Trekkers cross Traill's Pass after avalanche scare

Bageshwar: A 19-member trekking team successfully crossed Traill's Pass (5,312m) in the Kumaon Himalayas after battling blizzard conditions, deep crevasses and a narrowly avoided avalanche. The historic high-altitude pass, regarded as one of Uttarakhand's toughest trekking routes, connects the Pindari Glacier region in Bageshwar with Munsiyari in Pithoragarh district.Team members said the journey demanded endurance, technical skill and constant attention to safety as adverse weather repeatedly threatened to derail the expedition. The trek began from Khati village in Bageshwar on May 30, but persistent rain delayed the team's move from Dwali to Pindari Base Camp by a day.After reaching the base camp on June 1, the climbers learnt that nearly two feet of fresh snow had accumulated near the Advance Base Camp, making the route highly risky.

A support group attempting to carry supplies there the next day had to turn back because of slippery, snow-covered slopes.On June 3, the full team made another attempt but adverse weather forced it to halt and set up a temporary camp. The following day, after fixing around 200m of rope across difficult terrain, the trekkers reached the Advance Base Camp, where fresh snowfall overnight added to the challenges ahead.

The team then crossed a vast ice field between Nandakhat and the Pindari Glacier, negotiating deep crevasses before establishing Camp II. From there, members fixed nearly 600m of rope towards Traill's Pass and eventually reached the summit during a brief spell of clear weather.The most critical phase came during the descent. As temperatures rose and the snow softened, avalanche danger increased sharply. While traversing a steep slope, the team spotted an avalanche moving down the mountainside and immediately shifted to safer ground.

"The avalanche passed right beside us. Had we reacted five seconds later, the outcome could have been very different," a team member said.Expedition leader Dinesh Singh Danu described it as the toughest expedition of his 15-year mountaineering career. "Continuous snowfall, difficult terrain, a rope slipping into a crevasse and the avalanche threat made this one of the most demanding expeditions I have undertaken.

But the team remained disciplined and united throughout," he said.Sucharita Dhara, a participant from Kolkata, said the avalanche incident was the most frightening part of the trek. "For a few seconds, it felt impossible to survive. The team's experience and quick response helped us escape safely," she said.Local guide Tara Singh said patience and respect for mountain conditions played a key role in the team's safe return.