Chamlang | 2018 N Pillar from west via east glacier

A France expedition to Chamlang in 2018 via N Pillar from west via east glacier, led by Aymeric Clouet. Summit reached on 26th May 2018. 5 members recorded.

Expedition Details

Field Value
ID 9783
Imported 2026-03-06 18:04:49.359634
Expedition ID CHAM18101
Peak ID CHAM
Year 2018
Season 1
Host Country 1
Route 1 N Pillar from west via east glacier
Route 2 -
Route 3 -
Route 4 -
Nationality France
Leaders Aymeric Clouet
Sponsor French Chamlang Expedition 2018
Success 1 False
Success 2 False
Success 3 False
Success 4 False
Ascent 1 -
Ascent 2 -
Ascent 3 -
Ascent 4 -
Claimed False
Disputed False
Countries -
Approach Lukla->Mera La->Chamlang BC
Basecamp Date 2018-04-28
Summit Date 2018-05-26
Summit Time -
Summit Days 28
Total Days 32
Termination Date 2018-05-30
Termination Reason 4
Termination Notes Abandoned at 6500m due to bad weather and lack of acclimatization
High Point (m) 6500
Traverse False
Ski False
Paraglide False
Camps 2
Fixed Rope (m) 0
Total Members 5
Summit Members 0
Member Deaths 0
Total Hired 0
Summit Hired 0
Hired Deaths 0
No Hired True
O2 Used False
O2 None True
O2 Climb False
O2 Descent False
O2 Sleep False
O2 Medical False
O2 Taken False
O2 Unknown False
Other Summits -
Campsites BC(28/04,5000m),ABC(13/05,5500m),C1(19/05,6100m),C2(26/05,6500m),xxx
Route Notes BC 28/04 5000m (30 April Billon and Chance) ABC 05/13 5500m C1 05/19 6100m C2 05/26 6500m High point on 26-27/05 by four members at 6500m on the N Pillar, below an overhanging section. Climb abandoned on 26-27/05 in the night due to weather conditions and lack of acclimatization. Antoine Cayrol could not join the expedition he was meant to be the leader of. He had been shot by a neighbor in Vic Sur Cere, miraculously surviving then waking up after a coma period. Team did not acclimatize on Mera Peak as initially planned. Did instead a first acclimatization trip to 5500m on the West Ridge of Chamlang to reconnoitre their intended descent route after North Pillar; spent 2 nights there (on 08-09/05), a thunderstorm during second night forcing them to move 20m below the ridge to avoid thunder; they waited there during 1.5 hours under snowfall. After some days rest in base camp, to continue their acclimatization, Aymeric and Sebastien went back on the West Ridge on 13/05 at 6000m. Got again a thunderstorm and snow, then came back down to BC the next day. Meanwhile (also on 13/05), others went to reconnoitre the attack of the North Pillar via the East Hongu Glacier (Finn Map), eventually aiming to approach it via its east side. They did not aim to attack the pillar directly by the north, since it is a steep dark rotten rocky face. During the night at 5500m, Laurent did not feel good, so all went back down to BC the next day to meet the other team also back from West Ridge. On 15/05, Laurent left the expedition, showing apparent serious symptoms of pulmonary edema, in fact, a doctor diagnosed him a pulmonary infection afterwards. On 18/05 all remaining members went back to 5500m camp (ABC) for further acclimatization and reconnaissance of North Pillar. On 19/05 they went up to a 6100m col (col located between 6439m shoulder of North Pillar and 6260m peak northeast of it, towards Honku Chuli – 6833m), giving access to the long glacier located afoot of the north face of other peaks of Chamlang eastwards, and also to the North Pillar from east. Established here their C1. On that day team had climbed 8 pitches, including 2 in mixed ground with not much difficulty; remnant was 60-70° very hard ice slopes. Found some climbing gear remnants of previous ropes (2015 Inurrategui team had been there). Spent rest of the day acclimatizing in very warm temperatures. On 20/05, Aymeric, Sebastien, Emmanuel went up towards the 6439m shoulder of the North Pillar to reconnoitre the latter. French grade AD for difficulties on that day. Stopped at 6300m in rotten snow, quite late, on the east ridge of 6439m shoulder (had climbed southeast face of it). Went back down to C1. On 21/05 all went back down to BC. On 24/05 team started up for a first serious try, despite feeling not enough acclimatized, and slept at ABC. Weather had been beautiful from May 20 to May 24. On 25/05 team slept at C1. On 26/05 awoke at midnight, the team climbed up to C2 via a mixed line right under the ice-flutes zone and avoided it by the left to join the North Ridge at its lower point (M5 max). Then they followed the ridge until a huge gendarme with a big roof, at approximately 6500m. On the west side of the ridge they found a good bivy platform protected by a roof, setting C2 there. On 27/05 some members had spent a hard night at C2 the previous night, during which the wind had blown forcefully. Weather forecast was also quite bad, so they went back to C1. During the evening, they got a message from their weather forecaster announcing a reinforcement of the wind plus bad weather for the coming days. Decided to abandon and come back down to BC next day. On 28/05 they went back to BC. On that day had started very early to avoid objective dangers. A worthwhile precaution, since a massive stone fall occurred just after their passage. Lise Billon mentionned she did not feel well for a reason she could not really identify, whether because she got hit by an ice block in the access face to C1 on 25/05 or whether because she could not cope with altitude and had not sufficient acclimatization, leading her to use medicines? On the way back to Lukla, their sirdar assisted to the murder of a villager by two others. Fixed rope: none Oxygen: not taken not used
Accidents -
Achievement -
Agency Holiday Himalaya Treks
Commercial Route False
Standard Route False
Primary Route False
Primary Member False
Primary Reference False
Primary ID -
Checksum 2464288
Year 2018
Summit Success False
O2 Summary None
Route (lowercase) n pillar from west via east glacier

Members

5 recorded members.

Name Sex Year of Birth Citizenship Status Residence Occupation
Aymeric Emmanuel Clouet M 1978 France Leader St. Jeoire, Haute Savoie, France Alpine guide Details Other expeditions
Laurent Eduoard Bibollet M 1979 France Climber La Giettaz, Rhone-Alpes, France Alpine guide Details Other expeditions
Lise Noemie Billon F 1988 France Climber Chamonix, Haute-Savoie, France Alpine guide Details Other expeditions
Emmanuel Henri Chance M 1985 France Climber Chamonix, Haute-Savoie, France Alpine guide Details Other expeditions
Sebastien Philippe Corret M 1979 France Climber Bareges, Haute-Pyrenees, France Alpine guide Details Other expeditions

References

2 recorded references.

Expedition ID Journal Author Title Publisher Citation Yak 94
CHAM18101 - - http://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/13201214752/Chamlang-North-Spur-Attempt - - -
CHAM18101 AAJ - Chamlang, North Spur, Attempt - 93:326 (2019) -