원정 개요

BC 28/04 5000m (30 April Billon and Chance)
ABC 05/13 5500m
C1 05/19 6100m
C2 05/26 6500m

High point on 26-27/05 by four members at 6500m on the N Pillar, below an overhanging section.

Climb abandoned on 26-27/05 in the night due to weather conditions and lack of acclimatization.

Antoine Cayrol could not join the expedition he was meant to be the leader of. He had been shot by a neighbor in Vic Sur Cere, miraculously surviving then waking up after a coma period.

Team did not acclimatize on Mera Peak as initially planned. Did instead a first acclimatization trip to 5500m on the West Ridge of Chamlang to reconnoitre their intended descent route after North Pillar; spent 2 nights there (on 08-09/05), a thunderstorm during second night forcing them to move 20m below the ridge to avoid thunder; they waited there during 1.5 hours under snowfall.

After some days rest in base camp, to continue their acclimatization, Aymeric and Sebastien went back on the West Ridge on 13/05 at 6000m. Got again a thunderstorm and snow, then came back down to BC the next day.

Meanwhile (also on 13/05), others went to reconnoitre the attack of the North Pillar via the East Hongu Glacier (Finn Map), eventually aiming to approach it via its east side. They did not aim to attack the pillar directly by the north, since it is a steep dark rotten rocky face. During the night at 5500m, Laurent did not feel good, so all went back down to BC the next day to meet the other team also back from West Ridge.

On 15/05, Laurent left the expedition, showing apparent serious symptoms of pulmonary edema, in fact, a doctor diagnosed him a pulmonary infection afterwards.

On 18/05 all remaining members went back to 5500m camp (ABC) for further acclimatization and reconnaissance of North Pillar.

On 19/05 they went up to a 6100m col (col located between 6439m shoulder of North Pillar and 6260m peak northeast of it, towards Honku Chuli – 6833m), giving access to the long glacier located afoot of the north face of other peaks of Chamlang eastwards, and also to the North Pillar from east. Established here their C1. On that day team had climbed 8 pitches, including 2 in mixed ground with not much difficulty; remnant was 60-70° very hard ice slopes. Found some climbing gear remnants of previous ropes (2015 Inurrategui team had been there). Spent rest of the day acclimatizing in very warm temperatures.

On 20/05, Aymeric, Sebastien, Emmanuel went up towards the 6439m shoulder of the North Pillar to reconnoitre the latter. French grade AD for difficulties on that day. Stopped at 6300m in rotten snow, quite late, on the east ridge of 6439m shoulder (had climbed southeast face of it). Went back down to C1.

On 21/05 all went back down to BC.

On 24/05 team started up for a first serious try, despite feeling not enough acclimatized, and slept at ABC. Weather had been beautiful from May 20 to May 24.

On 25/05 team slept at C1.

On 26/05 awoke at midnight, the team climbed up to C2 via a mixed line right under the ice-flutes zone and avoided it by the left to join the North Ridge at its lower point (M5 max). Then they followed the ridge until a huge gendarme with a big roof, at approximately 6500m. On the west side of the ridge they found a good bivy platform protected by a roof, setting C2 there.

On 27/05 some members had spent a hard night at C2 the previous night, during which the wind had blown forcefully. Weather forecast was also quite bad, so they went back to C1. During the evening, they got a message from their weather forecaster announcing a reinforcement of the wind plus bad weather for the coming days. Decided to abandon and come back down to BC next day.

On 28/05 they went back to BC. On that day had started very early to avoid objective dangers. A worthwhile precaution, since a massive stone fall occurred just after their passage.

Lise Billon mentionned she did not feel well for a reason she could not really identify, whether because she got hit by an ice block in the access face to C1 on 25/05 or whether because she could not cope with altitude and had not sufficient acclimatization, leading her to use medicines?

On the way back to Lukla, their sirdar assisted to the murder of a villager by two others.

Fixed rope: none

Oxygen: not taken not used