Anglo-Indian Gangotri Expedition (1981)

A strong international climbing party of 10, including Colin Downer, Doug Scott and Don Whillans as the British members, joined with 20 young, enthusiastic Indian mountaineers at base camp at Tapovan above the Gangotri Glacier, to spend some time imparting concepts of Alpine climbing and techniques to them. Four of the climbers, including Doug Scott, made a successful ascent by a new route of the exposed and difficult east pillar of Shivling (6,543m), using big wall tackle, and descending by the original N side route. Downer and Whillans were in the party that tackled the N side but, after establishing a high camp at 5,730m, some members were called away to help with an accident to an Indian team which, reaching the summit of Bhagarathi II late in the afternoon, had lost 2 of its members in a fall. A renewed attempt on Shivling resulted in climbing the N ridge, but was frustrated in its objective of reaching the unclimbed W summit.