Chaukhamba

Chaukhamba is a mountain massif in the Gangotri Group of the Garhwal Himalaya. Its main summit, Chaukhamba I, is the highest peak in the group. It lies at the head of the Gangotri Glacier and forms the eastern anchor of the group.^[5] It is located in the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand, west of the Hindu holy town of Badrinath.

Chaukhamba I
Chaukhamba peak as seen from Deoria Tal/Lake near Chandrashila peak
Highest point
Elevation	7,138 m (23,419 ft)[1]
Prominence	1,594 m (5,230 ft)[2]
Listing	Ultra
Coordinates	30°44′59″N 79°17′28″E[3]
Geography
Chaukhamba India
Location	Uttarakhand, India
Parent range	Gangotri Group, Garhwal Himalaya
Climbing
First ascent	13 June 1952, by Lucien George and Victor Russenberger[3][4]

Chaukhamba has four summits, along a northeast–southwest trending ridge, and ranging in elevation from 7,138 metres (23,419 ft) to 6,854 m (22,487 ft) with an average elevation 7,014 m;^[3] the main summit is at the northeast end.

Chaukamba I	7,138 m (23,419 ft)
Chaukamba II	7,070 m (23,196 ft)
Chaukamba III	6,995 m (22,949 ft)
Chaukamba IV	6,854 m (22,487 ft)

After unsuccessful attempts in 1938 and 1939, Chaukhamba I was first climbed on 13 June 1952, by Lucien George and Victor Russenberger (Swiss members of an otherwise French expedition). They ascended the northeast face, from the Bhagirathi-Kharak Glacier.^[4] Other members of the expedition were the French alpinist and traveler Marie-Louise Plovier Chapelle and the renowned French alpinist and climber Edouard Frendo.

Chaukhamba I is an ultra-prominent peak, with a prominence of more than 1,500m. Mana Pass is the key col for Chaukhamba I.

• 
  Mt Mandani and Chaukhamba with reflection on semi frozen lake at Boodha Madhyamaheshwar
• 
  Chaukhamba Massif from Bedni Bugyal
• 
  Chaukhamba View From Kartik Swami Temple Rudraprayag

Photo gallery

• 
  Chaukhamba from Tungnath
• 
  Chaukhamba from Tungnath shortly after sunrise
• 
• 
  Moonlit Chaukhamba from the Kartikswamy temple
• 

See also

• List of mountain peaks of Uttarakhand

References

1. IMF Archived 11 October 2008 at the Wayback Machine
2. "High Asia I: The Karakoram, Pakistan Himalaya and India Himalaya (north of Nepal)". Peaklist.org. Retrieved 28 May 2014.
3. Himalayan Index
4. "Garwahl Himalayas, Chaukhamba". American Alpine Journal. 8 (3). American Alpine Club: 581–582. 1953. Retrieved 11 January 2025.
5. Fanshawe, Andy; Venables, Stephen (1995). Himalaya Alpine-Style. Hodder and Stoughton. p. 106. ISBN 0-340-64931-3.

External links

• Archived 2008-10-11 at the Wayback Machine
• View of Chaukhamba peak during the Chopta/Chandrashila trek at the Wayback Machine (archived 2011-08-23)