This year, a number of small teams are going for technical routes on lesser peaks in Nepal. Most of them prefer to keep quiet about their plans and progress.
“We prefer not to comment until we finish,” David Goettler told ExplorersWeb from the Khumbu. With teammates Guillaume Pierrel and Luicen Boucansaud, Goettler has been acclimatizing on peaks where no permit is needed. Then they will begin — and may have already begun — their larger goal.
List of peaks over 6,000m where permits have been granted this season in Nepal. Photo: Nepal’s Department of Tourism
Simone Moro is back in Nepal, not as a pilot but as a climber. He is currently in Everest Base Camp (outfitted by 8K Expeditions). His goal is not the Big E but rather the rarely visited Lingtren.
This 6,749m peak rises at the back of the Base Camp, near Pumori. Its remarkably steep slope could make a perfect ski descent for Moro’s new partner, Aymar Navarro, a Spanish freerider. A three-man film crew completes the team.
Another peak on the Department of Tourism’s most recent list is Pumori (7,161m). It also lists five men on this expedition. Sources report that Pumori is an alternative (or a second peak) for Moro’s team.
Maciej Kimel and Wadim Jablonski of Poland are now trekking up the Rolwaling Valley toward Chobutse.
One of the Polish climbers in the Rolwaling Valley yesterday. Photo: Polski Himalaizm Sportowy
Mikel Zabalza, Juan Vallejo, and Iker Madoz from Spain will climb Phurbi Chyachu, an isolated peak on the Nepal-Tibet border. A Japanese team made its first ascent in 1982.
Some contemporary Japanese climbers from Doshisha University are currently attempting Raksha Urai and unclimbed Lama Peak in western Nepal.
No news from Jannu
There is no news from the two American teams attempting Jannu. They set off three weeks ago. While they share a permit, they are climbing two different routes.
The permit list cites several expeditions to peaks in the Kangchenjunga region. One is heading for 6,881m Drohmo, another to 6,332m Kyabura. Meanwhile, a third aims to climb Anidesh Chuli (formerly known as White Wave), very close to Jannu.
Drohmo Peak. Mark Horrell, who took the photo, notes that the highest point is one of the summits on the left. He added that Doug Scott climbed the highest of the two in the middle. Check more here.
Finally, other teams are heading for trekking peaks less crowded than the usual Lobuche East. These include Saribung, Putha Hiunchuli (also known as Dhaulagiri VII), Baruntse, Himlung, and Damphus Peak.
Finally, three men and one woman are attempting Annapurna IV. This is sometimes marketed as a trekking peak, but at 7,525m and requiring four altitude camps, it is a serious mountain. Its normal route goes up the north side. To the west, it leads to a col, and at the other side of this col is the Southeast Ridge of Annapurna III. Ukrainians Mikhail Fomin, Nikita Balabanov, and Viacheslav Polezhaiko finally climbed that formidable obstacle in 2021.
Note: Minutes after we posted this story, Simone Moro posted new details on Instagram. Skier Aymar Navarro has some health issues and has flown to Kathmandu for a medical check. Meanwhile, Moro has decided to go for Pumori right away.
“Pemba Sherpa, Datuk Sherpa, and I will attempt Mount Pumori in alpine style, a first for each of us,” Moto wrote. “As for what comes next, should the situation allow, I’m prepared to pursue our second goal with Aymar.”
