FTA's expedition cook ready to celebrate the team's Ama Dablam summit. Image courtesy of Field Touring Alpine (click to enlarge).
Image of Mount Kamet courtesy of montagna.org.
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Himalaya wrap-up: Ama Dablam summits, individualist Samurais going alpine-style in Garhwal Himalaya
Posted: Nov 24, 2008 04:49 am EST
(Mounteverest.net) Six members in Field Touring Alpine team topped-out Ama Dablam on Saturday. Safely back in BC, the climbers are now preparing for a quick attempt on Lobuche peak before returning home.
Reports on new routes opened by 'libertarian' Japanese climbers in Garhwal Himalaya show how new generations are increasingly moving from traditional expedition style towards high-difficulty lines in small, alpine-style teams.
Ama Dablam: FTA summits
“Our Nov team placed 6 members on the summit - all the team is back safely in BC,” Stu from FTA’s US office reported. “Team leader Chris said it was a lot of blue ice and very exciting and demanding.”
Xangbu, Damian, Neil, James, Lakpa and Chris topped-out Ama Dablam at 1.30pm, local time on Saturday, November 22nd.
“After a rest day in BC, the climbers are planning to head over for a quick run up Lobuche and, therefore, a chance to complete an uncommon Himalayan Trilogy of Island Peak, Ama Dablam and Lobuche,” Stu added.
Japanese bag new routes in Garhwal Himalaya
Japanese Kazuya Hiraide (29) and Kei Taniguchi (36) report a new 1,800 meters-long route they opened on Mount Kamet’s SW face, alpine style, two months ago. At 7,756m Kamet is the second highest peak in Garhwal Himalaya.
After one month acclimatizing and scouting the face, Hiraide and Taniguchi set off from BC on September 29th and spent a total of seven days cold days on the wall, descending via the NE side in a snow storm according to Montagna.org. The new route, named “The Samurai Direct”, includes difficulties up to A5 on ice, and M5+ on mixed terrain.
This was the young climbers' second Himalayan expedition, following a previous new route on Shivling’s north face.
Japanese climbers are known to climb in large groups but in September this year a handful of small, light-style teams achieved a number of remarkable climbs in the Garhwal Himalaya such as Kazuaki Amano, Fumitaka Ichimura and Yusuke Sato. The trio was awarded the Asian Piolet d’Or for the first complete ascent of Kalanka’s north face (6,931m). The team climbed the face’s central spur on mixed terrain up to M5. The nearly 2,000 meters-long route was named “Bushido.”
Links to current Ama Dablam teams:
FTA's Ama Dablam dispatches
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