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SUMMARY
Our report covers activities in Tibet during 2008, and in the Daxue Shan of China's Sichuan Province during 2008-09. In the Daxue Shan we look at new routes or attempts on technical alpine peaks such as Riuche Gongga, Jiazi, E-Gongga (Edgar), Nyambo Konka, Ren Zhong Feng, and the Russian ascent of Pt 6,134m, which gained the pair the Russian Piolet d'Or for 2009. This range still offers much potential for alpine style first ascents of 5,000 and 6,000m peaks. In Tibet we record a multitude of first ascents on the Chang Tang (Tibetan Plateau) and sort out the complex issue of the various lines climbed on the north side of 8,027m Xixabangma.

PHOTODIAGRAMS
Many of the photos show a wealth of unclimbed mountains that will attract future parties. There is a detailed sketch map of the Minya Konka Range and comprehensively annotated panoramas of this range, the Mayer Kangri and Jomo Ri. Route lines show the West Face of Jiazi, Pt 5,200m, Pt 6,134m, Edgar, Ren Zhong Feng and Xixabangma. We even reproduce a unique oil painting, based on the view from the summit of Minya Konka.

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CHINA AND TIBET

Activity was severely limited in Tibet and China during 2008: the Beijing Olympics saw to that, as did the major earthquake in Sichuan. The year 2009 was more productive, particularly on technical, lower-altitude peaks east of the Himalaya. We start our report by looking at one range in Chinese central Sichuan.

SICHUAN Daxue Shan, Minya Konka Range, 2008-2009

The Daxue Shan is a long chain of mountains running from north to south through central Sichuan, west of Siguniang National Park and Chengdu. It is dominated by the Minya Konka Massif. At 7,556m, Minya Konka (aka Gongga Shan) is by far the highest peak in Sichuan, and the most easterly 7,000m peak in Asia. It is necessary to travel a long distance west to 7,782m Namcha Barwa in the Himalaya to find a higher summit. The first climbers to visit the range were Americans Richard Burdsall, Arthur Emmons, Terris Moore and Jack Young, who had already spent some time in China and were given almost complete freedom to travel the country, surveying, taking pictures and climbing. They arrived in the region during the early autumn of 1932, decided the North West Ridge of Minya Konka looked feasible from the Yangzigou Valley, and climbed it as a lightweight team. In the end only Burdsall and Moore were fit enough to go for the summit, which

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The unclimbed South East Face of E-Gongga (aka Edgar: 6,618m) rises from a deep gorge above the Yangzigou Valley in the northern Minya Konka group. It was the goal for two separate expeditions in 2009. Neither set foot on the face; one ended in tragedy. TAMOTSU NAKAMURA

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E A B C

A 360 panorama from the top of the South West Buttress of Pt 6,134m. (A) The summit ridge of Pt 6,134m. (B) Grosvenor (6,376m). (C) Jiazi (6,540m). The route of the first ascent in 1982 by Americans reached the 5,700m Grosvenor-Jiazi col from the far side, then climbed the South (left skyline) Ridge . (D) Nannemgoungou (aka Nan Men Guen) Valley. In the far distance is the snow-capped peak of Lamo-She (6,070m). (E) The North West Face of Edgar (6,618m). The route of the first ascent by Koreans in 2001 took the right skyline ridge. (F) Yangzigou Valley. (G) Zhong Shan (aka Sun-Yat-Sen: 6,886m). The second highest peak in the Minya Konka Range was climbed in 1981 by Swiss via the East Ridge. (H) Minya Konka (7,556m). The first ascent was made in 1932 by Americans via the North West (right skyline) Ridge. (I) Daddomain (6,380m). The first ascent was made in 2004 by New Zealanders via the West Ridge. (J) Pt 5,962m (unclimbed). (K) Dogonomba (5,960m: unclimbed). ALEXANDER RUCHKIN STITCHED BY PEDRO DETJEN

remained the highest climbed by Americans until 1958 (Gasherbrum I). It was a remarkable climb for the era, and the peak has only received seven subsequent ascents, all but one following the original route. Several 6,000m peaks and many smaller summits in the range remain unclimbed. Although mountaineering visits have been sporadic (for more history of activity in this range see APRIL 2005 INFO), in 2008-2009 at least six parties attempted climbs in the northern and southern sectors of the range.

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Sbastien Bohin on the South East Ridge of Riuchi Gongga (5,928m) during the first ascent. PASCAL TRIVIDIC

Riuchi Gongga and Jiazi

From late September to late October 2008, Sbastien Bohin, Sbastien Moatti and Pascal Trividic climbed in the north west sector of the Minya Konka Range. They found access to this region quite straightforward: a permit ($8001,500) can be obtained in just a few days and base camp reached in seveneight hours from Kangding, itself only eight hours from Chengdu on a comfortable bus. During the first half of their stay the weather was generally unstable, but `h point 6,200m) and North West Ridge (high point 6,100m) of their main goal, neighbouring Jiazi (aka Rudshe Konka: 6,540m: early explorers referred to Jiazi as Djaze Gonkar, Rudshe Konka, or in the case of Josef Rock, Riuche Konka, and it would seem that to avoid confusion it might be best to refer to Pt 5,928m as Tshiburongi). Bohin and Trividic approached Riuchi Gongga from the Riuchi Glacier to the south west, climbing 400m of 50 up to a col on the South East Ridge, where they bivouacked. The next day they climbed the crest above, which was generally 50-60 and often narrow. The climbing was mixed, with snow and ice gullies up to 70-80 and rock to UIAA IV+. The overall grade was D. The weather became colder and more stable during the second half of the expedition, allowing all three climbers to attempt their main goal, a new route

Looking across the West Face of Jiazi (6,540m) from the South East Ridge of Riuche Gongga. (1) The top section of the North East Ridge attempted in 1981 to 6,200m. (2) The North West Ridge attempted in 1981 to 6,100m. (3) The approximate line climbed in 1982 with eight bivouacs by Dave Stutzman and Jim Williams. They reached the summit ridge but were unable to continue to the top. PASCAL TRIVIDIC

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H I J K

The granite ridge on the north side of the Tshiburongi Glacier, showing Pt 5,200m and route of the 2008 French ascent. The main (pointed) summit remains unclimbed. PASCAL TRIVIDIC

on the West Face of Jiazi. After climbing 600m up a snow couloir towards the right side of the face, they bivouacked at c5,400m. Spindrift and rockfall proved troublesome during the night, and the next morning was no better, with cold winds and strong spindrift. They decided to retreat. Later, Moatti and Trividic explored the Tshiburongi Glacier north east of Riuchi Gongga and climbed a granite ridge to an unnamed 5,200m rocky top. The one and only ascent of Jiazi took place in the autumn of 1982, when Americans Pat Callis, John Markel and Richard Nolting reached the summit via the South Ridge. Dave Stutzman and Jim Williams from the same expedition made an alpine style ascent of a series of couloirs on the left side of the West Face, reaching the summit ridge after eight bivouacs. A cornice collapse and a dropped sack stopped them continuing along the crest to the highest point, and they made a descent of the East Face in search of the sack. From the bottom, they headed north west, crossed a col on Jiazi's North East Ridge and descended the Tshiburongi Glacier to base camp, so completing a remarkable round trip.
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Pt 6,134m
First to arrive in the Minya Konka Range during 2009 were the accomplished Russian climbers, Mikhail Mikhailov and Alexander Ruchkin. The two planned to be in the area by mid-March, but were told at the last minute that the Chinese had cancelled their permit because of the 50th anniversary celebrations in Tibet. Fortunately, a month later China reopened its doors and the two flew to Chengdu. Their original goal was the impressive South East Face of E-Gongga (Mt. Edgar, 6,618m), a large, steep, mixed granite wall, not dissimilar to the headwall on the North Face Direct of Jannu, which Ruchkin had successfully climbed in 2004 (Mikhailov was also on this expedition but did not summit). However, they also thought the peak was virgin, unaware of the Korean ascent in 2001. After reaching Moxi to the east of the range by road, and noting that the village was rapidly being transformed into a tourist resort, they travelled only three hours with horses up the Yangzigou, and on the 22nd April reached an altitude of 3,150m.

The 1,600m West Face of Jiazi (6,540m). (1) North West Ridge, attempted in 1981 by a British Army expedition that reached 6,100m. (2) West Face Couloir, climbed to the summit ridge in 1982 by Americans Stutzman and Williams. A cornice collapse and dropped sac forced them to abandon the summit and descend the East Face. (3) The 2008 French attempt. Their high point was the bivouac at 5,400m, reached after 600m of climbing. (4) South Ridge followed by the 1982 American team to make the first and only ascent of the mountain. PASCAL TRIVIDIC

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B D A C

Looking south from Pt 5,200m above the Tshiburongi Glacier. (A) Edgar (6,618m). (B) Jiazi (6,540m). The North Face is bounded on the left by the North East Ridge attempted (with fixed roped) in 1981 to 6,200m, and on the right by the North West Ridge attempted (with fixed rope in 1981 to 6,100m. The col at the base of the North East Ridge maybe the one crossed by the Americans after their descent of the East Face in 1982. (C) Grosvenor (6,376m). (D) Riuche Gongga (5,928m). PASCAL TRIVIDIC

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"Base Camp is here", said the horsemen, and, as they left, pointed vaguely to the north and said, "and your mountain is somewhere up there". Locals also told them Koreans had climbed it some years ago. The two Russians spent the next few days exploring in the mist and rain, examining the gorge that led towards the foot of the South East Face, which remained invisible. With the weather still poor, they decided to go for a fourday acclimatization trip up valley, and it was during this time, through a brief clearing in the cloud, they saw the beautiful rock wall on the south side of Pt 6,134m. This unclimbed summit lies north west of Edgar, close to Grosvenor (6,367m and first climbed in 2003 by Julie-Ann Clyma and Roger Payne). Deciding to waste no more time with a face on Edgar they had yet to see, and now knowing there was a possibility that the mountain had already been climbed, they turned to Pt 6,134m, where the South West Buttress was steep enough to shrug off fresh snow. Leaving base camp on the 4th May, they set up camp at 4,200m and over the next three days' bad weather marked a route to the base of the wall. On the 8th they started up the lower spur and over three days climbed it in c13 pitches, often on icy rock (generally 70-75). This section was climbed free except for about five metres of aid, and led to the headwall, a rounded pillar dividing the South East and South West Faces. After climbing a couple of pitches on the headwall during the afternoon of the 10th, they completed the remaining nine from the 11th-13th. Despite the steepness (estimated 85-95),

the pair managed to climb mostly free, using rock shoes, at difficulties up to 6b-6c. In fact more than 90% of the route was completed free, the rest requiring aid in short sections up to A2. They took no bolts but used a full assortment of gear from copperheads up to large cams. The rock was not perfect and, indeed, parts of the climb involved delicate moves around large detached flakes. The pair used a small tent (no portaledge), though on two nights they only had room for sitting bivouacs. From the top of the buttress Mikhailov and Ruchkin traversed the ridge to the North West Top, from where they planned to start the descent, but in zero visibility were forced to pitch the tent. Next morning they descended the snowy South West Face directly in 20 rappels to the glacier: again, bad weather forced them to spend the night in the valley before reaching base. On the 15th they arrived back in camp after an absence of 12 days, to be greeted by a much-relieved Chinese cook and interpreter. The 1,100m route (1,250m of climbing) has been named Carte Blanche and despite a number of strong contenders (such as Gorelik and Sokolov's daring new route on the North West Face of Pik Pobeda), Mikhailov and Ruchkin were awarded the Russian Piolet d'Or in December 2009 for this ascent.

The South West Face of Pt 6,134m above the upper Yangzigou Valley. The red line, with bivouac sites indicated, marks Carte Blanche (1,100m: 6b/6c and A2) climbed in 2009 by Russians Mikhailov and Ruchkin. The green line shows their descent route.
ALEXANDER RUCHKIN

Alexander Ruchkin (left) and Mikhail Mikhailov during their first ascent of Carte Blanche on the South West Buttress of Pt 6,134m, Minya Konka Range. ALEXANDER RUCHKIN

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E A B C D

Looking north across the Yangzigou Valley from the slopes of Minya Konka. (A) Jiazi (6,540m), (B) Pt 6,134m, (C) Pt 6,130m, (D) Pt 6,130m and (E) E-Gongga (6,618m). The 2009 Russian route Carte Blanche climbs the steep rock buttress of Pt 6,134m, while the 2001 Korean first ascent of E-Gongga followed the upper section of the West (left skyline) Ridge, the lower part being obscured by the snow-covered rocky ridge in middle distance. KOREAN ALPINE FEDERATION COLLECTION, SUPPLIED BY CHRISTINE PAE

E-Gongga
The third team to arrive in the area during the spring included the well-known American climbers Jonny Copp and Micah Dash. As reported in SEPTEMBER 2009 News (Top American climbers killed in Sichuan), they sadly met with disaster. Like the Russians, the two planned to attempt the South East Face of E-Gongga (6,618m), and with filmmaker Wade Johnson, who was to remain at advanced base, left base camp on the 20th May to ascend the deep gorge leading to the foot of the face. When they hadn't appeared for their return flights, the alert was sounded: subsequently Chinese alpinists started a search during the first week of June. They soon found a body, which was positively identified a day or so later, on the 7th, as Copp. Johnson's body was found on the 8th. A huge avalanche in the gorge had caught them before reaching the face. The body of Dash has so far not been discovered.
C D A B E G H F I J

Thirty-two-year old Dash was an impressive rock climber who climbed extensively in Yosemite, where he made free ascents of the Regular Route on the North West Face of Half Dome and Freerider on El Capitan. He made first free ascents and new routes in the Tasermiut Fjord of South Greenland, a new route on Cat's Ears Spire in the Karakoram, and the first ascent of the Shafat Fortress in India. Copp, who was three years older, had climbed extensively, making important new routes in America (eg the Black Canyon of the Gunnison and Alaska) and Canada (eg the Bugaboo). In addition hed climbed many new lines in the Paine and Fitz Roy regions of Patagonia, several in the Karakoram (including the second ascent of the US grade VII Inshallah on Shipton Spire), and various attempts and ascents in India, including the Shafat Fortress with Dash. Copp was also an Ambassador for Patagonia, and founder of Boulder's Adventure Film Festival. The E in E-Gongga stands for Edgar, by which this summit is more commonly known. Huston Edgar was a New Zealand missionary and archaeologist with the China Inland Mission. He visited this area in 1911 with the British explorer FM Bailey, and was an important developer of the historical and topographical knowledge of the region. The mountain was reconnoitred in 1981 by the British Army (see above), and then attempted the following year by Stuart Hepburn's British team, which tried both the West and South faces, before bad weather and poor snow conditions forced them down. It was climbed, though went unreported in the West, by a Korean team in 2001. The Koreans came from Mokpo University Alpine Club and had attempted the highest mountain in the range, Minya Konka (aka Gongga Shan: 7,556m), in 1996, 1998 and 2000. Led by Kim Jae-myung, who made the first ascent of Minya Konka's North East Ridge in 1998, the University team returned in 2001 and climbed Edgar by a predominately snow/ice spur on the West Face. Three camps were established, the highest at 5,900m, before the summit party was able to cross a foresummit to reach the corniced main top. In 2004 an approach from the north was inspected by a British expedition, which was eventually barred from reaching the North Face by a dangerous serac barrier.
D A C B 1 E F

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Looking north east from the vicinity of the 4,700m Zimei Pass. (A) Langge Manyin (6,074m). (B) Pt 5,946m. (C) Pt 6,394m. (D) Minya Konka (7,556m). (E) Pt 6,046m. (F) Nyambo Konka (6,114m). (1) North West Ridge climbed on the first ascent in 1932 by Burdsall and Moore. PEDRO DETJEN

Nyambo Konka
The second team to arrive in spring had a permit to climb Nyambo Konka, a virgin 6,114m peak to the south of Minya Konka that one of the members, American Mark Jenkins, had investigated from the east a few years previous. This peak is not easily seen from most directions. Unfortunately, during the approach in April, Lydia Bradey, Kenny Gasch, Penny Goddard (all from New Zealand) and Jenkins had disagreements with their liaison officer Chen Zheng Lin from the Ganzi Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture Mountaineering Association (the team was also required have an additional, Tibetan, LO, a fact they were only told once in the country). The team hoped to place base camp towards the head of the Bawang Valley below the East Face, but the LO stopped just two hours into the valley at a Tibetan camp and couldn't be persuaded to go higher, nor find porters. In fact he made the trip almost impossible, but after two weeks (the last in April and first in May) of ferrying loads and making two camps in the valley, a third in the cirque below the East Face and a fourth on the face itself, the four mountaineers were able to climb via a line of snowy rotten rock to the crest of the North East Ridge, some

An oil painting of the view looking more or less north from the summit of 7,556m Minya Konka. Compare this with the accompanying Korean photo from the slopes of Minya Konka. (A) Grosvenor (6,376m: first ascent in 2003 was via the North West Face to gain the South West Ridge - the left skyline). (B) Pt 6,206m (unclimbed). (C) Pt 5,603m (N 3036'15", E 10154'03"). (D) Jiazi (6,540m: first ascent in 1982 gained the snowy South Ridge, facing the camera, via the West Face to the left). (E) Pt 6,134m (climbed by Russians in 2009 via the South West Buttress. (F) Lotus Flower Mountain 5,704m (N 3016'07", E 10157'48"). (G) Pt 6,130m (unclimbed). (H) Pt 6,130m (unclimbed). (I) Edgar (6,618m: climbed in 2001 by a Korean team which followed the snowy West Ridge falling towards Pt 6,130m). (J) Part of the Lamo-She Massif. THE PHOTO OF THIS
PAINTING BY Y TANAKA WAS SUPPLIED BY TAMOTSU NAKAMURA

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Martin Ploug leads a final ice wall on the East Face to gain the crest of the North Ridge of Ren Zhong Feng. KRISTOFFER SZILAS

Minya Konka Massif drawn by T Nakamura and Y Takeuchi

distance from the summit. At this point they found the way ahead dangerous and heavily corniced. Retreating, they were caught in two consecutive snow storms, the first dumping 30cm while they were on the face, forcing them to descend through the night to avoid being swept off by avalanche, and the second, while they were in the cirque, dumping 60cm, and again forcing a nighttime descent. They advise future parties to steer well clear of their LO, and recommend climbing in very late autumn (November), or possibly very early in the spring, for better conditions.

Ren Zhong Feng

In 2008 the intrepid Japanese explorer Tom Nakamura travelled to the Daxue Shan to inspect an unnamed and unclimbed 6,079m peak south of the Minya Konka Range at N 2918' E 10125'. No photographs had ever been taken of this peak, one of the few remaining unclimbed 6,000ers in
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Sichuan. Nakamura enjoyed good weather (as normal with his travels), was able to take photos from the south and north east, and proposed the peak be named Ren Zhong Feng, as it lies in the valley north of Ren Zhong Lake. Nakamura's pictures were widely published and the lure of this unknown and unclimbed 6,000er appealed to two parties, who made plans for the autumn of 2009. First to arrive were the Hungarians Peter Csizmadia (37), Veronika Mikolovits (35), Balazs Pechtol (31) and Katalin Tolnay (36), who set up base camp at 3,100m in the relatively narrow Gangou Valley to the east of the mountain. All four left this site on the 17th October and established an advanced base further up valley at 3,900m. After that, no more was heard of them, and they failed to return to base on their scheduled date of the 31st. The liaison officer reported them missing and a five-

man search and rescue team was launched. According to a representative from the Sichuan Mountaineering Association, the rescuers reached an altitude of 4,400m in the valley, saw no trace of the climbers but much evidence of large ice fall and avalanche activity. Later, a helicopter search also proved fruitless. This brought the total of climbers killed in the mountains of Sichuan to 11 during 2008 (the three Americans on Edgar, the four Hungarians, and in the Siguniang Massif two Russians on Camel Peak and two Chinese). Three alpinists from Denmark also had a permit for Ren Zhong Feng but knew nothing about the Hungarians until two weeks before departure for China. Then one week before departure Carsten Cooper-Jensen, Martin Ploug and Kristoffer Szilas heard that the Hungarians were overdue and that on the 22nd October, the date of last contact as seen on their website, a large ice avalanche had swept the upper Gangou. The Danes also set up base camp in the same spot and an advanced camp at 4,500m. They too took part in the search but felt the area above 5,000m, in which the Hungarians were presumed to have disappeared, was extremely exposed to serac fall. The Danes decided to climb the mountain via the East Face to North Ridge alpine style. Because they were not able to acclimatize above their advanced camp, Cooper-Jensen decided to wait in order not to slow down the team. Ploug and Szilas stayed on the right side of the valley and then climbed a gully line on the East Face well right of the summit. They made their first bivouac at 5,200m and then stayed there all next day to acclimatize. They then climbed to a second bivouac at 5,500m, and on the following day bivouacked at 5,675m on the crest of the North Ridge, one-and-a-half kilometres from the top of the peak. Summit day, the 25th November, was long, with many false tops, though with relatively little altitude gain. Bad weather and bullet-proof ice on the ridge made for a tiring ascent and the pair

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only reached the summit at 5.30pm. On the way back Ploug slipped while trying to place an ice screw and fell 30m down the c1,000m West Face. Szilas made the classic 'jump' down the other side of the crest and held him. A bruised Ploug, assisted by a large quantity of pain killers, managed to continue down to the top bivouac, which the pair reached 18 hours after leaving. They rested here on the 26th and descended to base camp on the 27th. The 1,300m route was graded TD WI 4 and M4, with most technical difficulties met on the East Face. According to their altimeters and GPS readings on the summit, the height was c5,800m, well below the official 6,079m. Pedro Detjen from Germany, who has visited and published books on the area, has checked satellite data; unprocessed SRTM and new processed ASTER data. SRTM has no reading for the summit, but the highest point on the mountain that can be measured is 5,876m. ASTER data, which in theory should be more accurate, gives a peak height of 5,966m, though Detjen admits that the measurement of high peaks still seems to present a challenge. The Danes paid the Sichuan Mountaineering Association a peak fee for a virgin 6,000er: as expected, they couldn't convince the SMA to give them a refund when they said the height was more like 5,820m. They used the highly recommended Sichuan Earth Expeditions (as does Nakamura) for all their arrangements.

The North West Face of Ren Zhong Feng. Marked is the route taken by the first ascensionists, who climbed the hidden East Face above the Gangou Valley to the crest of the North Ridge. From the point where the route joins the ridge, it is still 1,500m in length to the summit. PEDRO DETJEN

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TIBET 2008
Our brief report on activities in Tibet during 2008 begins by clearing up confusion with regard to established lines on the North Side of Xixabangma, the lowest of the 14, 8,000m peaks

Xixabangma - Northern ascents

Over the years a number of different routes and variants has been used to reach the Main Summit (8,027m) of Xixabangma from the north. In more recent years climbers have become confused about the origins of which variant they have taken. The vast majority of 'ascensionists' follow the North Ridge throughout, terminating their ascent on the Central Summit (8,008m): those reaching the true summit will have either continued along the connecting ridge, or traversed left across the North Face from some point on the North Ridge. There has been much misinterpretation of these established lines, both in publications and on websites, so a chronology of the various routes and variants follows, with route lines marked on the accompanying photograph. Chinese San Chen, Chang Chen-yen, Doji, Sodnam Doji, Wang Fu-zhou (first ascent of the North Ridge of Everest in 1960), Ching Hsu, Cheng Tien-liang, Migmar Trashi, Wu Tsung-yue and Yonten reached the summit on the 2nd May 1964 for the first ascent. They were part of an expedition of over 200 climbers and established seven camps on the mountain, the highest at 7,700m on the North Ridge. Leaving this camp on the summit day, they slanted left across the North Face to hit the ridge between the Central and

Looking south west up the Gangou Valley in 2008. The upper valley is clearly threatened by large ice cliffs and it was here that four Hungarians went missing, presumed buried by a large avalanche. From the col in the centre of the picture, the ridge rising to the right leads to the summit of Ren Zhong Feng, although the main top may not be visible in this photograph. The Danish first ascensionists climbed the East Face in a hidden gully system on the far side of the near rocky spur. This led to the North Ridge (right skyline), which they followed for one-and-a-half kilometres to the summit. TAMOTSU NAKAMURA

Main summits, and then followed the crest to the highest point. The mountain was opened to foreign climbers in 1980 and that year, on the third ascent of the mountain (the second, by Germans, having repeated the Chinese Route), Austrians Egon Obojes and Ewald Putz left the ridge at a far lower altitude. From approximately the point where Camp 3 is now generally established (7,440m), the pair made a rising traverse across the North Face to gain the start of a vague rib. Turning this on the left, they climbed the slopes of the North East

Face to reach the crest of the East Ridge at c7,950m, then turned right and followed the ridge a short distance back to the summit. The date was the 13th October. On the 28th May 1981 Reinhold Messner and Gottfried Mutschlechner left the North Ridge at a higher point than the Chinese and traversed to the West Ridge, reaching the crest at much the same point as the Chinese. The pair made the top in a long day from a bivouac at around 6,800m. This and the Chinese traverse avoid the initial section of

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Martin Ploug on the North Ridge of Ren Zhong Feng. KRISTOFFER SZILAS

C M 6 W 9

3 1 2
C3

Difficult mixed climbing over snow covered granite at c5,100m on the East Face of Ren Zhong Feng.
KRISTOFFER SZILAS

(M) Main Summit (8,027m). (C) Central Summit (8,008m). (W) West Summit (7,966m). (C3) The normal site for Camp 3 at 7,440m on the crest of the North Ridge. (1) Russian, 2002. (2) Ochoa 2006. (3) Austrians 1980. (4) Chinese 1964. (5) Messner-Mutschlechner 1981. (6) Ecuador-Mexico-Poland 1987. (7) Esprit d'Equipe Couloir 1990 (stopped on Central Summit). (8) Central Couloir 1987. (9) West Ridge 1987.

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The North Side of Xixabangma (8,027m) seen from the approach on the Normal Route up the Xixabangma Glacier. The route bends left and ascends a hidden glacier behind the high foreground mountains to reach a col on the North Ridge, where nowadays a final camp is generally established at c7,400m. The expanded photo of the top section of the face shows the many different lines used to reach the Main Summit. RALF DUJMOVITS

THE AUTHORITATIVE MOUNTAINEERING NEWS SERVICE

the connecting ridge between the Central and Main Summits, which is sharp and often corniced: the latter half leading to the highest point is generally broader and more amenable. On the 10th October 1982, Japanese Makato Hara, Hiro Komamiya and Hirofumi Konishi made the first ascent of the 8,008m Central Summit by climbing the North Ridge integrally. It appears they most likely believed they were on the highest point and did not continue along the connecting ridge to the main top. On the 18th September 1987, Artur Hajzer and Jerzy Kukuczka made the first ascent of the West Ridge, crossing the previously unclimbed 7,966m West Summit, continuing over the Central and along the connecting ridge to the Main Top. This completed Kukuczka's collection of all 14 of the 8,000m peaks, which except for Lhotse he climbed either by new routes or in winter. The same day Elsa Avila and Carlos Carsolio from Mexico, Ramiro Navarette from Ecuador, Wanda Rutkiewicz and Ryszard Warecki from Poland, all climbed the North Ridge to the Central Summit, and then continued along the connecting West Ridge to the Main. One day later Alan Hinkes and Steve Untch climbed a new route up the North West Face, following the Central Couloir to reach the Central Summit, then continuing along the West Ridge to the highest point. Although two more new lines were added to the northern flanks, the Esprit d'Equipe Couloir on the North West Face directly below the Central Summit in 1990 by Benoit Chamoux, Yves Detry, Alan Hinkes, Josef Rakoncaj, Mauro Rossi, Pierre

Royer and Frdric Valet, and a couloir on the right side of the North West Face in 1994 by JeanChristophe Lafaille, none of these climbers continued to the Main top. In 2002 Russians Sergei Bogomolov and Vladimir Oleynik left the site of Camp 3 on the crest of the North Ridge and made a long, quasihorizontal traverse across the North Face, not far above the traverse line used in 1981 by New Zealanders to make the first and only ascent of the 7,703m satellite peak of Phola Gangchen. The two Russians climbed slopes well left of the Austrian line, and came back along the East Ridge to the Main Top. The date was the 24th May. Two years later, on the 3rd October 2006, Iaki Ochoa de Olza followed the initial section of the Russian traverse and then cut straight up to join the Austrian Route at the vague rib, so creating a minor variant to the 1980 line. He climbed slopes up to 60 before reaching the summit ridge. Of minor interest is a chronology of complete ski descents from the Main Summit. The first took place on the 10th May 1985 when Austrians Oswald Gassler and possibly also Peter Wrgtter descended more or less on the line of the Chinese Route. On the 20th May 1987 New Zealanders Mike Perry and Mark Whetu skied from the summit having ascended via the Chinese Route, while in the autumn of the same year Kukuczka, after his first ascent of the West Ridge, bivouacked on the summit and made his descent by ski. Georgio Daidola and Didier Givos made the first Nordic ski descent on the 6th September 1988, while on the 4th October 2005 Nicolas Brun

and Jean Nol Urban made the first ski descent of the South West Face, along the line of the Original 1982 British Route. For more information on ascents of Xixabangma, and accurate, up-to-date history of all 14 of the 8,000m peaks, visit Eberhard Jurgalski's website, www.8000ers.com

Tibetan Plateau Various Ascents

The following climbs were made during 2007 and 2008. All are first known ascents, and Kangzhagri, Kukushili, Pulha Ri, Purog Kangri and Toze Kangri North East have a prominence of more than 1,000m. Names of the ascensionists are withheld and coordinates, approach, ascent routes and type of terrain are only briefly detailed: the main purpose of this report is simply to inform future parties that these remote peaks have been climbed. Other, unsuccessful, attempts on peaks such as Qierlizuoke Feng, Sirengou and Guozha Kangri are not detailed. With regard to the peaks in the Changtang, the number of unsupported days on the approach specifies the time spent in a wilderness situation beyond the last point of civilization. Starting in the east Tibet Autonomous Region, Toze Kangri South West (official height 6,356m: GPS 6366m: N 3444'20", E 8219'51") was climbed via the North North West Ridge (glacier and snow to 35) after a one-week approach on foot and mountain bike (German-Swedish party, 4th October 2007). Toze Kangri North East (official height 6,356m: GPS 6,369mm: N 3446'32", E 8221'52") was climbed by the West

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The highest peaks of Mayer Kangri Massif from the east. (A) Mayer Kangri IV (6,120m). (B) Mayer Kangri I (6,286m). (C) Peak 6,200m. (D) Peak c5,900m. (E) Mayer Kangri I East (6,065m). First ascent route, climbed in 2008 by Grzegorz Chowla, is marked. (F) Mayer Kangri II South (6,165m). (G) Mayer Kangri II North (6,120m). JANUSZ MAJER

THE AUTHORITATIVE MOUNTAINEERING NEWS SERVICE

Face over glacier and snow to 35, two days later on the 6th October (Swedish, solo). Toze Pyramid (GPS 6,329m: N 3441'44", E 8212'56") was again climbed by a Swede, solo, on the 8th October via the East Face and rock pillar (snow and ice to 45 and a vertical rock section) after a total approach of nine days on foot and bike. On the high Changtang Tibetan Plateau, Kukushili (aka Songzhi Ling, official height 6,360m: GPS 6,388m: N 3539'48", E 8537'03") was climbed by the South Face (snow to 55-60) on the 28th June 2008 by a Canadian-DanishSwedish party, after 36 days unsupported approach on foot and bike. Purog Kangri (aka Purog/Zangser massif: official height 6,436m: GPS 6,438m, N 3425'00", E 8538'03") was climbed by the same party on the 9th July 2008 via the South Ridge/Face (snow to 35) after a 47-day unsupported approach on foot and bike, while Kangzhagri (aka Kung Oscars Fjall: official height 6,305m: GPS 6,323m, N 3533'25", E 8934'40") fell one year earlier to a Canadian-Swedish party on the 26th June 2007. They climbed the West South West Face (glacier and snow to 45) following 27 days of unsupported approach on foot and bike. In south Central Tibet, north of the Himalaya, and approached via the Friendship Highway, Jietanzhouma (official height 6,008m/6,052m: GPS 6,028m: N 2851'40", E 9008'10"), just

south of the Gyantse road and the Noijin Kangsang massif, was climbed on the 12th March 2008 by a Swede, solo, via the East Couloir (snow/ice to 50) after a two-day approach on foot. Pulha Ri (aka Maphu Kangri, official height 6,404m: GPS 6,424m: N 2858'06", E 8716'39") lies between Tingri and Lhaze and is not far from Lhagoi Kangri just east of the road. It was climbed via the South East Ridge (snow/ice to 45) by the same Swede, solo, on the 6th April 2008 after a three-day approach on foot involving, at one point, a vertical icefall. And for completeness we add to this list two more peaks in Xinjiang, just to the east of the Tibet Autonomous Region. Sirenshou (no height given: N 3549'33", E 7913'42") was climbed on the 2nd September 2007 by an American-Swedish party via the North Ridge (glacier, snow and scree to 30) after a three-day approach on foot. Jiao Feng (aka Qierlizuoke South, no height given: N 3558'09", E 7926'33") was climbed a week later on the 9th September by the same American-Swedish party via the North West Ridge (snow to 55-60). They made a two-day approach on foot. Both peaks lie close to the Mazar-Ali Shiquane road and have no heights on the official Chinese map.

Mayer Kangri Massif

In October Grzegorz Chowla from Poland made the first ascent of Mayer Kangri I East (6,035m) in

The highest peaks of the unclimbed Jomo Ri Massif. (A) Peak 5,600m. (B) Peak 5,800m. (C) Peak 5,480m. (D) Jomo Ri III (6,000m). (E) Jomo Ri II (6,010m). (F) Peak c5,900m. (G) Jomo Ri (6,015m). (H) Peak 5,800m). (KT) Kyarub Tsangpo.
GRZEGORZ CHOWLA

the remote and previously unclimbed Mayer Kangri Massif on the Chang Tang Plateau. He climbed via the East Ridge and was accompanied as far as 5,865m by Janusz Majer. A highly noted mountaineer and expedition organizer from the 1980s, Mayer led trips to Broad Peak, Lhotse South Face, Annapurna South Face and Xixabangma, climbing most often with the likes of Jerzy Kukuczka and Krysztof Wielicki. Travelling from Lhasa in two Toyota Land Cruisers, the two Poles first tried to reach the village of Nyima via Shigatse and the Kiku La (5,120m, N 3014.941', E 8918.340') but were stopped on this pass by Chinese police, who told them the way ahead was closed to foreigners. They returned to Lhasa and a few days later took a different route, via the Lhasa-Golmud highway to Nakchu and then west past Baingoin and Serling Tso (lake). On 1st October they crossed a 4,900m pass to reach the last inhabitation, the village of Rongma. After crossing a second pass they took one of the vehicles and went to look for a suitable base camp, which they found at 5,057m (N 3324.776', E 8648.760') on the south east flanks of the Mayer Kangri Range. The highest peak is Mayer Kangri I (6,266m) and the pair first reconnoitred a route to the summit from a point at 5,700m on the hills to the south. On the 5th the East Ridge was ascended easily as far as Mayer Kangri I East and on the 6th the pair drove with nomads on motorbikes to look at the range from the north east. Immediately south east of Mayer Kangri, across the Kyarub Tsangpo, stands the Jomo Ri Massif. Four summits here are over 6,000m, with the highest, Jomo I, indicated as 6,015m on the Russian map. On the 7th the pair made a trip towards these mountains to make a photographic survey. After their return home, the noted cartographer, Jerzy Wala, produced comprehensive sketch maps to both ranges. The Mayer Kangri and Jomo Ri ranges remained more or less unexplored before the Polish visit, though in 2008 Juntao Jiang from China made a cycle trip in the Jomo Ri region and published photos on Picasa web. No climbing has ever taken place in this area before 2008. Mayer Kangri I is referred to as Bonvalet Peak on Russian maps and in Sven Hedin's 1909 book TransHimalaya, as the first foreign traveller to see it during his travels on the Chang Tang in 1889-90 was the Frenchman Gabriel Bonvalet (he also saw Purog Kangri, 300km to the east north east, which he named the Dupleix Mountains and estimated the height to be around 8,000m: in fact it is 6,482m on the Chinese map and 6,435m on the Russian - this is a different Purog Kangri than the one close to Zangser Kangri noted above). Although expensive to reach, the Mayer Kangri and Jomo Ri groups hold much potential for first ascents of non technical 6,000m peaks. INFO: Pedro Detjen/Mark Jenkins/Eberhard Jurgalski/Janusz Majer/Sbastien Moatti/Tom Nakamura/Kristoffer Szilas and the reference sources of the American Alpine Journal and Japanese Alpine News.

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