The trio had braved the snow and the rough weather to go ice climbing in Spiti. All routes to Spiti were closed," he says.Īnd that's why the sudden appearance of his mountaineer friend Bharat Bhushan and his colleagues Karn Kowshik and Prerna Dangi at the doorstep took him by surprise. "There had been no electricity for the past one-and-a-half months. The temperatures had dipped to -20 degrees Celsius and the spartan landscape was sheathed in snow and ice. Photographer Himanshu Khagta had been living in Spiti for the past six months for his project, Life in Spiti. IMAGE: Karn Kowshik climbs the frozen Spiti Valley in winter.įebruary, 2014. Climbers talk of a state of inner peace and almost meditative ecstasy,' mentioned an article in The Guardian about this extreme sport. 'With icicles on your rope (in extreme climbs) and a constant fight with an alien environment, there's an even greater high. Cardiovascular training is very important," says Kowshik.īut once you scale that daunting waterfall, the feeling of jubilation is unparalleled. One needs to be at one's peak of physical fitness. So, one needs to keep one's mind open and be prepared for all eventualities. And when you climb in the evening, the route feels another way," he says. "You go to climb in the morning, it feels one way. It takes a certain kind of individual to want to go through this challenge," he says.Įvery year, the ice routes come down and are made again. Frozen water is always breaking and falling on you while climbing. The first step in training is building mental toughness.Īccording to Kowshik, this is the most extreme form of climbing. The things we do for social media! Ice climbing is definitely not for people like them." "They run out to take a selfie against the snow and ice and run in within two minutes to get back to the warmth of the indoors. "A friend, who owns homestays in Spiti, tells hilarious stories of tourists, who manage to make it to the region in winter," says Khagta. It is a highly specialised subset of mountaineering and one needs to approach it accordingly. Ice climbing is not for the average tourist or the rookie climber. Photograph: Kind courtesy Karn Kowshik/Instagram "Sakya Abode is a good option for accommodation," says photographer Himanshu Khagta. Most hotels are closed in the region during the peak of winter, but some homestays keep their doors open for climbers and stray tourists. "Most climbers buy various components of the gear over the course of several years," he says. One way could be to train with a guide and get him to lend the gear to you.
"This is a capital-intensive sport."Īlmost none of this equipment is available in India, and needs to be imported.
"Since this is a specialised kind of climbing, you need special equipment such as crampons attached to boots, specific ice axes, a base layer and down jacket, and more," says Kowshik.
Ice climbing a frozen waterfall driver#
It's of utmost importance to hire an experienced driver from Shimla, who can negotiate the snow on the roads, or have a four-wheel drive. So it can be quite scary getting into Spiti," says Kowshik. And they are often accompanied by a 500-feet drop. After Shimla, roads become narrow, with space enough for only one car.
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