KATHMANDU, OCTOBER 18
Two renowned climbers explored a new climbing route on the northwest ridge of Beding Go peak in Rolwaling.
On Oct 13, 2024, Pasang Kidar Sherpa (Rolwaling, Nepal) and Danika Gilbert (Colorado, USA) established a new alpine style route on the NW ridge of Beding Go (6125m) in the Guarishankar range.
According to Pasang Kidar, from a high camp at 5100m, the two followed a route through glaciated terrain to a ridge separating Tibet from Nepal. After 400m along this ridge over several false summits, they reached the final ridge traverse (130m long) with wild exposure on both sides; 1350m down to the Rongshar valley to the north, and 700m back down to the Gaurishankar khola valley to the west.
The pair shared an expedition permit with a Japanese expedition team, whose fixing team included Mingma Cherri Sherpa (Rolwaling, Nepal), Pemba Cherri Sherpa (Simigaun, Nepal) and Lhakpa Nurbu Sherpa (Kharikhola, Nepal). The trio of expedition Sherpas had gone to 5500m the day before fixing ropes for the Japanese climbers.
Pasang Kidar Sherpa and Danika Gilbert followed their route, while maintaining alpine style climbing ethics. Above the Japanese teams' high point, climbing conditions became much more difficult, with faceted snow making the ridge climb challenging and avalanche concerns were high. With one foot in Tibet and one foot in Nepal, the pair made their way up 600m of exposed ridge to reach the summit at 12:07 pm Nepal time. At the summit they found rope remains from the first ascent team via the rocky south face in 2015.
The new route, "Friendship Ridge" is rated by the party at Grade V, AI 3+, TD and was entirely on snow and ice above the 5150m point. Access is from the village of Beding via an extremely steep approach. Porter assistance from Nangsal Tamang (Thalti, Nepal) to a basecamp at 4900m was critical to the success of the pair of climbers. From that base the duo established a high camp at 5100m from which they explored different glacial approach options. Final route choice is as is illustrated in the attached photos.
Pasang Kidar Sherpa is an IFMGA guide and Managing Director of Khangri Trek, based in Kathmandu, Nepal. Danika Gilbert is a mountain guide based in Ridgway, Colorado. The pair work together to bring Afghan women and blind climbers to Nepal together, trekking and climbing. This climb was their dream climb together after an ascent Yalung Ri and another nearby peak fall 2024 with Mingma Cherri Sherpa and a group of American and Afghan climbers. This new route, the NW ridge of Beding Go, will provide future expedition teams with a challenge a bit more difficult than Ama Dablam peak in Nepal, or similar to Huandoy peak's North Face route in Peru. This route is perhaps more accessible to other groups than nearby Langdung peak (6357m), which Pasang Kidar was part of the first ascent party in winter 2017, according to Pasang Kidar.
Further route details for "Friendhip Ridge" will be available in a subsequent article for the American Alpine Journal, or by contacting one of the climbers directly.
