Trip Reports

Kyajo Ri, October 2024

Written by Leader Chris Groves (Chris Groves), December 2024

It wasn't easy and the planed itinerary bore little resemblance to what actually happened but between 0730 and 0830 on Thursday 31 October all team members who set off up the fixed ropes got to stand on one of the best view points in perfect weather and just take it all in.

It was quite amusing with such a breadth of experience in the team that folk could name so many of the surrounding peaks mainly because they'd climbed them, had attempted them or had them on their list.

Our success was only possible with the exceptional hard work of our climbing sherpas Sonam Jangbu, Purba, Nuru & Sonam.

Thankfully, while perfect when it mattered the weather before our arrival and during the first week of our time in Nepal had quite an impact on our travel into basecamp. September's floods had washed away large sections of the road and a bridge resulting in a longer journey to the airport at Ramechhap. We still arrived in plenty of time but cloud meant no flights to Lukla. Or the next day. The situation improved, flights went, our bags were loaded, and we were a few metres from the plane steps when we learned Lukla had closed!

Somehow, we managed to stay at the front of the queue and despite being back at the airport before dawn poor weather meant time for plan B or maybe it was plan F by this point? Bus to an overnight at Phaplu, the end of the surfaced road. Then jeeps on rough tracks. But the bridge over the Dudh Kosi is currently only passible on foot and the jeeps due to meet us on the other side didn't materialise so a lodge had to be quickly arranged. Setting off at 0400 the following morning we had an extra passenger in the jeep that did turn up. A leech!! Eventually we reached the current end of the track and short walk got us to Puiya for breakfast. Several hours of walking, mainly downhill took us below Lukla and onto Phakding, 5 days later than planned.

Stood at the Everest View Hotel a couple of days later in perfect weather morale had much improved. I don't think anyone ever get bored of the view up the valley. We also had an improvised acclimatisation plan of going up Sunder Peak behind Thame village. This turned out to be a great day out although our objective Kyajo Ri hid in cloud all day we did manage to reach 5000m before descending to a very warm lodge. Finally, we were back schedule.

The move up to basecamp from Mende is initially very direct then some very unlikely trails over great terrain gets you into a hanging valley with basecamp at the far end. Properly into the mountains at last. The only issue was camp was in shade from just after lunch and it turned chilly very quickly.

Escaping the valley involved ascending a long gully which was climbed to about half way before a rising traverse got us to the edge of a lake and another hanging valley. Camp 1 was further than expected and the route had a sting in the tail with a 150m loose scree slope to ascend to reach the ledges where we'd camp. This leads a third valley with a glacial lake at the C1 end, a simple glacier to walk over then another, bigger gully to reach camp 2 situated on a snowy col.

Watching the sun go down from C2 was stunning especially as the last of sun's rays left the highest peaks

At 0300 we crunched our way up the short snow ramp to the rock and the start of the fixed ropes. It could have just been the early start, the dark or the shock of going vertical so abruptly but getting established on the wall was hard. The angle did ease but not for long, like the walk into BC the route was devious and for the most part on rock. Crampons were required for the final 100m or so snow ridge up on to the tiny, exposed summit.

Our reduced itinerary meant I still haven't managed to cross the Renjo La, so once I've worked out how to beat the weather in Nepal I'll have to head back up the valley again.

Well done & thanks to the team, commiserations to Richard who didn't feel up to a summit attempt. Respect and thanks to the whole Nepali team who (as ever) made this such and enjoyable (in the end) trip

Chris Groves

Ama Dablam BC 08 Nov 24

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