Visual journey of Himlung Himal expedition - Namas Adventure
Climbing Himlung Himal is one of the most exhilarating experiences in the remote corner of the Nepal and Tibetan border. A 7000M+ mountain peak expedition with a picturesque visual and a challenging climb. Himlung Himal is considered one of the safest and easiest amongst the 7000er expedition with the highest summit records. If you are ever considering your first ever 7000M peak expedition that has fewer objective dangers then Himlung Himal should be your choice of the expedition.
In this blog post, we take you on a visual journey of the Himlung Himal climb. (We will update images with even better visuals). Follow along as we describe the entire journey in images, as we take the beautiful yet challenging journey up to the summit of Himlung Himal 7126M. Hopefully, this will inspire you to go climbing this amazing peak.
The journey begins with a 10-hour jeep ride from Kathmandu to Dharapani before we begin our trek. Also, meeting cheeky local faces is a welcoming sign. Images by - Vicente Di Loreto
Next 3 days of trekking from Dharapani - Mehta to the final settlement village of Phu. We trek deep down the gorge into the further corners of the Annapurna circuit. Images by - Vicente Di Loreto
Trekking via the beautiful and rugged gorge we arrive at Phu-Gaon 3800M. This is the final village settlement and we stop here for one additional day for acclimatization before heading out to the Himlung Himal base camp. Images by - Vicente Di Loreto
Himlung Himal base camp 4850M/15920FT. Home for the next 15 days of climbing.
Puja ceremony at Base camp. Namas Adventure team on an expedition (October 22)
Climbing high to Camp 1, 5400M/17716FT, and Camp 2, 6200M/20340FT. Rotations and camping at camp 1 and camp 2 before summit push to 7126M.
Photos @Adidoesultra (Link)
The final stretch to the summit, climbing via the ridge is a surreal experience. Summit push day is the longest and most challenging part of the entire expedition. Expect around 10+ hours of climbing to the summit and back to camp 1. Annapurna massif, Manaslu 8163M, and other 6000M peaks are visible from the summit of Himlung Himal. Images by - Vicente Di Loreto
Himlung Himal 7126M summit.
Himlung Himal Expedition
Namas team departs to Himlung Himal every year. For more information on our Himlung Himal 7126M expedition or any of our other international expeditions check out our website. (Call/WhatsApp) - +44 7446976060 or send us an email at bookings@namasadventure.com
How to prepare for Himlung Himal climbing expedition? - Namas Adventure
Himlung Himal summit
To climb any 7000M peaks, your pre-requisite previous experiences of climbing 4000M - 6500M+ semi/technical peaks are a must. ✅
Getting straight to the point, you can consider Himlung Himal as your first ever 7000M peak expedition. This will be a crucial extreme altitude climbing experience to progress into 8000M peaks or other technical peaks like Ama Dablam 6810M or Cholatse 6440M (more technical skills will also be needed, but we can make recommendations on that too). But yes, without a doubt Himlung Himal is a 7000M+ peak to climb if you are planning your first ever 7000er mountain peak. The climbing route at Himlung Himal is considerably safer and semi-technical in difficulty but like any high-altitude mountain expedition, you need to have a determined mindset, training preparation, and will to go on an adventure. Be ready for a long climb that will test you mentally and physically. Our team is there is motivate you and guide you to the summit (safely).
In this blog article, we will recommend prerequisite expeditions that will help you to be ready for Himlung Himal climb. This mountaineering experience is for everyone. (Yes, even if you have summited Everest, K2, or other tougher peaks). Mountain climbers are in love with the process of climbing, the journey, and not just the summits. If you are a novice/beginner climber, you are 1 or 2 climbing experiences (minimum) away, before taking on this beautiful climb. For experienced climbers; once you assess our recommendations below, should this expedition satisfy your next mountaineering adventure, then please get in touch with our team as we plan the Himlung Himal climb every year. (Spring/autumn).
Himlung Himal 7126M Expedition is for intermediate+ to pro experience level climbers. Now that you have an understanding of what it takes to climb this 7000M mountain, let’s start with our step-by-step expedition recommendations.
Step 1 (Novice level/Beginner Level) - Introduction to Mountaineering or Mera Peak 6476M
If you are an absolute beginner, who has never been to any previous high-altitude adventures trekking or climbing and you are inspired and dream of climbing extreme altitude mountains one day, then we can suggest these peaks, to begin with. With our team in Nepal, you can participate in our introductory expeditions to Introduction to Mountaineering - Yala Peak 5732M or Mera Peak 6476M to begin your mountaineering journey. This expedition’s objective will be to teach you the basics and fundamentals of mountaineering, test/expose yourself to any high-altitude environment on a non-technical peak climbing adventure in Nepal.
You will have to be in a good shape (run 5K, 2-3 times a week coupled with strength sessions) and upon completion, this experience will give you the confidence to climb other higher and semi-technical peaks.
Expedition Outcomes
Introduction and learn the basics of mountaineering
Learn the basics of mountaineering from certified local guides
High altitude experiences
Fun times in the mountains
Step 2 (Beginner + to intermediate level) - Lobuche East & Island Peak
At this level, you should have some kind of previous high altitude and exposure to mountain climbing. You have the understanding and experience of the fitness/mental level required when climbing high-altitude mountains. At this stage of beginner+ to intermediate level, you will further learn climbing at higher altitudes with some technical pitches. Meaning you will be re-introduced to all the previous basic climbing skills, adding further technical climbs. You will learn to navigate mixed rocky/snow/ice sections. Scramble/traverse on exposed sections and jumaring on the fixed-line rope to take on vertical sections of the mountains.
These skills are very necessary as you progress on your mountaineering journey and expeditions of this type will give you that extra confidence to take on other tougher and technically challenging peaks in the Himalayas or around the world. We recommend peaks such as Island Peak 6189M + Lobuche East 6019M, Khumbu Three Peak Expedition, Chulu West 6419M, and Three Peak Peru, expeditions for climbers at this stage. This expedition provides all the technical and physical challenges for climbers looking to progress at the Intermediate/+ level.
Expedition Outcomes
Introduction or Re-introduction to classic mountaineering climbs
Familiratisation with technical climbing gears
Climbing/scrambling/traversing in mixed section. (i.e- rock/ice/snow)
Experience climbing on exposed sections. (i.e. Ridge and couliors)
Jumaring in fixed-line to climb vertical sections.
Abseiling/Rappel several hundred feet down on fixed-line
Summits and small-scale expedition environment, tons of climbing fun
Step 3 (Intermediate to +/Advanced level)
Himlung Himal Camp 2, 6200M
At this stage, you are all ready for Himlung Himal Expedition. Like any mountaineering adventure, Himlung Himal climbing should not be underestimated. The climbing routes are well exposed starting after 6300M, as we climb the final ridge section of the mountain to reach the summit. Summit day is the longest during the whole expedition. With the assistance of your guide and attached to a fixed rope you, will be climbing uphill on the ridge slope section for an extended period of time and that also means a lot of abseiling while descending down the mountain. You will have to be mentally/physically ready and your confidence/experience/patience is super key.
7000M expedition of this nature will test you. Your previous knowledge of climbing/traversing/abseiling in the exposed mixed section will be put to further test. There will be two high alpine camps and colder/longer days at higher altitudes. You are constantly exposed to the forces of nature and challenged mentally/physically for an extended period of time compared to your previous expeditions. The climbing route is faced on the west side, hence the sun only hits the slopes in the later part of the day, resulting in a colder climbing condition.
The final summit push day will be longer, more demanding, tougher, technically, physically, and mentally challenging than your previous camps. You will also have to learn how to co-operate as a team, there may be some weak links in the team so you will have to adjust, and understand how grouped expedition runs, allowing everyone to achieve the same goal of summiting a 7000M peak.
Expedition outcomes
Developing climbing skills at 7000M level.
Understanding of full expedition setups
Climbing/scrambling/traversing in mixed section. (i.e- rock/ice/snow) at higher altitudes above 6000M.
Longer exposure to climbing on exposed sections. (i.e. 6300M steep ridge to the summit)
Jumaring in fixed-line to climb vertical sections.
Abseiling/Rappel in longer and exposed ridge sections.
Testing your physical and mental ability and pure grit at extreme altitudes.
Summits and climbing moments at 7000M level
Bonus - Step 2. 1 even 8000ers or Pro level climbers (Grades TD+)
This is a bonus step. Many experienced climbers are attracted to the remoteness and challenge of climbing Himlung Himal. Even after completing 8000er peaks like Everest, Manaslu, Makalu, K2, and Ama Dablam climbers return to enjoy the climb at this 7000M peak. So if you have done 8000M peaks then you are 100% qualified for HH expedition. You will already have an understanding of big mountain expeditions and what it takes to climb challenging mountains.
Will this Himlung Himal 7126M expedition help me to climb 8000M mountain peaks?
Most certainly YES. Many climbers skip this crucial experience of climbing, experiencing, and testing themselves at 7000M+ extreme altitudes. No amount of reading knowledge surpasses your personal experiences. Also, the benefit of climbing 7000M is that not only does it challenge you to prepare for 8000M peaks like Manaslu 8163M or Broad Peak 8051M but its charm is in its remoteness and not many climbers are there to attempt the climb. So, you preety much have the whole of the mountain to your group or let’s say you can avoid the traffic.
Himlung Himal expedition is a very achievable mountaineering objective so the question remains. Are you ready for this Himalayan adventure?
Planning to climb Himlung Himal 7126M or simply a 7000M peak? You do not have the right experiences or need help preparing for 7000M climbs? Our team is here to understand your goals and help you plan strategically with the right experiences. Please go through our Alpine /fitness grades (link) to understand the difficulty and climbing grades of Himlung Himal and other peaks. We hope the guidance and suggestion on this blog post have helped you to have an understanding of what it takes to climb this amazing 7000M peak. There are a lot of other factors when climbing any extremely high altitude semi-technical peaks in the Himalayas. Our team can help you prepare in the best way gaining the right experience to complete your dream of climbing Himlung Himal 7126M peak.
A 7000er is a beautiful climb that will remain in your memories forever. Let’s go and climb this remote peak in the Shadow of Manaslu and Annapurna massif ranges.
Namas Adventure Team
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