The Rangtik Tokpo is surrounded by towering granite walls that can be reached in one to three hours walk from base camp. Moritz Sigmund and I, together with five friends from the Dolomites, followed the call of these rock faces to explore their potential during a five-week trip.

We established our base at 4,900m accompanied by three Tungri locals, having spent the night in their village; they acted not only as our guides but also cooks, taking great pride in providing us with culinary delights. This expedition was as much about the journey as it was about the destination. The travel to base camp was an enlightening cultural experience that offered insights into the Buddhist way of life. Surprisingly, the sheer beauty and spirituality of the trip made me feel like I had experienced something valuable even before I set foot on any mountain. We thoroughly enjoyed the tranquility of base camp, shielded from the hustle and bustle of the world, and engaged in board games, literature, art, and just thinking. 

Our main objective was to climb the northwest face of Jamyang Ri (5,800m, 33°27’58.67”N, 76°44’46.29”E), rising over the top of a subsidiary summit that was named Torre Fanni (ca 5,600m) by the 2017 expedition that made the first ascent. [Little Jamyang Ri would be a more appropriate name, respecting local language and culture.] The upper wall, above the Torre summit, shimmered in the evening sun, and its smooth facets and sharp edges earned it the nickname “mountain crystal.” The northwest arête, which pointed directly toward the valley, provided a fascinating daily vision and made us dream of climbing it.

Our proposed line to reach the summit of Little Jamyang Ri (and thus the upper arête) via the ca 500m northwest face was far more difficult than expected, and we were forced to abandon it after three days, having climbed six pitches up to VIII+ A2. We changed plans, choosing to skirt the tower and reach the northwest arête via the steep west face of Jamyang Ri itself.

We set off from base camp at 4 a.m. on July 21, taking only minimal equipment but a lot of motivation, hope, and confidence. After an 80-minute approach, we started up the west face, following very similar ground to the first four pitches of the 2017 route Cunka (AAJ 2018). Where this route makes a long traverse right, we followed previously unclimbed terrain up to the left. Around 11 a.m., having covered about 400m (10 pitches), we were level with the top of Little Jamyang Ri at around 5,600m, just below the “crystal edge.”

Once on the northwest arête, we found to our delight that the cracks we had seen from base camp were some of the most beautiful we had ever climbed. When the crack system ended, we made a bold rightward traverse. We only had two bolts and a hand drill, carried in case of
a forced retreat, so we made the traverse without protection (and we wouldn’t blame any party that wanted to add extra protection to this traverse). This brought us onto the west face, which turned orange in the sun and gifted us with an incredibly beautiful climb.

After some excellent free pitches and a pendulum, we finally reached the summit, full of emotion. While climbing the upper wall, we were pleased to see our friends Elisabeth Lardschneider and Markus Ranalter reach the top of Little Jamyang Ri after spending six days working on its northwest face (see report here).

Despite the happiness we felt, we were aware we still had a long descent. Since we knew little about the Slovenian rappel route in the center of the west face, we did not always find their anchors and were forced to drill one bolt. Nevertheless, after 18 hours we reached base camp, exhausted but infinitely happy. We named the route Nelim Lam (“Crystal Route,” 700m-plus of climbing, 19 pitches, VIII+/5.12 A0).

Our time in this mountain paradise taught us profound lessons. The cheerfulness and gratitude of the Tungri people left an indelible impression. The “mountain crystal” will forever remind us that truly precious treasures can only be stored in our memories.

— Patrick Tirler, Italy