A team from Japan’s Himalaya Camp project has summited Sanctuary Peak, an isolated 6,207m peak in western Nepal. The young climbers completed it in a single push — not bad, for a first high-altitude experience.
They launched their summit push from their only camp, Camp 1 at 5,300m. They summited on October 19 and returned to Camp 1 on October 20, which suggests that they descended through the night.
They had originally planned to set up a second camp but finally decided to go for the top from that point, despite the long distance. Luckily, they all safely reached base camp, where they are now resting.
Isolated ranges
Sanctuary Peak lies in the isolated upper Dolpo region. The students trekked for nine days, then set up their Base Camp at 4,650m on the plains of Jagadura Khola. The peak, at the end of a long glacier, was not even visible from that spot. The approach and the trek back will have taken much longer than the climb itself.
Sanctuary Peak is not marked on Google Maps. The nearest range is the Kanjiroba Himal in western Nepal.
Details on the first ascent will have to wait until the climbers return from the mountain in early November.
First ascent?
There is some uncertainty around the actual location of Sanctuary Peak and whether it is unclimbed. The American Alpine Journal mentions an expedition led by Paulo Grobel that reportedly climbed and named a Sanctuary Peak in 2012. However, Nepal’s Himal Peak Profile (admittedly, rarely updated) lists the peak as unclimbed.
Sanctuary Peak marks another success for a number of Japanese teams currently attempting new routes, mainly in alpine style, in Nepal. Recently, another team of young climbers bagged the first ascent of Phungi (6,524m), near Manaslu.
