Changabang is a mountain in the Garhwal Himalaya of Uttarakhand, India. It is part of a group of peaks that form the northeast wall of the Nanda Devi Sanctuary. It is a particularly steep and rocky peak, and all routes on it are serious undertakings. It has been the site of many world-class climbs. It does not have a high topographic prominence, being slightly lower than its near neighbor Kalanka to the east, and lower than many other peaks in the immediate vicinity. But its steep rocky profile has made it a much more attractive destination than its elevation would indicate. A topographical summit is a point on a surface which is higher in elevation than all points immediately adjacent to it. ... Garhwal, or Gurwal, is a region and administrative division of Uttaranchal state, India, lying in the Himalayas. ... Uttarakhand presently called Uttaranchal is the ancient name for the stretch of Indian Himalayas that borders the Himachal ranges in the west, and Nepal in the east. ... The Himalaya as seen from the International Space Station A mountain range is a group of mountains bordered by lowlands or separated from other mountain ranges by passes or rivers. ... Garhwal, or Gurwal, is a region and administrative division of Uttaranchal state, India, lying in the Himalayas. ... Perspective view of the Himalaya and Mount Everest as seen from space looking south-south-east from over the Tibetan Plateau. ... In topography, prominence, also known as autonomous height, relative height or shoulder drop (in America) or prime factor (in Europe), is a concept used in the categorization of hills and mountains, also known as peaks. ... Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ... In climbing, a first ascent (FA) is the first climb to reach the top of a mountain, or the first to follow a particular climbing route. ... Sir Chris Bonington Sir Christian John Storey Bonington (born August 6, 1934 in Hampstead), is a British mountaineer. ... Dougal Haston (1940-1977) was a Scottish mountaineer born in Currie, Edinburgh. ... Doug Scott CBE (born 29th May 1941) is British mountaineer famous for the first acent of the Southwest Face Mount Everest on 25th September 1975, and was the first Briton to climb Everest. ... Southern and northern Mount Everest climbing routes as seen from the International Space Station. ... Garhwal, or Gurwal, is a region and administrative division of Uttaranchal state, India, lying in the Himalayas. ... Perspective view of the Himalaya and Mount Everest as seen from space looking south-south-east from over the Tibetan Plateau. ... Uttarakhand presently called Uttaranchal is the ancient name for the stretch of Indian Himalayas that borders the Himachal ranges in the west, and Nepal in the east. ... Nanda Devi is the highest mountain which is completely within the territory of India and was also the highest mountain in the British Empire at its fullest extent. ... In topography, prominence, also known as autonomous height, relative height or shoulder drop (in America) or prime factor (in Europe), is a concept used in the categorization of hills and mountains, also known as peaks. ...

Changabang was first climbed on June 4, 1974 by a team led by Chris Bonington, via the Southeast Face, leading to the East Ridge. This is the easiest route on the mountain, and one of the few that is primarily a snow/ice climb, as opposed to a rock climb with some snow, ice, or mixed terrain.^[2] Sir Chris Bonington Sir Christian John Storey Bonington (born August 6, 1934 in Hampstead), is a British mountaineer. ... Climbers on Valkyrie at the Roaches. ...

Other notable ascents include some of the hardest climbs ever done in the Himalaya. The first of these is the ascent of the West Face by Peter Boardman and Joe Tasker in 1976. The route took over 25 days to ascend, and their use of big wall climbing techniques to overcome the serious, sustained difficulties was revolutionary.^[2] Peter Boardman (1950-1982) was a British climber, Everest summiteer, and author of several mountaineering books. ... Joe Tasker (1948 - 1982) was one of the most talented British climbers during the late 1970s and early 1980s. ...

In 1997, Andy Cave and Brendan Murphy made the first ascent of the North Face of Changabang, a 1,600 m (5,250 ft) route involving steep, sustained ice, mixed, and rock climbing. Unfortunately Murphy was hit by an avalanche and swept off the face to his death on the descent.^[3]

On October 12, 2006, two Mexican climbers, Andrés Delgado and Alfonso de la Parra, were successful in climbing Changabang by a new route. However, while descending, they encountered a storm and have been reported missing since October 15, when they made a contact via satellite phone. India put on a rescue effort despite harsh weather conditions. As of October 31, 2006, both climbers were yet to be found^[4]. As of November 8, 2006, both climbers remained missing and the search for them had been canceled due to inclement weather^[5].

Reference

1. ^ This is an approximate figure, based on the 1:150,000 scale topographic map Garhwal-Himalaya-Ost, Swiss Foundation for Alpine Research.
2. ^ ^{a b c} Andy Fanshawe and Stephen Venables, Himalaya Alpine-Style, Hodder and Stoughton, 1995, ISBN 0-340-64931-3
3. ^ American Alpine Journal, 1998, pp. 53-68.
4. ^ El Universal Grafico
5. ^ Everest News