Arwa Crest is one of the three peaks that make up the Arwa Group of mountains. The other two mountains are Arwa Spire and Arwa Tower. Arwa Crest is situated to the west of the Arwa Tower. This enormous peak is situated in the Chamoli district of Uttarakhand.
This group of peaks is situated near the border of Tibet. They lay on the south side of the southwest branch of the Arwa Valley, south of the dry lake Arwa Tal, and northwest of Badrinath. These peaks have been not frequented enough by the climbers due to its steep and rocky terrain. It is situated in the Gangotri region.
HISTORY
The first ascent to Arwa Crest was successfully made by a French expedition team in 2002. This French team included Philippe Renard, Grégory Muffat Joly, Laurent Miston, and Antoine de Choudens.
CLIMBING ROUTES
The ascent to Arwa Crest can be made via two different routes:
- North Face also called the French route after the French team who ascended Arwa Crest for the first time in 2002.
- East Ridge
HOW TO REACH
The trek to Arya Crest commences from the holy town of Badrinath in the Chamoli district of Uttarakhand. Arwa Tal base camp is common for all three peaks of the Arwa group.Badrinath – Mana – Ghastoli – Arwa Valley – Arwa Tal BC – ABC then summit (BC= Base Camp, ABC = Advanced Base Camp)
- ROAD: Being a revered Hindu pilgrimage site, Badrinath has good connectivity of roads from cities like Rishikesh, Haridwar and Dehradun. One can reach to these places from Delhi and get a bus or shared taxi to Badrinath. The buses usually leave early morning from places like Haridwar and Rishikesh.
- RAIL: Badrinath doesn’t have a railhead. Nearest railway station to Badrinath is situated in Haridwar. Haridwar is connected with major cities like Delhi, Ahmadabad and Dehradun.
- AIR: The nearest airport to Joshimath is Jolly Grant situated in Dehradun. From there, one can opt for a bus or a taxi to reach Badrinath.