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Highlights of a Dual Climb: CB 13 & CB 14 - Bikat Adventures

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Highlights Of The Dual Climb: CB13 And CB14

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Highlights Of The Dual Climb: CB13 And CB14

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Bikat Adventures

07 Nov 2022

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Highlights Of The Dual Climb: CB13 And CB14

Chandrabhaga range is a group of peaks located in the cold desert region of Himachal Pradesh of which a few have been climbed, a few barely so and some that are still waiting to invite climbers up their mad slopes in this mad terrain. CB13 (6,264M), for being the highest, holds somewhat of a star-status in this range which gets its name from the two main rivers in Lahaul – Chandra and Bhaga. CB13 (6,264M) is a perfect way to experience the region as a whole for it holds all the features of the peculiar terrain of Lahaul in the form of its uneven, dry, naked and rocky slopes. Add CB14, which at 6,078M, is the second most sought after peak in the central massif in Lahaul, to the mix and it’s only a cherry on the mountain-top. With its boulder-strewn terrain, CB14 is equally, if not more challenging than it’s almost 200M taller cousin, and calls to all the skills you might have accumulated in your years in the mountains, hitherto.

If you feel strongly about dual climbs, CB13 and CB14 would be our primary recommendation for this expedition challenges all your limits and is a perfect playground to put to use all the skills you believe you possess as a mountaineer. All in all CB13 and CB14 individually are a test of one’s mettle, and together a perfect means of self-assessment of a climber, as a climber!

Other than these being challenging peaks and hence overly gratifying for all those who consider mountain climbing their sport of choice, the expedition also has other features to put it on the top of your list of adventures. Listing out a few of its highlights here based on our experience of these minimally explored mountains.

Highlight 1: A rocky start gets you to a rocky planet

These peaks are one of those gems which were made more accessible after the inaugural of Atal Tunnel for they rest in the Lahaul region of Himachal Pradesh which was very hard to reach and hence had remained unexplored for the longest time. For how remote it is and because of the ecology of the region, the beauty of Lahaul is one of its kind which you notice as soon as you come out on the other side of the tunnel - the difference is so stark, it's unmissable! The landscape and its beauty is the very definition of raw which extends to the peaks in the region.

However, to get here is not the smoothest of rides, still. The roads that get you to Batal, which is the trailhead for the expedition, are said to be one of the riskiest roads to drive on. The roads from Gramphu, which is the halfway mark to Batal, get tricky as you get onto smaller, kachcha roads which go towards Spiti. It is all rocks, boulders and dust from here on – the ultimate off-road experience with crazy nallas along the way which the drivers in the region cross with some superhero-level confidence. If you can get yourself to keep your eyes open and look out the window though, it is a beautiful drive.

If you were hoping for green meadows and beautiful alpine trees at the end of this rocky ride, however, you’re putting yourself up for disappointment. At the end of this rocky road is an ocean of rocks and boulders with the land full of rocks and all the slopes surrounding you made of endless moraines, huge boulders and loose rocks – the region is covered in more rocks than the number of times the word rock features in this sentence – they are endless – they are everywhere. It is a beauty of a different kind – the one that takes time to get used to but once you do, you fall for it really hard because, well, ‘it’s different!’

Highlight 2: The Refreshing Bits

It is not all stone and dust though - the trail does have colours other than brown on some bits along the path, enough to revive your internal system which is probably feeling all dry right down to the bone because of the dry climate of the region. On day 4 when we go towards the base camp, the path is alongside the murky Chandra river for the most part. Its rigour and flow have an energy that is contagious.

Check out - Photo Story of CB13 and CB14

The trail also takes you through vast open sections with wild horses curiously watching you go by with mountains in your peripheral vision in all directions and valleys which are green and full of yellow flowers. Although not plenty, these patches of green are sure a welcome change of landscape. Although mostly dry, the landscape is kind enough to give you breathers in the form of these patches of land so you don’t miss out on any of the elements of nature on your expedition.

Highlight 3: Speaking of the Elements!

If you were worried that its rocky terrain lacks texture and variance, we’d like to tell you that the fear is unfounded. What the area may lack in the general meaning of the term ‘beauty’, it makes up for by introducing you to the extremes of the 5 basic elements of nature. Intense heat, fervent winds, a manic river and unannounced rains, plenty of vast spaces as you walk on the seemingly unending Dhaka glacier – this expedition is your lesson into the existence and force of all the elements of nature (and a training ground for how to deal with each of them).

Highlight 4: The Introduction to CB13 and CB14

As elusive as they are and as shy, the mountains don’t present themselves to you till day 7 when you reach the Advanced Base Camp. For the wait and for their magnanimity, when they do decide to reveal themselves, it is a grand entry for sure – they are absolute stars for their gradual building of curiosity and the eventually dramatic reveal! On first sight, their unnerving and steep slopes seem unwelcoming and unclimbable but they aren’t either one of those things – you only need to adapt your eyes to their daunting structure.

It gets even better when the first ray of the sun hits CB13. Believe you me, it is glorious to wake up and catch the light making its way to the large block of ice on the top of CB13 – the sight is absolutely spellbinding. The first light on CB 13 rolls down the white of the mountain like thick honey, radiates through the valley and brings the whole place alive. The monotone of the 50 shades of brown rocks suddenly vibrate from the heat of the sun and shimmer all shades of golden and white from the growing light of the sun. In addition to this, the sunsets and the sunrises at the altitude are obviously unbelievable.

Highlight 5: An Off Beat Expedition

For their peculiar terrain, previously hard-to-reach location and their technically challenging as well as precarious climb, CB13 and CB14 do not see too many climbers up their slopes, reserving all the mighty sights, and the breathtaking 360° view, just for you. For they are housed in a silent valley, the solitary nature of the climb definitely adds to the charm of these peaks. In the absence of well-defined trails due to their rocky terrain, climbing these peaks is literally like making your own footsteps on a mighty mountain - it is a feeling unparalleled.

Highlight 6: A Perfect Playground

From our experience, we can say that these 6000M peaks which lie across the Dhaka glacier and offer magnificent views of Kunzum Range, Chandratal and the gushing Chandra river from their summits, are quite the firecrackers for their height.

The mixed terrain of these mountains, alternating between patches of ice and rock on near vertical slopes is every climber’s nightmare and every climber’s joy. For these mountains call for sound ice climbing skills as well as rock climbing skills, it is a perfect playground for those who want to practice all their abilities as a mountaineer in one single expedition. The terrain provides for the most perfect training ground as well as a self-assessment tool for those who find themselves drawn to adventure sports – especially the big mountains. It is the perfect expedition for you to hone your existing skills and learn some new ones.

Highlight 7: Dual Summit, Newer Skills

Sometimes the biggest challenges of an expedition are also its biggest highlights – and this is one of them. Dual climbs are a complex math problem but are perfect for someone who wants to take it up a notch, stretch themselves and also test one’s limits. While it is challenging, it is also extremely rewarding and a step forward in your mountaineering journey. A dual climb is a great test of endurance and stamina, it also adds an additional skill to your bag of skills as a mountaineer as dual climbs call for some change in strategy for managing energy reserves. Since most climbing expeditions are a single summit push, we are used to save up for and expend all our energy on the one summit day, when it is okay to come back completely spent, with only enough reserves left to make a safe climb down.

However, dual climbs require a well thought-out and better calculated plan for a successful ascent up both the mountains.

It is commonly believed that double climbs require double the energy but that is hardly the case – what is required however, is a better management of energy and not a super power to somehow force a higher production of a limited resource! Energy management is a skill that could come in handy when you advance towards higher climbs.

Highlight 8: Climbing CB13 and CB14 Does Not Change You

It, in fact, brings out the best version of you.

We love expeditions because they make transparent every climber's character - the difficulty of the task introduces you to a different version of yourself and how you handle that is the true test you put yourself through. Getting to the summit is only a part of the challenge - to measure your own self in the face of something extreme is the actual challenge the mountain throws at you!

It takes immense strength of character to navigate the extremely treacherous landscape of CB13 and CB14. On these newer heights, you get acquainted with new challenges and newer versions of yourself, the changes in personality becoming more evident with each new altitude you hit on the mountain. The long stretches of rocks and moraine, the continuous sound of rockfall from all directions and sleeping on uneven land with pointy rocks poking into you are hard conditions to live in. Under such conditions, patience to wait out the bad weather, increased tolerance for differences, adapting to changing situations with a calm head and learning the magic of team work are some of the gifts the mountain gives to you in addition to the technical skills you gain in the process of the climb, of course.

Check out - CB13 and CB14 - Who is this expedition meant for

Highlight 9: The Dark History of CB13

Other than its terrain, its placement along the Dhaka glacier and all the challenges the mountain throws at you which make it a sought after peak by climbers, CB13 is a mountain full of stories which holds the ghosts from its past in plain sight. On the stretch between the Advanced Base Camp to the Summit Camp, there lies a pile of airplane wreckage believed to be from the Army aircraft which went missing in 1968 while on its way to Leh. There have been multiple expeditions, the recent ones as recent as 2019, to retrieve parts of the aircraft and missing persons from the crash.

Highlight 10: Sense of Accomplishment and Bragging Rights

If you are on this page, reading this article, we don’t need to tell you that the success rate of CB13 and CB14 is not as high as some of the other peaks in the Himalayas. In addition to that, as the mountains change face every year for the receding glacier exposing more of the crumbling rock underneath, they are only getting harder to climb. Their long stretches of boulder sections continue all the way to the top calling for some serious rock climbing skills on the patches of rocks chest-high which run vertical and tall.

For its dry and cold climate, unpredictable weather, pretty insane terrain and the nature of the climb, it is not an overstatement to say that this is a difficult endeavor. Yielding all physical comfort and pushing your mental and emotional selves to this level of extreme, by the end of it, is extremely gratifying and automatically brings with it some major bragging rights!

We haven’t even touched the surface of how unbelievable this climb is. However we do hope that these are enough to instigate a want in you to climb these magnificent peaks and when you do, we hope to hear what some of the highlights of this expedition were for you!

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