Testimonial Thursday

Brooks Entwistle returns from his frozen river expedition (Chadar)

 Goldman Sachs's Southeast Asia Chairman and trekking enthusiast indulged in his passion for the mountains, and we here at Ibex Expeditions were happy to assist him in doing so.

Wildlife Wednesday

~ 6 Endangered Animals Native to India ~

1. Indian Lion: One of the five "big cats" found in the subcontinent, also known as the "Asiatic Lion", this lion subspecies lives as a single isolated population in the Indian State of Gujarat. The Indian Lion is listed by the IUCN as "endangered", but recent efforts have lead to the increase of its population.



2. Lion-tailed Macaque: This endangered macaque is found in the pockets of evergreen forests in India's Western Ghats at altitudes ranging between 2000 and 3500 feet. Only three decades ago, these creatures thrived in the southern third of the country, but today they can only be found in three states: Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.

3. Great Indian Rhinoceros: The only animal along with the African Rhinoceros that is outweighed by the elephant, this endangered specie is found only in the tall grasslands and forests in the foothills of the Himalayas.



4. Royal Bengal Tiger: This magnificent cat  is distributed among Tiger Reserves across all four cardinal directions of the subcontinent. The size and colour of these beasts varies according to their geographical location and climate. The stripes of these endangered animals are as unique to each one, as are fingerprints to human.


5. Wild Ass: A sanctuary was created  in the The Little Rann of Kutchchh in Gujarat to protect these endangered animals. Few animals are capable of matching the Wild Ass interms of speed and stamina; they can run marathon distances at speeds reaching 24 Kmph for up to two hours, and can cover short distances at speeds up to 70 Kmph.

6. Nilgiri Tahr: They are found at elevations up to 1800 feet on cliffs, grass-covered hills and open terrain in the south of India. Although their they have a lifespan of upto 9 years, the average life expectancy is only 3.5 years.

Tuesday for Tomorrow

~ People & Places ~ 

Responsible Ethical Volunteering

Chitardai primary school educates around 160 children between ages 6 and 14 in communities identified by the Indian Government as below the poverty line, and offers equal education for boys and girls of all castes and socio-economic groups.

The school's principal Mr. Devinder Singh and his small, but dedicated team of teachers are keen on increasing their own knowledge, and developing their teaching techniques in order to improve and enhance the students' learning experience. The school operates on a "Learn by Play" ethic - a progressive, and almost revolutionary concept for such a small school working within the local education system.

With a little improvisation and masterful use of resources, Devinder and his team have fashioned an educational play area from mud and created a stimulating environment for the children.

Give Back in Style

The program offers a one-of-a-kind experience to its volunteers,  only in context of the remarkable and enthusiastic teachers and students at Chitardai school, but we also give them a taste of the imperial lifestyle of the Rajasthani kings.

Rajasthan is the land of warrior kings and cultural richness, abound in Palaces, forts all located in breathtaking, countryside settings. This same luxurious heritage will be your constant companion, as volunteers are put up in the stunning Deogarh Mahal, the palace of the local patron family. Chitardai school is supported by the Shri Jaswant Charitable Trust, established and administered by the same family. As a part of their Corporate Social Responsibilty activities, the trust provides significant support and subsidy to the school and programme. Volunteer accommodation is only one of many such aids. The juxtaposition of such cultural richness and arrant poverty completes an all-rounded Rajasthani experience.

Ibex is a partner with the People & Places Responsible and Ethical Volunteering programme, and our initiatives on the same earned us the prestigious award of  "Most Innovative Tour Operator". We are honoured to be a part of this proud tradition and encourage you to join us in our endeavours for the betterment of the lesser privileged communities.

For more information visit http://www.travel-peopleandplaces.co.uk/ProjectView.aspx?id=280#.US2P1vJa4y4

 

Vintage Monday

~ An Article from "Sunday World" dated August 12, 1973 ~

" Indian Schoolboys' Expedition '73

Indian mountaineering had it origins in schools, with some adventurous and farsighted schoolmasters taking out parties of boys on climbing vacations in Garhwal and Kumaon. Though the early explorations and pioneering ascents, as also the most sensational climbs. Were undertaken by geologists, surveyors or missionaries, generally foreigners, the foundations of these Himalayan traditions by these school masters led to Indian mountaineers like Nandu Jayal, Gurdial Singh and Tenzing taking to the sport seriously.

Expeditions from the Doon school to Nanda Devi, and the successful training expeditions of large numbers of boys to Jaonli 21,760 feet, in Garhwal, and the final ascent of Jaonli by schoolboys, were the natural sequel to J.T.M. Gibson and John Martyn's expeditions to the Bandarpunch area.

It was only natural, therefore, that when we planned a schoolboy expedition with the unique feature that it should cover every kind of school in India, we should get in touch with Mr. “Jack” Gibson, and plan it in the Bandarpunch and Har-ki-Dun areas beyond Chakrata.

Birth of the Idea

The idea originated at the 32^nd Public Schools Conference held in New Delhi in February 1973 when S.R Das and Hari Dang wondered what Public Schools, that much criticized genre of excellent and now democratized and merit-based institutions, could do to help the vast could not do to help the vast constructive effort being made by the nation to improve the standard of education in the country. We approached the Delhi Mountaineering Association to sponsor the expeditions, and rather late in the day, in April, set about organizing the funds and equipment and other details. When one is working with headmasters like S.R. Das and Hari Dang, with the “technical advice” of “Jack” Gibson, certain expectations are held. I was in the position of also being an employee of the school of which one of them is the Headmaster!

With funds and equipment, Sherpas, transport and porterage, all being organized by the Delhi Mountaineering Association's capable joint secretary, Mr. D.P. Pandey, who was also Deputy Leader of the expedition, I had very few worries. Mr. Pandey and his two D.M. A. colleagues, Swadesh Kumar and Mr. Jain, looked after all the details of finance and accounts, quartermaster duties, packaging and purchase, and equipment, while I worked on the training programme for the boys.

Divergent Team

We had one or more boys from Kendriya Vidyalayas, Sainik Schools, Municipal Schools, Government Higher Secondary Schools, and, of course, “Public” and private schools. With 22 schoolboys drawn from such a wide catchment, and an open socio-economic background, one might have expected frequent and intense friction. But grown-up people and our leaders would do well to note that conflicts of class and background, accusations of snobbery and allegations of social ostracism or exclusiveness, are more likely to flourish in the hothouse atmosphere of grown-up parliaments, for they certainly did not flourish in the the open society of the first Indian Schoolboys Garhwal Expedition 1973. I have never been on an expedition, with such a divergent membership, several schoolmasters, three Headmasters and 22 boys, and there was more affection and mutual regard or less friction. Perhaps it was the influence of the mountains and the pristine environment, but the entire expedition was a successful example of national and socio-economic integration effectively and work.

Some 100 miles beyond Chakrata lies the upper Tons watershed, with two rivers, the Jamdar and Ruishar, meeting to form Tons at the confluence; this Tons then meets the Yamuna, below Kalsi. It was to the Kalsi that our party travelled in school buses, aptly named ARALI 1 and 2, after the Delhi ridge where the Air Force Central School is located.

The boys and their headmasters began the trip well, with a night bath in the river, and a quick rock climb up the buttressed pillars of the old bridge, below the rock edict of Ashoka which proclaims the message of Buddha. The pillars are made of hewn stone set in relief, and the climb, though only a few dozen feet was rendered exciting by the inexperience of the boys and the darkness all around.

The next morning we left early for Chakrata, where transport was waiting to convey us to our road-head at Tiuni, beside the Tons, just below its confluence with the Pabbar river which comes down from Himachal Pradesh. Here the road ends, but a forest track continues to Naitwar and on to Taluka, just below the high mountains of Bandarpuch. This truck is not only jeep-able, but can also be persuaded to take one tonners and three tonners, if one can find sufficiently daring drivers, which we happily did.

Visit to Har-ki-Dun

Naitwar is a small but growing hill-town beside the rushing Tons, set amidst vast hill ranges of pine forest, where the road from Chakrata Purola and sub-divisional headquarters, also joins. Pine resin-tapping and despatch is the other major activity after lumbering and the hill trade from high villages. Another 15 miles beyond by jeep, or on foot as we did, lies the rest-house of Taluka, where we next halted, and where our porters from the four villages of Datmir, Gangar, Panwari and Osla joined us, of course, after much persuasion and at very high wages for carrying the 100 odd loads of the expedition in 60-pound packs. The boys and members carried their own rucksacks, not only for the sake for the economy, but also as part of the training program.

One should undertake a fairly long approach march trek to ensure gradually increasing fitness instead of racing into the higher hills, and attempting high mountain climbs without an adequate acclimatization period at lower elevations. The body attunes itself to strenuous days of long marches, and once so adjusted, can take great strains and high altitude climbs without untoward consequences. To prolong our days at moderate elevations, it was decided to first visit Har-ki-Dun, with a picturesque rest-house set atop an old, grass-grown moraine, with huge boulders perched on it. These boulders were to be the introduction of the boys to rick climbing, and Mr. Gibson set about making all the boys climb them after the training tips. Most of the boys climbed most of the boulders within two days, and the party re-united here to take small daytime trips to the Jamdar glacier and the Morinda Gad, which leads up to the Borasu Pass over which lies Chitkul in the Bhapsa valley in Himachal Pradesh.

Her the training programme began in earnest, with the grown-ups, particularly Pandey, Swadesh and Jain, an the two masters from Mayo College, Dwarka and Romesh Mathur, taking over all the admin details and the hard work of messing, planning, packing, re-packing and porterage with the help of Gogi Sandhu, Darshan Singh and Sudhir Singh.

Four boys, who were the fittest and had shown the maximum promise and technique, Pradyuman Mandhata, Mandeep and Bhoom Singh, were taken along by Mr. Das and Mr. Dang, with three porters, to cross the pass which leads over the bristling ridge from Har-ki-Dun into the Tons-Ruishar valley, where lay our Base Camp for the attempt on Black Peak. They spent a memorable night camped below the pass, climbing a 16,500-foot peak, and glissading down 3,000 feet back to the bivouac camp. The next day this party re-united with the rest at the Base Camp over the pass, the main body having come around the ridge through the forest along the river on the goat track.

Lake base Camp

An unbelievable profusion of flowers greeted us at Lake Base Camp, with a whole field of the delicately perfumed Primula Involucrata, the modest Primula Denticulata, anemones and buttercups, iris and potentilla, androsace and fritillaria.

Gogi Sandhu, a farmer and thrice Krishi Panit, Jain, Swadesh, Sudhir Sahi, Timky Daarshan Singh, a business executive and the Sherpas set off and pitched Camps I and II along the true right of the glacier of Bandarpunch and Black Peak, while Mr. Das and Mr. Dang, with the rest of the boys pitched another camp called Camp I Left Bank, where Nima Sherpa gave training in snow and rock climbing techniques to the boys.

Growing schoolboys are generally very strong and tough, but lung development and stamina resistance and durability in the face of long exposure to cold, lack of fresh hot food, and rarefied air of high altitudes, are qualities that develop around the twenties to their maximum.

It is thus imprudent to allow or encourage such adolescent frames, however athletic or tough-looking, to very high elevations for long periods. They also require longer periods of acclimatization at moderately high elevations before they are allowed to go above, say, 17,000 feet, above sea level.

In the case of our party of schoolboys, though they had been well trained by the time they reached Camps I and II in rock and snow climbing and rescue techniques, and in trekking and camping, hill-walking, packing, ice-axe technique, they were not all nutritionally the same background and there was a distinct difference in stamina, endurance and constitutional resistance, which variation had to be kept in mind.

Mr. Das and Mr. Dang decided to select the most durable and technically effective four boys Mandhata, Pradyuman, Mandeep and Bhoom Sigh, to accompany the first party attempt to establish Camp III ridge of Black Peak. Gogi Sandhu and Sudhir Sahi, with two sherpas, were to go with them. Swadesh and Jain were both fit, but had to return to Lake Camp to bring up further supplies and organize equipment with the help of Mr. Pandey Timky and Romesh, Mr. Das and Mr. Dang, were to hold fort at Camp I Left Bank and then to climb the summit and at Camp II respectively, giving support to the summiters. The remaining boys, with Sherpa Lhakpa Tsering, who had climbed Jaonli with the Doon School Expedition in 1966 led by Mr. Dang, moved up along the glacier, training as they went, and four others, Dileep, Sanjay Gandhi, Iqbal Singh and Sukhjit Singh, were selected to make the second ascent of Black Peak.

Black peak is frequently climbed, but remains a strenuous and fairly challenging 21,000-feet mountain. The weather, always unpredictable in the high mountains which generate their own local storms, had been harsh. There was snow almost every day above Camp II.

The first group attempted the long soft-snow and hard-ice summit-ridge of Black Peak from Camp III, at 18,000 feet, but had to turn back from nearly 20,000 feet. This we had expected, as ours was a training expedition, and we were not committed to climbing to the top. Mr. Das and Mr. Dang, with Gogi Sandhu, Romesh, Timky Darshan Singh and some others, had stayed behind at Camp II, below the cliffs over which lies the route to the Dhaundhar Kandi Pass leading to Harsil. When the first party returned from Camp III, the boys had completed all parts of the Basic Course mountaineering syllabus, but for the ice and crampon routine. In those verdant and flower festooned high valleys it is easy to forget aims and objects, and to lose oneself in contemplation, in plant-collection, bird-watching and wildlife photography, so it was natural for everyone to think of descending. Timky Darshan Singh and Sudhir Sahi, who is with a public sector undertaking, both picked another team and set off for Camp III the very next morning. The sherpas were reluctant, but tagged along, and in the end gave valuable help to these and other boys.

On the morning of May 12, the party set off from Camp III and struggled up the ridge to the summit, encountering deep crevasses in the hard ice of the summit ridge. We photographed them from a neighbouring 18,000-foot peak through telephoto lenses, as they, one after another, set foot on the Black Peak crest.

The return was uneventful but instructive. I myself had to return early, but the long days on the way back from the great heights are the most tranquil and the most memorable. Terrain previously difficult and dangerous seems easy. The flowers and the streams are profuse and gentle. The alpine grasslands a blessing, and the Himalaya in a friendly mood.

It was this face of the mountains which our boys most recall, though the training and the exposure to the thrill of this great sport will abide with them and with us much longer as we all grow older."

Saga Saturday

~ Early Days ~

Every Saturday we'll take you on an exhilarating journey, following Mandip's track from the very beginning to where he is today. We'll have stories from the man himself, as well as anecdotes from those near and dear to him, who have watched and supported him every step of the way ...

Spot Mandip!

 Schoolboys to Attempt Two Peaks

NEW DELHI, May 24^th – Thirty schoolboys called on Lt. Governor Baleshwar Prasad today before leaving on an expedition to the Garhwal Himalyas.

Major H.P.S Alhuwalia, resident of the Delhi Mountaineering Association, explained to the Lt. Governor the main objective of the expedition, which was to impart basic training in rock-climbing and ice-craft.

For two weeks, the boys will be given training by mountaineers Hari Dang and Shomi Dass.

Those who complete the training successfully will alter attempt to scale the Black Peak and the Swargarohini.

Mr. Baleshwar Prasad, who is also the patron o the association, wished the boys success and their safe return.

In the Footsteps of Genghis Khan

~ In the Footsteps of Genghis Khan ~

 

A 14-day adventure on foot, on camel, and on horseback, through the remote Gobi Desert and the High Steppe Regions of Eastern Mongolia

 

The adventure begins in Ulan Bator, sleep in Ger tents, spot the Argali and Ibex gamboling across the flatland. You'll get to drive over the grassland scattered with the yurts of nomadic families and herds of gazelle, and experience the thrill of camping in the middle of nowhere under the starry sky. This Mongolian escapade gives you the chance of interacting with the locals as you cross the grasslands towards the arid Gobi astride a camel.

Be hosted by keen horsemen who participate in the Naadam Games on a national level, at your camp in the Arburd sands. Climb the Zorgol Hairhan mountains, giant vertical cliff rock formations that are considered sacred by the local people. The landscape, from the top, appears as a moonscape of craters and ancient lives. You will even witness the taming of wild horses!

The excitement doesn't end there!  At Ulan Bator you will visit the natural history museum, observe a prayer ceremony at the Gondhan monastery, following which you cross the forested Zamtiin Pass on your drive to the Dadan Honshuu Steppe Valley. Walk along the Upper Tuul River with yaks into the lush green valley that borders the Siberian Taiga zone. Enjoy a bit of hiking and rafting in the Jalman Meadows. When you're back at Ulan Bator, you'll be taken to see the opera, Mongolian throat singing performances and a second round of exploring the nation's capital city.

Highlights of the Trip of your Fortnight in Mongolia

• Travel with an experienced botanist and local guide throughout

• Revel in the music and feasting of the Naadam festival, and its characteristic wrestling and horse-racing competitions Witness the taming of wild horses

• Live in local ger tents with modern amenities inside, eat organic foods, meet nomadic families and try yak cheese and other local delicacies with them!

• Spot the elusive Argali and Ibex mountain goats in the Ikh Naht Nature Reserve and learn about efforts to protect the takhi, Mongolia’s last species of wild horse, in the Kan Khentii region.

• Explore the site of one of the world's most prolific dinosaur fossil quarries at the Red Rocks.

• Explore the city of Ulaan Bator, discovering its fascinating history and enjoying an authentic ‘Mongolian pot’!

• Attend a performance of Mongolian throat singing, opera and contortionist arts…

Testimonial Thursday

~ John Copp Story ~

Today we would like to pay tribute to an Ibex client who died last year, John Copp, the father of Jonny Copp, a well-known mountaineer, friend an Ibex client who lost his life in a mountaineering accident in China in 2009.

We would like to share a lovely story from the Fullerton Observer about John, and a beautiful poem written by Jonny, dedicated to his father on his 60th birthday.

Mandip and Anita had the privilege of meeting John in 2011, not long before his cancer was detected.

"John Bernard Copp

 John Copp was born in Springfield, Illinois on June 22, 1944. He was the youngest child of eight and the only son of immigrant parents John and Appolona Copp. John passed away on October 15th, 2012 at his home in Fullerton, California, with his loving wife Phyllis by his side, after a 2-year battle with cancer. He also  leaves daughter Aimee, five sisters and hundreds of family members, friends, and co-workers from  around the world. One of his great sorrows was that his son, Jonny Copp, a renowned alpine mountain  climber, died at age 35 in an avalanche in China in 2009. John and Jonny are deeply missed by all those who loved them.

John married Phyllis in 1970, and together they moved to Luxembourg, then on to Indonesia and Thailand for work and life. A few years later son Jonathan was born, and the family set out on a year-long adventure
traveling around the world in a camper. Eventually the family settled in Fullerton where Phyllis’ family lived,  and daughter Aimee was born.

At age 39, John invented his own press design and started his business, Orange Engineering and Machine Company (OEM). John set the standard for vacuum lamination presses and patented the OEM Vac-Q-Lam design as well as other inventions. His presses have been used in the manufacturing of high-tech products for companies like Boeing, Dupont, Dow, US Army, Nike, Microsoft and many more. John combined the unusual talents of an inventor and mechanical engineer with and outstanding sales savvy and took great interest in each employee and customer. At one point he employed over 180 people and OEM is still going strong today. His employees saw him as an inspiring leader, a man of compassion and kindness, fairness and  empathy. He was an open minded teacher who fostered creativity and made work fun and exciting. His OEM team became like a family and he cared deeply for each of them. The feeling was mutual.

John was a global citizen with enormous curiosity and drive to learn and explore. Whether it was running  through the jungles of Indonesia with the HHH, skydiving out of a plane, traversing a river in India, racing motorcycles in Luxembourg, jogging in Hillcrest Park with his dog, playing tennis or golf, or just passing the  time with a friend or with family, John did it with enthusiasm and gusto. Telling his jokes and playing his guitar, John had a knack for turning an ordinary gathering into a party. He welcomed everyone into his fold. What could be given he gave. He loved his family and friends, the animals, and the earth and had a generosity of  spirit, an open mind and heart, and was witty with an engaging smile. He passed his flame, his torch, to  family, friends, and fellow adventurers, poets, musicians and to all he encountered. He taught all of us fortunate enough to cross his path how to be fearless and to live life to the fullest. He lives forever in our hearts.

A private memorial was held on November 16th. The family wishes to expresses gratitude for all of the love  and support they continue to receive.

For those wishing to honor John with a memorial gift, donations may be made to the TheJonnyCoppFoundation.org."

60 Years

Speeding orbits
Bending time
Weightless and exact
Gypsy spirit
Bounding sublime
Robust and emerging intact

The finer elements
Light refracts
Fiery tendrils dance
A blooming burst
Nuts and bolts
A finely built romance

In spaces unknown
Bright neurons fire
Fearless acrobat
The way you are
We all aspire
Reaching out to make contact

The oyster world
Would not be the same
Had you not graced its land
A dream set sail
By an open-ocean laugh
Like the pearl from a grain of sand

You’ve asked your friends
To share a dance
And then you’ve asked the world
From launching bikes in Luxembourg
To finding kingdoms paved with gold

From steeling across fields
With weight in hand
To going down in flame
From busting knuckles raw
And leaf springs in two
But laughing cuz you see the game

Over mountain and down beyond
A mustached man was seen
Tipping in for a naked dip
To a cool colossal stream

A stream like this is seldom found
Yet it flows right at our feet
Be fearless now and take a dip
For it is there where we shall meet

by Jonathan Copp
His gift to his father, John,

on his 60th birthday.

 

Wildlife Wednesday

~ Can You Name 6 Animals Native to India? ~

1. The Nilgai: Although extinct in Bangladesh, the Nilgai is one of the most commonly spotted animals in central and northern India, and the largest Asian Antelope. It lives mainly in grasslands and scrub forests. The mature male has an ox-like appearance and is also know as the Blue Bull, and has horns, unlike its female counterpart.

2. The Indian Flying Fox: At the "Least Concern" conservation status, this very large bat lives in colonies of hundreds and thousands in large trees, mostly in large tropical swamps, or near a water body. It is a nocturnal creature that feeds mainly on ripe fruits and nectar.

3. The Chinkara: Also ranked at "Least Concern", this shy species of gazelle is capable of going without water for long stretches and can survive of the fluids they get from plants and dew. The Chinkara is a loner by nature, but can occasionally be spotted in groups of three or four.

4. The Pangolin, or Scaly Anteater: Classified as "Near Threatened", the pangolin is the only mammal found with large keratin scales covering its skin, which helps it to defend itself against more savage beasts. Devoid of teeth, the scaly anteater lacks the ability to chew, and therefore probes into anthill and termite mounds with its long stick tongue.

5. Leopard: This "Near Threatened" the leopard is one of the five wild cats found in India, and can survive in all types of environments from open country to dense forests. The leopard approaching "Vulnerable" status, as it is a major victim of habitat loss, poaching and illegal trade in skin and furs.

6. The Indian Elephant: Today an endangered species, the Indian Elephant is one of the three species of the Asian Elephant and lives in tropical forest habitats, from moist, evergreen lowlands, to dry semi-deciduous teak forests, and can even be found in cooler mountain forests up to 10,000 feet.

Tuesdays for Tomorrow

~ Conservation Volunteers Australia ~

 

Still no plans for this summer? Why not try something different? Ibex works in alliance with Conservation Volunteers Australia & New Zealand, to give you the chance to not just visit the less explored areas of the continent, but to contribute to improving the lives and livelihoods of their inhabitants.
The program offers an array of project sites to choose from scattered across the land mass, devoted to tackling different causes. All of these are seeing major improvement, and you can be a part of that proud tradition. Over a period of 4-6 weeks, you'll be carted over 2 or 3 problematic areas, trained, taught, and supervised by professionals in the field, while simultaneously living with and learning about people and places across the globe. It will give you the chance to imbibe the best of all worlds and emerge from the other side an a change, and more enriched human being. The project activities range from anywhere between weed control and tree planting, to walking trail construction and heritage restoration. Here's three of the numerous possible locations for you to start your unconventional vacation:

• Kangaroo Valley, NSW – “Chakola”

A two-hour dirve from Sydney and Canberra, Chakola is a desginated wildlife refuge houses a number of iconic Australian species. Here you can find kangaroos, wombats, possums, wallabies, to name a few, as well as native birds like the kookaburra, cockatoo and the lyrebird, which is the English name for the aboriginal word “Chakola”.

• Brookfield, South Australia – Brookfield Conservation Park

North-east of Adelaide, the park is nearby to the River Murray and is part of the country of the Ngaiawang indegenous people of South Australia. This program focuses on research of the endangered Hairy-nosed Wombat and it's habitat, and also works on eradication of the invasive onion weed and collecting local seed for re- vegetation.

• Mt Arthur, Tasmania – Mt Arthur Centre

Mt Arthur occupies 5 hectares of re-generating bushland, creeks and wetlands, and is the home of the endemic and endangered freshwater burrowing crayfish.

Ibex is CVA's sole agent in India, and we're here to guide you through the application process, and help you get ready for your next adventure, so if you're in India, looking for a more unconventional way to start of your Australian tour, get in touch with us, and help you get ready for a life-altering journey.

Vintage Monday

~ Ibex Expeditions ~

We at Ibex Expeditions are thrilled to introduce to you our new blog, featuring new services, tales from the past, pictures, videos and write-ups about all things exciting and unconventional, as well as a little something to brighten your day. Here's a vintage article from 1975 written by our very own Mandip Singh Soin, telling us about things that most people could only dream of doing back then. 

Here's a first-hand view of vintage advertizing, to help you shake off those Monday Morning Blues. It's surprisingly relevant, placed next to a piece about scaling the Himalayan mountaintops. So Shape Up, and begin your day with a great read.

Click on the image for a closer look!

 

 

"Adventure in the Himalayas

By Mandip Singh Soin

“It's not possible from here, why not start from Kargil instead?” This is what everyone told us at Manali when Tandon and I reached there as advanced party for the assault on Lahaul and Zanskar. We were part of a 10-man team from St. Stephan’s, a Delhi college. Col. Lalji Singh, the snow and avalanche expert, said many snow cycles had coincided and fallen that year.

Rohtang Pass was blocked and no one had crossed the Shingo La. Our leader, Mr. Bamzai, however, being young and adventurous, told us in Delhi to stick to the original plan.

We set out on the high altitude trekking expedition to these provinces in Ladakh in may, a 500 Km trek crossing the four major passes of Rohtang, Shingo, Pensi and Swikha, through snow, rock, sand and water, varying in altitudes from 12000 to 17000 feet.

With only four hours of sleep and no breakfast, we started off from Marhi, a wind funnel, towards Khoskar over the deceptive crests of Rohtang. We negotiated a steep gully and glissaded down to Khoskar.

The next two days on the road to Kyelang, we walked on blistered feet. Before Kyelang, the district headquarters of Lahaul, we saw the swift Chandra River merging into the calm Bhanga to form the Chenab. At Kyelang we attended a festival which was celebrated anticipating a good harvest.

At Darcha, we left behind the old Gompa and the pretty Lahauli maidens for the high hills. We could see the beautiful Mulkilla Range.

Palamao was the first halt, a lush carpet of greenery with a deep gorge and numerous prayer mounds festooned with ibex horns. Snow pigeons hovered above and we even spotted a golden eagle. At Sundoh, also called “Bakri ki Gaddi”, we marvelled at the Ramjak peak, the summit a football field and the face a rocky challenge.

At Chung Nagpao, where we were to halt before out long march across the Shingo La (167000 feet), we were caught in a blizzard. Although we started before dawn, we were far too late in reaching the pass. Around late afternoon, we had to dump some of our baggage at the pass. We were totally exhausted and gave up hopes of climbing the Shin Kun peak (19957 feet). We plodded through waist-deep snow to the Zanskar flatland called Lakhong.

Zanskar made a great impact. It is a rugged country of rock and snow; its proud mountains of different colours – red, purple, yellow, blue and brown (due to the different minerals present) – loomed high over us, beckoning, to be humbled. It was a painter's paradise.

From Gurgaik one could see a rock mass rising into the skies 2000 feet above. The people there were mostly hospitable. They were polygamous and polyandrous as well, and contentment was manifest in their faces.

We wend to Teetha through the narrow valley and then moved on to Itchar. The rugged terrain took twice the estimated time to negotiate. Itcher lay across the river, and a lazy rope bridge swayed dangerously.

We passed through the Rurae and Munae, two sister villages separated by a lake. At Padam, the tehsil headquarters of Zanskar, the valley broadened and we could see it on a hump serving as a front for the lovely chain of snow-capped mountains.

Outside Padam, migratory ducks (most probably mallards) had settled. Two days later we reached Baux, the base of Pensi La (14500 feet). Next morning we crossed the Pensi La and into Guru Valley, a marshy area infested with marmots.

We camped near the famous Rongoum Gompa and saw its ancient relics, scripts and paintings called “tankas”. There were prayer walls, prayer flags and prayer wheels, which we spun off the chanting of “Om mani Padme Hum”. We drank “Gur Gur ki Chay” made of churned tea leaves, yak butter and goat milk. Passing the small village of Rongma Thomduz, we came to an area with many caves called Salma Danca. Walking across the marshy terrain was arduous and one had to watch out for quicksands. We reached Purkachick after Zulidock. This Balti village was out of a fairytale – greenery all around and mulberry bushes lining the paths. In the background was Swikha and on its left the snout of the Nun Kun glacier. High above us loomed the Nun and virgin Kun peaks.

We scrambled up the Swikha (12000 feet) the next day and reached Sankoh, the end of our gruelling trek."