Himalayan heights scaled by Perse Summit 12 adventurers
Thirty-nine Lower Sixth students enjoyed a thrilling 16-day PES Summit 12 expedition to the Himalayas this summer.
Arriving in Delhi to begin their adventure, the group found themselves with an extra 48 hours to wander around the Indian capital due to a flight cancellation as they explored the sights and sounds and learned about the contributions the country has made to the arts and sciences.
Without further delay, the group took a short flight north to Leh in central Ladakh, ensconced within the Himalayas.
On disembarking the plane, pupils experienced more pleasant climatic conditions after the heat and humidity of Delhi. However, the immediate sensation was one of breathlessness as they moved around collecting their baggage at 3,500m above sea level.
After settling into accommodation and resting, the expedition group began preparations for travel deeper into the mountains. Students settled into their hygiene routines, with pupil medical officers ensuring strict hand washing protocols, water purification and daily symptom checks. They also undertook acclimatisation walks to local monasteries and palaces while packing up mountaineering equipment and sizing crampon-compatible boots.
Now prepared for the journey ahead, the group set off by bus over the Khardung La pass, reaching a high of 5,340m above sea level. Stopping only briefly to take in the view and the even lower oxygen concentration, the group descended to the Hundar Valley to visit Diskit Monastery with its vast golden Buddha. This was followed by a brief camel trek in the world’s highest naturally formed sand dunes. That evening the group arrived at its first campsite, finally settling into the steady acclimatisation trek that would eventually allow the group to summit the 5,900m Samgyal peak.
The following days saw the expedition group gradually increase in sleeping altitude, camping on the valley floor and ascending to greater altitudes during the day. The terrain was unforgiving, dry and there were several precarious river crossings to complete. The geology also presented some significant hazards in the form of flash flooding and rock fall. The expedition group worked brilliantly with our in-country support team to navigate these hazards carefully to arrive at base camp 4,500m above sea level.
At this stage the expedition party split with some pupils ascending to high camp and the remainder resting in base camp. The final push to the summit from high camp took in 5km horizontal distance and 700m of ascent across broken moraine fields, a glacier and many crevasses.
Roped in small parties with guides, the group worked slowly by head torch to navigate the hazards and ascend to the ridge leading to the summit. At this point, the group was faced with a large semi-vertical ice wall with a crevasse at its base. Careful discussion, problem-solving and the implementation of ice screw anchors allowed the group to safely cross this technical terrain feature before ascending the final angled ice slope to the summit. As the sun rose, each summit group was treated to wonderful views out over the Himalayas. In descent, the pupils had great fun abseiling down the ice wall they had previously ascended, finding it much easier in reverse!
An astonishing 35 of 39 pupils reached the summit, with two staff members completing the summit twice. The group reunited in base camp before taking the long journey back to Leh, where pupils and staff alike enjoyed a generous meal.
Perse Director of Outdoor Education Ben Parker said: “The expedition was a great success and pupils demonstrated great flexibility, good humour and resilience throughout.