Korlang Pari Tippa North, West Top

Nepal, Rolwaling Himal
Author: Brian Jackson. Climb Year: 2018. Publication Year: 2019.

In 2017 our expedition made the first ascent of Korlang Pari Tippa South (AAJ 2018). In November 2018, I returned to the Rolwaling to lead a small team attempting to climb Korlang Pari Tippa North (5,738m, according to the Ministry of Tourism, which gives coordinates partway down the east ridge. (This northern peak appeared slightly higher than the southern summit to the 2017 team.) Following the same approach as we did in 2017, we trekked up a very steep valley side to a hidden plateau, where we established base camp at 4,836m (28°8.6478'N, 86°11.4909'E). On the 23rd we moved to our advanced base camp at 5,300m, in the cul de sac of mountains at the Nepal-Tibet border.

From the highest (east) summit of Korlang Pari Tippa North, a 500m-long ridge descends along the Nepal-Tibet frontier to a western top. We studied the eastern top but could see no safe route up the twin towers of broken shattered blocks. We therefore chose to climb the lower western top, which still featured difficult shattered rock traverses and stonefall.

We reached the west top of Korlang Pari Tippa North (5,574m, 28°10.3081'N, 86°10.9266'E) at 9:20 a.m. on November 25 using 350m of fixed line. Those who summited were Gwyn Griffiths, Catherine Husted, Daniel Walker, Mingma Dorje Sherpa, Mindu Sherpa, and me.

– Brian Jackson, Expedition Wise Ltd., U.K.



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