Esteban Mena (Ecuador), Roberto Morales (Colombia), and I arrived in the Langtang Valley in October with a permit for Langtang Lirung (7,227m). On the 15th we attempted the ca 2,200m east face, reaching 5,800m. We decided to retreat due to the amount of fresh snow left by a previous storm and our exposure to icefall. This experience made us look for another face with a different orientation.

On the 19th we left Kyanjin Gompa and headed up to the Kimshung Glacier. Our idea was to attempt the line Burning Kharkas, climbed in 2014 by Evan Miles and Ibai Rico. This route climbs the west face of Peak 6,192m at the end of the long west- southwest ridge of Dragpoche (a.k.a. Yansa Tsenji, 6,567m). Miles and Rico climbed the face to a notch in the south-southwest ridge about 100m below the summit but did not continue above this point due to loose rock.

We bivouacked at 5,650m, at the foot of the face, after a seven-hour approach. We left this camp at 11 p.m. and the next day followed Burning Kharkas to its high point and then completed the unclimbed section to the summit. [Editor’s note: This is likely the first ascent of this summit (28°15’7.19”N, 85°35’24.81”E).] The last section on the south-southwest ridge was unconsolidated snow over loose rock.

Evans and Rico had graded their 650m line TD+ M4 WI5+ 90°. We agree with that estimation except for the ice climbing sections, where we found more favorable conditions and a grade of WI4. We reached the summit at around 1 p.m. and rappelled the route to our bivouac site. That same afternoon we traversed east, below the south face, downclimbing 40–50° snow and some mixed sections, to eventually reach the Yala Glacier. We continued down the Yala Valley to Kyanjin Gompa.

— Joshua Jarrín, Ecuador