Brammah
Encyclopedia
Brammah is a mountain massif
in the Kishtwar
Himalaya of Jammu and Kashmir
, India
, east of the town of Kishtwar
and near the border with Himachal Pradesh
. It comprises four peaks, listed in order from west to east:
Note that Brammah II is the highest of the group, contrary to usual practice. While Brammah I is not the highest, it is the most dramatic, as it is situated at the western end of the massif, above a low base.
Brammah I is particularly notable both for its huge rise above local terrain and for its being the site of the first successful major climb in the Kishtwar Himalaya. Famed British
mountaineer
Chris Bonington
, along with Nick Estcourt
, and aided by the India
n Institute of Skiing and Mountaineering, made the first ascent of Brammah I in 1973 via the Southeast Ridge. Estcourt notes that "it is not the highest peak in Kishtwar, but it is the most obvious and elegant."
The second ascent of Brammah I was also made by a British group, comprising Paul Belcher, Duncan Nicholson, Jon Scott, and Anthony Wheaton, in 1978. Unfortunately Nicholson and Scott perished on the descent.
Anthony Wheaton returned to the sister mountain, Brammah's wife in 1979 and made the first British ascent with Richard Hester on September 16, 1979.
Massif
In geology, a massif is a section of a planet's crust that is demarcated by faults or flexures. In the movement of the crust, a massif tends to retain its internal structure while being displaced as a whole...
in the Kishtwar
Kishtwar Himalaya
The Kishtwar Himalaya is a small subrange of the Himalayan mountain range, in the Indian states of Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh. It is a dramatic range of steep rock and ice peaks with great local relief. However it is not as well known as other parts of the Himalaya since its highest...
Himalaya of Jammu and Kashmir
Jammu and Kashmir
Jammu and Kashmir is the northernmost state of India. It is situated mostly in the Himalayan mountains. Jammu and Kashmir shares a border with the states of Himachal Pradesh and Punjab to the south and internationally with the People's Republic of China to the north and east and the...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, east of the town of Kishtwar
Kishtwar
Kishtwar is a town and a notified area committee in Kishtwar District in Jammu and Kashmir, the northernmost state of India.-Geography:Kishtwar is located at...
and near the border with Himachal Pradesh
Himachal Pradesh
Himachal Pradesh is a state in Northern India. It is spread over , and is bordered by the Indian states of Jammu and Kashmir on the north, Punjab on the west and south-west, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh on the south, Uttarakhand on the south-east and by the Tibet Autonomous Region on the east...
. It comprises four peaks, listed in order from west to east:
- Brammah I, 6416 m (21,050 ft), first ascent 1973
- Flat Top, 6103 m (20,023 ft), first ascent 1980
- Brammah II, 6485 m (21,276 ft), first ascent 1975
- Arjuna, 6230 m (20,440 ft), first ascent 1983
Note that Brammah II is the highest of the group, contrary to usual practice. While Brammah I is not the highest, it is the most dramatic, as it is situated at the western end of the massif, above a low base.
Brammah I is particularly notable both for its huge rise above local terrain and for its being the site of the first successful major climb in the Kishtwar Himalaya. Famed British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
mountaineer
Mountaineering
Mountaineering or mountain climbing is the sport, hobby or profession of hiking, skiing, and climbing mountains. While mountaineering began as attempts to reach the highest point of unclimbed mountains it has branched into specialisations that address different aspects of the mountain and consists...
Chris Bonington
Chris Bonington
Sir Christian John Storey Bonington, CVO, CBE, DL is a British mountaineer.His career has included nineteen expeditions to the Himalayas, including four to Mount Everest and the first ascent of the south face of Annapurna.-Early life and expeditions:Educated at University College School in...
, along with Nick Estcourt
Nick Estcourt
Nick Estcourt , educated at Eastbourne College, was an outstanding British climber killed on K2 by an avalanche on the West Ridge route...
, and aided by the India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n Institute of Skiing and Mountaineering, made the first ascent of Brammah I in 1973 via the Southeast Ridge. Estcourt notes that "it is not the highest peak in Kishtwar, but it is the most obvious and elegant."
The second ascent of Brammah I was also made by a British group, comprising Paul Belcher, Duncan Nicholson, Jon Scott, and Anthony Wheaton, in 1978. Unfortunately Nicholson and Scott perished on the descent.
Anthony Wheaton returned to the sister mountain, Brammah's wife in 1979 and made the first British ascent with Richard Hester on September 16, 1979.