Climbing Baruntse 7129M Choosing the Right Route - Amphu Lhabtsa Pass 5800M or Mera Peak 6476M
Climbing Baruntse 7129M is an exhilarating high-altitude Himalayan experience. At Namas, our team of experienced climbers and expedition leaders is here to guide you in making an informed decision about the route to choose. With more than 5 years of leading expeditions to Baruntse peak in this article, we will delve into the unique features, advantages, and considerations of climbing Baruntse via Amphu Lhabtsa Pass or Mera Peak, helping you make an informed choice.
Climbing Baruntse via Amphu Lhabtsa Pass
The shorter 28-day itinerary offers an adventurous route via Khumbu & crossing over the Amphu Lhabtsa Pass at an elevation of 5800M. Here are some key highlights of this route:
Technical Challenge: Amphu Lhabtsa Pass is renowned as one of the most challenging passes in Nepal, demanding advanced climbing skills. Climbers will face zigzag glaciers, jumaring up the wall face, and scrambling/traversing rocky sections. The pass rewards climbers with breathtaking views of Imja Valley, Everest, Lhotse, Nuptse, Island Peak, Ama Dablam, and Baruntse.
Fatigueness: The Amphu Lhabtsa Pass itinerary allows climbers to reach Baruntse Base Camp with less fatigue, as they will have acclimatized during the challenging pass crossing. This can be beneficial for overall performance and enjoyment during the climb.
Climbing Baruntse via Mera Peak
For those opting for the longer 35-day itinerary, Mera Peak 6476M serves as an acclimatization/training peak. Consider the following aspects of this route:
Acclimatization: Climbing Mera Peak allows for gradual acclimatization and improves climbing skills. While Mera Peak is non-technical, it still requires physical stamina and endurance. Climbers will spend a night at the high camp situated at 5800 meters and make an early morning summit push to the Mera Peak summit at 6476 meters.
Fatigue considerations: Climbers should be aware that the Mera Peak climb is physically demanding, and they may feel tired and fatigued by the time they reach Baruntse Base Camp. Additionally, the camps between Mera Peak and Baruntse Base Camp have limited facilities, including food options. Some climbers may require additional rest days after the Mera Peak climb at Kongma Dingma.
Conclusion
When choosing the route to climb Baruntse 7129M, consider the technical challenges, acclimatization advantages, and personal preferences. Climbing via Amphu Lhabtsa Pass offers a shorter, adventurous route, while climbing via Mera Peak provides acclimatization benefits. At Namas, we are here to support you on your journey, ensuring a safe and memorable climbing experience. Make an informed decision based on your skills, fitness level, and desire for adventure. Prepare for an extraordinary expedition that will test your limits and reward you with stunning views and a sense of accomplishment in conquering Baruntse's majestic peak.
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Baruntse 7129M expedition, 2021 Mountain status updates - Namas Adventure
2021 Autumn Baruntse Expedition. Client member heading to Camp 1 via West col.
2021 wasn’t the year to be for any teams to successfully complete Baruntse Expedition. We had small team expeditions both during Spring and Autumn this year (2021).
Spring was a big risk with uncertainty around COVID 19. Still, we managed to get a small team of 3 members and after summiting Mera Peak, our team had settled at Baruntse Base camp 5460M and was preparing for our climb to camp 1. Soon enough our team and other teams, who have been together with us since Mera Peak learned that the person we came in contact with (a day before Mera peak climb) was evacuated to Kathmandu and tested positive for COVID. After learning this most of the teams decided to call off their expedition, since all the guide members and had been in contact with the sick person’s guiding team members, and any illness and evacuations at 6100M+ or around camp 1 and beyond would have been devastating.
Autumn, our team arrived up to camp 2 at 6400M but could not proceed further as we had a very unexpected storm and heavy snowfall (4ft - 5ft deep) for 4-5 days, our guides could not go past camp two and resorted back to base camp to wait for a clear window. After waiting out for 4 days our team went back to camp 1. Windspeeds were picking up to 60 - 70mph and a high risk of avalanche in the mountain was to follow up soon in the after 2 days. Our lead guide decided to call off the expedition since the client member did not want to add any additional days (5 - 7 days) to the expedition.
The only group or two people to summit Baruntse on (2021) spring was Marek Holecek and his climbing partner Radoslav Groh. They completed a new notorious route, climbing alpine style on the west face naming it “the heavenly trap” read more about their expedition on our blog post below ⬇️
We had previous (2019) reports that there is a huge crevasse opening when leading up to the summit but no one had a concrete certain report from 2020. Since Marek and Radoslav were the only two people to summit Baruntse in 2021 and returned via the southwest (normal expedition route) we approached him asking about any potential dangers and hazards in the mountains. Marek replied back to us with the following email. (Thank you very much Marek 🙏🏼).
Hi,
At about 6500 m there is a large transverse crack over the ridge, which at the time we were there went to overcome, but we had really a lot of snow there. The crack runs across the entire ridge. Now I don't know what it looks like. The second crack was around 6000 m, above the saddle we had to rope down. The crack at 6500 m was very dangerous.
Cheers Marek
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Our expedition team could spot the hole/crack at 6000M.
We will be organizing expeditions to Baruntse during 2022 and 2023 and it is great to learn about these potential dangers and hazards beforehand. Our guiding team can expect these hazards at 6500M and prepare an additional safety line around this particular ridge section. Any teams heading to Baruntse during 2022 or 2023 can use this information for their expedition too, after all, teamwork is key during the expeditions and we would like everyone to be safe in the mountains.
Want to plan your expeditions to Baruntse Peak 7129M or other high-altitude mountaineering expeditions in the Himalayas? Please inquire about your preferred expedition to our teams as we have several 6000M, 7000M, and 8000M expeditions running in the Himalayas every year.
See you in the mountains.
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