원정 개요

BC 05/10 4700m (Chhukung)
ABC 13/10 5400m (near a lake before moraine)
Biv1 14/10 6000m
Biv2 15/10 6580m
Biv3 16/10 6800m
Biv4 17/10 7000m
Biv5 18/10 7450m
Smt 19/10 by all 3 members at 3 pm.

Day 1: Team started from ABC. The mountain was a lot drier than last year, when the team was already attempting the same route. Route to first bivouac was snowy and the last pitch mixed. Team set up their bivouac at 6000m after having climbed for about 8 hours. Before they settled in for the night, they fixed the first pitch of the 2nd day. They used about 60 metres of rope.

Day 2: Team started at midnight as they were worried about rockfall. They climbed until 2 pm and set up their bivouac at 6580m.

Day 3: Team started at 10 am as it was very windy in the morning. Rock and icefall not too bad. They climbed until 3:30 pm and set up their bivouac a little bit to the right of their route. There was a spur and it felt safer to bivouac there. They fixed the traverse to get to the camp – about 60 metres.

Day 4: Team started at 8:30 am and climbed until 3.30 pm. On that day, there was one pitch that was about Grade VI.

Day 5: Team started at 9:30 am and climbed until 6 pm.

Summit Day: Team started at 7:30 am. They climbed up the snow field to gain the ridge. They climbed the ridge roped up and always made sure that one kept to the right and other one to the left. Ridge was pretty sharp.

They spent about 30 minutes on the summit. Zero wind. On the way to Biv5, the down-climbed using a snow stake for security and abseiled about 100m. They arrived at about 6pm.

On 20 Oct, they started from Biv5 at 7 am and descended to Biv2, where they arrived at 11 am. Millerioux was hit by a rock at about 7100m on the way to Biv5. He hurt his right shoulder, which slowed him down. The others took his bag and helped him down. They stopped at Biv2 until 6 pm. They wanted to wait for the sun to set in order to avoid rockfall. At 7 pm they continued and reached the bottom of the face at 1 am. The continued to ABC, where they arrived at 3 am.

On 21 Oct, they descended to Chhukung.

The route was one of the most difficult climbs the team had ever done. Sustained difficulties, every day was full of challenges and the steep and difficult route demanded constant concentration.

Team left BC (Chhukung) on 22 Oct by helicopter to Kathmandu.

Fixed rope: 120m

Oxygen: Not taken, not used.