide at the last, while the rest of the team continued and reached the Jungle Camp at 18:00 hours.
First Night at Jungle Camp on the bank of Songad – Alt. 2820M (9251ft.)
However, the camp was supposed to be set up on a flat area a little above the waterfall, but Van Gujjar Camp was already taking hold there, so the team decided to put the camp in a lower area next to the river, surrounded by native Himalayan mixed forest filled with Deodar, firs, Bhojpatra, Himalayan Oak, Viburnum, Rhododendron, etc. That beautiful waterfall was now next to the campsite, and the Songad was looking like a milky river, coming down from towering mountains through a very dense Himalayan forest. This place has a pristine ecosystem which makes it perfect for birding. I was carrying a pair of binoculars and never missed a chance to look for birds, and this site was very rich in flora. In fact, I saw some rare Himalayan birds like the Brown Dipper, Scaly-breasted Cup-wing, Large-billed Warbler, Whistler’s Warbler, Aberrant Bush Warbler, Rufous-vented Tit, Indian Blue Robin, and also some high-altitude birds like the Rosy Pipit, Himalayan Monal, Snow Pigeon, while heading to the base camp.
After evening tea, everyone settled in the tent and was chatting outside while waiting for Akhil, who had injured his right ankle while coming down. He was still not reached, and the time was already 8:00. Everyone was worried if he was fine and hoping he had no fracture. After contacting them on the radio, we got to know they had reached the flat area above the camp, 10-15 minutes from the camp. After Sukhi Pass, we were out of network for the next 2 weeks, which means no contact with the world. The expedition team was communicating through walkie-talkies between the team and the camps, and also on a sat-phone for emergency and real-time weather reports from New Delhi.
After 15 minutes, Akhil arrived, and everyone had dinner and had a good sleep. Everyone was having different shelters, like 3 members were sleeping under a tree, some people inside the tent, and I and 5 others took shelter inside the dining tent. As the weather was nice here, it was a comfortable sleep, whether you slept inside the tent or under the tree. One good sleep was enough to have a good rest. I wanted to sleep in the open as the sky view was amazing, but as it was my first day of outdoor camping, I avoided taking the risk of getting cold at night. But it was a beautiful evening at a beautiful location filled with nature’s beauty, like the song of the river next to us, thousands of insects, and some night birds were also giving beautiful background music
Way to Base camp along the Songad
On the 13th of May, I woke up at six and looked around this beautiful campsite filled with nature’s beauty. Lots of Himalayan birds were chirping as the milky-coloured Songad (River) made its way down to join the Bhagirathi in the lush green Himalayan forest and bushes, surrounded by towering mountains. It was 6 in the morning, and I picked up my binoculars and brush and started walking around the campsite and river. The bird life was amazing here; I saw some rare birds while brushing my teeth. Then I went close to the river and saw a pair of brown dippers taking a bath while playing around the river. What a beautiful morning!
The team started packing up the camp, and after breakfast, everyone was ready to continue the climb to the base camp, except Akhil and Eashy, as his ankle was not doing well. So the expedition leader & Akhil decided that they would spend one more night here and come the next morning to the base camp, while the other team continued around 8:30. Everyone started heading to the base camp following this beautiful route as it goes along the Songad and beautiful Himalayan forest. It was a gradual climb for a few kilometres, then there was a steep section through the bushes where lots of Himalayan Brown Bears are found. During the last expedition, as Rahul said, he saw one giant bear sunbathing on a rock. It is quite risky, walking alone here, he said. After climbing this section for 40 minutes, we finally reached a meadow where I also saw some interesting birds while the team was having a break here. This is the second place from where the summit of Mount Bandar Punch is visible far up in the sky. As everyone arrived, we continued and reached a point where the area was full of Bhojpatra Trees, and everyone had a packed lunch here and continued with the climb. After crossing the river, there was another section to climb around 200 feet, and finally, the team was at the base camp around 3:30. The camp was already set up by the team, and some tents were under process, and hot tea was ready for the team. It was a beautiful feeling reaching the base camp as here we are going to take a rest for another three days, then continue the climb to higher camps located somewhere in the high mountains at altitudes of 15000ft to 20400ft. Which means lot’s of hard work and adventure was about to start.
4 Nights at Basecamp (Audya Thaat) 13 to 16 May 2026 – Alt. 3861M (12667ft.)
The first day on the 14th of May at the base camp was an amazing feeling, like we just got a new hometown for the next two weeks. In mountain expeditions, the base camp is like home as it is the most safe and comfortable compared to the high camps. Most of the resources are available here. As we go higher, things change, and survival becomes difficult; resources become limited, weather conditions become difficult, and altitude makes you a totally different person as the brain doesn’t get its usual amount of oxygen. Of course, the beauty around makes us feel that all that effort is worth it. Climbing high mountains needs physical and mental fitness equally, as you have to make your brain take all important decisions while going through lots of difficulties and breathing thin air in harsh environmental conditions. After the Pooja ceremony, the team had breakfast and went for an acclimatization hike up towards Camp One, gaining 300 meters, and did some jumaring and rope practice on the way back on a snow slope a little above the base camp, while Sherpas and guides opened the route to Camp 1 and did some load ferrying. After lunch, everyone was free and spent time around the campsite. After evening tea and snacks, Sajeev gave a briefing about the campsite and upcoming days, and we had dinner before going to sleep.
The next day on the 15th, everyone went for ferrying loads to Camp 1 as the route was already opened by the climbing team. After climbing the first ridge we hiked yesterday, there was a slope and a snow-covered slope, as we continued just below the snow patch, everyone changed their shoes and put on snow boots and crampons to proceed further with the climb to Camp 1. It was a steep section to reach the camp; a 900-meter gain, and 50% of the climb was on the fixed line. After 4 hours of hard climb, the team reached Camp 1, left some load there, and descended back to the base camp for lunch. As a daily routine at the base camp, every evening everyone got together for chats, experiences, and story exchange while having tea before dinner. The next day on the 16th, as it was a complete rest day, everyone was at the campsite only, while the climbing team did some load ferrying to Camp 1 and opened the route to Camp 2.
Shifting to Camp 1 (17-18-19 May 2026)
On 17th May, everyone got ready for Camp 1 with all the gear and stuff needed for the upcoming climbing days. After breakfast, the team started the journey to Camp 1 around 8:00 am and reached after 5 hours, having climbed a 4 km distance with an ascent of 900 m, through the alpine slope which was mostly covered with rhododendron bushes from the lower area and full of snow while approaching the camp. After reaching the campsite, everyone settled in the tent, came outside for tea. Camp one was nestled at the elevation of 4771 m; a beautiful snow field, offering a very close view of Mt Shrikanth, Gangotri Group, Jonli, DKD and may many other
The next day, on the 18th, we did a small climb towards Camp 2 and came back to rest. On the 19th of May, we followed the same routine, and finally, the team was ready and acclimatised to move to Camp 2 the next day on 20th.
Shifting to Camp 2 (20-21 May 2026)
The way to Camp 2 is a 500-meter ascent that involves a 3-4 km distance, and have to go through various types of snow mountainous features like massive snow fields surrounded by white snow slopes, over the glacier with lots of hidden crevasses. A 5-6 hour journey depending on weather and snow conditions, also the number of crevasses to be crossed. During this time of year, most of the crevasses are closed, which saves so much time, but there is always a risk of falling into those hidden crevasses. During the climb between camps, everyone needs to be attached to a fixed line or attached to each other so if any climber falls or slips, they can be arrested by another climber or fix-line. Before reaching the Main Glacier, there is a steep ice wall of Bandarpunch Glacier about 400 ft, which took most of the effort to reach the camp located on the glacier. A fixed rope was attached, used by all climbers for jumaring. After 5.5 hours of hard climbing carrying loads, we all finally reached Camp 2, a beautiful camp surrounded by towering white mountains. Bandarpunch South was just in the background, and the summit of Black Peak was also visible, this campsite is nestled at the 5200 m.
This is one of the most beautiful high camps I have been to. It is located on Bandarpunch Glacier, spread around 4-5 square km. A massive white ground looked like a white ocean, but we could not move more than 20 meters away from the campsite without being attached to a rope. This beautiful big white stadium looks very attractive but also dangerous as the glacier has so many hidden crevasses; any step can become the last into those 300-500 ft. meters depth of these crevasses. After we settled into the tent, we had an early dinner and early sleep as the elevation was high, and it was the first day I started feeling a headache. I thought I wouldn’t make it further. I had a good amount of water and rest; after 3 hours, I felt better and had a good sleep and woke up around 6:30. I had a cup of hot coffee, and now I was fit and fine and ready for the climb as this was a rest day. We just relaxed around the campsite so we would have good energy for the next day to shift to the summit camp.
Shifting to Summit Camp (22 May 2026)
After a day of rest at Camp 2, the team was finally ready to leave for Camp 3 (Summit Camp). As night was bright and clear, the temperature was very cold in the morning when we woke up by 5:30. We came out, and all the tents were covered with frost. It was cold outside, but the sky was clear, so we were hoping to get clear weather while heading to Summit Camp. After breakfast, everyone packed their bags for the next camp, which was a 3-4 hour journey with an ascent of 500 meters and a distance of 3-4 km. The route was all over the glacier and big crevasses. Everyone was divided into 4 groups, attached to each other, and started the climb around 8:00 am. The first km was flat over the ice field, then a climb over a slope and along a big crevasse. After we crossed the crevasse area, there was a gradual climb over the ice field, but lots of hidden crevasses were on the way. 3 km before the camp, the weather suddenly changed and started snowing, and the winds were very strong. I was not wearing my feather jacket at the moment as it was inside my rucksack. It became very difficult to climb as everything became white and visibility was very bad. I could hardly see anything beyond 10 feet. Akhil and I were attached to a rope, as he had injured his ankle while coming to base camp he was struggling a lot and walking slowly, and the weather was becoming worse. Winds and snow were taking all the energy. I was just hoping to reach as soon as possible so we could stay inside the tent in such bad weather, but lots of distance still needed to be covered in such bad weather conditions, 1 minute felt like an hour. The front team was not visible; I could only see Akhil behind me and Rahul, Christine, and Sanjeev at the end.
Finally, 2 hours of climb in such hard conditions, I could see the camp a little further in the distance. We all quickly got inside the tent so we could stay dry and warmer. I took off my bag, passed it inside the tent to Sunny who was already inside with Sunil Sir, then just entered with my boots only, as lots of snow was stuck over my rucksack. Inside the tent, I quickly took off my crampons, closed the tent, and sat inside the tent waiting for the winds and snow to stop. I cleaned up some of the snow inside the tent and pushed the tent upwards to make it lighter. It was better now. I had some water and snacks and got inside the sleeping bag. After a while, Raghav bhai gave me black tea, and I felt better. After 1 hour, finally, the weather got clear, and we got out of the tent and realised how beautiful the campsite was, as hundreds of snow peaks were visible in front with the view of the south wall of Mt. Bandarpunch went up like touching the sky in the back, and all our tents were half-buried in the snow. Finally, we were a summit push away to reach the mountain we had been climbing for the last 10 days. I was excited and a little nervous for the night summit push, as I was feeling a little headache due to the elevation being almost 5700 meters. After some discussion between the team, the climbing team split into 4. Team A three Sherpas, the route opening team as they had fixed the rope below the shoulder of the peak around noon and came back for a rest, they decided to start at 10:30 pm to go for the remaining rope fixing. Team B: 2 climbers who were slower and decided to start around 11:00 so they could at least cover some distance while other climbers coming who were doing better previously. Team C: Hanumant, Gaurav, Tornad, Me, Sanjeev Rai and Vipin, decided to move by 12:30 am to join the rest of the team somewhere up on the slope. Team D: 4 climbers with 3 guides decided to make the attempt the next day as 3 of them were not feeling good, possibly signs of mild AMS (Acute Mountain Sickness). It was a good decision to take a rest for one day. After a light dinner, we all went for a good sleep, hoping to get 3-4 hours of rest before the tough climb. Around 10:30 pm, Sanjeev called me and said you are going with Team B instead of Team C, please pack your bag and get ready. I started packing my bag and layering for the climb. I was feeling sleepy as after such a tough day without eating and rest in such a harsh environment, I hardly slept 3 hours. I was getting ready for the most difficult part of the expedition. I took some deep breaths; luckily, the headache was gone, and finally, I was ready mentally and physically, but I was not sure how long I would be able to climb. Around 11:00, Sanjeev said, Viru Bhai, stay in for a while, we will climb with the same team, starting around 12:30, so I got 1 hour to rest. I was ready for the climb; the bag was packed. I kept some water, one rope, extra gloves, some snacks, and set up the alarm for 12:30 am. I got inside my sleeping bag as it was very cold around -10°.
The Summit Night (23 May 2026)
My alarm started ringing, but I just snoozed it as all my packing was already done. Sanjeev called, “Let’s start, everyone, come out.” I put on my boots and crampons and went to the next tent where he gave me soup and coffee. Team C was finally ready for the summit push. At around 1 in the morning, Sanjeev, Vipin, Me, Hanumant, and Gaurav started the climb. The first km was gradual; we were walking attached to each other. It was freezing cold, almost -15°, the sky view was amazing, but too windy as we reached the base of the wall. The fixed line was going upward. We attached the Jumaar, and I could see two lights coming downhill. As we got closer, it was Sunil and Sunny. Sunil was not feeling well, so he decided to head back to the summit camp. We then saw two more lights coming down soon, and it was Eshay and Arjun. Arjun was also not feeling well; he said he was having symptoms of frostnip in his fingers and toes. I could imagine it was super windy and cold at the time, so now only four of us, two guides, and three Sherpas were approaching the summit push. We continued as we attached to the fixed line going upward. The wind was making it difficult and uncomfortable to move. First, we climbed a little, then gradually descended along the crevasse, then climbed again. I was walking in front of Tornod, then Sanjeev and Gaurav. I walked along the crevasse carefully and reached the point from where the climb starts again. Tornod was following me as we were about to start the climb again I heard the sound from the background; Hanumant was saying how to get out, and Sanjeev was saying, “Hit the front point of your crampons on the wall and hold the rope.” It was dark, and we were waiting ahead. I assumed that he had fallen into the crevasse we just crossed, in the dark we couldn’t really see. This crevasse was very dangerous I realised on the way back when I saw the crevasse in the daylight; I got scared it was broad and deep. If he would not be attached to the rope, we would never see him again. Thanks to God and the climbing team who had fixed the rope without any errors, Sanjeev was with him, and we were sure he would take him out. It took around half an hour to get him up. Finally, they also started climbing, we were just waiting for the sunlight so we could get a little warm and become a little comfortable to climb up, but it was becoming more windy and more cold. I was tired and wanted to slow my pace and asked Hanumant and Sanjeev to go ahead and started walking behind them. Tor and Vipin were walking at last. We were using our crampons and Jumaar to climb up; it was too steep. We were climbing hard and putting full effort to cover the distance, hoping that we would get closer, but it didn’t matter how far we were climbing; the rope fixing team was still too far. We could only see their lights up on the ice wall.
Finally, the light came, and we could see around, and the view was just amazing. It was 5:17 am, and the first drop of sunlight touched the Gangotri group, Jonli, and thousands of snowy mountains. When looked down, our summit camp was visible 400m (1312ft) below like small yellow dots. If anyone would fall from here, they would directly reach there. At this moment, it felt like we mountaineers often flirt with death for such a view, truly like heaven. I really can’t explain the beauty around. As the rope was not fixed yet, we were waiting on the slope attached to the rope. I was thirsty and carefully pulled out my water bottle and tried to open the cap, but I couldn’t as the bottle cap was stuck due to frost. I tried my hardest but couldn’t; it was so frustrating in such conditions that I couldn’t even have a sip of water. I just put it back and saw an object coming down very fast, and within a few seconds, it almost hit my head. I used my Ice Axe to control and catch it but the force and speed was too fast, after a few more seconds it just disappeared. It was a water bottle that slipped off from Hanumant’s hand as he was also trying to open the cap.
After 45 minutes, the rope was fixed, and we continued the climb and finally reached the south summit 6240m (20472ft), around 7:20 in the morning. Tornod was super exhausted and was not talking or reacting to anything he sat down to relax and start descending. He was saying at the start of the wall that he wouldn’t continue, but he didn’t get a chance to turn back, and with the team, he kept moving and reached the south summit. Gaurav and Hanumant were also tired and not talking much. I can imagine after such a tiring climb, we just need rest. It was amazing to be here, and the last 6-hour journey to reach this beautiful point reminded me that a journey to heaven goes through hell. It was worth it. We could see the mighty black peak in front of us like a giant wall, going from the ground to the sky. Countless snow peaks located in Garhwal, Kumaoun, Himachal, and China were standing around us like a plant of white mountains and we were standing at one of them. A massive ground in front of us was ending to a starting point of another ice wall of the main summit. It was about 60 m high. As the rope still needed to be fixed and time was already 8:00, the wind was too strong. Fixing the rope till the main summit would take around 2 hours, which means 3 more hours, above 6240m (20400 ft.) is not safe after 11:00 am as weather can change any moment and becomes very hard to survive in, so the team decided to head back as we had to descend a long way down while rappelling the wall we just climbed.
Descending to home
As we all know, most of the mountain incidents take place while descending. We always have to be very careful, as most of the energy is drained, and there are more chances of mistakes. The wall was a long way down, and most of it needed to be rappelled. After rechecking the rope anchor on top one by one, all climbers started descending the steep part. It took us around 3 hours to reach the summit camp. It was a great moment to be back safely at the summit camp. The weather was nice and sunny. All other climbers were already on their way to Camp 2. Team D decided to head back instead of another attempt, as most of the climbers were not feeling fit and fine. It was better to descend some elevation to recover before high-altitude illness caught anyone. We had some energy drinks and a little bit of food. I just lay down on the mattress for a short power nap to get some energy back while the team was packing tents and the remaining equipment, tents, and garbage before heading down.
Hanumant, Gaurav, and I got roped up and started descending down the slope towards Camp 2. Another two hours of journey through lots of hidden crevasses, as this part was a big snow-covered area over the glacier. This part of the glacier is fed by the south part of Bandarpunch. When we look up from Camp 2 to this pack, this glacier looks like a giant icefall, which means lots of hidden crevasses. We have to move carefully. However, it was a 2-3 hour gradual descent while most of the crevasses were covered, but it was still risky. It felt like 5 hours, as most of the energy was drained. Every step felt difficult. Somehow, we managed to reach Camp 2, where everyone was waiting for us. They all congratulated us for the climb, and everyone was very happy for us. At this time, I was just looking for my tent and desperately waiting to get off my snow boots and crampons and rest inside my sleeping bag so I could get my energy back. I took a nap after having some snacks. It was a beautiful evening here at Camp too, and so satisfying also. Tomorrow, we are supposed to move for Space Camp. It was very exciting for all of us, as we were just one day away from the base camp. I was super exhausted from climbing for almost 15 hours without hardly eating much and in such harsh conditions. I was fully exhausted. I thought I would just eat dinner and sleep and complete my 12 hours of sleep, so I am ready to move to base camp tomorrow.
Back to the base
We all woke up around six, had breakfast, and started packing up our stuff. Finally, everyone was ready to move around eight as we had to cross the glacier and then the wall with hidden cranes. It was still a lot of effort; the weather was also hot today as the sun was too strong and reflecting back while heading down big snowfields. We were all divided into six teams and roped up. After two hours, we reached the starting point of the glacier and coiled the rope. Finally, we were out of the hidden crevasse zone, which means we can now descend without roping up till Camp 1, then on a fixed line till the steep section below the camp, and finally, the base camp. We reached Camp 1 and arrived at the boot change point just 100 meters below. After a short break, we changed our boots. It felt so awesome changing snow boots after one week. If you have climbed with snow boots, you can relate to this. We finally reached the base camp around 2:30 pm. We were all welcomed by the base team with an energy drink, and a hot and tasty lunch was served. It was so satisfying and relaxing; it felt like we had reached home.
Rest Day at Base Camp (25-May-2026)
This was a rest day at base camp. After breakfast, I went for a short walk in a meadow just 500 meters away from the base. It was beautiful there as all the bushes were filled with Rhododendrons anthopogon (Pale Yellow), the small bushes on the ground, and Rhododendrons campanulatum/Bell Rhododendrons (White and Pale Blue), large bushes around. Spring had just started here; lots of herbs like Primula, Iris, Gentians, many varieties that I could not identify were sparkling everywhere. It was so amazing to be here, disconnected from the real world, just nature and beauty in every part. I didn’t even realise I’d spent 2 hours here. I went for lunch, cleaned up my gear, and packed the bag for home.
Way to Home
The next day, on 26th May, we took a halt at Jungle Camp, and finally, on 27th afternoon, we reached Sukhi Village after such an incredible experience that I’m sure none of us will ever forget.
I came home for a rest before I submitted the expedition report on 30th to IMF, where this beautiful venture was officially done!
Feel free to comment or write to me if you have any Questions. Regards Virendra Singh
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