Pithoragarh:Uttarakhand, a state in the northern part of India, is often referred to as "Devbhoomi" or Land of Gods due to many holy Hindu temples and pilgrimage centres. The state is also famous for its natural beauty of the Himalayas. One of these natural wonders is the Panchachuli mountain range located in the Darma valley of Pithoragarh district, which is a group of five mountain peaks. It is also known as Panchashira in religious texts.
The local people also address this range as "Pandav Peak" as they believe that these five ranges symbolise Pandavas -- Yudhishthira, Arjuna, Bhima, Nakula and Sahadeva. In order to visit Panchachuli, it is a journey of 170 km from Naini-Saini airstrip of Pithoragarh district and vehicular access is available to reach Dugtu, the migration village of Darma valley.
ETV Bharat team reached Panchachuli
ETV Bharat team reached the trekking base camp located at an altitude of 12,000 feet after walking 4 km from Duggtu village where igloo houses have been built for tourists by Kumaon Mandal Vikas Nigam (KMVN). All arrangements have been made here for the accommodation of 30 tourists at a time. After travelling 6 km from Panchachuli trekking base camp, ETV Bharat's team reached Panchachuli Ground Zero, situated at an altitude of 13,000 feet.
Ascent of Panchachuli mountain range
The first ascent of this range, Panchchuli 1, was done by Indo-Tibet Border Police (ITBP) team in 1972, via Uttari Balati glacier, led by Hukam Singh. The highest peak is Panchchuli-2, which was first scaled by an ITBP expedition, led by Mahendra Singh, on 26 May 1973. Panchchuli-3 has not been scaled yet, although there have been a few expeditions and attempts. The first ascent of Panchachuli-4 was made in 1995 by a New Zealand expedition led by John Nankervi whereas the first ascent of Panchachuli-5 was made in 1992 by an Indo-British team jointly led by Chris Bonington and Harish Kapadia.
Tourists throng Panchachuli every year
Nestled in the lap of Darma Valley near the borders of China and Nepal, the Panchachuli glacier is an area of amazing natural beauty. According to reports, tourists throng here every year to see the beauty of this place. After the road connectivity to Darma Valley, there was an unexpected increase in the number of tourists and trekkers, but due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the movement of tourists here has seen a downfall in the last two years, the report said.
The Darma Valley remains covered with snow for 5 months in winter. During this period, the people of the Valley move to the low-lying areas with their livestock. Even soldiers posted on the border also come back from the posts due to heavy snowfall in the Valley during winters, the possibility of avalanches also looms large during this period. Panchachuli, being a tourist place, is nothing less than a boon for the local people as they get the opportunity of seasonal employment every year. It can be one of the top tourist destinations in the country if the state government develops the infrastructure here and promotes the place.
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