The Giripremi mountaineering club from Pune, India is leading an expedition to the unclimbed east ridge of Meru South in the Garhwal Himalaya. It follows their historic 2023 ascent of Meru’s west face, which marked the first Indian summit of Meru South and the first-ever climb of that route.
Umesh Zirpe will lead the 2025 expedition. The veteran mountaineer has received the Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award and Maharashtra’s Shiv Chhatrapati Award, according to Deccan Herald. Experienced team members Vivek Shivade, Varun Bhagwat, Nikunj Shah, Ronak Singh, Vinod Gusain, and Mingma Sherpa.
No specific date for the expedition has been announced, but they will begin their preparations soon.
The Giripremi team. Photo: Deccan Herald
About Giripremi
Founded in 1982 in Pune, Giripremi is India’s leading mountaineering club. Through its Guardian Giripremi Institute of Mountaineering, the club also trains aspiring climbers. Umesh Zirpe, one of its key leaders, has guided numerous high-altitude expeditions, including the 2023 Meru climb.
Umesh Zirpe. Photo: Guardian Giripremi Institute of Mountaineering
Meru
The Garhwal Himalaya is a favorite playground for elite climbers. The three-peaked Meru massif, located in the Gangotri Glacier region of the Garhwal Himalaya, lies between Shivling and Thalay Sagar. It has three peaks: 6,660m Meru South, 6,310m Meru Central, and 6,450m Meru North.
The South peak, Giripremi’s target, is the highest. The name Meru may derive from the Sanskrit word for “spine,” reflecting its sharp ridge. Meru is revered in Hindu and Buddhist cosmology, which considers it a cosmic center. Ancient Indian scriptures also mention the mountain.
Meru. Photo: Jimmy Chin
Notable ascents
Because of Meru’s remoteness and difficult terrain, few have climbed here. The Central Peak’s Shark’s Fin (Northeast Pillar) is the best-known route, but it has only three successful climbs due to its near-vertical granite walls and avalanche risk.
A 1980 Japanese team led by Kenshiro Ohtaki made the first ascent of Meru South, via the southeast ridge. That same year, Osamu Shimada and Tamotsu Iwashima of Japan’s Hida Alpine Club summited Meru North from the north.
One year later, an Austrian expedition led by Sepp Friedhuber made Meru North’s second ascent and the first ascent of 6,361m Meru West, which lies on the ridge connecting Meru North with 6,772m Bhrigupanth.
On the impressive Shark’s Fin route. Photo: Jimmy Chin
First women’s ascent
In 1983, an all-woman Polish expedition, led by Danuta Wach, made the first women’s ascent of Meru North, following the Japanese-Austrian route via the northeast face and north ridge.
In 2001, Russian soloist Valery Babanov made the first ascent of Meru Central via an alternative route on its northeast face, after abandoning the Shark’s Fin route midway during an earlier attempt that spring. His five-day ascent was a remarkable feat, and Babanov received a Piolet d’Or award for this climb.
Valery Babanov’s tent on Meru during his 2001 solo ascent. Photo: Valery Babanov
In 2006, Australian climbers Glenn Singleman and Heather Swan summited Meru South and performed a BASE jump from 6,604m, a world record at the time. Valery Rozov surpassed it in 2013 when he jumped from the North Face of Everest.
In 2011, star American climbers Conrad Anker, Jimmy Chin, and Renan Ozturk made the first ascent of the Shark’s Fin route, summiting Meru Central, documented in the famous film Meru. This route had previously been attempted by at least 20 expeditions.
On May 13, 2023, Mathieu Maynadier, Roger Schaeli, and Simon Gietl opened a new alpine-style route on the south face of 6,660m Meru South. They proposed an M6+, A1 rating for their new 800m route.
Valery Babanov’s 2001 route on Meru. Photo: Valery Babanov
Tragedies
In 1986, a three-man Japanese party met a tragic end on Meru North. According to the American Alpine Journal, the Japanese chose a line of mixed snow and rock left of the original route on the northeast face. Unfortunately, at 5,600m, an avalanche buried the three of them. They had first attempted that route two years earlier.
In 1990, Miriam Garcia Pascual, Jesus Bueso, and Miguel Lausin of Spain died in an avalanche on Meru North.
Mathieu Maynadier, Roger Schaeli, and Simon Gietl during their 2023 Meru expedition. Photo: terragraphy
According to the American Alpine Journal, no successful ascent has been made of Meru South via the east ridge. Its technical demands and high-altitude challenges surpass even Giripremi’s 2023 west face ascent. A successful climb would further cement Giripremi’s legacy and India’s standing in technical mountaineering. However, Zirpe’s party may face the same climate change problems that have dogged many expeditions lately, such as glacial retreat in the Gangotri region.
The Giripremi club is also launching two other expeditions, to 5,814m Mount Samgyal and 5,900m Mount Dawa in Ladakh.
Below, the film on the Indian team’s 2023 Meru South expedition via the west face.
