원정 개요

Fax to Liz Halwley from Nil Bohigas

I did not get to know these ascents, as well as others 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 Lucasa. 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 neither 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; we had just a tent, sleeping bags and my climbing equipment composed by 2 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 few 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 6110 rocky section therefore we climbed on the icy slopes placed on its left (very much difficulty that Pethangtse South Face). We risked a lot (we share my ice-axes and crampons). On the Amphu Labtsa, 5870m, we find miraculously a part of the descent equipped with ropes which an expedition abandoned it not it had been impossible to descend.

I took the decision of climbing these mountains during the crossing because we passed nearby and I thought I can achieved it due to the god conditions of the snow. I always thought that someone had climbed theat 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 at night and I summited Pethangtse before the sunrise, I made very quickly the ascent by the right area of the South Face and the descent by the South West Ridge because there are not great technical difficulties. I found the main difficulties on the North Face Cho Polu's, first section, specially 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 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 of descent. I went very quick and the conditions could not be better.