Shivling, Sacred mountain summit in Garhwal Himalaya, India.
Shivling is a twin-summitted rock peak in the Gangotri Group of the Garhwal Himalaya, rising to 6,501 m on its northeast summit. It stands on a spur southwest of the Gangotri Glacier, opposite the Bhagirathi massif, with steep faces on all sides and a west flank moderate enough to hold snow. From Gaumukh it appears as a single pyramid.
A team from the Indo-Tibetan Border Police led by Hukam Singh achieved the first successful summit in 1974. This pioneering climb marked the beginning of the mountain's modern climbing history.
The name Shivling refers to the linga, the symbol of Shiva's creative power, and the peak's shape seen from the north resembles one. Hindu pilgrims know the mountain from Gaumukh, the glacier snout held to be the source of the Bhagirathi and a goal of the Gangotri pilgrimage route; the Tapovan meadow between Gaumukh and the peak is also a pilgrimage site for its view of the mountain.
Reaching the summit requires solid experience in ice climbing and technical skills such as crampons, ice axes, and rope work. Visitors should expect unpredictable weather that can make the route impassable, even during the climbing season.
On 25 May 2012 Valery Rozov made the first BASE jump from the summit, leaping from 6,420 m in a wingsuit; at the time it was the second-highest BASE jump from a mountain. The jump followed the 2000 first ascent of the direct North Pillar by Thomas Huber and Iwan Wolf, which earned them the Piolet d'Or.
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