Gauri Sankar
Encyclopedia
Gauri Sankar is a mountain
in the Himalayas, the second highest peak of the Rolwaling Himal
, behind Melungtse
(7,181m). The name comes from Sanskrit
for the Goddess and her Consort, denoting the sacred regard to which is afforded it by the peoples of Tibet and Nepal.
, and is visible from Kathmandu.) To the west of the peak lies the valley of the Bhote Kosi, the western boundary of the Rolwaling Himal. To the north lies the Menlung Chu, which separates it from its sister peak Menlungtse. To the south lies the Rolwaling Chu, which leads up to the Tesi Lapcha pass, giving access to the Khumbu region. It is in the district of Dolakha, a very welcoming district of cultural diversity and breath taking natural sights. The main headquarter of which is just in a blink of 136 kilometers east of Kathmandu.
-Nepalese expedition finally managed to gain the top,
via the West Face. This was a route of extreme technical difficulty. The permit from the Nepalese Ministry of Tourism stipulated that the summit could only be reached if an equal number of climbers from both nations were on the summit team. John Roskelley
and Dorje Sherpa fulfilled that obligation.
In the same year, a British-Nepalese expedition climbed the long and difficult Southwest Ridge to the south summit (7010m). Though they did not make the long additional traverse to the main summit, their climb was a significant achievement in itself.
The Himalayan Index lists only two additional ascents of the main summit of Gauri Sankar. The second ascent was made in the spring of 1984 by Wyman Culbreth and Ang Kami Sherpa, via a new route on a ridge on the southwest face. The third ascent (and the first winter ascent), in January 1986, was by South Korea
n Choi Han-Jo and Ang Kami Sherpa.
Mountain
Image:Himalaya_annotated.jpg|thumb|right|The Himalayan mountain range with Mount Everestrect 58 14 160 49 Chomo Lonzorect 200 28 335 52 Makalurect 378 24 566 45 Mount Everestrect 188 581 920 656 Tibetan Plateaurect 250 406 340 427 Rong River...
in the Himalayas, the second highest peak of the Rolwaling Himal
Rolwaling Himal
Rolwāling Himāl is a section of the Himalaya in east-central Nepal along the Tibet border. It lies west of the Mahalangur section and east of the Langtang section. Melungtse 7181m and Melungtse II 7023m are inside Tibet and Gauri Shankar 7134m is on the border...
, behind Melungtse
Melungtse
Melungtse is the highest mountain of the Rolwaling Himal in the Himalayas.The peak has a long summit ridge capped by the east summit and the west summit, also known as Melungtse II, 7,023m...
(7,181m). The name comes from Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
for the Goddess and her Consort, denoting the sacred regard to which is afforded it by the peoples of Tibet and Nepal.
Location
Gauri Sankar lies near the western edge of the Rolwaling Himal, about 100 kilometres (62 mi) northeast of Kathmandu. (It is almost directly between Kathmandu and Mount EverestMount Everest
Mount Everest is the world's highest mountain, with a peak at above sea level. It is located in the Mahalangur section of the Himalayas. The international boundary runs across the precise summit point...
, and is visible from Kathmandu.) To the west of the peak lies the valley of the Bhote Kosi, the western boundary of the Rolwaling Himal. To the north lies the Menlung Chu, which separates it from its sister peak Menlungtse. To the south lies the Rolwaling Chu, which leads up to the Tesi Lapcha pass, giving access to the Khumbu region. It is in the district of Dolakha, a very welcoming district of cultural diversity and breath taking natural sights. The main headquarter of which is just in a blink of 136 kilometers east of Kathmandu.
Notable features
The mountain has two summits, the northern (higher) summit being called Shankar (a manifestation of Shiva) and the southern summit being called Gauri (a manifestation of Shiva's consort). It rises dramatically above the Bhote Kosi only 5 km away, and is protected on all sides by steep faces and long, corniced ridges.Climbing history
The first attempts to climb Gauri Sankar were made in the 1950s and 1960s but weather, avalanches and difficult ice faces defeated all parties. From 1965 until 1979, the mountain was officially closed for climbing. When permission was finally granted in 1979, an AmericanUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
-Nepalese expedition finally managed to gain the top,
via the West Face. This was a route of extreme technical difficulty. The permit from the Nepalese Ministry of Tourism stipulated that the summit could only be reached if an equal number of climbers from both nations were on the summit team. John Roskelley
John Roskelley
John Roskelley is a noted mountain climber and author from Spokane, Washington, and is known for his first ascents and notable ascents of 7000 and 8000 meter peaks in Nepal, India, and Pakistan.-Notable ascents:...
and Dorje Sherpa fulfilled that obligation.
In the same year, a British-Nepalese expedition climbed the long and difficult Southwest Ridge to the south summit (7010m). Though they did not make the long additional traverse to the main summit, their climb was a significant achievement in itself.
The Himalayan Index lists only two additional ascents of the main summit of Gauri Sankar. The second ascent was made in the spring of 1984 by Wyman Culbreth and Ang Kami Sherpa, via a new route on a ridge on the southwest face. The third ascent (and the first winter ascent), in January 1986, was by South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
n Choi Han-Jo and Ang Kami Sherpa.