원정 개요

Ratna Chuli European Expedition 2008, led by Reiner Wacker - 2 Dec 2008

The team reached BC from Phugaon to Yak Kharka and north on the unnamed glacier running south from the south side of Ratna Chuli. BC was placed on moraine on the left side of the glacier. Their deposit camp was 300m higher on ice near the moraine. C1 was the bottom of the face, which other teams have called the south face, but this team says was facing southwest more than south.

C1 was established on 17 November. On the 18th Wacker went to the site for C2 alone to acclimatize and to find the route above C1. He climbed on the left side of the face, found a "very stony" place at 6570m, but had no tent with him (he had not planned to set up a camp) so returned to BC thad day. It turned out that 6570m was the highest point reached by anyone from this team.

Also on the 18th, Flandre and Marietti moved halfway to the West Ridge while their two Sherpas fixed rope as they climbed towards the ridge to join the route which a Japanese expedition had scaled the previous month. The Sherpas fixed 250m of rope to an altitude of 6300m and then stopped; they reported to the two members that the route ahead became very steep and was too difficult for the members to climb -- the Frenchmen were not skilled enough for it. The four climbers also descended to BC the same day.

Krez had not acclimatized well enough to join his teammates on the 18th, but on the 20th he, Flandre and Wacker returned to C1. Flandre and Krez wanted to see if they could climb part of the ridge, while Wacker wanted to make a bid for the summit via the face. Marietti remained in BC since there would be no tent for him.

Flandre and Krez went over to the ridge at 6300m on the 21st. During the night of the 21st/22nd, a strong wind blew up and the temperature dropped. Everyone descended to BC on the 22nd because of the cold windstorm, which continued all that day. They decided the climb was over.

Fixed rope: 250m

Sherpas:
Mingma Tshering, 30/6/87 (16/3/2044), Khumjung, no 8000ers
Ongchu Sherpa, 1970, Pawai-1, Solu, no 8000ers