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Impressions by Satyabrata
Dam : Location: The cottony clouds parted magically as a brilliant shaft of sunray, overlooking a stupendous ridge of black granite, caught the eyes of the caravan no sooner had it turned southeast on its way to the proposed base camp at the inception of the Phunangma glacier. Primed by the concoction of curiosity and danger man has forever ambled in search of adventure, and the wily band of men hopping confidently from one stone to another were perhaps egged further by the knowledge that no man had ever entered the arena into which each of their steps brought them nearer. A pause in their progress seemed Providential since a dozen cameras came out of their cases and proceeded to capture the moment for eternity. Splendid mountains and uncharted vistas unfolded in every conceivable direction. The profuse burst of exclamations and ululation soon gave way to silence as the visitors ran out of metaphors since nature in all her supernal glory cannot be enshrined by human words. It was a moment to be savored in quietness and enwrapped within forever. A short hop across a foamy glacial stream brought the expedition into a boulder strewn flat patch of land wherein the base camp would repose. While the colorful tents and sundry equipment mushroomed amidst the stark brown landscape the members drank in the surroundings with unbridled wonder. Towering to the west a supremely proportioned obelisk of unhindered white caressed the dazzling azure with infinite concern. Its north ridge snaked curvaceously to the mighty summit. The entire southern flank of base camp was plastered with Alpine ridges of sheer rock punctuated by snow-filled couloir and magnificent monolithic monsters. The glistening mountains waved invitingly tempting the climbers to ascend the jagged contours. Beyond and above the premier ridge another summit of significant snowcap swayed mesmerizingly through the jostling clouds. The sweeping rock bands tumbled over each other describing an echelon of drifting ice through which some of the members charted an imaginary route to the top. A sense of disbelief, a step into the unknown, even an agonizing moment of self-doubt are all necessary to surmount inhospitable odds and chart a puny course through the mightiest and the grandest forces of nature. That they will do it was an unquestioned certainty in everyone's mind but the riddles of 'when' and 'how' remained unresolved for the time being. SATYABRATA DAM, Base Camp, 4800 M. |
Superb rock climbing
a short distance from base camp on rock butresses we names The Badile
on the right and the South West Pillar of the Drus after the smooth spur
on the top left hand sky line.
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