One of the most interesting expeditions of the season left Kathmandu today toward two isolated peaks in the Kangchenjunga region of eastern Nepal.
Peter Hamor of Slovakia, plus Nives Meroi and Romano Benet of Italy, will attempt a new route on 7,590m Yalung Peak, one of the subsidiary points of the Kangchenjunga massif. The team intends to focus on their exploratory climb and leave their social media posts for their return, so we likely won’t hear anything further until they finish.
The Kangchenjunga area, with Kangbachen (red circle) to the west of Kangchenjunga (black line), with the Kabru massif (green line). Photo: Himalaya-info.com
Veterans Meroi, 63, Benet, 62, and Hamor, 60, attempted Yalung Peak last year, but bad weather prevented them from even starting. They have not yet set foot on the southeast spur, so they still have a chance to climb that new route in pure alpine style. The peak for which they obtained a second permit, 7,412m Kabru I, is just an acclimatization ascent.
The team is otherwise familiar with the area, which is one of Hamor’s favorites, thanks to its beautiful peaks and lack of infrastructure. In 2023, the trio did the first ascent of nearby Kabru South (7,318m). Meroi won a Piolet d’Or in the female category for that climb.
Permits and trekking
The Italian couple Benet and Meroi reached Nepal last weekend, but Hamor has been in the country for some weeks, trekking with his wife.
Peter Hamor of Slovakia with the climbing permits for Yalung Peak and Kabru I. Photo: Peter Hamor/Facebook
The team received their permits for Kabru I and Kangbachen from the Department of Tourism on Monday. Although their goal is Yalung Peak, their permit had to be issued for the neighboring — and higher — Kangbachen (7,902m).
Last year, the trio had considered traversing from the summit of Yalung Peak to Kangbachen along the summit ridge. Conditions at the time will determine whether they may attempt the same this year.
Instead of taking a helicopter to Base Camp, they are doing their approach the old-fashioned way — driving to Phidim village today and then taking a second vehicle for another eight hours to the start of their trek. They will need over a week to reach Base Camp.
