Snow, snow and more snow in the Hinku

Trying to escaping the heat and humidity of Kathmandu I almost wish I was back in the Hinku valley sitting out another afternoon storm.  Flicking back through my notebook I can count five days out of just over a month we spent in the Hinku valley when we didn’t have any snow or rain, and that unfortunately just about sums up our expedition.

After acclimatizing at the col between Kyashar and Kusum Kanguru we spent two weeks sitting in the village of Tangnag at our base camp, waiting and hoping the weather would eventually settle and allow us to try the unclimbed South Pillar.  We never had a super storm with 72 hours of snow or anything like that but just constant unsettled weather that most afternoons would cover the mountains with a blanket of fresh snow, and the thought of having to climb through or sit out these storms every afternoon at over 6000m on a steep technical face wasn’t exactly appealing or for that matter an option.

The start of the south pillar which on last year’s attempt with Tony Stone we rock climbed was plastered in snow for the entire month we camped below it and coupled with the unsettled weather and ever increasing quantity of snow on the mountain it was obvious we weren’t going to get on the pillar.  A brief lull gave us a bit of hope and wanting to salvage something from the trip we retrieved out gear that had been stashed below the route and decided to attempt the easier west ridge.  This is the line that the mountain was first climbed by in 2003, from the col where we’d acclimatized to a 100m shattered rock buttress leads to a snow/ice ridge eventually finishing up the ice slope of the west face.

I’m just writing a short article on the attempt so I’ll save the story till then and link it to here but it was only an attempt unfortunately that included some of the scariest most dangerous climbing I’ve done in the mountains.  In the mean time Nick has written a good piece on his blog here www.nickbullock-climber.co.uk, and probably a far better read than mine will be!

Although it wasn’t the most successful trip climbing wise (again... thats two in a row for me and three for Nick) we had a good laugh, found some great bouldering around base camp and most importantly back in one piece to do it all again next time!

Panorama of the Hinku, Kyashar on the left to the West face of Mera Peak on the right

Acclimatizing at 5700m at the col between Kyashar and Kusum Kanguru, the west ridge is above Nicks head

The upper part of the South pillar of Kyashar

The calm before the storm

Approaching the col between Kyashar and Kusum Kanguru

leaving the col, with the buttress marking the start of the west ridge above

'a cheval' approaching the west ridge on horrible and deep unconsolidated snow 

(photo - Nick Bullock)

Nick approaching the buttress at the start of the west ridge with 

the 'normal' route on Kusum Kanguru behind him

2 hours after leaving the col we eventually arrive at the base of the 

buttress, something we thought would have taken 15 minutes.... 

(photo - Nick Bullock)

Nick at the belay before the final hard pitch

Leaving the belay for the final pitch 

(photo - Nick Bullock)

Nick approaching the bivi boulder after 18 hours on the go

Sunrise over the Khumbu

Trying to warm the hands whilst Nick constructs the first abseil anchor (photo - Nick Bullock)

Starting the second abseil

 Drying kit back at base camp

Base camp with Kusum Kanguru above

Sun halo above the west face of Mera

Nick and I would like to thank the Nick Estcourt Award, The BMC, Mount Everest Foundation and the Welsh Sports Association for their generous financial assistance, without which the expedition could not have happened.  And for their continued support I would like to thank Mountain Equipment, Black Diamond, Scarpa, Tendon Ropes, Adidas Eyewear and Science in Sport as well as First Ascent for supplying us with MSR stoves.

Kyashar 2011 Expedition update - part 4

Just had a text in from Andy and Nick (see below)....unfortunetly its bad news the weather hasn't improved so the guys have had to bail on their attempt and are now on their way back to Kathmandu.



"Hi Dunk, we've been shut down by unsetttled weather and too much snow up high, its been over 2 weeks since we had the last snow free day, with no chance of getting on the South pillar we tried the easier West ridge but got hammered by the weather. We went a different way to the first ascent team found some very 'exciting' (very scary) climbing. There was way too much snow to make any progress on the upper ridge so bailed next morning. Should be back in Kathmandu in a week Nick and Andy"

Andy will post further info when he gets back into Kathmandu so check back later

Cheers Duncan - Mountain Equipment

Kyashar 2011 Expedition update - part 3

Just had a text in from the guys...

"Been sat in base camp with lots of snow every afternoon for the last 5 days. We managed to get some bouldering in during the mornings before it arrives. Bottom butress which we want to climb in rock boots - not axes and crampons is now plastered so we need a few days of sun to clear that first and lots of snow on the face. Gear stashed at start of climb so all set for when we get the weather! Fingers crossed its arrives soon" - Andy and Nick

Kyashar 2011 Expedition update - Part 2

Just had this text message in from the guys via their Sat Phone......


"All well at BC. Nick is over the man flu and we've spent the last few days bouldering around BC and acclimatising up to 5300m. Weather has been a bit unsettled but not too bad. Heading up to the Col between Kyashar and Kusum Kanguru to acclimatise for a few days... Cheers Andy and Nick"


We should hopefully hear more from the guys over the coming days so make sure you check back for all the latest

Cheers Duncan, Mountain Equipment

Kyashar Expedition 2011 - Update

I managed to grab a 5 minute chat with Nick and Andy this morning via sat phone.

The guys arrived at Base Camp yesterday and up to now everything has gone to plan bar a bout of man flu and tooth ache for Nick - which Andy informed me is just a sign of old age much to Nick’s delight.... youth!

So far they have only been able to catch short glimpse of Kyashar on the trek in as visibility has been poor due to snow though Andy mentioned that the weather had started to clear this morning, so fingers crossed that it will settle over the coming days.

Nick and Andy are now going to spend the next 2/3 days acclimatising at base camp before making their next move. Make sure you check back for the latest over the coming days

Cheers Duncan, Mountain Equipment

A week of entertaining failures

It started on Tuesday when Di and I headed over to the north-west and Beinn Eighe. We’d planned on doing Kami-Kaze on the Far East Wall but were stopped well before we even reached the plateau when we both ran out of patience wallowing through deep unconsolidated snow up the side of Beinn Eighe.

Round two with Beinn Eighe was with Nick on Thursday which turned into a very amusing ‘mini-epic’. Blood, Sweat and Frozen Tears was the aim for the day and with slightly more consolidated snow and some old tracks to follow we even made it onto the summit plateau this time.

We found the abseil point ok and Nick headed down, 15 minutes later the rope was still tight and I could hear some muffed shouts emanating up from below. Wandering round to get a view of the wall from the top of Central Buttress we figured he was off route.  On a ledge but unable to find a decent anchor Nick decided he’d untie from the ropes, let me abseil down, find the correct anchor, pull the ropes, continue the descent and pick him up on the way past.

Sounded great... I found the well used abseil anchor, pulled the rack up from Nick, backed it up and started pulling the ropes. Then the inevitable happened, just as the end of the rope goes out of sight above me they jam.  

'Umm, this could get quite interesting' was an initial thought after shouting a few choice words up at the ropes to no avail.

So I was on an anchor with 30m or rope and Nick was somewhere below me on a ledge with no rope or rack, great! After a brief conflab the knife came out, brand new Tendon rope got chopped and I just made it down with the remaining rope to an anchor Nick had spotted to his right on the girdle ledge. The rope pulled this time and I managed to throw a rope to Nick who reacquainted himself with some caving techniques and grovelled over to me. 

As with all these sort of situations we found the light hearted approach worked best, ignore the seriousness and have a good laugh about it (it’s blood, sweat and frozen tears not bagels, must have had food on the mind...):

We tied the rope off and abseiled into West Central Gully, down climbed this and then slogged back up Fuselage Gully to our kit and retrieved the stuck rope from the top. Didn't like leaving a rope littering the crag but Nick managed to get back across on Saturday to do the route and retrieve what we’d left. 

Trying (and failing...) to be artistic with ice tools and the Lancaster 

wreckage in Fuselage Gully

Roll on Saturday and one last attempt to grab a winter route. Andy Sharp and I made an exhausting post holing approach to Shelterstone to climb Citadel which we thought might just have been in condition. Unfortunately it looked from the approach that the top was probably going to be black but we started up with open minds to see what we found. 

Andy starting up the second pitch of Citadel

After the lower crux, which is really fun steep climbing on bomber hooks and torques, it was pretty obvious the meltdown had set in, water was running down the rocks everywhere and turf wasn’t exactly frozen anymore. Yes there was snow on the ledges but it was far from wintry enough to justify continuing up the summer line. Decision made Andy quickly took us out via the top of Sticil Face in a monster 120m pitch and we started the final post holing mission back across the plateau.

British Kyashar Expedition 2011 and the Nick Estcourt Award

This coming spring Nick Bullock and I will be heading back to Nepal and the Hinku Valley for an attempt on Kyashar, 6769m, via the stunning and unclimbed South Pillar.  This will be my second attempt on this eye catching line after an unsuccessful trip last autumn. 

Nick and I first set our eyes on Kyashar (then known as Peak 43) in 2008 when we were in the Hinku Valley to attempt a new route on Peak 41, an expedition which was cut short when we had all our base camp stolen.  Walking up the Hinku Valley we kept getting glimpses of this stunning distant peak through the afternoon cloud, drawing us in.  Kyashar dominats the Hinku Valley, standing proud over the village of Tangnag, named after the lower black rock buttresses of the peak.

The first and only recorded ascent of Kyashar was in 2003 via the west ridge, although it is likely there was an unauthorised ascent prior to it coming onto Nepal’s list of permitted peaks for climbing.  The South Pillar has seen three attempts so far including last years, the first two from strong Czechs teams which started up mixed ground below the upper pillar.  Last autumn there wasn’t any visible ice so Tony and I approached the upper pillar by climbing the rock buttress, covering a lot of ground up to HVS with some very loose rock.  Time will tell which approach Nick and I take in the spring.

We were both really pleased to hear last week that we had been awarded the 2011 Nick Estcourt Award for our expedition and would like to thank all the trustees of the award for their generous support.

We are still seeking further funding for the British Kyashar Expedition 2011, any companies or organisations interested in an unique opportunity for exposure and publicity in the outdoor market please get in contact for further information on the expedition and marketing potential.

 Kyashar dominating the Hinku Valley above Tangnag

 Andy on the 2010 attempt

 

Andy and Nick on the summit of Chang Himal

The Needle

The plan had been to have a leisurely start and head in to the Corries for a quick hit on Saturday, getting Nick back for his talk at the Lodge in good time.  Simple plans are never the most exciting so it only took one beer, a photo of Shelter Stone looking fairly white and a promise we'd be back at the car by 7.00 in the evening for plans to change to an earlier start for a look at the Needle (VIII 8, 260m ****).  After a slight detour (must remember to get the compass out sooner next time...), accidentally throwing the map away down the Goat track and a brief loss of psyche in the unexpected morning rain a quick game of paper-rock-scissor decided who grabbed the rack and I set off up the first pitch a bit later than planned at 9.30.  A long 60 meters following a fun turfy grove brought us onto the terrace where you join the original summer route and follow this for the rest of the way.  

Nick quickly dispatched another long technical pitch and what turned out to be the crux, a steep flake line with a balancy traverse onto a narrow ledge to the final thin and pumpy moves up a bulging crack.  The next pitch was just brilliant, a ramp line lead round the corner to the start of the 'crack for thin fingers' pitch, a dream description for a winter pitch!  A couple of thin moves with a slightly worrying ledge to hit below gained the crack and great moves on bomber hooks and torques to a tricky move left to a ledge, one of the best winter pitches I've ever done.  

Reading the guide book after I should probably have stepped right instead of left here but either way it worked out and Nick was soon belayed under the main feature of the route, the Needle chimney.  A long move off a very helpful chock stone to a small hook got me established in the offwidth before a proper grovel got me to the top and the last 20m of easy ground to the plateau.  Nick emerged onto the plateau grinning and with just enough time left to get back, make some food and drink a well deserved pint before his lecture.  It was an awesome route, long, sustained, in an amazing situation and great to be out climbing with Nick again.

Else where in the Loch Avon area Carn Etchachan was plastered with a number of team on various routes.  I'm not too sure if Sticil Face had any ice on it but we saw a team in that arean and another on The Citadel.  Hell's Lum was quite busy and the Chancer looked like it might be close to touching.

Hell's Lum on Saturday 

 
Starting up the first pitch of the Winter Needle (photo - Nick Bullock)

 Nick exiting the 'crack for thin fingers' pitch

 Pitch 4 which lead to the base of the chimney and final pitch

 Looking up the final pitch

Getting established in the offwidth final pitch  (photo - Nick Bullock)

 A happy Bullock emerging onto the plateau

 Busy day on Carn Etchachan