Marek Holecek and Ondro Huserka hoped to summit Langtang Lirung yesterday, but the mountain was not ready to reward the climbers for the first-ever ascent of its east face.
Ondra Mrklovsky, the third expedition member, dropped out from the final summit push. He spent the day watching the summit ridge, trying to spot his teammates on the final leg of their climb.
Holecek and Huserka’s plan had been to quickly reach the top and then descend as far as they could, aware that they would need at least one more bivy night on the way down. However, summit news never arrived.
A photo of the summit ridge of Langtang Lirung through a telescope. Photo: Ondra Mrklovsky
“Yesterday can be described in one word: hell,” Holecek finally reported over satellite phone today. “We spent the whole day digging through loose sugar snow to the summit ridge. In the early evening, completely exhausted, we built the fifth bivouac under the top. In the morning [today], we hope to reach the top and hurry down.”
Holecek of the Czech Republic and Huserka of Slovakia launched their summit push on the east face of Langtang Lirung six days ago. On Monday, they pitched their bivouac tent for the fourth time, 50m below the peak’s summit ridge.
