Asia, Nepal, Churen Himal, Dhaula Group

Publication Year: 1972.

Churen Himal, Dhaula Group. (This account is included since the account in A.A.J., 1971 was very brief. — Editor.) We first hoped to climb Churen Himal (24,183 feet) in 1963 but could not get permission until August, 1970. Colonel J.O.M. Roberts approached close to Churen Himal from the north in 1954 in the Kaya Khola. A Japanese expedition got to 18,850 feet from there in 1962. Roberts also pioneered routes to the base of Churen Himal from the south via the Kaphe Glacier in 1962 and 1965. In 1969 Italians led by Paolo Consiglio made an unsuccessful attempt along the south spur and west ridge to 21,600 feet. A Korean party was on the east peak in April, 1970. Our Academic Alpine Club of Shizuoka party consisted of Ryozo Yamamoto, climbing leader, Atsushi Oishi, Masayoshi Fukui, Kozo Hasegawa, Eiji Doma and me as leader. We left Pokhara on September 12, 1970, traveling through Beni and Muna and arriving at Gurjakhani on September 21. We set up Base Camp on the 24th at 13,450 feet on the site of the Italian Base Camp of 1969. Camp I was placed the following day at 15,600 feet on the Kaphe Glacier. (The route swung upward above the southern edge of the glacier and traversed in a semi-circle around its head back north to the Churen Himal. —Editor.) We decided on the small rock ridge to Gustang North up to 18,700 feet. The route ascended séracs and a not steep rock ridge to 17,400 feet, where Camp II was established on October 1. A 350-foot snow face just above Camp II and the steep, rocky rib above required 1000 feet of fixed rope to get to 18,700 feet. Above the rock ridge we had to cross a large snow plateau to establish Camp III on October 5 at 18,500 feet at the foot of the west face of Dhaula VI. Camp IV at 20,350 feet was placed on October 11 on the western side of Dhaula VI. We fixed 650 feet of rope on the steep, snowy upper part of the triangular rock ridge between Camps III and IV. Camp V was set up the following day at 21,650 feet on the upper plateau of the east peak. There seemed to be only this one way to climb to the summit from the southeast, through this plateau. Three days after our arrival at Camp V, Camp VI was established at 22,300 feet. Between Camp V and VI 1300 feet of rope were fixed for descending from the upper plateau down to the bottom of the cirque of the east peak. On October 23 Fukui and Hasegawa, supported by two Sherpas, moved to Camp VI. They set out at five A.M. the following morning in excellent weather, but the altitude was telling on Fukui. They reached the summit ridge at 10:40 and climbed the snow ridge for 150 feet before they stepped onto the summit of the central peak, which they thought would be the highest point. Observing that the west peak was of the same level or higher, they returned to Camp VI. On October 26 Doma, Sirdar Ang Norbu and Zangbu climbed the central peak again. The third summit party of Hasegawa and Ang Norbu left Camp VI at six o’clock on the 28th. After a long traverse of the south face of the main (west) peak, they climbed directly to the summit, which they reached at 11:13 A.M. The summit was like a spearhead. As supplies in our high camp had been used up, we could not attack the east peak from Camp V. On October 31, all members were at Base Camp.

TAKASHI SEIZAWA, Academic Alpine Club of Shizuoka