Himlung Himal 7126M difficulty: Entry-level challenging 7000M mountain expedition - Namas Adventure
Near the summit of Himlung Himal 7126M
How hard is it to climb Himlung Himal? How difficult is it to climb Himlung Himal?
Climbing a Himlung Himal 7126M peak can be a physically and mentally demanding undertaking that requires a high level of physical fitness but not so much technical climbing skill. This 7000M+ peak expedition is classed as easy/safe (amongst the 7000M peak expeditions) and records one of the highest summit successes at the 7000er level. However, any climbers interested in this expedition should not underestimate the challenges this expedition poses.
Climbers who have a strong foundation of endurance and strength training, as well as experience with rock climbing, will be better prepared to handle the physical demands and technical challenges of this expedition.
Difficulty grade: AD+ and Fitness level: 4.
(Alpine / Fitness grade link)
The trek up to the base camp is a gradual several-day hike, slowly adapting and acclimatizing to the altitude and environment. Climbing high to Camp 1 involves a relatively easy 4-6 hour climb through glaciers, moraines, and small valleys. However, the traverse from Camp 1 to Camp 2 is more challenging, involving a steep and exposed scree slope that may be affected by snow conditions. The route to Camp 2 also involves traversing a glacier and avoiding crevasses, and fixed ropes will be used on the steeper and more exposed parts of the route. The risk of avalanches is generally low on both Camp 1 and Camp 2, but conditions should always be checked by the guide members.
The summit push on Himlung Himal is expected to be the longest and most challenging part of the climb. It involves a steep 45-50° vertical climb of 1100 meters in altitude, which is physically and mentally demanding. It is important for climbers to carefully plan their energy reserves not only for the ascent but also for the descent back to Camp 1, which can be a long and physically demanding journey. Your summit push day will be a 10 - 12hr+ journey.
Upon completing the Himlung Himal climb, you will have gained valuable experience that can prepare you for other challenging climbs in the Himalayas, such as Baruntse (7129 meters), Ama Dablam (6810 meters), Annapurna IV (7525 meters), or Manaslu (8163 meters). Our team is here to guide you through this exciting and remote expedition climbing journey.
Let’s climb. Go. Live Your Story
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
Live Your Story
When is the best time to climb Himlung Himal? Spring or Autumn? - Namas Adventure
Climbing the final summit ridge at Himlung Himal 7126M
Himlung Himal is one of the best options to climb a 7000M+ peak in the remote corner of the Annapurna region. This 7000M peak expedition is classed as one of the most accessible, safest, semi-technical climbs with a higher summit success rate at 7000M peak mountain expeditions.
This peak is suitable to climb during both seasons but more success stories have been officially recorded of the autumn season’s climb. See our blog post on Baruntse or Himlung Himal for data from 2017 to 2020 (Link). For those interested in their first 7000M peak expeditions, we often get asked when is the best time to climb Himlung Himal?
With years of running expeditions and gathering local information passed on from our guides, who have been climbing year in and out, and collecting data from local databases, we would say it depends on your preference for climbing a mountain in different conditions. The great news is that Himlung Himal is suitable to climb during late spring and during early to mid-autumn. Here, we aim to lay out the conditions during spring and autumn so that you can choose to climb in the season you prefer.
What is the difference between Spring & Autumn climb? 🧗
There are fewer climbers during the spring season compared to the autumn season.
More snow during spring compared to autumn climbs
A high probability of wind speed picking up and extreme freezing temperature drop during late autumn.
The spring season sees a longer daylight duration compared to the autumn season.
Late April to May and Mid-September to October are the best time to climb.
Autumn sees more stable weather compared to the spring season.
In spring (late April - May) some of the winter snow will have melted in the mountains making it favorable to climb. Himlung Himal is known to have more snow (more so during spring), so do not underestimate the grit you will have to go through when climbing this peak. Weather can never be guaranteed in the mountains and you should expect some weather-related disturbances during your climb even though this is the best time to climb. If you are one who enjoys a bit of an extra challenge at extreme altitude peak climbing then spring expeditions might your pick.
Every mountain definitely tests your patience especially when things don’t go according to the plan and teams will have to improvise and wait out for climbable conditions. Spring sees fewer climbers than other peaks (Everest/Lhotse excluded) compared to autumn. When spring does open up with a clear weather window it is one of the best times to climb in Nepal. Oh! and not to forget you and your team will have the whole of the mountain to yourself. There is hardly any team in Himlung Himal during the spring season.
Autumn (Mid September - October) is the next time to climb Himlung Himal. A number of teams can be expected during this season compared to the spring season. After Manaslu 8163M teams are focused on either Himlung Himal 7129M, Baruntse 7129M, or Ama Dablam 6810M (the most teams). Guides have reported that as soon as November hits high winds start to pick up in the mountain and this has been the case for the past several years most summits have been in October or in the first week of November.
Himlung Himal has the highest summit records during the autumn season when compared amongst all the commercial 7000M+ expeditions that operate in Nepal. So under good to perfect conditions and the mountain not being super-difficult to climb, technically, Himlung Himal is the best 7000M+ expedition to climb during autumn.
Conclusion
Whichever is your preferred season, climbing Himlung Himal 7129 is an amazing 7000M+ expedition to be undertaken. Spring hosts fewer climbers when compared to autumn and conditions are suitable to climb during both seasons as mentioned above. If you are up for a challenge and prefer to see fewer climbers during the expedition then spring departures are for you. If you are comfortable with some amount of teams being in the mountains then autumn is still a great time to climb this 7000er peak. The thrill and challenges of climbing a remote Himalayan peak are guaranteed. You as a climber choose your climbing condition and the thrill of a great climbing experience is guaranteed. Either way, it is an amazing peak to climb and an accomplishment of a lifetime.
Let’s go, and climb Himlung Himal and other peaks around the world.
Go. Live Your Story.
Question.
Which season do you plan to climb Himlung Himal? Please comment below, we’d love to hear from you.
We organize Himlung Himal 7129M peak expedition every year during spring and during autumn. Planning to climb a 7000M+ peak one day? Whatever your climbing goal is drop us an email. Our team will be glad to have you onboard and together we shall achieve the summit and enjoy the climbing experience. Our team is here to assist and make your climb in the Himalayas an enjoyable, accessible, and comfortable one.
Baruntse 7129M or Himlung Himal 7126M which 7000M+ mountain peak to climb? - Namas Adventure
Baruntse and Himlung Himal are perfect intermediate level and semi-technical peaks to climb at 7000M level in the Himalayas. Whatever your goals for climbing a 7000M extreme altitude expedition be, a stepping stone to an 8000er peak or climbing simply climbing a 7000er mountain peak, we highly recommend these two peak expeditions. (Putha Hiunchuli 7246M is another great option)
Both expeditions are not crowded as the 8000er expeditions (Everest/Lhotse during spring & Manaslu during autumn). Between the two expeditions, Himlung Himal has seen slightly higher climbers compared to Baruntse. (2021 Autumn, Himlung Himal 77 - 90 climbers & Baruntse 20 - 25 climbers). So, you can certain that there won’t be a crazy amount of climbers during your expedition. Having said that, it is always good to have some number of team/s in the mountain. You can never be sure when an event turns out wrong in the mountains. Every day we are playing with the forces of nature. Balance is key.
Learning from past summit data, the Himlung Himal expedition has a higher rate of summit success compared to the Baruntse peak expedition where there are several summits during the autumn season compared to 0 summits during the spring season (commercial route). Let’s look at the data from the previous 5 years of Baruntse 7129M and Himlung Himal 7126M successful summits. (commercial expeditions). Source “Himlayan Database”
Successful summits, BARUNTSE 7129M VS HIMLUNG HIMAL 7126M
So, coming to the question of which 7000M peak I should climb?
Our answer is it depends on your preference. What is it that you want from your adventure? If the summit goal is important to you (no mountain summit is 100% guaranteed) then Himlung Himal 7126M has a better odds of making it to the summit than Baruntse 7129M and is technically less challenging.
Situations change in the mountains, you never know when the next dangers pop out in the mountain, or the hazard that was there before may not even exist. Weather is a huge factor during your high camp days. You may have a clear window for the next 7+ days or it might be pouring snow and low visibility, windy for an extended period of time. Being safe and returning home safely should be your primary goal. Whatever the circumstances, you should be open to all possibilities of success or failure. What is guaranteed is a raw and thrilling Himalayan adventure in your life memoir.
With the insight data from previous years, if you would like to choose any of the 7000M expeditions mentioned above then our team at Namas Adventure is here to assist and welcome you to take on your adventure of climbing a 7000M mountain. We organize the expedition during both seasons. For yearly mountain updates and summit success, hazards in the mountains and to be part of our team on 7000M mountain expeditions or other mountaineering expeditions, please email us at - bookings@namasadventure.com. Our team will be there to assist you on your next adventure of a lifetime.
Let’s go and explore the 7000ers.
Live Your Story
Namas Adventure Team