At 10:45 a.m. on September 25, Koki Ikeda, Daisuke Shimozuru, Yujiro Suga, and Asahi Takeshita (Japan) with Dendi Sherpa, Ngima Sherpa, Penba Sherpa, Tenjin Sherpa, and Bir Kaji Tamang (Nepal), all from a Japanese expedition led by Sachio Nakamizo, made the first ascent of Tsartse (Tasartse, 6,343m).

The little Sangdachhe Himal lies northeast of Dhaulagiri and the eastern aspect is clearly visible from the Muktinath-Jomsom trail. There are three main summits: Tashi Kang (6,386m), Sangdachhe (unofficially Peak Europa, 6,403m), and Tsartse.

Tashi Kang was brought onto the permitted list in 2002 and climbed in August the same year by a Japanese expedition. From a base camp to the south at 5,400m, they climbed the southwest ridge, then traversed snow to the east to reach the southeast ridge, up which they finished. This line was repeated the following year by Germans acclimatizing for Dhaulagiri (AAJ 2004). They found the route technically quite difficult, the lower part steep and narrow, while the upper southeast ridge rose to 60° ice.

One of the successful German summiteers, Geotz Wiegand, returned in 2006 to attempt Tsartse (also opened in 2002) by climbing over the summit of Tashi Kang. On his team was the Romanian Constantin Lacatusu. On that occasion the ridge to Tsartse looked too corniced, so the team descended northwest to a 6,177m col, and climbed the southeast snow/ice face of Peak 6,403m, making the first ascent of this summit and giving it the unofficial name of Peak Europa. Wiegand returned in 2012 and '13 to attempt Tsartse again with Lacatusu, and then Lacatusu with other Romanians tried in 2014 and '15. Altogether this less well-known peak was unsuccessfully attempted by eight different expeditions, the last in 2016 by Japanese, all via a traverse of Tashi Kang. Dangerous snow conditions were generally the reason for retreat.

The 2018 Japanese team also had a base camp at 5,400m, directly south of Tashi Kang. On the 24th they spent the night in a high camp at 6,000m on the southwest ridge of Tashi Kang. Leaving early next morning they traversed snow on the east face of Tashi Kang to reach the ca 6,000m col on the far side, then climbed the southwest face of Tsartse to the summit. They were back in base camp at 6:45 p.m. the same day. A total of 3,000m of fixed rope was used on this ascent.

– Information provided by Rodolphe Popier, The Himalayan Database, France