Trip Reports

Putha Hiunchuli 2013

Sirdar Ang Geljen leading a rope on summit day, Dhaulagiri VII
Trip Report

Written by Leader Neal Short, December 2013

Summary: This inaugural expedition to Putha Hiunchuli (7,246m) was very successful with seven out of nine team members summiting along with myself and four climbing Sherpas on 26 October 2013. The mountain was a splendid objective and the remote region of Dolpo proved to be a stunning trekking destination in itself.

Expedition members:
Derek, Andy, John, Steve, Rachel, Irene and Nigel and Farkas and Erika.

In-country staff:
Sherpa team: Sirdar Ang Geljen, Phuru Geljen, Tamding Lama, Norbu and Wangdi. Cook team: Dawa, Sukre, Nima, Man Bdr Limba and Camari.

Our expedition started with a welcoming puja at the Summit Hotel. The following day, the journey to Putha Hiunchuli began with firstly flying to the swelteringly hot city of Nepalgunj. Then after a night in the Siddhartha Hotel we took a spectacular early morning charter flight; swapping the flat lands of the terai for the rugged steep sided valleys of the Dolpo region. The team left the Pahada airstrip soon after arrival in glorious sunshine and with views of our objective in the distance. (We had to use a temporary runway at Pahada as Juphal was closed) The Lower Dolpo region proved wonderful to travel through. The walking, often on precipitous paths high above the river, allowed the team to be totally absorbed and thrilled with the daily trekking schedule. We passed through a few large settlements such as the district centre of Dunai but for the most part through small hamlets and wandered on long isolated sections. In many areas the bridges over the raging Thuli Bheri river and the occasionally incredibly built teetering ëstair case pathí were the only notable signs that smaller communities existed further up the massive river valley that we were following. As we passed through small communities, villagers were busy finishing the harvest; one of the lower elevation villages Kalagauda (2,094m) added striking colour of deep red to the backdrop as they dried chillies and tomatoes on their roof tops; and the higher villages were in the throes of gathering produce such as barley and buckwheat. A notable religious change took place en-route to the mountain and therefore some cultural shifts too. Like in the Annapurna region, Hinduism was dominant in the lower sections of our trek whereas beyond Dunai it was altogether more like Tibet or Ladakh with chortens and mani stones indicating Buddhism. (Being more specific, some of the Buddhists in the Dolpo region are adherents to Bon which pre-dates Buddhism but is amalgamated as its fifth school.)

Our days took on a typical trek routine, starting with bed tea being kindly delivered to the tents at 6.30am and then a bowl of washing water at around 6.45am. With the demands of expedition life being physically quite high, then starting the day with a large breakfast from 7am onwards was next thing for us to do. Getting underway for 8am was our daily aim and then weíd walk through to a ëhot lunchí at around mid-day. The perfect and healthy preparation of this food was forever marvelled and appreciated by the team members. Particularly so at lunch time, as the cheerful cook Dawa and his crew had had to pack up the kitchen promptly after breakfast and then quickly dash up the trail to get ahead of us to gain sufficient preparation time. A very crucial testament to Dawa's careful work was that nobody got an upset stomach and maintained sufficient energy and appetite throughout. A massive 3-course dinner finished the day before at around 8pm getting into our tents under a wondrous ëdark skiesí starscape. The trek stage of the itinerary was completed by arriving on Day 8 to camp close to the mysterious and almost medieval-looking village of Karkot (3,210m). It was here, especially when unexpected transport problems arose, that we realised we were also now in a ëremote landsí. It appeared we had crossed a threshold from the seemingly culturally and commercially interwoven world of the lower regions to what appeared an altogether different psyche of insular and mostly self-sufficient peoples in isolated villages such as Karkot. Transport problems occurred upon attempting to hire yaks for our two day acclimatisation foray to Seri. It transpired that the villagers would not go any further up the valley due to recent feuds with the inhabitants of the closer village of Pimarigaon and also Seri. And it wasnít just one particular owner of yaks being awkward as any hiring arrangement was made through the village elderís council. Therefore we had to stay at Karkot and over the following days enjoyed hiking to 4,000m. (Clearly at this point, its a good example of why a flexible approach is sometimes required to expeditions). However I didnít feel it was sufficient acclimatisation to comfortably move up over two days to Base Camp (4,950m) via Pangi Camp (4,450m). I called Simon Lowe (MD of Jagged Globe) as heíd made the recce trip last year and he felt the same. So a new plan needed to be hatched to adhere to the maxim of More Acclimatisation=More Success. Simply, we would need to spend two nights at Pangi camp. However the locals had refused to do it last year when Simon had enquired and also to previous expeditions over the years. So fingers where crossed when the Sirdar flanked by fellow Sherpaís strolled over from camp once again for talks with the village committee. Thankfully this time they were persuaded by the Sirdars discussion about our altitude concerns and he managed to gain agreement for our plan though obviously at a price! Even going to sleep that night I was anxious that the yak drivers would turn up the following morning with a different plan. Thankfully that wasnít to be the case.

There are numerous memorable highlights to this expedition and one which stands out is the incredible terrain that is crossed when walking up from Karkot to BC. When Simon wrote in the itinerary that ëfor those with a head for heights and a good relationship with their boots, itís absorbing, yet entertaining way to gain heightí then I could hardly wait to get going. It was a fantastic day out and the slightly inclement conditions made it even more atmospheric. We started out at 6.20am and headed up massive grassy slopes and then took a narrow traversing trail towards the ridge. Upon reaching the ridge (4,200m) we became engulfed in low cloud, drizzle and at times had to battle quite breezy conditions on exposed sections described ëas not dissimilar to Striding Edgeí. After 9.5hrs on the trail we were glad to reach Pangi camp and see that the Sherpaís had already put up the mess tent and receive warm drinks from the cook team. The following ënegotiatedí acclimatisation day at Pangi camp was leisurely and certainly contributed to all the team getting to BC on 17 October in good shape. (The second leg to BC was less technical underfoot and not quite as long - leaving at 08.10 and getting into camp at 16.25).

BC (4,950m) was a fine place to set up camp with flat grassy areas and easy access for water. The upper slopes of Putha Hiunchuli could be seen gleaming and beckoning from here too. It was the direction of our view both visually and mentally when we sat crossed legged listening to Tamding our Lama Sherpa conduct the all-important and empowering puja on Day 15 of the expedition. Climbing equipment was placed around the stone alter and prayer flags fluttered above our heads as we shared the experience with the Sherpaís, ate tsampa and toasted the mountain with whiskey. Red cord and a scarf (blessed by ëBig Lamaí in Kathmandu) were given to us and bonded us to our goal. That afternoon I appreciated the help given by Rachel, Steve, John and Andy in sorting out the High Altitude Mountain food. (The HA food, tents, stoves and rope etc would be gratefully load-carried by the Sherpaís over the following days to the three higher camps, see later image).

Much had occurred even before stepping foot on the mountain proper and so it was with excitement that we set forth to Camp 1 at 8.45am on 19 October. As scheduled in the itinerary, it was to be a memberís acclimatisation/load carry day and then return to BC for a final night before the ascent. The 8.5hr return trek was made over quite rough moraine and in quite poor conditions, altogether reminiscent of a murky winterís day in the Lost Valley in Glencoe. Following a foot-deep trail in the snow to camp made us realise just how bad the weather had been earlier in the month as normally there would be just rocky moraine and of course become concerned about the stability of the upper snow slopes. (At a similar time nearly all the Himalaya had suffered large snowfalls causing problems for teams on Cho Oyu and to trekking over the high passes in the Khumbu).

Fortunately we completed the move to C1 the following day under clear blue skies and the higher daytime temperatures helped to continue settling the snow slopes above. The day also afforded excellent views of the near 2,000 metres of the peak still to be climbed.

I called a rest day on 21 October rather than struggling in potentially tiring snow conditions to ëtouchí C2 and return back again. The upshot of this plan though, meant that we would need to move to C2 (6120m) in one go. We did this carrying our personal kit and in excellent weather on 22 October. (At this point Steve had decided to head down to BC and ultimately out to Kathmandu early due to chest and throat problems). En-route to C2 I started to feel that in many aspects Putha Hiunchuli climbs like a 8,000er for example in terms of logistics and camps, though the one refreshing difference was the limited use of fixed lines as only 70m was used close to C2. The walk to C2 took us 7hrs.

With the Sherpas still needing to establish C3 (6,500m) and ultimately put in a trail, then it seemed the best idea for the team to stay at camp and conserve energy (24 October). This also enabled time to take in the marvellous vista - from Dogari Himal (6,536m) across to huge NW face of Churen Himal (7,286m).

On 25 October the team moved up to the final camp at 6,500m. We took only necessary items and climbed up consolidated snow slopes to make camp in an admirable 5.5hrs.

Camp 3 was dug into the steep slopes and made for a memorable site to launch our summit bid. All we needed now was for the weather to hold and the summit slopes to be in good condition. So it was with some concern that when I spoke to with Matt (Jagged Globe Operations manager) on the satellite phone he mentioned; a) he was surprised weíd been having such calm weather; and b) that the specially prepared mountain forecast for Putha Hiunchuli was predicting strong winds at 7,000m for tomorrow! At that point all I could do was to acknowledge the forecast and hope that the recent high pressure with very light winds continued or that the forecasted winds didnít materialise so strongly. However, I had only just turned the Sat phone off when the first strong gusts arrived and spindrift started to hit the tents. The wind continued through the late evening making it feel like the conditions on the slope would be at best unpleasant but also more than likely a high concern for cold injury. By 1am, our initial wake-up time, it was clear weíd have to delay and hope the winds abated.

Thankfully at around 5am the wind dropped to give some optimism that it could be our day. Unfortunately, John felt low on energy so opted to stay behind at camp and eventually went down with Norbu. The rest of the team comprising of 7 members, 4 climbing Sherpas and myself struck out for the top in three roped teams. Fortunately the snow on the upper slopes wasnít too deep, though we were certainly very appreciative of the trail breaking done by Tamding and Wangdi who both rotated on the front of the first roped team. By 1.30pm we reached a small col (7,000m) and then turned due west to ascend the broad summit ridge. It was an absorbing sight with clouds bubbling up to the south from the humid terai whereas to the north it was clear with views extending for miles over the high arid landscape and beyond to Tibet.

My team was still heading up as other members summited; Farkas and Erika (whoíd done so well with a sore throat) along with Phuru Geljen. Over the radio I heard shouts of joy and even singing from Rachel and Wangdi. This also indicated that Derek (a remarkable septuagenarian) had made it too with the ever-impressive Tamding. Hugs and high-five congratulations took place as we met them on their descent. Nigel, Rene, Andy, Sirdar Ang Geljen and myself summited at 3.30pm. Over three weeks of effort was rewarded with a perfect exposed point to the peak and a magnificent panorama stretching from our starting point at the Pahada airstrip across to the mighty Dhaulagiri. We were totally chuffed! The descent was straightforward but as consequence of our enforced late start it meant that teams returned to camp in the dark. In camp, an elated and understandably tired team forced themselves to stay focused a little longer to melt sufficient snow for a hot drink and warm meal before enjoying a well-deserved rest. It was cold that night, with Nigel reporting -20∞C inside the tent. Over the following two days we descended to BC with an overnight stop at C1. (Unfortunately Erika, accompanied by partner Farkas, had to be flown out from BC due to her very sore throat and also concern of her developing a chest infection).

In continuing good weather we completed the descent back along the narrow ridge and down the open slopes to Karkot on the 29 October.

We then had two nights at Karkot before taking a further three days to trek out to the Pahada airstrip (as Juphal was still closed). The temporary airstrip was to be the final camp for our expedition. Dawa once again delighted us with a tasty meal of fried chicken and chips and a big cake for dessert, all of which was washed down with a few well-earned beers. After dinner, tips were distributed to the brilliant in-country team.

On 3 November, we flew out to Nepalgunj and then onto Kathmandu. Our stay in the capital was during Diwali and it was quite a spectacle to see the city's buildings decorated in masses of cascading lights; and at the Summit Hotel, candles burned brightly around the grounds. Overall it made for an enchanting scene for us to bring a celebratory conclusion to a wonderful expedition.

Lastly; well done and thank you to all the team members for making the expedition a rewarding experience for each another and myself. Special thanks must go to Sirdar Ang Geljen and his team for their considerable efforts towards our goal; and also to Simon Lowe (Managing Director of Jagged Globe) for the recce he made in 2012 and the subsequent planning for this first trip.

Neal Short, Expedition leader.

Maps:
Dolpo & Mugu (Laminated Trekking Map 100 series 1:150,000 by Himalayan Maphouse ñ it has all of the trail and Putha Hiunchuli) available at the BMC shop for £19.99 and also in Kathmandu for around $10.

https://www.bmcshop.co.uk/product_info.php?products_id=6215

For a slight better scale but just missing Putha Hiunchuli off the bottom is, Upper and Lower Dolpo 1.125,000. Available in Kathmandu for $4. « Previous report | »

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