Several unnamed peaks line the Nangma Valley, one of which Jonathan Schaffer and I attempted to climb in August. [This mountain, at approximately 35°21’58.82”N, 76°29’24.54”E, is labeled Peak 19, 5,007m, on Jerzy Wala’s orographic map of the K6 Group.] Our climb on the northwest face gained around 600m and consisted of almost all things: scrambling, slab, offwidth, runouts, goat poop, choss, snow, ice, stuck ropes, and midnight rappels—even a point of aid where I was too lazy to don crampons for an icy bit. What was missing was a summit.

From our high point, an impenetrable slab separated us from glory: nary a divet on which to find purchase, nor a seam to afford protection. With the right wind, I could have peed on the summit. But I didn’t, and we went down. We named the route to our high point Asterisk (5.10 A0).

We were in the Nangma primarily to attempt the north ridge of Shingu Charpa (ca 5,900m), and like so many before, did not get to the summit. We made it around two-thirds of the way up the mountain before rime-plastered rock and generally poor conditions thwarted our attempt.

— Pete Fasoldt, USA