원정 개요

Biv1 on descent on glacier of valley at foot of South Ridge.

Pungmo people showed way into and up a valley which is just under west side of Kanjeralwa and north of Pungmo Village. 1 May to 5300m on NW Face and deposit gear. 2 May others deposit at 5600m and also down to BC. 5th May 11:00 am left BC and after 1 hour reached foot of face 4450m, all 4 members climbing. Above 5300m deposit, very difficult and roped together but fixed no ropes (too much time) all ice - 60 degrees average steepness, no place to biv. At 2:00 pm reached end of difficulty at 6200m, 250m below top (which is not 6600m high). Cousteix now had pulmonary edema and soon as reached north and highest summit, went down quickly via Japanese 1973 South Ridge, biv at 4900m at 11:00 pm (Cousteix tired but much better) - returned to BC 6th May. South Ridge at first many seracs, then easy, then in valley again difficult. Left biv 5:00 am and reached a river, Pungmo Khola, at 11:00 am and BC reached at 1:00 pm. Even if Cousteix not sick, would not have descended NE Face without fixed ropes. Route up face was "very good route": 1700m-face before attacking NW Face, went to Ringmo Lake and looked at eastern side but not possible to find logical route from east.

Scaled highest of Kanjeralwa's many summits. French 1989 on northern most summit were not on the highest one. [Jordi Pons states that they did not climb the highest summit, AAJ (1992)]