원정 개요

Fax as written to Liz Hawley 1999:

I am sending you directly the information that Jose Luis Mendieta of Desnivel Magazine requested me.

First of all, I would like to congratulate you on your professional skills and good sources of information because until not too long time ago, just my friends knowed my ascent to Penthangtse and to Cho Polu in 1984.

I did not get to know these ascents, as well as other ones that I did at the same period, because I did them without permission.

The main reason was the crossing-trekking through the Arun and Khumbu's Valleys from Tumlingtar to Jiri, crossing the Sherpani Col, the West Col and the Amphu Labsta. I did the trekking after the ascent in alpine-style to Annapurna South Face with Enric Lucas. I felt perfectly acclimatized to the altitude as well as Montse Soteras who went with me in this fantastic crossing. I have to say that Montse had not any experience in alpinism nor in ice climbing, therefore I think that her activity was still more "unbelievable" than mine.

We went alone and we had just a little quantity of material: a tent, sleeping bags and my climbing equipment composed by ice-axes and a pair of crampons. We did not carry ropes. I climbed several summits during the crossing but I did not plan them before, even I did not give them to much importance. The reason that we carried so little climbing equipment was because we were really badly informed.

The Cols crossing has a great technical difficulty and it requires a team well equipped to be successful. We were really lucky to complete it. We could not climb on the Sherpani Col 6110m rocky section; therefore we climbed on the icy slopes placed on its left (very much more difficul than Pethangtse South Face). We risked a lot (we shared my ice axes and crampons). On the Amphu Labtsa, 5870m, we found miraculously a part of the descent equipped with ropes which an expedition had abandoned on it without which would have been impossible to descend.

I took the decision of climbing these mountains during the crossing because we passed nearby and I thought I could achieved it due the good condition of snow. I always thought that someone had climbed that peaks before me. I have not detailed information because I did not keep notes about this crossing-trekking.

I made the bivouac on the moraine at 6000m high where I left the material. I went out all night and summited Pethangtse before the sunrise. I made very quickly the ascent by the area of the South Face and the descent by the SW Ridge because there are not great technical difficulties. I found the main difficulties on the North Face of Cho Polu's first section, especially on the descent. I reached the summit by the NE Ridge. I descended by the same route and I reached the glacier at night.

I cannot recall the schedules (15 years ago) but I did not take more than 16 hours in total. Three days later I soloed the Baruntse 7220m by SE Ridge and I left it by the West Col 6315m in 4 hours and 2:30 hours of descent. I went very quick and the conditions could not be better.

I can only give this in information at the moment. Today I am taking one week holidays but when I am coming back I will try to look for more information.

Nil Bohigas 1984 autumn season summit ascents:

? September 1984 - Tarphu Chuli 5663m (with Enric Lucas)
? September 1984 - Flutted Peak 6501m. Ascent North Face, descent East
(solo - 1st asc?)
3 October 1984 - Annapurna 8601m South Face
? End Oct/First Nov 1984 - Pethangtse 6710m S Face/SW Ridge - Cho Polu 6
? End Oct/first Nov 1984 - Baruntse 7200m SE Ridge (solo)