Miyar Valley: new climbs in 'India's Yosemite' by Alessandro Baù, Lorenzo D’Addario, Jérome Perruquet, Francesco Ratti

Two new routes climbed on two peaks in the Indian Himalayas. This is the Miyar valley adventure bounty  of the team composed of Italian mountain guides Alessandro Baù, Lorenzo D'Addario, Jerome Perruquet and Francesco Ratti. An expedition that got underway in early September and that was marked by a clear desire to establish a new route, while at the same time being uncertain about which objective to focus on: Neverseen Tower or Mahindra Peak?

"We will decide which mountain and which wall we want to climb based on the conditions we encounter in loco," they declared on the eve of their departure from Italy. What they discovered on arrival at their destination has remained a mystery for a long month of silence. Now safely back in Italy, it is time to find out  more about the autumn adventure they experienced in a remote corner of the Indian Himalayas.

"An expedition to Miyar Valley," Lorenzo D'Addario stated, "is, for those who travel there, a dreamlike journey of research. Although humankind is generally on a perpetual quest, Miyar will help you discover an inner world that other places do not always manage to make you comprehend with such clarity. Miyar Valley is also, for us, "Wind of Silence" and "Super Thuraya," incredible granite, two great lines forged during this journey, on towers that evoke the magical world of Peter Pan: Neverseen Tower & The Invisible Tower. Miyar valley, if you know how to enter with the right spirit, will take you to the edge of a world usually reached only through your imagination."

And the winner is… Neverseen Tower!
After a trek through Miyar Valley that lasted a handful of days, the team reached base camp (located at about 4,000m) during a high pressure system. This was an opportunity to acclimatise they simply could not miss. With the idea of checking out conditions on the unclimbed southeast face of Neverseen Tower, they rapidly ascended the Takdung Glacier and reached the base of the wall after an 8-hour hike, backpacks loaded with gear for an advanced base camp. Conditions appeared good, a possible line of ascent even took shape in their minds, but before turning their dream into reality, a further acclimatisation climb on a less challenging peak was necessary.

The choice fell on nearby "Enzo Peak" and the four quickly reached the summit via the "easy and fun but still unclimbed" southeast ridge, according to Francesco Ratti. After enjoying the sun on the summit, they returned to ABC to spend the night there and descend to BC the next day in order to recharge batteries and wait for a new window of good weather.

"The ascent of Neverseen Tower up the southeast face was quite a puzzle," commented Alessandro Baù, "Perhaps the most complicated thing was deciding where precisely we would climb. During the first acclimatisation trip we carefully examined the face, searching for the cracks that would lead us to the top. In the afternoon, after climbing Granfather Enzo Peak, the light was different and because of the high temperatures, significant seepage had formed on the face from the summit snowfields. We abandoned the idea of tackling the most logical line up an obvious dihedral on the right side of the wall and instead we turned our attention to the crack systems in the center of the wall, closer to the col separating the mountain from Lotus Peak. Although these lines seemed more challenging they appeared dry and therefore less prone to rockfall. But as always plans were turned on their heads by the mountains."

The perfect weather window
The window of good weather necessary for a serious attempt was delayed for over a week as the area was marked by unsettled conditions. On 20 September the forecast finally predicted a few days of stable weather, and the four guides returned to advanced base camp. Here though their welcome proved less pleasant than expected.

"By the time we returned to the glacier in Taktung Valley to climb Neverseen," Baú recalled, "the freezing level had plummeted 1,000m and the glacier plateau was covered in 10cm of fresh snow. The wall was encrusted with ice."

"We decided to give it a go nevertheless" Francesco Ratti continued, "and try to see if the line we had dreamed of was feasible. We climbed up the gully to the col where we stumbled across old fixed ropes left behind by a Spanish team that had climbed from the Chhudong side before abandoning its attempt after climbing just one pitch of the route."

Hence the decision to start on a lower section of the wall compared to Spaniards, so as not to interfere with their attempt. The Italians chose a portion of the face that was steep enough to ensure that the fresh snow would soon melt. "On the first day we climbed several pitches and decided to leave our ropes 'fixed' at our high point and go back down to sleep in our tents, and then the next day ascend the fixed ropes and continue from where we had left off."

On 21 September the sky was clear. After ascending the ropes as quickly as possible, the team resumed the ascent, tackling "really nice granite." The climb was "always fun and never too difficult." In the afternoon the wind picked up and it became bitterly cold, but by now they had reached the ledge below the summit and, having located a good place to bivy, they pushed on. Only 2 pitches now separated them from the summit ridge.

"The first pitch after the ledge had cracks clogged with ice but with a little patience I managed to work my way through them and belay just below the ridge that would lead us to the summit" Ratti explained.

"At 2 p.m. on the second day we reached the summit snow ridge" Baù continued "We enjoyed the view of the adjacent valleys and started to rappel, using spikes, pegs and jammed nuts. We returned to our tents shortly before dark, cold but happy to have made the fourth ascent of the mountain and to have elegantly solved the problem of the unclimbed southeast face."

The route established on Neverseen Tower is called Wind of Silence "because the wind and silence of this remote valley accompanied us throughout the ascent" commented Ratti. The route was first ascended in alpine style without bolts and using only pegs and natural pro.

Round two: Mont Maudit
The expedition's second objective turned out to be unplanned: the southwest pillar of Mont Maudit. Located slightly lower than Neverseen Tower, this peak had been climbed previously, from the Chhudong face. Its majestic 5,400-meter pillar that towers above the Takdung valley had never been climbed before. "Ever since our first reconnaissance trip into the valley this peak had caught our attention and always remained in our minds as an alternative or complementary project to Neverseen Tower" stated Ratti.

The second adventure began on 25 September. "After a first day when we climbed in light sleet and in cold winds, the second day was better" said Jerome Perruquet. "We set off from theourtents at the base of the wall under a beautiful starry sky. We then climbed the entire route, a total of 8 pitches, encountering exceptional rock all the way."

By nightfall they are at the summit. Just enough time to hug each other and the icy wind signaled that the time had come descend, exposed to the biting cold until they reached the tents. During tthe descent, belays were equipped with bolts, to make the abseils both faster and safer, also for possible future repeaters. After one last night on the glacier they descended to BC and prepared their return to civilisation.

"We really had a great time" concluded Perruquet "even here there was no shortage of surprises, but that's part of the game. Climbing a second new route was highly satisfying, plus it turned out to be a beautiful route, on an untouched summit."

This second route is called Super Thuraya, with "super" referring to the rock quality and "Thuraya" in honour of the satellite phone company whose use is banned in India, and which created quite a few problems for the team on its return. But that's another story.

"Miyar Expedition 2023" was supported by: CAMP, Chillaz, Climbing Technology, Dynastar, EATfreedom, Grivel, HDry, La Sportiva, Maxim Ropes, Millet, Montura, Panorama Diffusion, Reload, Salice occhiali, Samaya, SCARPA, The North Face, Vaude.