This autumn a four-member team of like-minded friends from the Alpine Club became the first climbers to explore the head of the little-known Obra Valley, an area of sub-6,000m peaks west of the Bandarpunch-Swargarohini Group in India's far Western Garhwal.

Derek Buckle, Toto Gronlund, Martin Scott and Bill Thurston made a three-day trek to a scenic grassy base camp at 4,055m, arriving in early October.

The middle reaches of the Obra are dominated by the splendid icy Ranglana (5,554m).

The fine, corniced, snow arête forming the North West Ridge of the lower 5,760m looked eminently climbable. Caching some gear, the four descended to a lower camp, aiming to get established on the col the following day.

After ploughing through deep avalanche-prone snow for less than 100m above the col, they realized it wasn't going to happen.

• Read More - including the team's 'consolation prize' virgin summit in the full report by Lindsay Griffin on the BMC Website