원정 개요

Approach: via Panch Pokhari (same approach route to Shipton’s Col).

BC 14/04 4200m
Biv1 26/04 5600m
Biv2 27/04 5900m
Biv3 28/04 6100m
Biv4 29/04 6300m
Smt 30/04 by both members at 9 am.

Acclimatization:

On nearby peaks, not climbing it. Went up the West Ridge of Dorje Lhakpa up to 5700m (high point on the 20th of April).

Climbing details (5 days roundtrip):

24 Apr: Team left BC. Had a short day because of the conditions of the glacier, covered with recent soft snow, and weather. Bivouacked on the glacier, not far from the planned descent route. Left some food there under a rock.

25 Apr: short day for same reasons. Bivouac on the glacier.

26 Apr (Day 1): start of the climb/face, at about 5200m. Very similar climbing type on the whole route, following a thin narrow ice ascending line from right to left. On that day duet climbed the easiest portion of the route, in 13 pitches (40m) for about a third of the face’s height.

Bivouac 1 at circa 5600m, at a surprisingly comfortable spot to put the tent, sheltered below a rock cave.

27 Apr (Day 2): Was to be the crux of the climb. Had to negotiate a narrow chimney inside the rock for 3 pitches; similar to Gritstone type of climbing says Ramsden.

Bivouac 2 was established at circa 5900m, at the “first white spider (…) one of the two circular snowfields reminiscent of their namesake on the Eiger”. Would be the worse night of the climb, fighting against snow and cold all night long.

28 Apr (Day 3): After crossing the first white spider, duet followed the ramp traversing leftwards up to the second “white spider”. Mainly faced ice difficulties on that day, with a difficult pitch in mixed ground at the end of the traverse (“unconsolidated snow on top of rock slabs”).

Bivouac 3 was made at circa 6100m, at the second white spider, with a rather good night.

29 Apr (Day 4): In three pitches (the last one delicate), the duet reached the beginning of the upper steep snow slopes at 11 am. Both were now feeling the effects of high altitude as they were keeping up the snow/ice slope to try to reach the shoulder marking the end of the face.

Bivouac 4 was reached at circa 6300m, at sunset, at a comfortable cave a little down to the end of the upper snow slopes.

30 Apr (Day 5): After a cold night, had 2 pitches of easy snow to reach the shoulder, then went up to the summit, reached at circa 9 am. Descended back to the shoulder, then further down circa 500m southwards to the top of the west gully. The latter sides the West Face to its south ending. The duet reached the bottom of the mountain 5 hours after having left the summit. Then they walked back down to the previously food deposit of their glacier bivouac of the 24th of April.

01 May: went back down the glacier, then to BC.

Waited a few days for the porters, then left BC on the 3rd of May.

Ramsden still can’t feel his toes, which got cold during the climb despite not frozen. Miller got some blisters on his toes which turned black, but also not frozen. Since he needs time to fully recover, the next trip planned to west Nepal, initially for the autumn, is postponed to 2023.

Line and Peak details: The "Phantom" line, 1200m, 37 pitches, ED+

Peak christened “Jugal Spire” by the team, since the locals didn’t have a name for it.

Had reconnoitre the peak on Google Earth during the lockdown. Decided about the line once there, since they had seen only 1 picture of the mountain shared by Mikel Zabalza’s team. At first, on GE, thought the West Ridge to be an interesting proposal, but when they saw the face, found that straight awkward ascending line, which is a continuous natural line of ice. “Rewarding to find something natural” says Ramsden, as the Siguniang line opened 20 years ago with Fowler. And lucky: if the line wasn’t there, would be harder to find a logical solution throughout the smooth granite face. “I think such type of steep homogenous leucogranite face is quite unusual for Nepal, looking more like Pakistan”.

Sherpas: None
Route: North Face
Oxygen: Not taken, not used
Records: 1st ascent of the peak via the North Face