weeks on two summits and one face never climber before!
After having climbed Ramri Keti we went back to NAmche to have some rest at lower altitude before heading towards the main goal of our expditon: to climb a new route on a 7000m pak next to Cho Oyu.
as soon as we reached Gokyo, the group split in 2: Francesco headed over the Cho LA pass and back to Kathmandu.
Nik and I remained in the village to prepare the bags for the porters.
Unfortunately, problems with our local guide and one porter refusing to reach the base camp obliged us to change our programs. The attempt to the big beast is postpond to next year...
As either Nik and I are climbing for passion and not to enter any guinness, we had a quick look around and immediately found good alternatves for the remaining 3 weeks.
"Ramri Keti" moved our interest towards technical routs more than big mountains.
In Khumbu poeople seem to be captured by numbers and not by the beauty of the mountains. Collections and records do not belong to mountanieering....
Said that, on a previews attempt last year to a new route on the side of Dawa Peak, i had to rethreat cause to a lungs illness. therefore we had a starting point for our next adventure.
We set a base camp at the base of the wall, just below Renjo Pass, so that we could have an early start, and so we did.
With Stefano della Gasperina i had climbed the first 6 pitches, and i could remember well how loose the rock was, but at the same time how elegant the pitches were.
Nik starts the climb in the absolute darkness, as the mood just dropped behind the ridge.
I follow him and after that i take the lead. i can remember every step, but on the second pitch i have a "nice surprise" finding very little ice, making the progression delicate.
After four pitches of mixed climb and a snow slope we reach the bottom of the actual ice gully. the evening before, looking through the binocular nik comment had been:- " it doesn't seem that steep, may be only one difficult pitch".
We soon found out the opposite, may be one easy pitch through a serie of pillars and overhangs!!! It takes much longer than expcted, also due to difficult protections and the loss of an ice axe when part of a pillar broke down at my first hit.
We reach the col between two huge roks as the Sun is setting.
We build all the belays under the Moon light for the descent absailing the route. The last rappel barely reaches the glacier. We are soon back at our small tent joying for the ascent!!!
HERE IS SOME PICTURES OF THE ROUTE...
la Punta Khanchha...
nik sul terzo tiro
Enrico esce dal terzo tiro
ci avviciniamo alla parte centrale incassata
Enrico sul settimo tiro
Nik mi raggiunge nella grotta alla base della prima candela
Nik impegnato sulla prima difficile candela
Enrico si avvicina alla seconda candela...che si rompera' al primo colpo...
Nik sulla parte mediana della goulotte
NIk in uscita dall'ultima candela con una sola picozza...
ultimo terreno misto prima dell'uscita in cresta
la prima candela all'imbrunire durante la discesa
la relazione della via
We have named the peak 5850m on which the routs lies "Peak Khancha" on the name of our super human porter Khanchha without whom we wouldn't be able to succeed in all our climbs!!!
ACCESS: in the Khumbu valley from Lukla airport to Gokyo.
On the flat before the Renjo Pass one can set base camp. The wall is 30 min. from the start of the glacier.
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