▁of ▁the ▁mountain . ▁ ▁Sh iv ling ▁is ▁well - def ended ▁on ▁all ▁sides ▁by ▁ste ep ▁rock ▁faces ; ▁only ▁the ▁west ▁fl ank ▁has ▁a ▁moder ate ▁enough ▁slope ▁for ▁snow ▁accum ulation . ▁ ▁Cl im bing ▁history ▁ ▁After ▁British ▁expl oration ▁of ▁the ▁Gang ot ri ▁Gla cier ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 3 , ▁a ▁German ▁expedition ▁led ▁by ▁R . ▁Schwar z gr uber ▁clim bed ▁nearby ▁pe aks ▁and ▁did ▁a ▁reconna issance ▁of ▁Sh iv ling ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 8 . ▁They ▁reported ▁" no ▁feas ible ▁route " ▁on ▁the ▁mountain ▁due ▁to ▁its ▁ste ep ness ▁and ▁the ▁threat ▁of ▁falling ▁ser acs . ▁ ▁Sh iv ling ▁was ▁first ▁clim bed ▁on ▁ 3 ▁June ▁ 1 9 7 4 ▁via ▁the ▁west ▁r idge , ▁by ▁a ▁team ▁from ▁the ▁Ind o - T ib et an ▁Border ▁Police , ▁led ▁by ▁H uk am ▁Singh . ▁The ▁r idge ▁is ▁the ▁lowest - angle ▁feature ▁on ▁the ▁mountain , ▁but ▁still ▁involves ▁serious ▁mixed ▁clim bing , ▁and ▁is ▁threatened ▁by ▁the ▁ser ac ▁bar rier ▁noted ▁by ▁the ▁Germ ans . ▁The ▁r idge ▁leads ▁to ▁the ▁col ▁between ▁the ▁two ▁summ its ; ▁a ▁ste ep ▁snow / ice ▁r idge ▁then ▁leads ▁to ▁the ▁main ▁sum mit . ▁ ▁Since ▁the ▁first ▁as cent , ▁at ▁least ▁ten ▁other ▁routes ▁have ▁been ▁clim bed ▁on ▁the ▁peak , ▁asc ending ▁all ▁