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Compte rendu de l'Expédition Slovène au Gyachung Kang (1999)

Leader: Andrej Stremfelj

Doctor: Zare Guzej

Members: Marko Prezelj, Marko Car, Matic Jost, Peter Meznar, Tomaz Jakofcic, Janko Meglic, Blaz Navrsnik

Arriving in Kathmandu.
18.9. – 23.9. Katmandu – we were packing and waiting on some cargo loads. We left kitchen boy to bring missing loads to B.C.
24.9. KTM – Kodari – Zangmu. We met interpreter who was also liaison oficer.
25.9. Zangmu - Nyalam
Nyalam – Lalung Leh (5200 m) – Tingri – Shegar
Shegar – Pang La (5120 m) – Tashi Dzom – Chinese (car) Base Camp (4650 m)
30.9. – 1.10. Two days waiting in car BC for yaks and acclimatization up to 5500 m.

Car BC – first camp (5150 m) on the way to real BC. Late departure.
3.10. First approach camp – second approach camp (5470 m). We should reach real BC but yak drivers stoped just one hour before BC what costs us additional 300 $ and one day more.

Arrival to BC (5550 m).
5.10. Arranging BC.

First acclimatization climb. Car, Meznar, Prezelj, Stremfelj – on peak 6700 m (NE of Siguang Ri and N of Gyachung Kang). In the guidebook of J. Kielkowski summit was desribed as virgin and we suggest name Zero peak. We made ascent over E face and SE ridge and descended over E ridge and E face. Guzej - 6135 m; Meglic, Jost –6270 m;

Jakofcic, Jost, Meglic, Navrsnik climb on the peak 6700 m (Zero peak)

BC - rest

BC – bivouac under N face of Siguang Ri Shar. Four couples made different bivouacs.

Meglic – Navrsnik started the climb of Siguang Ri Shar N face. Navrsnik turned back on E ridge 200 m under the summit. reached 6998 m high Siguang Ri Shar as first man and descent over S side. They both descent the same day to the BC. Prezelj – Stremfelj climbed new route on the N face of Siguang Ri finishing it on 6660 m near the saddle between Siguang Ri and Siguang Ri Shar. Car-Jost and Jakofcic-Meznar climbed another new route more on the right and join it with first one 100 meters below the saddle. All six made bivouac on the saddle (6550 m).

We all six climbed new route to the summit of Siguang Ri (7309 m) in very strong wind. Probably we made second (?) ascent of the mountain. All six Returned back to the bivouac on the saddle.

12.10. Car, Prezelj and Stremfelj climbed Siguang Ri Shar from the saddle via long traverse over S face. Descent same day to BC. Jakofcic, Jost and Meznar descended directly to BC from the saddle.

14.10. BC – rest day

BC – ABC (5850m). Due to long distance over the glacier we put two tents one hour from the N face of Gyachung. We also marked the way with stone-man and returned back to BC.

16.-17.10 BC – rest day

18.-20.10 It we snowing for more than sixty hours. In BC was nearly ! meter of snow. Our kitchen and store tents colapsed.

22. – 25.10. We were short on the kerosene for cooking and our satellite phone had zero (that is the source for the 6700 meter peak). Because of that leader went down to the village to order yaks for 3. November.

Car-Jost & Prezelj-Stremfelj went to ABC to start the climb next day. On the evening Prezelj and Stremfelj got poisoned by gases (CO, CO and gas) during cooking. Car and Jost found us unconscious and helped us.

Car, Jost, Prezelj and Stremfelj went to BC; Jakofcic-Meznar and Navrsnik-Meglic came to ABC.

28.10. Jakofcic-Meznar and Navrsnik-Meglic climbed to bivouac 1 (6800 m).

During night and morning was strong wind. The two pairs stayed one more day on B1.

Car-Jost and Prezelj-Stremfelj went to ABC.

Navrsnik and Meglic decided to go back to BC, Jakofcic and Meznar decided to continue the climb. On the most delicate parts they were belaying. At dark they reached left edge of big serac and put second bivy (7500 m). Car-Jost and Prezelj-Stremfelj climbed to B1 on the same place as first two.

Due to very low temperatures and tired Jakofcic and Meznar went towards the summit only at 12:00. After six hours climbing they stood on the summit and went back to the B2.

Car-Jost and Prezelj-Stremfelj reached place for B2 at 15:00

Car-Jost and Prezelj-Stremfelj climbed to the summit. The weather was nearly perfect. After descending to B2 they joined Jakofcic and Meznar and start descent to the ABC. Due to delicate climbing in the middle part of the climb up we descended on another variant. We descended independently. With dark were Jost, Prezelj & Stremfelj at ABC, Car and Meznar were near bergsrund and Jakofcic was just below B1.

In the dark Meznar slipped and after 200 meters stopped under the wall. Luckily Car noticed his fall in the dark and alarmed Jost, Prezlj and Stremfelj in ABC and doctor Guzej in BC. Meznar was injured mostly in his had – brains were shocked, blood from his nose, … He could not stand on his feet so we evacuated him from the line of the seracs. Doctor was on the way to ABC. We put a tent on the way to ABC as it was not easy to carry him in deep snow. At noon Jakofcic safely descended.

Guzej, Meglic & Navrsnik early in the morning came to ABC and further to the tent with injured Meznar. After medicine help Meznar can walk with some assistance to BC. We also packed ABC and all went to BC.

Jakofcic and Meznar were exhausted and had some frostbite on their toes. In the evening the yaks came.

We left BC and reached the road – truck. Transport to Nyalam.

Nyalam – Kodari – KTM

7.-14.11. Drying equipment and rest.

15.11. Living Kathmandu.

16.11. Back home.

• All times in Tibet are local Beijing time.

Just for acclimatization we climbed five new routes on three different peaks (two of them were first climbed). After heavy snow we climbed new route with descent variant on the N face of Gyachung Kang. The wall is steep enough that heavy snow was soon cleaned by avalanches and winds.

We started the climb in strong winds because we had no time to wait on better conditions.

Gyachung Kang: N face, new "Slovene route", Peter Meznar and Tomaz Jakofcic 28. – 31. 10 1999 & Marko Car, Matic Jost, Marko Prezelj and Andrej Stremfelj 30. 10. – 1. 11. 1999,

2000 m, VI/4

Siguang Ri Shar: N face and E ridge, new "Trzic route" and first ascent, Janko Meglic 10. 10. 1999, 1100 m, IV+/4

S face descent route Janko Meglic 10. 10. 1999

800 m, III/3

S face new route, second ascent of the summit, Marko Car, Marko Prezelj and Andrej Stremfelj 12.10. 1999, 450 m, IV/3.

Siguang Ri: N face and E ridge, new route, Marko Prezelj & Andrej Stremfelj to the saddle, further to the summit also Marko Car, Matic Jost, Peter Meznar and Tomaz Jakofcic 10. & 11. 10. 1999, to the saddle 650 m - IV/3, above 800 m - II/2

N face, new route, Marko Car, Matic Jost, Tomaz Jakofcic and Peter Meznar 10.11.1999, height to the joining with Prezelj-Stremfelj route is 550m, IV/3

Peak 6700m (Zero peak): E face and SE ridge, new route and first ascent of the summit, Marko Car, Peter Meznar, Marko Prezelj and Andrej Stremfelj 6.10.1999 & Matic Jost, Blaz Navrsnik, Tomaž Jakofcic and Janko Meglic, 7.10.1999, 700 m, III/2

E ridge and E face, new route in descent, Marko Car, Peter Meznar, Marko Prezelj and Andrej Stremfelj 6.10.1999 700 m, III/2