Nanda Devi Peak Uttarakhand

Nanda Devi, which literally means ‘Bliss-giving Goddess’ is the name given to the mountain which is counted second among the top tallest peak in India, when Mount Kanchenjunga that stands on the border of India and Nepal is excluded. Part of the Greater Himalayas, this phenomenal peak is situated in the Garhwal region, in the Chamoli district of Uttarakhand. Nanda Devi peak is considered as the Patron Goddess of the Uttarakhand Himalayas that has Rishi Ganga valley and the Goriganga valley flowing on its west and the east side, carries great religious significance in the Hindu religion. Blessed with an altitude of 7,816 m above the sea level, Nanda Devi peak. along with the other surrounding mountains encircle the beautiful Nanda Devi Sanctuary conserving the fragile ecosystem. It is a two- peaked massif, of which the western peak is higher than the eastern peak; which is now popularly known as Sunanda Peak, formerly it was called Nanda Devi east. Together, both the summits called the peaks of the Goddesses Nanda and Sunanda.

Nanda Devi peak in the Uttarakhand Himalayas is considered to be the favouritest peak of the adventure lovers for trekking, peak climbing and various other adventure activities. As per the records, in 1934, British explorers Eric Shipton and H.W Tilman with three Sherpa companions finally found a way through the Rishi Gorge into the Nanda Devi sanctuary. But it was in 1936 that H.W Tilman and Noel Odell climbed the summit the Nanda Devi summit during the British-American expedition. The route they took was the south ridge, also known as coxcomb ridge that leads the mountaineers directly to the main summit. The second successful attempt was by an Indian team led by N. Kumar in 1964 using the same route. Other than the coxcomb route, there are two more routes available that lead to the Nanda Devi summit i.e North west buttress and the west ridge. Uttarakhand is a dream destination for mountaineering, and which is also a reason behind the immense popularity of tourism here. The trek to Nanda Devi starts once reached to Munsiyari, which is the nearest place that is accessible through motorable roads.