Chamlang | 2021 N Face (up), SW Ridge-W Face (down)

A France expedition to Chamlang in 2021 via N Face (up), SW Ridge-W Face (down), led by Benjamin Vedrines. Summit reached on 12th October 2021. 2 members recorded.

Expedition Details

Field Value
ID 10682
Imported 2026-03-06 18:04:49.359634
Expedition ID CHAM21301
Peak ID CHAM
Year 2021
Season 3
Host Country 1
Route 1 N Face (up), SW Ridge-W Face (down)
Route 2 -
Route 3 -
Route 4 -
Nationality France
Leaders Benjamin Vedrines
Sponsor French Chamlang N Face Expedition 2021
Success 1 True
Success 2 False
Success 3 False
Success 4 False
Ascent 1 8th
Ascent 2 -
Ascent 3 -
Ascent 4 -
Claimed False
Disputed False
Countries -
Approach Phaplu by Jeep->Kharikola->Khare->Mera Peak for acclimatization->Mera La
Basecamp Date 2021-10-04
Summit Date 2021-10-12
Summit Time 1500
Summit Days 8
Total Days 12
Termination Date 2021-10-16
Termination Reason 1
Termination Notes -
High Point (m) 7321
Traverse False
Ski False
Paraglide False
Camps 3
Fixed Rope (m) 0
Total Members 2
Summit Members 2
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 True
O2 Unknown False
Other Summits -
Campsites BC(04/10,4970m),ABC(09/10,5450m),Biv1(10/10,6400m),Biv2(11/10,6700m),Smt(12/10),Biv3(12/10,6600m)
Route Notes BC 04/10 4970m ABC 09/10 5450m Biv1 10/10 6400m (at foot of the route's crux section) Biv2 11/10 6700m (above the crux section) Biv3 12/10 6600m on the W Ridge (at the first quarter/third of it starting from the top) Smt 12/10 by both members at 3 pm. Details of Climb: 24/09: Jeep to Phaplu 25/09: 1st trekking day 26/09: Tangnak (4200m) 27/09: rest day in Tangnak 28/09: Khare 29/09: rest day in Khare 30/09: first night of acclimatization at 5600m on Mera Peak 01/10: 5600m to 6000m, night at 6000m 02/10: second night at 6000m 03/10: 6000 to 6400m, night at 6400m 04/10: 6400m to BC of Chamlang. 05/10: rest day in BC 06/10: carrying loads, deposit and reconnaissance of ABC campsite (5450m). 07/10: second wave of load-carrying (deposit of waterproof bags...). Also put crampons to check the bergschrund/rimaye plus beginning of the route. Made 1 big pitch in soft snow, finding the latter's conditions to be good enough (“quick snow”, halfway between snow and ice, similar to polystyrene, on which can climb safe and fast) for an attempt. Fixed that pitch to cross the rimaye in prevision of the coming attempt (afterwards happened to be a good precaution, since the rimaye would open inbetween). 08/10: rest day in BC, doing preparations for the climb. 09/10: slept at ABC, doing ultimate preparations. 10/10: first day of the ascent. First 300m (55 to 65° in snow) climbed in simul rope. Then belayed pitch by pitch in a difficult section from c6050m to 6400m. Installed a bivy to the left of the crux start. 11/10: after an abseil to reach its footstep, climbed the 200m high crux section, consisting mainly in steep ice (WI 5+ in ice, mixed M5+) of ephemeral veneers (safe enough with possibilities for setting good belays and putting ice screws). Bivy installed a little above the end of the crux section. 12/10: as the upper snowy slopes got less sustained (45-50°), first put the rope then went free soloing. Had good snow for breaking the trail (maximum to the ankles). Just had to negotiate 2 mixed pitches (in M4, M5) where had to climb with the rope and belay. Duet reached the top at 3 pm. At 4:30 pm, duet had downclimbed the upper SW Face to the W Ridge, bivying at c6600m. 13/10: duet continued to solo downclimb the West Ridge (“like Lyskamm ridge, but a little steeper”), finding it quite sharp in some sections ; lower found old fixed ropes remnants, then a rotten rock section, the grassfields and eventually the path bringing them back to BC, reached at c.1:30-2:00 pm. 14/10: helped by Symon, the duet came back to remove its ABC. 15/10: rest day at BC. 16/10: left BC to Tangnak. 17/10: rest day in Tangnak. 18/10: As Symon Welfringer got a serious knee injury after a short fall from a little wall, him, Aurelien Vaissieres, Benjamin and Charles took an helicopter flight from Tangnak (4200m) back to Kathmandu. 19/10: left Nepal. Intented as a plan A this new line on the part of the North Face located left to the Czech line (“UFO”, 2019, Marek Holecek and Zdenek Hak). As a plan B, Vedrines had thought about the South Pillar reaching the crest of Chamlang further to the east, or the Hongku Chuli traverse. Conditions eventually allowed the duet to achieve plan A in alpine style. The duet had good snow/ice conditions in general. Their line goes to the left of “UFO”, joining it before the exit from the face. It's called “In the shadow of lies” (1600m/ED/5+/M5+/90°).
Accidents -
Achievement -
Agency Pralhad Chapagain (Freelancer at Expes.com)
Commercial Route False
Standard Route False
Primary Route False
Primary Member False
Primary Reference False
Primary ID -
Checksum 2464581
Year 2021
Summit Success True
O2 Summary None
Route (lowercase) n face (up), sw ridge-w face (down)

Members

2 recorded members.

Name Sex Year of Birth Citizenship Status Residence Occupation
Benjamin Charles Elie Vedrines M 1992 France Leader Briancon, Hautes-Alpes, France Alpine guide Details Other expeditions
Charles Henri Pierre Francois Dubouloz M 1989 France Climber Annecy, Haute Savoy, France Alpine guide Details Other expeditions

References

7 recorded references.

Expedition ID Journal Author Title Publisher Citation Yak 94
CHAM21301 - - https://www.planetmountain.com/en/news/alpinism/chamlang-north-face-direttissima-charles-dubouloz-benjamin-vedrines.html - - -
CHAM21301 - - https://explorersweb.com/interview-with-charles-duvouloz-a-new-route-on-chamlang/ - - -
CHAM21301 - - https://www.climbing.com/news/first-ascent-chamlang-north-face/ - - -
CHAM21301 - - https://alpinemag.com/first-ascent-chamlang-north-face-by-french-charles-dubouloz-benjamin-vedrines/ - - -
CHAM21301 HCN - French Duo Pioneers Spectacular Route Up Chamlang’s Virgin North Face - 44:11-14 (2022) -
CHAM21301 AAJ Griffin, Lindsay Chamlang's North Face - 96:292-293 (2022) -
CHAM21301 - - http://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/13201216076 - - -