Swargarohini | |
---|---|
Highest point | |
Elevation | 6,252 m (20,512 ft)[1] |
Coordinates | 31°05′04″N 78°30′58″E / 31.08444°N 78.51611°E[1] |
Geography | |
Parent range | Garhwal Himalaya |
Climbing | |
First ascent | 1990 by a team from the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering |
Easiest route | technical rock/snow/ice climb |
Swargarohini (IAST: svargārohiṇī) is a mountain massif in the Saraswati (Bandarpunch) Range of the Garhwal Himalaya. It lies in the Uttarkashi District of the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand, west of the Gangotri group of peaks. It comprises four separate peaks, the main peak Swargarohini I is the subject of this article.
Swargarohini I, while not particularly high by Himalayan standards and not the highest in the Bandarpunch range, it is notable for its dramatic local relief. Since its north face drops 2,000 metres (6,560 ft) in less than 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) of horizontal distance, and its south face achieves the same drop in less than 3 kilometres (1.9 mi), the climb is steep and challenging. Swargarohini I has two summits, east and west. The Swargarohini I West is slightly higher than the Swargarohini I East summit, the later has an elevation of 6,247 m (20,495 ft). However, the first ascensionists of the Swargarohini I West peak claim that that summit is the higher of the two.[2]
This snow-clad peak is the source of the Tons River and along with the Bandarpunch massif it acts as a watershed between the Yamuna and the Bhagirathi Rivers.