‘The region is a cold desert...’: Former ACP leads team to scale unclimbed peaks in Ladakh’s Salt Valley

Kolkata: A five-member mountaineering team, led by former Assistant Commissioner (ACP) of Kolkata Police Ujjal Ray, is set to explore the remote Salt Valley in Ladakh and attempt to scale several virgin peaks rising over 20,000 feet near the Starsafuk Tso lake. “It is an unexplored region, and as per information gathered by us, there is hardly any habitation in and around this area. It is a cold desert area, and the chill and the cold wind are the major challenges in this expedition. There are 4-5 peaks and all of them remain unclimbed,” said Ray, who has undertaken several successful mountain expeditions and had summited Mount Everest in 2013.

Sexagenarian Ray and his team, comprising Nandadulal Sarkar, Pritam Basu, Soumyajit Saha and Sayak, left Kolkata on Friday evening by Netaji Express, and if everything goes as per plan, the climbing will start from August 10. The expedition will be undertaken without any support from sherpas/ guide. In August 2022, Ujjal Ray successfully scaled twin peaks towering over 6,000 metres near the remote Pologonka La Pass in a secluded part of Ladakh. It was during that expedition that he first identified the unclimbed peaks beside the Starsafuk Tso lake, which the team now plans to conquer. The expedition, undertaken under the banner of the Snout Adventurers Association, has received official approval from the Indian Mountaineering Foundation (IMF). Following the clearance, the team has undergone extensive preparations ahead of their ambitious venture. Ray has served the Kolkata Police force since 1987 and is presently working at the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education.