Thalay Sagar

Thalay Sagar is a mountain in the Gangotri Group of peaks in the western Garhwal Himalayas, on the main ridge that lies south of the Gangotri Glacier. It lies in the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand, 10 kilometres (6 mi) southwest of the Hindu holy site of Gaumukh (the source of the Bhagirathi River). It is the second highest peak on the south side of the Gangotri Glacier (after Kedarnath), but it is more notable for being a dramatic rock peak, steep on all sides, and a famed prize for mountaineers. It is adjacent to the Jogen group of peaks, and has the lake Kedartal at its base.

Climbing history

The difficulty presented by Thalay Sagar's consistently steep profile prevented any attempts at climbing the peak until the late 1970s, when hard technical rock climbing began to be practiced at high altitude. Unusually for such a hard peak, the first attempt was actually successful. It was first climbed on 24 June 1979 via the northwest couloir and ridge, by an Anglo-American team comprising Roy Kligfield, John Thackray, and Pete Thexton.