Tiphaine Duperier and Boris Langenstein of France have notched another Himalayan first ski descent, this time down the southwest face of Meru Central (6,310m) in India’s Garhwal Himalaya. The skiers are still surprised by how lucky they were.
Duperier admitted they started the expedition with low expectations after several projects earlier in the fall all failed.
“Snow conditions had been unforgiving,” she wrote. “We figured there was only a 3-in-10 chance of skiing the southwest face of Meru.”
But when they got there, the mountain was, they added, “generous” with them.
The three-peaked Meru massif, located in the Gangotri Glacier region of the Garhwal Himalaya, lies between Shivling and Thalay Sagar. It has three peaks: 6,660m Meru South, 6,310m Meru Central, and 6,450m Meru North. The ski descent line is in purple. Photo: Duperier/Langenstein
“We spent six days of reconnaissance and three [days] climbing the peak, [thanks to] an unprecedented stroke of luck in finding a way through the icefall and perfect snow in the upper section,” she explained.
The icefall on Meru Central. Photo: Boris Langenstein
The icefall at the base of the peak was indeed one of the most complex passages. The pair climbed a 15m pitch of WI4 and left a safety rope, which they also used to rappel down after the ski descent, Duperier told PlanetMountain.
Otherwise, the pair of regular expedition and skiing partners climbed alpine-style and pretty fast, reaching the summit in less than eight hours. According to their research, they completed the second-ever ascent of the southwest face of Meru, after an Indian team in 2023.
No rappels
At the summit on Meru Central. Photo: Duperier/Langenstein
The skiers estimate they covered 1,500m on their descent, with some sections reaching 50 °. Snow conditions were good overall, hard but with a good grip.
“We skied like little monkeys on the wires in Rishikesh,” Duperier posted on social media. “It was just incredible, truly beautiful!”
While the climbers rappelled down the icefall onto the glacier below, the ski descent itself had no rappels or interruptions.
Piolet d’Or waiting at home
Duperier barely had time to return home to France to pick up a Piolet d’Or for the first alpine-style ascent of the Schell Route on the Rupal Face of Nanga Parbat, followed by the first ski descent from the 8,125m summit.
Tiphaine Duperier at the Piolets d’Or ceremony. Photo: Piotr Drozdz
