First Exploration of the Hoh Lumba and Sosbon Glaciers: Two Pioneer Ascents in the Himalaya Author(S): Fanny Bullock Workman Source: the Geographical Journal, Vol
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
First Exploration of the Hoh Lumba and Sosbon Glaciers: Two Pioneer Ascents in the Himalaya Author(s): Fanny Bullock Workman Source: The Geographical Journal, Vol. 27, No. 2 (Feb., 1906), pp. 129-141 Published by: The Royal Geographical Society (with the Institute of British Geographers) Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/1776665 . Accessed: 21/12/2014 20:23 Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at . http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp . JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected]. The Royal Geographical Society (with the Institute of British Geographers) is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to The Geographical Journal. http://www.jstor.org This content downloaded from 128.235.251.160 on Sun, 21 Dec 2014 20:23:03 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions The GeographicalJournal. No. 2. FEBRUARY, 1906. VOL. XXVII. FIRST EXPLORATION OF THE HOH LUMBA AND SOSBON GLACIERS.* TWO PIONEER ASCENTS IN THE HIMALAYA, By FANNY BULLOCK WORKMAN, F.R.S.G.S., Officier de l'Instruction Publique de France. A YEARago Dr. Hunter Workman read a paper before this Society relating to the Chogo Lungma glacier. The paper to-night describes our exploration of the Hoh Lumba and Sosbon glaciers, and moun- taineering experiences on the Chogo Lungma not touched upon by him. The bases of our two last expeditions in Baltistan, North-West Himalaya, are reached in twenty-three marches from Srinagar, the capital of Kashmir. This region, the glaciers of which were explored by us, lies between 74? 55' to 75? 45' E. long. and 35? 45' to 36? N. lat. During the second season a first ascent and investigation of the Hoh Lumba and Sosbon glaciers were made. From Skardu, the chief village of Baltistan, a march north-east brings one to the Shigar valley, which is traversed in 20 miles to its junction with the Braldoh and Basha rivers. Here for 14 miles the Braldoh valley is followed to the small village of Hoh, which lies above the junction of the Hoh and Braldoh rivers at 9400 feet. Here, on June 19, our caravan was reinforced by Hoh coolies, and added to these were camp servants and a Hoh Lumbardar, making a total of seventy men. Accompanying Dr. Workman and myself were Mr. B. Hewitt, topographer, and the well-known Italian guides, Joseph Petigax and C. Savoie, of Courmayeur, and L. Petigax, porter. The narrow Hoh ravine, or nala, runs north, and is ascended along the precipitous cliffs of nude mountains. It is filled by old glacial debris several hundreds of feet deep, containing boulders of all sizes, some extremely large. At the bottom of this desolate ravine the Hoh * Read at the Royal Geographical Society, November 20, 1905. Map, p. 224. No. II.-FEBRUARY, 1906.] K This content downloaded from 128.235.251.160 on Sun, 21 Dec 2014 20:23:03 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions 130 FIRST EXPLORATIONOF THE HOH LUMBA AND SOSBON GLACIERS. river, .a rushing khaki-coloured glacial stream, descends, cutting its way often at a great depth. We ascended over the boulder-composed slopes. Beyond this an enormous winter avalanche strewn with black detritus, reaching from one side of the nala to the other and completely covering the river, was crossed. No vegetation, except the hardy aromatic burtsa plant, is met with until Pirnar Tapsa, a small grazing-ground, is reached, about 4 miles up. This is fairly well covered with birches and cedars. Two miles further is Nangma Tapsa, a similar grazing-spot at 11,595 feet, where we camped. To this point, with the exception of Pirna Tapsa, our narrow broken trail ascended through a grim lifeless land- scape without a note of colour. Some call Ladakh routes dull and monotonous, but to me that land is one of ever-changing beauty and picturesqueness compared to the vale of Hoh Lumba, held as it is in the grip of the acme of desolation. But at Nangma Tapsa all is changed, and our caravan spreads itself and its tents over a wide green maidan sprinkled with trees, where cows graze and drink at musical rivulets. Sportsmen sometimes come here in search of ibex, which are found on the mountain flanks bordering the lower part of the glacier. Colonel Godwin-Austen sa/w the glacier from a distance when survey- ing for the Government of India, but our party was the first to ascend it. Its general direction from Nangma Tapsa is north-west. Its length from the snout to its source under the great col is 12 miles. Its greatest width is a mile, and its width at upper end below the source half a mile. It seems to have retreated somewhat rapidly of late years. Above Nangma Tapsa is a large old moraine strewn with large blocks and covered with trees. The furthest point of this is about a mile in front of the present glacier. Then comes a marked division where the moraine matter is much smaller, there are no large blocks, and a scarcity of vegetation is observed. At this part, near the oldest piece, is some small scrub, but this ceases about half a mile from the glacier, and the moraine has a generally new appearance. As you look down from the glacier, the river is seen to have cut its way between the hill and the moraine on the left. No signs of glaciation on the hill beside the stream were noticed, but the rock is weathered and easily split, and striation marks would have been long since effaced. Another sign of retreat is the presence of an important moraine ridge, the highest point of which is 50 feet above the glacier. On the free side it rises fully 100 feet. It is passed over in reaching the ice as one ascends from Nangma Tapsa. At the top of the ridge is a huge boulder, the form and dimensions of which are represented by a cube with a side of 50 feet, which shows how much greater volume the glacier must formerly have had to deposit such a mass of rock in this position. At the top of the high ridge looking east is seen the first left This content downloaded from 128.235.251.160 on Sun, 21 Dec 2014 20:23:03 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions Nangma Tapsa and the huge terminal moraine of the H-oh Lumba, forming a large hill about 500 feet high; its age is indicated by the tree growth covering its surface. Upper End of the Hoh Lumba and Col des Aiguilles. This content downloaded from 128.235.251.160 on Sun, 21 Dec 2014 20:23:03 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions FIRST EXPLORATIONOF THE HOH LUMBA, AND SOSBON GLACIERS, 131 branch of the Hoh, the Chaltora. The only other branch on the left or east side enters 4 miles from the snout, and is called the Sosbon. On the west side three feeders enter the main stream near the southern end, and 6 miles up another large branch debouches to the west. Altogether there are six tributaries. June is supposed to be a good month for glacier exploration in the Himalaya, but this season it was not, owing to the late severe winter storms. Leaving the ridge, we were at once on the ice at about 13,500 feet, at which height on other glaciers we have always found either lower mountain spurs or lateral moraines on which to camp. But this season, at the end of June, we found the Hoh Lumba covered completely with ASCENDING OVER THE SNOW HILLOCKS OF THE HOH LUMBA a deep mantle of snow, equally so the lower mountain flanks. Our first camp on the glacier being near a glacial water-pool, it was not necessary to melt snow for water. All water-buckets were speedily filled, however, lest the reservoir should freeze over in the lower- ing temperature. The coolies' tents here proved insufficient for the number of men, and I was obliged to give them one of my small Mummerys, which I did with keen misgiving, knowing that for our own use it would not again be available. Owing to the deep snow- covering before mentioned, it was most difficult to judge of the con- formation of the glacier or of its moraines. On the glacier itself lateral moraines were slight or wanting, and medial moraines, if K2 This content downloaded from 128.235.251.160 on Sun, 21 Dec 2014 20:23:03 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions 132 FIRST EXPLORATION OF THE HOH LUMBA AND SOSBON GLACIERS. there were any, were so covered with snow that they could not be distinguished. The snowy surface is well seen in the photograph, as are the wavy undulations characteristic of the first 5 miles. One climbs up and down over great snow-hillocks for long stretches. We are here above our first glacier camp of 14,600 feet, the splendid granite peaks in the background appearing foreshortened by this rising terrain. They represent the general mountain forms seen on the Hoh Lumba, and are the peaks bordering the west bank leading to the col.