Lingana climbing in moonlight - 25/26 December 2015

About Lingana

Lingana is a stand-alone and not easily accessible pinnacle (belaag sulka) in the vicinity of Raigad & Torna. It pretty much stands on the border of Pune & Raigad districts. Shivaji Maharaj used this fort aptly to lock down political prisoners. More later. After Maratha power centres split between Pune, Kolhapur & Satara, Lingana was neglected. The Brits blasted off the steps so that it is not "misused". In the 1970’s a Mumbai based group summited it after it remained unclimbed for more than a century. Since then, it has been summited many times including laypeople like me. Winter is the only season when it is relatively easy to summit. 

The Explorers

Our group leader Anand Kenjale & The Explorers team (Sunil, Santosh and Yugandhar) have been doing this since 2007. There is no disclaimer for this write up but rather a credit statement that whatever you read below was possible only because of The Explorers. The fact that they passionately supported our request of night climbing with a view of offering us a once-in-a-lifetime experience though it called for additional hard work for them. All 4 of them were operating with clinical precision. Not even once we felt as if we are doing something great. They made it so easy for us. There was no compromise on equipment quality and quantity. Each one had his complete set. No sharing. The food - both at Mohari, the packed lunch was super. The tea prepared in the cave was heavenly. And lastly, they were so confident that they simply let us be us. Not even once unless asked were there unnecessary instructions as to "take that hold", "move to your left" etc. No spoon feeding. 

Objective

I got introduced to climbing only recently and I was looking forward to this trek as a practice session to sharpen the newly acquired knowledge (I won't say skills yet). And Lingana offered plenty of it. Various accounts state Lingana climbing portion to be ranging from 650 to 1,000 feet.

Our route marked on the original photo by Pranjal Wagh. http://www.rational-mind.com/लिंगाणा-एक-स्वप्नपूर्ती-2/

Moonlight Climb  - Red arrows upto the cave

Sunlight Climb - Blue arrows.

Moonlighting

We were a group of 7 participants, 4 without any rock-climbing/rappelling experience and 3 who had only preliminary experience. The 4 Explorers mentioned above were of course trained and seasoned climbers. Anand and the 6 of us started from Pune at 3 pm on 25th for Mohari. Sunil, Santosh & Yugandhar had gone in the morning itself to tie-up the route. As per the itinerary, the trek starts at 3 am. While in the car, a small keeda bit one of us. Today being a full-moon night, can we do night climbing? It quickly caught the imagination of all of us.

After reaching Mohari, we watched the sun set and the mountain winds ignited that small spark into full blown fire. Yes. It will be thrilling to climb in moonlight. Anand & the explorers had climbed in the night earlier but with novices like me it was their first time. Anand did a quick recci to check if we are really ready to do it? Equipment (torches) and mainly the will-power. It could be intimidating. You could feel sleepy etc etc. We all were more than willing to go. He then ascertained the direction of moon. It should be such that it lights up the climbing path. Check. It did. He then called Sunil to tell that we want to do this “chavat-pana” or mischief (sorry there is no real equivalent english word) of climbing in the night and whether it is manageable windy to climb. Sunil was a little cautious. He told Anand to check with him before starting. If the wind condition further worsens, better to stick to the itinerary. In Mohari itself the wind current was very strong. Anand asked us finally again that multiply these windy conditions with 10 to figure out how windy it would while climbing. YES. We are ready. Ignorance is bliss.

 Moonrise at Mohari

Our Group waiting for dinner at Mohari

After a delicious dinner of nachanichi bhakri, very well made spicy vegetable curry, green chilli thecha, kadhi and rice, at 730 or so, we were already packing up. Equipment - seat harness, helmet, carabiners, mitten’s, descender and tape sling were distributed to each one of us. Anand quickly demonstrated how to go about using this while climbing and rappelling. Extra stuff was kept in the car. Each one was supposed to ideally carry 2 l of water + packed lunch for tomorrow + warm clothing + sleeping bag + equipment. A small problem arose. The villager who escorts groups till the traverse flatly refused to do this “chavat-pana”. He couldn't come back all alone. So after a little back n forth, Anand managed to coax one companion for him with an additional compromise that they need not come till the traverse and we were set. While Anand knew the route very well, both ends of the group needs to be covered. Especially in the night.  

Boratyachi Naal & the Traverse

So at 9~930, here we were walking towards Boratyachi Naal, the narrow gorge that makes up first part of the trek. The moonlight was so bright, we used our torches only when required. After about 45 minutes of walk on a plateau we were at the mouth of the gorge. The 2 villagers bid us good bye here. 25th was recorded as the coldest day so far of the season in Pune at 6.6 degree celcius. It is usually slightly cooler in the mountains, but the woollens were now troubling us. I got rid of my jacket and replaced the woollen cap with the helmet to protect from loose falling rocks. We started descending the Naal with Anand leading us. This route is made up of boulders of all sizes and the slope is of a decent gradient. 

We reached the traverse which is bolted and roped. Far up in the dark in a random direction of Lingana, I saw some lights flashing at me. I responded with same signal. That was our team of 3 experts sitting in the cave. All of us tied our tape slings at this point and started traversing towards Lingana. We had to self-anchor at a couple of patches but the rest of it was a good trail. I landed hard on my bum once mistaking a loose dry grass spot for solid ground. There is little scree just before you reach the pass at base of the rock-patch. We whistled and flashed lights towards the cave to signal our arrival. We cannot start climbing unless the belayers are in their respective positions. After some time we noticed 3 lights appear up in the dark. 2 started descending. It was an unique sight.     

The climbing begins

Didn't check the time. So overwhelmed. But it must be around mid-night. All of us got ready by tying up our harnesses. Mittens and the descenders were not required now. Anand checked whether everyone is properly fastened. I was asked to be the dispatching man. That means, I will be the last guy to climb which I don't really like to be. So, I walked up to the dangling belay rope, shifted the self-anchor from the line to a piton. My job was to attach the belay rope to the carabiner of the climber, tell the climber to pull the fixed rope and not the belay rope, unfasten the climbers self-anchor and launch the climber by signalling the belayer. I started climbing after shouting “CLIMBING!” for the 6th time. It was windy. The bag was weighing me down. After a couple of steps, I kind of froze not able to move. Anand, who was to climb after me, shouted telling me not to linger on one place till it becomes impossible to push. With this prod, my inertia broke and I started pulling myself well. Quickly reached Sunil, the belayman. We had come just slightly above the quieter tight pass below, but the wind current had gone up exponentially. I had to shout while speaking to Sunil with whom I was shaking my hands with. It was dark, so I could not even see his face clearly. Unique atmosphere to get introduced to a stranger. There were 2 more such introductions left.

Sunil self-anchored me to a rope till we reached a place where the second top-rope was placed. Now I was waiting as the other 5 were going up one by one. By the time we came up the second top-rope, the wind was much stronger. Our noses started running though we were sweating from the efforts of the climb. Santosh was our second belayer.

Climbing in the moonlight was easy. Thanks to our experts. The whole fort looks amazing lit up in white natural light. But far away, you don’t get to see the panorama. No pictures. Sorry.

Again after a brief self-anchored climb, reached the 3rd and the last top-rope for the day. After a painful wait in horrible wind, where we could not even keep our eyes open to protect from the dust partciles, I finally attached myself to the belay and went up to be received by Yugandhar. It was terribly dark. I saw all 5 of them crouching in a small pit partially encircled by a natural short wall. After I came off the belay and stood unanchored, I felt I will be blown away into the valley. Like how you find your way to protection in a storm or a blizzard, I walked those 5-6 steps like a drunkard towards that pit where all of them were sitting. If this is the cave, these people were talking of, I am going back now. But how? The nose was now running like a river. Standing there at edge of the pit, I felt that in another 5 minutes, all my internal organs - the intestines, lung, heart etc will get sucked out of my mouth by the wind. I have been in such strong winds but it was for 2 minutes at the most. Here we were waiting for the leaders to tie up the rope that will take us to the cave for more than 10 minutes. It is a short traverse with a huge exposure. 

Prisoners cell err The Cave 

Once inside, all our hopes of a quieter night dashed. There was no respite from the wind even inside the cave. This cave was chiseled out during Shivaji Maharaj’s days. It is cubical in shape with the front open to a huge valley. It is about 12x12x12 feet in dimension. It is apparently here where the prisoners were kept. 

It was 2 am. We quickly managed to pull out our beddings in the dark. I would have loved to relieve the pressure off my bladder but the thought of doing it self-anchored in stormy conditions was a put-off. I was sleeping on the extreme end near the inside wall warned to keep some distance for mice curious to see what food you all are carrying. So all the equipment and bags were tied to hooks using carabiners. One hour into the (so called) sleep, Rishikesh, the man sleeping at the other extreme at the open end, got up complaining that his bed sheet is torn off. He was sleeping with his boots on and wind was so wild, probably it cut it off where his boots had pinned it down. We exchanged places. Anand initiated a riot of laughter saying “Who wanted to climb in the night? Hope you got it?”. I was now at the mouth of the cave. And now the wind started playing the same games with me. It wanted to tear off my sleeping bag now which was fluttering like the jari-patka. It was unbearably cold. First, I got inside the sleeping bag and wrapped myself tight including the head. No use. Got up. Walked across the cave to my bag. Wore my jacket. Again, zippered myself inside the sleeping bag. No use. Got up. Walked across the cave to my bag. Got my monkey cap and picked up my socks. Still no use, but there was noting left to wear. Lied down in one position so that the sleeping bag remains tightly wrapped around me. I have camped at sub-zero temperatures but never had felt so cold. There is always a point in every trek where you feel why the heck did I come. This was it. Getting thrashed by wind - your body feels literally getting thrashed - for more than 5 hours now was getting on my nerves. Now you know why this was a prison. And for political prisoners. You can say, you have parked them on a hill-station, they have been provided with food & water. But in reality, they are getting bashed up 24x7 by the wind. Just step out of your room in a bad mood and you are gone.

Climb further up

We got up at a lazy 730. The view outside was amazing. There were tightly spaced mountains creating a configuration of narrow gullies. When the wind blows, it gathers momentum passing thru this maze of tunnels and thus creating a tornado effect. I missed a beat seeing the edge of the valley just outside of the cave and realising that i was sleeping just 5 feet away from it. Brushing teeth was optional, but for the other mandatory chores, Santosh took the first batch 4 of us around the traverse beyond the water cisterns. Surprise. Its not windy here at all. Just a few meters from the cave but on the other side of the Lingana wall. There was a narrow pathway where you can get done with your business un-anchored. The etiquette is to dispose off your waste in the valley using a sheet of newspaper so that the place remains clean for other users. After washing hands with icy cold water and paper-soap, we returned to the cave. A firewood stove was used to prepare tea. Since our plan had changed, we had to do with no breakfast. I had 3 cups of tea with biscuits and some other tid-bits. 

If you are not living on the edge, you are occupying just too much space

We charted the day with a target to return Mohari at 4 pm. Started climbing. There were 4 belay patches today. All of them, bar one, were relatively easy or we had gotten used to top rope climbing. The one that was difficult was a type of chimney where you had to do a little bit of Yoga to go up. Hence the explorers had named it Ramdevbaba patch. This also was the highest top-rope patch at approximately 50 feet or so.

While waiting for others to reach at the ridge saw something that I hadn't seen earlier. So breath-taking that didn't even strike to me to take a snap. The wind current was so strong, I could only equate it to the force and sound of a large waterfall. We could not even stand up steady despite of the anchors. A huge eagle appeared from no where and started gliding graciously. She was completely at ease and seemed to be enjoying the glide. Not for nothing, the eagle is to the skies what a lion is to the forest. The flow lines and shading of her feathers, the muscular body etc was distinctly visible. What made it breath-taking was the fact that she was flying below the level where we were sitting.

Summit

After the belay patches, there is a nice ridge which you walk across, climb again a little and finally reach the summit in about 2 hours from the cave. All the while barring some exceptions, you are either self-anchored or tied to a belay. The Summit gives you a feel of topping a Ladakhi 6,000 m peak minus the snow. The top offers a very good view of the surrounding. You can see the contour of the Jagdishwar temple on Raigad. The mighty Torna is on the other side. The Jaripatka was unfurled. War cries filled the air. After a quick photo session, we started our journey back. 

Rappeling

We had to rappel down on 5 patches. Same route as we came up. First 3 were up to the cave. At the first patch, took a little time to remember the technique and doing it right. Next one was easy. The last one before lunch was 140 feet and it took forever to come down. While rappelling we were encouraged by spectators in the gallery. A group of people were nicely sitting in a row on the Rai-ling plateau and watching us descend one by one.

Had packed lunch. Packed Shrikhand and Chapati. After all were done, we started for the last 2 patches. After the cave, we had to rappel down with our complete baggage plus a coil of rope. The immediate one after lunch was 170 feet. On this patch you don't see the receiving man for the first minute or two. As you start getting nervous, you see him discouragingly far away. On the last patch of 120 feet, though it was not the easiest, the confidence and the speed goes up tremendously to complete it easily. 

Thus far, I have worn a helmet on many occassions but last 2 days was the first time I actually used it. On many occasions, small stones loosened by the climber above landed on my helmet at tremendous speed. And a couple of times while climbing a tight lane, hit my head on the overhanging rock above. Not wearing a helmet can turn out to be fatal.

For the entire trek, we saw (didn't meet) only one another group from the top who had come prepared with rope coils etc but they returned from the base. Probably they were going to Raigad.

Standing on an elephant head

 One of the shorter, easier rappelling patches

Santosh & Yugandhar at the dispatch station of the 170 feet patch

View from base station - Spot the rope

Good bye - Lingana until next year

We started for Boratyachi Naal split in 2 parties. The climb up the gorge is easy and uneventful but tiring. We walked up to Rai-ling plateau to see what we had done in the last 24 hours. This is a must for all summiters. You can see the entire Lingana pinnacle in one frame. From the plateau, it looks impossible to climb. After getting vowed a little by ourselves and a photo session we started walking back to Mohari. The second party also had reached by then. It was a boring walk of 45 minutes wondering did we really walk so much yesterday night?

 On Rai-ling plateau

Bye!!

Bye.. Bye..!!

At Mohari, we freshened up, changed, stuffed our bags in the car. Had similar dinner. Though we were hungry and the food was delicious, couldn’t eat much as we were content with bliss of completing a difficult trek. 

PS - Some more snaps awaited