원정 개요

Shared BC with Vedrines-Dubouloz N Face team.

From Aurelien Vaissiere Facebook page:

Symon Welfringer:

Coming back from another trip to Nepal, feeling so grateful to have the chance to travel back to this awesome country after the crisis, for sure the future is brighter and this year was an amazing season with a lot of great ascents.

Together with @aurel_vassiere, @fanny_schmutz @dam_tomasi, @charles_dubouloz and @benjaminvedrines we went to Chamlang Basecamp in the Hunku valley. Our team of 4 with Aurel, Dam and Fanny was focused on the North Pillar, an awesome line which was our main goal. Sadly, during our attempt, snow conditions were pretty complexe and tricky, and on the second day of our ascent we decided to turn back as we were too slow and thinking the conditions were too dangerous.

In the meantime, the strong Duo composed by Benj and Charles made an amazing ascent opening a great climb straight in the middle of the face.

This expedition wasn't a success in terms of climbing but an amazing trip together with some really good friends. On the way back, I broke my foot and had to go back to KTM by helicopter, my first flight ever.


Report from Fanny Tamasi-Schmutz:

Approach: Mera La, Mera Peak for acclimatization

BC 04/10 4900m
C1 10/10 6100m
HPt 11/10 6100m+ (a little further above C1, by all members)

Fixed rope: None

Climb abandoned on 11 Oct due to snow conditions on Chamlang; injury on Hongku Chuli; lack of time at the end.

Left BC on 16 Oct.

Oxygen: Not taken, not used.

Other peaks: Mera Peak for acclimatization.

Details of climb:

07 Oct: the team made an attempt to make a deposit afoot of the little face giving access to the glacier plateau, the latter afoot of the North Pillar. On this day, the large amount of snow in the face made the team return to BC. On this same day, Vedrines and Dubouloz were back from their successful reconnaissance above the rimaye of Chamlang’s North Face.

10 Oct: the team reached the plateau’s C1.

11 Oct: the team went a little further up from C1 towards the attack of the North Pillar. Considering the amount of snow to be too much on the pillar for an attempt (fearing objective risks and trail to break), the team chose to abandon for trying instead Hongku Chuli’s SW Ridge on the next day.

12 Oct: as they were packing for the SW Ridge of Hongku Chuli and as he was working without gloves, Symon Welfringer seriously hurt his thumb with a carbon tent pole which suddenly broke. After some hesitations, the team eventually decided to come back down to BC.

13 Oct: the team watched Vedrines-Dubouloz’s descent final stage and their return to BC.

On the last two days (14-15 Oct), as the forecast was announcing 1 meter of fresh snow at BC for the 16 Oct, in that short weather window Vedrines went for his solo on Hongku Chuli.