Mt. Cholatse::
Location: Nepal, Asia
Lat/Lon: 27.82936°N / 86.88538°E
Activities: Mountaineering
Duration: 29 Days
Elevation: 21129 ft / 6440 m
A little night climb
Cholatse is a stunning peak with narrow snow and ice ridges and steep faces. It is on the ridge separating the Gokyo and Khumbu valleys, just north of Taboche and just south of a 5420 meter pass used by Sherpas and trekers alike to go between the Gokyo and Khumbu valleys. Interestingly, there is a lake just below this pass to the east, and in Tibetan 'cho' is lake, 'la' is pass, and 'tse' is peak so Cholatse means literally "lake pass peak". Unlike many mountains, there is no easy way to reach or descend from its summit, so any climb of the mountain is a serious mountaineering undertaking.
Through the 1950's 60's and 70's, Everest, Ama Dablam and the other named peaks of the Khumbu were climbed on by one but no permits were granted for Cholatse, so it remained unclimbed until 1982 when it was infact the last named but unclimbed peak in the Khumbu. In that year, Al Read from Mountain Travel secured a permit for the peak. In April of that year, Vern Clevenger, John Roskelley, Galen Rowell and Bill O'Connor reached the summit via the South West Ridge. The climb was described as some twenty pitches of difficult ice climbing.
Later that same year, a Swiss expedition with Heidi Ludi, Niklause Alpiger and the Nepelese climber Kancha Tamang reached the summit after fixing ropes on much of the South East Ridge. The following year, the startling North East face was climbed by Todd Bibler, Catherine Freer, Penny Jackson and Sandy Stewart. At a slide show, Bibler, who had waltzed up the Eiger's North Face on an earlier European trip implied that the climb was quite scary. It remains unrepeated (VI AI5 5.9 A2). Several additional lines have been climbed including the prominent Western Rib of the West Face and the long corniced North West Ridge. During 2005 a number of variations of the North-East and North Face climbs were achieved including the first Winter Ascent of the North Face by the Koreans Park Jung-hun and Choi Kang-sik who were unfortunately both significantly injured by frostbite following an accident on the descent from the summit. Ueli Steck made a solo ascent of the north face including a direct finish in a 37 hour push from base camp with a single bivouac on the face. He reports the difficulty as "rock to F5, ice to 90 degrees, and M6 terrain noting the climb was similar in difficulty to the north face of the Eiger.
The mountain has not been climbed by commercial companies and none of the routes to the summit have been ascended more than a few times. The South West Ridge, perhaps the easiest on the peak was only repeated in 1993 then in 2005.
A magic word: psyche
The psyche. The magic word for these achievements: climbing solo at this level would be impossible without the ability to concentrate onefs whole body and mind on the climb and the next step. gIfve always had good insighth, says Ueli. So hefs never needed to study meditation techniques c. It just comes naturally. gIf you can concentrate totally on something then it remains completely focussed. I knew, based on personal experience, that I could climb Cholatse. The trick is to use this knowledge.......More on Request. |
- Accomodation in Kathmandu with bed & breakfast at 3 Star Hotel
- Air Ticket Kathmandu - Lukla - Kathmandu .
- Full board trekking with lodge & Food for BC Expedition period
- Equipment: trekking equipment for Base Camp, 1 tent for 2 persons, dining tent, toilet tent, table and chares, Mattresses
- All kitchen equipment for Base Camp
- Expedition crews allowance, Liaison office allowances ,equipment allowances & Road transportation
- All transfer airport-hotel-airport
- Crews: Base camp guide, Cook, Kitchen & necessary porter or Yak
- All necessary taxes.
- Agency service charge
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