There is a continual reworking of plans to accommodate the current circumstance since high-altitude conditions are unpredictable. Timetables that are set for each day are so difficult to provide. Standard acclimatisation procedures for high-altitude excursions involve rotating between camps, which is essentially included into the timetable. Advanced Base Camp (4,600 m), Camp 1 (5,100 m), and Summit Camp (5,500 m) are the three camps that follow base camp on Black Peak.

Due to the need of a strict acclimatisation regimen for ascents to high altitudes, expeditions often use the strategy of camp rotation to better adjust to the environment. The best guideline for survival at that height is “climb high, sleep low,” so we follow that principle and walk back and forth between campsites. In particular, we do two passes through Black Peak. The first is making our way to the next camp, dropping off our belongings, and then making our way back down to the lower campground for the night. After returning to the campground the next day, we set up tents to fill the space where we had previously stored our belongings. This accomplishes three goals at once. To start, instead of lugging about a tonne of gear on a single excursion, split your weight across two days. Secondly, by not forcing the organism to adapt too quickly, it provides it more time to adjust to the higher altitude environment, increasing the likelihood that it will survive. Thirdly, if you climb the same route over and over again, you’ll eventually get better at it since you’ll have honed your technique, skill, and adaptability.

Proper acclimatisation, rotation rounds, rest days, and the option of two summit attempts in inclement weather will be included during the whole trip.

Starting from Base Camp (3,820M) and continuing to Advanced Base Camp (4600M): Going from Base Camp to Advanced Base Camp is quite an ascent, but it serves as a decent warmup for the peak’s slopes and terrain. The route begins in grasslands, continues across a bouldery portion, and then climbs steeply past a small landslide-prone stretch, into moraine-rich ground, and finally onto a glacier. Estimated time for the climb: four to five hours.

Camp 1 (5,100M) to Advanced Base Camp (4,600M): Moraines, glaciers, and ice make up the landscape, much like the one we left yesterday. The second time around, you’ll start to notice that things are simpler.

Travelling from Camp 1 (5,100M) to Summit Camp (5,500M): We have now entered a landscape ripe with open and concealed crevasses, while to the north we can see the towering Swargarohini and to the south, Bandarpooch. In order to reach the summit, you must gradually adjust to the surrounding environment, terrain, and obstacles.

Early in the morning, we set out for the summit, which is 6,387 metres higher than Summit Camp, which is 5,500 metres higher. As a result, the nighttime chill and strong gusts from above provide an obvious obstacle. The ascent to the peak is not without its difficulties, since it requires scaling ice cliffs that are 75–85 feet high and with gradients of 70–75 degrees. Climbing these portions till we reach the ridgeline will involve using fixed ropes and jumars. Contrary to its severe inclines, Black Peak’s peak is quite level. Within seven or eight hours, we want to be at the pinnacle of this breathtaking mountain. Then, as quickly as possible, we will begin our descent, racing to get to our tents before the snow becomes too unstable. Remember to exercise extreme caution on your way down, for descends are known to be more ruthless than ascends.

With our first summit attempt on Day 10, we aim to reach down to Base Camp by Day 11, Ruinsara Tal by Day 12, Seema by Day 13 so as to drive back to Sankri, our trail head, by Day 14.