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Ascent to Kukin Khal on 1993-09-24

Climber: Greg Slayden

Other People:

Solo Ascent

Date:

Friday, September 24, 1993

Ascent Type:

No Summit Goal

Motorized Transport to Trailhead:

Bus

Place:

Kukin Khal

Elevation:

3121 m / 10240 ft

Ascent Trip Report

I attempted to do the Roopkund Lake trek in the Garwhal Himalaya region of India. I had some vague idea that from the lake (at over 5000 meters) I could perhaps scramble uphill towards Trisul, a 7000 meter peak overlooking the Nanda Devi Sanctuary.

I made many mistakes on this trip, and I really didn't know what I was doing. The obstacles were: terribly rainy post-monsoon weather; lack of guides or porters; landslides blocking mountain roads; not bringing enough food; inability to get my stove working with the fuel I had; poor maps of the area; and a one-day bus strike while trying to get back.

I did not make it to Roopkund Lake. I abandoned that quest after my first day of hiking, and instead hiked from Mundoli to Ghat, over the pass of Kukin Khal at 3121 meters.

Although I was tired, hungry, wet, and miserable during most of this trip, it remains my only Himalayan experience (as of 2011), and many of the landscapes and people I encountered will always remain with me.

Elevations:
Mundoli-End of Bus Ride: 2376 m
Lohajang-Campsite 9/22: 2589 m
Wan Valley bottom: 2132 m
Red Pond Ridge: 2743 m
Forested Brook Ravine: 2590 m
Back to Red Pond: 2743 m
Wan-Campsite 9/23: 2439 m
Kukin Khal (Pass): 3121 m
Trail ups and downs: 2090 m
Trail ups and downs: 2390 m
Ghat-Bus station: 1790 m

Approximate Distances:
9/22 0.5 km
9/23 20 km
9/24 20 km
9/25 6.9 km

Summary Total Data

Elevation Gain:

1957 m / 6424 ft

Elevation Loss:

3001 m / 9852 ft

Distance:

47.3 km / 29.4 mi

Quality:

3 (on a subjective 1-10 scale)

Route Conditions:

Road Hike, Maintained Trail, Unmaintained Trail, Open Country, Stream Ford

Gear Used:

Tent Camp

Nights Spent:

3 nights away from roads

Weather:

Cool, Breezy, Overcast
Monsoon rains during nights

Ascent Statistics

Elevation Gain:

1658 m / 5440 ft

Extra Loss:

912 m / 2995 ft

Distance:

23.5 km / 14.6 mi

Route:

Lohajang-Wan

Trailhead:

Mundoli 2375 m / 7795 ft

Descent Statistics

Elevation Loss:

2089 m / 6857 ft

Extra Gain:

299 m / 984 ft

Distance:

23.8 km / 14.8 mi

Route:

Kanol-Sheetal

Trailhead:

Ghat 1331 m / 4367 ft

GPS Data for Ascent/Trip

GPS Waypoints - Hover or click to see name and lat/long
Peaks: climbed and unclimbed by Greg Slayden
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Note: GPS Tracks may not be accurate, and may not show the best route. Do not follow this route blindly. Conditions change frequently. Use of a GPS unit in the outdoors, even with a pre-loaded track, is no substitute for experience and good judgment. Peakbagger.com accepts NO resposibility or liability from use of this data.

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