원정 개요

Press Release, Dec 2016 by Hansjoerg Auer

Gimmigela East (7005m) – First Ascent North Face

The mountain Gimmigela Chuli (7350m) is located in the eastern Himalayas on the border between Nepal and Sikkim. Situated approximately four kilometers from the World's third highest peak, Kangchenjunga (8585m), it's summit was only reached twice by Japanese and British expeditions. Gimmigela Chuli has a subpeak (7005m), known as Gimmigela East or Gimmigela's Sister, with a steep North Face that had never been attempted.

After a five-day gruelling hike through the jungle alongside the Tamar River and accross the higher plateaus of the Ghunsa Valley, we basecamped a little higher than the classic Pangpema basecamp; one of Nepal's most treasured sites.

Alex Bluemel and I started to acclimate on the Drohmo south ridge and, after a total of three nights at 5900m, on November 8, we felt ready for Gimmigela East's North Face. Due to a wet Monsoon with high precipitation we found the 1200m high face in perfect conditions. After two bivies, of which the second one on the final summit ridge seriously challenged us due to the small ledge been extremely exposed to the strong winds, we reached the summit at 7:30 am on 10th November. A cold, windy but clear morning allowed us to see far into Sikkim's great mountain range and to the unexplored east face of Kangchenjunga.

"Yet again, it was one of those expeditions where everything came together. A great project, an even greater friendship and a very efficient first ascent of a 'King Line' on a 7000m peak in one of the most remote places in the Himalayas."

Fact Box:
Mountain Range: Kangchenjunga Area/Himalaya/Nepal
Mountain: Gimmigela East (7005m)
Altitude of Basecamp: 5200m
Vertical meters of the N Face: 1200m
Difficulties: 85° ice
First Ascent of the face: 8th-10th of November 2016 in pure alpine style
Summit time: 7.30 am
Climbers: Hansjoerg Auer and Alex Bluemel