MONAL (Cave on Mount)
30.500000,79.916700
Description
A »cavern full of ice« (MUMM, A L 1909: 108-109 edited 2010: 51 after GRAHAM 1885) was found to contain a »true subterranean glacier« (William Woodman Graham in "Good Words" (note 1) after Emil Boss 1883 edited by MacLeod 1885). SITUATION: At an unidentified location somewhere in the valley of the Rishi Ganga (note 2), where the »mouth« (cave entrance) is said to have been seen »some 4000 feet above us« (note 3) on the way ascending to »… a very noble peak, nameless unfortunately, and only known by a number (A 21), as if it were a convict [note 4]. The peak is south-east of Dunagiri [note 5], and is of a very curious shape, but one fairly common in the Himalayas. It is built just like a wedge with a level top, perhaps a quarter of a mile long, whilst the eastern and western sides are slopes of 60 to 70 and of course utterly inaccessible. During the ascent to our sleeping-place [note 6], some 18,000 feet above the sea, we put up a great many of the beautiful snow-pheasant [note 7] called 'monal' in India, and Impeyan pheasant in England; so many were there that we called our peak Mount Monal« (GRAHAM 1885 in MUMM 1909: 107-108 edited 2010: 51).
NOTE 1: I have not seen the writings of »Mr. W. W. Graham, with Emil Boss and Ulrich Kaufmann« (MUMM 1909: 27 edited 2010: 19) who »… wrote a very short paper in the Alpine Journal, which appeared in August 1884; and a much fuller narrative in Good Words (January, February and March 1885). My quotations, except where the contrary is stated, are from the latter« (MUMM 1909: 103 edited 2010: 49), i.e. GRAHAM, W W [William Woodman] (1885 edited by MacLEOD, D): Up the Himalayas.- Good Words (London: Isbister and Company) 18-23 (January 1985), 97-105 (February 1885), 172-178 (March 1885). NOTE 2: The Rishi Ganga rises in the north-west of Nanda Devi (N30°23': E079°59': 7817 m) from the glacier snout of the Uttar Rishi Gal (N30°26': E079°56') and joins near N30°28°: E079°41' and about 15 km in a direct line approximately south-east from Joshimath (N30°34': E079°34') the orographically left (locally south-eastern) bank of the Dhauliganga (Dhaliganga, Dhauli Ganga). NOTE 3: »4000 feet [1219 m] must be a misprint for 1000 [305 m] or 400 feet [122 m], probably the latter« (MUMM 1909: 109 edited 2010: 51). NOTE 4: Tom G. Longstaff is said to have identified »Mount Monal« (Graham 1885) or »peak A 21« with the »Changabang« (MUMM 1909: 90 edited 2010: 44). NOTE 5: Mount Dunagiri (peak) N30°31': E079°52' (nima.mil/geonames accessed 16.11.2003) is indicated as »7066 Dunagiri« in the India Road Atlas (Eicher Goodearth 2006) map 12 C1. NOTE 6: »Unfortunately, no other details are given with regard to this day's journey, and there is no clue to the position of the sleeping-place, on which everything hinges. Neither can one say how he arrived at his estimate of its height. I imagine it to have been the result of a calculation based on the height of the peak he climbed from it, which he assumed to be 22,516 feet. It will be remembered that he greatly overrated the height of Darashi« (MUMM 1909: 108 edited 2010: 51). NOTE 7: »Snow Pheasant« (MUMM 1909: 108) or Himalayan Monal, zoologically Lophophorus impejanus Temminck 1813: »The Himalayan Monal, Lophophorus impejanus also known as the Impeyan Monal or Impeyan Pheasant or Danphe is a bird of genus Lophophorus of the pheasant family, Phasianidae. It is the national bird of Nepal, where it is known as the Danfe, and the state bird of Uttarakhand. The scientific name commemorates Lady Mary Impey, the wife of the British chief justice of Bengal, Sir Elijah Impey« (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Himalayan_Monal accessed 2011.09.12). In circa 1818 (±3) James Dowling Herbert got likewise excited after having descended from the »the Pass of Chount Kagulla« down to »the head of the glen in which is situated the village of Meemooa, presents some very romantic scenery. Immense precipices are formed of the columnar masses of gneiss, which here and there stand out from the general rock, and raise their gigantic heights for above the green knolls and patches of debris, enamelled with a thousand flowers that fill up the bottom of the glen. The crests of the surrounding ridges in which the gneiss is gradually lost being concealed by the luxuriant vegetation, are again crowned with noble forests, in which the yew, the horse chesnut, the oak, pine, and sycamore are all conspicuous. At every step the traveller disturbs the Moonal, (Phasianus Impejanus) which with its shrill disagreeable cry forms the only interruption to the silenoe and solitude of the scene. It was a beautiful morning in May when I ascended it. The thermometer was only 50° [10°C], while in many of the secluded nooks, the springs were frozen. It is in scenes like these, and in such temperatures, that the explorer finds some recompense for the heat, and toil, and dust of less favored situations« (HERBERT, J D 1842: lix). NOTE 8: William Woodman Graham »was the first person that we know of to climb in the Himalayas for the purpose of pleasure. He travelled into the Kumaon district in 1883, including an attempt on Nanda Devi. He made a second trip that same year into Sikkim, to the area around "Kangchinjanga" (sic!), including an assault on Kabru, which he claims to have summitted. Some of his claims are not taken seriously today, but nevertheless, his accounts helped seed the development of climbing in the region« (billbuxton.com/dramatis.html 2003.01.15 accessed 28.05.2004).
History
EXPLORATION HISTORY: 1883: William Woodman Graham (note 8), »Emil Boss and Ulrich Kaufmann« (MUMM 1909: 27 edited 2010: 19), who were guided by »a shikari called Bhop Chand« (MUMM 1909: 63-64 edited 2010: 33-34), intended to spend a night in »a cavern« which »Boss entered to explore« and discovered »a true subterranean glacier« whereupon the mountaineers preferred »… to lie down outside in their sleeping-bags« (MUMM 1909: 108-109 edited 2010: 51 after GRAHAM 1885).
Caves nearby
| Distance (km) | Name | Length (m) | Depth (m) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12.2 | TAMAK or SBAYA 1 (Cave near) | ||
| 12.8 | TAMAK or SBAYA 2 (Cave near) | ||
| 20.4 | MALARI (Nautiyal 1985) (Cave at) | ||
| 20.4 | MALARI (Bhatt 2001) (Cave at) | ||
| 20.5 | MILAM GLACIER CAVE | ||
| 24.0 | DHUNGA (Caves at) | ||
| 24.5 | NARSAN PATTI ROCKSHELTER | ||
| 28.7 | NANDA DEVI GUPHA, Pindar Valley | ||
| 29.1 | SILLA SAMUDHYAR |