Panchachuli
The Panchachuli (पंचाचुली) peaks are a group of five snow-capped Himalayan peaks lying at the end of the eastern Kumaon region, near the Dugtu village in Darma valley. The peaks have altitudes ranging from 6,334 metres (20,781 ft) to 6,904 metres (22,651 ft). They form the watershed between the Gori and the Darmaganga valleys. Panchachuli is also located on the Gori Ganga-Lassar Yankti divide. The group lies 138 km (86 mi) from Pithoragarh. The first ascent of this range (Panchchuli 1) was done by an Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) team in 1972, via the Uttari Balati glacier, led by Major Hukam Singh.
| Panchchuli | |
|---|---|
Panchchuli from Chaukori | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 6,904 m (22,651 ft) |
| Prominence | 1,614 m (5,295 ft) |
| Listing | Ultra |
| Coordinates | 30°12′51″N 80°25′39″E |
| Geography | |
| Parent range | Kumaon Himalaya |
| Climbing | |
| First ascent | 1973 by an Indo-Tibetan Border Police expedition, led by Mahendra Singh – Panchchuli-2 (6,904 m) |
The five peaks on the Panchchuli massif are numbered from northwest to southeast. The highest peak is Panchchuli II, which was first scaled by an Indo-Tibetan Border Police expedition, led by Mahendra Singh, on 26 May 1973. One theory of the group's name is derived from the legendary Pandavas's "Five Chulis" (cooking hearths).