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OBJECTIVES
Our alpine objective is a first ascent of Takpa Shiri an unclimbed 21,833-foot peak in the Arunachal Pradesh area of India
near the border of China. We will approach the peak from the southeast. Arunachal Pradesh is home to dozens of unclimbed 20,000-foot
mountains. The reason for so many unclimbed peaks is twofold. First, the area has only recently been opened to foreign mountaineering.
Second, the extremely wet climate and impenetrable vegetation makes it almost impossible just to get to the base of the peaks.
Our second objective is to help develop eco-tourism in the recently established First Biosphere Reserve in India, the
World Peace Park.
EXPEDITION TEAM
David Anderson
Andrew Tyson
Molly Loomis
Ant Chapin
HISTORY
The mountainous region of Arunachal Pradesh has rich history. The British first carved a trail through the dense jungle
on their way to Tibet. The people who call these steep valleys home, developed in isolation from the outside world and even
from tribes two valleys away. They speak their own languages, were once fierce warriors and headhunters and the British let
them do whatever they wanted up in the mountains. In 1939, the globetrotting explorer Bill Tilman came to this area is hopes
of climbing virgin peaks. He never even saw any of the peaks he came to climb and barely escaped with his life after catching
malaria. In 1959 the Dali Lama used the old British trail through Arunachal Pradesh to make his escape from the Chinese.
The Chinese later invaded Arunachal Pradesh causing great hostilities between the two countries. In fact, the boundary line
between India and China is still disputed to this day. Not more than a handful of expeditions have braved the horrendous approaches
and piles of governmental red tape and fewer still have stood on the summit of any peaks. In 1999 famed mountaineers Doug
Scott and Greg Child made the first and only attempt on Takpa Shiri. Due to an extremely wet year, even for Arunachal Pradesh,
they barely saw the peak and left the mountains hobbling from illness, injury and ridiculous regulations they endured just
on the approach to base camp.
While the jungles of Arunachal Pradesh are just as intense as they were 100 years ago, what has changed is the government's
view of foreigners traveling in this part of India, making permits and access somewhat easier. In addition, new roads and
other transportation services such helicopters have sped up the approaches, but the leaches, impenetrable jungle is still
their waiting.
SPONSORSHIP
2005 Shipton Tilman Grant
FINAL THOUGHTS
I think Bill Tilman said it best in his "When Men and Mountains Meet", a section of The Seven Mountain-Travel
Books,"It will be seen that the mountains of Assam Himalaya are not easy to reach, nor is any place that is worth reaching."
He went on the describe worthwhile places as,"Country which is more or less unknown, sparsely or not at all inhabited,
inhospitable, difficult to move in and of course, mountainous. I admit that there are many parts of the Himalaya which do
not fulfill all of these exacting conditions, but there the magnificence of the mountains covers any deficiencies and still
leaves a credit balance."
We will attempt the route alpine style with no fix ropes or high altitude porters. We will also trying to make this a
joint foreign/Indian expedition. Krishna Kutty of Bombay, India an experienced climber and IMF member is helping us with these
details.
Greg Child sated, "There are few ranges in the world that climbers can point to and say all these peaks are unclimbed."
The mountains of Arunachal Pradesh are such a range and we simply want to visit and hopefully stand on one of its summits.
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