Marek Holecek and his Czech team have completed their acclimatization and are now ready for their main goal, the unclimbed east face of 7,234m Langtang Lirung.
Marek Holecek during the approach trek to Langtang Lirung. Photo: Marek Holecek/Instagram
While it was clear that Holecek wanted to climb Langtang Lirung, he has only recently confirmed that he, Ondrej Huserka, Ondra Mrklovsky, and Pavel Hodek will attempt the east face. Exposed and highly difficult, it has never been completed. Dangerous conditions thwarted last year’s attempt on the face by Topo Mena, Roberto Morales, and Joshua Jarrin of Ecuador.
Acclimatizing the hard way
First, the climbers needed to increase their oxygen-carrying blood cells, so off they went to 5,846m Naya Kanga, near Langtang Lirung. But their acclimatization proved anything but a high-altitude stroll. It turned out to be a three-day climb in deep snow with two bivouacs.
“If outfitters offer Naya Kanga as a trekking trip, I’ll consider these trekkers as brothers in arms,” Holecek joked.
Judging from the photo below, it does look hard.
Naya Kanga and its ascent route, as shown by Jean Pavillard. Photo: SwissMountainGuide.com
https://www.instagram.com/p/DBFkj8tSl3T/
After Naya Kanga, the team briefly went to a village down the valley. Today, they returned to their camp at the base of the east face of Langtang Lirung to wait for the right weather forecast before heading up.
Italians on their way
Meanwhile, a second team is also approaching the mountain after arriving in the Langtang region yesterday. Italians Francois Cazzanelli, Roger Bovard, Jerome Perruquet, Stefano Stradelli, Emrik Favre, Francesco Ratti, and Giulio Vidoni plan to climb 6,781m Kimshung, then Langtang Lirung, as we reported earlier. They have not specified any route.
