Southeast face of Pangbuk Ri, showing Ghost Ride the Whip. David Gottlieb

(Back to: Asia, Nepal, Central Nepal)

By David Gottlieb, AAC

Pangbuk Ri (6,716m, Schneider map; 6,625m, HMG-Finn), southeast face, Ghost Ride the Whip.

In spring 2009, while climbing Jobo Rinjang with Joe Puryear, I saw for the first time Pangbuk Ri. With a massive dual summit and steep flanks on the Nepalese side, it presented an alluring objective. Two years later I had the privilege of returning to the area with Chad Kellogg. After a pleasant week acclimatizing in Rolwaling, we trekked over the Tashi Lapcha to meet Da Temba Sherpa, who had flown to Lukla with our expedition equipment. We established base camp at the toe of the Pangbuk Glacier, next to the last easily accessible water…(read more)

(Back to: Asia, Nepal, Central Nepal)

By Lindsay Griffin, Mountain INFO

Thulagi (7,059m), attempt from the south and tragedy.

In November 2010 Belarusian Nikolay Bandalet attempted unclimbed Thulagi alpine style with two Russians, climbing the far right side of the west face of Manaslu to a ridge at 6,400m, then descending the opposite flank to the upper Thulagi Glacier (AAJ 2011). Ahead, the northeast ridge of Thulagi looked complex, and given the committing nature of the situation, the climbers descended.

Bandalet returned in the spring with a four-man Belarusian team…(read more)

Looking east up Athahra Saya Khola Valley. (A) Pt. 6,621m. (B) Fukan Glacier. (C) Hindu Himal. (D) Panbari. (E) Lilia Peak. (F) Athahra Saya Khola Himal. (G) Athahra Saya Glacier. Paulo Grobel

(Back to: Asia, Nepal, Central Nepal)

By Paulo Grobel, France, translated by Todd Miller

Athahra Saya Khola Himal (6,767m), southeast ridge over Hindu Himal (6,306m) and Lilia Peak (6,425m).

Athahra Saya Khola Himal (Mountain of 1,800 Rivers) is a bizarre name, one that evokes the feeling of a faraway place, a mythical wonderland of Buddhist culture, exotic. This is the name we gave to a previously unclimbed 6,767m summit on the Tibetan border, just north of Panbari (6,905m), in the region between Samdo and Phu, north of the Manaslu massif. Athahra Saya Khola is the Nepali name for the river that flows from the foot of the mountain and is the ancient name of the region now known as Nubri…(read more)

Kyajo Ri seen from high on ridge above Machermo to northeast. (1) Southeast ridge (Americans, 2005). (2) 2011 New Zealand attempt. (3) 2009 Italian attempt. Ben Dare

(Back to: Asia, Nepal, Central Nepal)

By Ben Dare, New Zealand

Kyajo Ri (6,186m), northeast face, attempt; Kusum Kanguru (6,370m), southwest rib and northwest ridge, attempt.

In March Steven Fortune, Mike Rowe, and I arrived in the Solu Khumbu and established base camp at 5,050m, below our first objective, the northeast face of Kyajo Ri. Initially we attempted the standard route up the southwest ridge, starting from a high camp at 5,500m below the unclimbed south face. We retreated at just over 6,000m in deteriorating weather, when I was struck on the hand by falling ice and unable to continue climbing.

There followed a rest period at base camp, where we waited in vain for the weather and my injured hand to improve, ultimately leaving Steven and Mike to attempt our proposed new direct line up the northeast face…(read more)

(Back to: Asia, Nepal, Central Nepal)

By Elizabeth Hawley, AAC Honorary Member, Nepal, and Richard Salisbury, The Himalayan Database

Jannu (7,711m), east face attempt.

Five Koreans led by Kim Hyung-il attempted the east face of Jannu (presumably Jannu East, though the exact line is unknown)…(read more)

(Back to: Asia, Nepal, Central Nepal)

By Elizabeth Hawley, AAC Honorary Member, Nepal, and Richard Salisbury, The Himalayan Database.

Gaurishankar (7,135m), southwest face attempt.

Germans David Goettler, Stefan Glowacz, and Klaus Fengler hoped to climb a new line on the southwest face. Approaching via the Tengmarnag Gorge, they established Camp 2, in early May, at 5,050m at the foot of the face…(read more)

North face of Dingjung Ri/Rima Mancho. Andy Parkin

(Back to: Asia, Nepal, Central Nepal)

By Lindsay Griffin, Mountain INFO, from information provided by Andy Parkin, Richard Salisbury/Himalayan Database, and the Alpine Club Himalayan Index

Dingjung Ri/Rima Mancho (6,263m), first winter ascent, north face.

After time spent acclimatizing, Parkin returned to his tent one afternoon to find clothing had been stolen. That night he was attacked: rocks, some as large as half a kilogram, were thrown through his tent. He scared off the assailant and moved down to a yak herder’s house closer to Chhule, where he had no further problems…(read more)

(Back to: Asia, Nepal, Central Nepal, Mukut Himal, Sandachhe Group)

Tsartse (Tasartse, 6,343m), reconnaissance.

By Jim Frush, AAC

Dhaulagiri and Sandachhe Group of Mukat Himal from Muktinath. Peter Ackroyd

In autumn, Peter Ackroyd, Sam McClary, and I hoped to make the first ascent of Tsartse on the east side of Hidden Valley, ca 10km northeast of Dhaulagiri. This peak is clearly visible from the Muktinath-Jomsom trail. Despite close proximity to the relatively major center of Jomsom, until recently there has been little climbing activity in the Hidden Valley. The highest peak of the Sandachhe Himal is Pk. 6,403m, followed by Tashi Kang (6,386m) and then Tsartse. Tashi Kang was first climbed in 2002 by Yasue Mogi (Japan) with Gyalzen Sherpa (other members stopped 15m below). It was climbed again in 2006 by Romanian Constantin Lacatusu and two Germans, Frank Muetzner and Goetz Wiegand. They continued over the summit to make the first ascent of Pk. 6,403m (naming it Pk. Europa), and also attempted Tsartse but were foiled by poor conditions.
We decided to tie our climbing into a circumnavigation of the Dhaulagari Group, eventually crossing the French Pass (5,360m) on October 25 and descending into the Hidden Valley, where the weather remained cold and windy. We established base camp at 4,860m on the eastern edge of the valley, not far from the river. Several hundred meters north (down valley) from our camp, a drainage ran west. Climbing up it, on the 27th, we reached the site of our high camp at the edge of a glacial lake (5,540m). From this point it looks straightforward to circumnavigate the lake, climb the glacier into the high basin out of which the four major summits rise, and pick a target. While we hoped to find a more direct route to the top of Tsartse, we understood that previous attempts had focused on reaching it via a traverse of Tashi Kang…. (read more)