원정 개요

Approach: Flight to Lukla on 08/10, trek kedto BC via Namche, Renjo La, Gokyo, Ngozumba Glacier and along the Gyubanare Glacier.

BC 20/10 5400m on western side of Gyubanare Glacier
Biv1 26/10 5700m just below W Face across Gyubanare Glacier
Biv2 27/10 6400m in a serac cave
Biv3 28/10 6800m on shoulder of S Ridge just below summit
Smt 29/10 by Hak, Bansky, Groh, Kejklicek at 9 am
Biv4 29/10 6500m on a saddle of S Ridge (on descent).

First ascent of Chumbu. Alpine style ascent, no Sherpa support, no fixed ropes, no supplemental oxygen. Traverse of Chumbu (direct W Face up, S Ridge down).

Hak and Bansky had seen this line during their ascent of Kangchung Shar in 2021 and made plans to try an ascent via W Face.

Koren flown out by helicopter from BC on 21/10 because of Dengue Fever. He did not get higher than BC. Hak also with Dengue during approach and climb. Hak was sick in Namche and Thami and had to stay behind for a few days.

Hak reached BC on 23/10, the others on 20/10. Approach to BC via Namche, Thami, Renjo La, Gokyo. Two days walking from Gokyo, across the Ngozumba Glacier and along the Gyubanare Glacier.

They roped up in two teams, Hak climbing with Kejklicek and Bansky with Groh. From Bivy 1 to Bivy 2 across the Gyubanare Glacier. From Bivy 2 to Bivy 3 they followed a snow couloir for the most part. Reached the shoulder of the S Ridge at 6800m, where they decided to bivouac, 60m below the summit. Hardest part of ascent just below Bivy 3, face almost vertical for 20-30m, maybe 80° with soft snow, dangerous.

On 29/10 started at 8:30 am. On the summit at 9 am. Very hard conditions; had to climb over unstable snow, snow like sugar. Icy parts. Hard work to break trail. Good weather, not much wind. Stayed on the summit for 30 minutes and enjoyed perfect views towards Cho Oyu, Everest, Lhotse, etc.

After summit down the South Ridge to a saddle at 6500m, 4th bivouac. Hardest and most dangerous part was on descent before the saddle. Very bad snow conditions, had to cross unstable snow mushrooms and corniced ridge. Two pitches of rappelling to get to saddle.

On 30/10 they were looking for a place to rappel down the S Ridge to Changri Nup Glacier. They found a way some time down after saddle of 4th bivouac.

Rappeled down some pitches to Changri Nup Glacier. There they called for a heli evacuation because Kejklicek was developing frostbite on his fingers. Heli could not fly that day and they continued to Lobuche; had to walk across the glacier and frozen glacial lakes a few times.

Hak reached the lodges of Lobuche at 8 pm, the others around midnight. Next day all members flown by heli from Lobuche to Kathmandu.

Team says Chumbu may have been already climbed by a French team without a permit in 2016, but not sure.

Classification of route: TD+.

Name of route: The last flight of the falcon (in memory of Polish climber Andrzej Sokolowki who died in 2022 in the High Tatra).

Records: 1st ascent of Chumbu.

Other peaks: Acclimatized on small peak P5890 just west of Base Camp.

Accidents: Kejklicek slight frostbite on toes and fingers, Hak slight frostbite on toes. Hak and Koren with Dengue Fever. All recovered 100%.