KATHMANDU, NOVEMBER 17
In an alpine style climbing, four mountaineers attempted to scale Malangphulang peak via northwest ridge in the Everest region.
According to Alpinist Climber Expeditions Pvt Ltd, IFMGA/UIAGM guides Riten Jangbu (Tashi) Sherpa & Prakash Sherpa along with their clients Jay Mathers & Luigi Santini from Italy attempted the unclimbed N/W ridge of Malangphulang in an alpine style and reached upto 6,200m of the 6,573-metre peak.
Being part of the Alpinist Climber Expeditions, the climbers attempted the peak in an alpine style in the first week of November despite facing tough weather conditions, the team shared.
Despite spending many days at high camps and two nights at camp 1 (5800m), the team had to make a tough call to abandon their summit push in the middle of the night due to adverse mountain conditions, including ice and soft snow, once they reached above 6000m, according to Tashi.
"Alpine style expeditions like this require strong decision-making skills, especially when attempting a virgin ascent in challenging circumstances," Prakash told THT.
"We base camped at the Ama Dablam Basecamp lodge and with porter assist established high camp at approximately 5100m on the moraine. Once we established our high camp; we were surprised at the condition of the Nare Glacier while our pre-trip research only showed the one ascent account from the west face in April of 2000 and that team (Americans Peter Carse and Supy Bullard) approached from the Hinku-Nup Glacier and climbed the West face of the mountain. No other ascents of the mountain had been documented since 2000," Jay shared after returning to Kathmandu.
The initial approach to their high camp at 5100m; was from Ama Dablam Basecamp Lodge and involved well traveled trails initially and then a mix of walking through open tundra to yak trails and then lateral moraine/talus slopes.
"C1 was established at 5800m and was located just below the NW ridge and a short hike on the ridge to the col below the main NW ridge of Malangphulang, the climber said. The climbing from the high camp to C1 consistent of initial travel on loose talus on the lateral moraine. "This initial travel on the moraine to the start of the climbing to get to C1 was much different than our research had shown, where on GoogleEarth searches, previous pictures, and the only trip report showed more glacier than was evident when we started climbing," he added.
The extent of the impact of global climate change was grossly apparent with the amount of glacier that seems to have receded over the past several years to couple of decades since climbers had been on the mountain.
"The climbing from the moraine to C1 was a mostly easy 5th class (French 1+) climbing with some mixed climbing on low angle unconsolidated snow and very little ice climbing. There was one pitch of YDS 5.9 (French 5c) approximately 120m below where we established C1, the rock in this section was not as loose as the lower pitches."
From C1, the team started our summit bid at 2200 and gained the ridge. The climbing on the ridge was loose and unstable to the col and then the snow climbing started. Climbing the ridge from the col was a mix of neve, some ice and unconsolidated facets of snow.
"As we gained the ridge from the col the climbing became steeper with sections of 60-70 degree snow slopes with a mix of unconsolidated snow and some denser snow/neve for climbing. Some sections prior to our turnaround point of a little over 6000m were loose rock/snow mixed climbing. Once we achieved our high point of a little over 6000m we turned around due to the poor snow/rock conditions we found on the ridge. This was at 0400 after 6hrs of climbing and a little under 1000m distance and only 200m or so of elevation gain from C1," Jay shared.
According to him, the descent from their high point to C1 involved tension belay and lowering and on belay down climbing along the ridge and some rappels.
"From C1 to the moraine back to high camp was approximately 9 rappels and a mix of slung blocks and piton anchors. In total, from our high point back to our high camp was about 20hrs of travel time, he added.