Chumbu | 2022 W Face (up), S Ridge (down)

A Czech Republic expedition to Chumbu in 2022 via W Face (up), S Ridge (down), led by Zdenek Hak. Summit reached on 29th October 2022. 5 members recorded.

Expedition Details

Field Value
ID 10929
Imported 2026-03-06 18:04:49.359634
Expedition ID CHUM22301
Peak ID CHUM
Year 2022
Season 3
Host Country 1
Route 1 W Face (up), S Ridge (down)
Route 2 -
Route 3 -
Route 4 -
Nationality Czech Republic
Leaders Zdenek Hak
Sponsor Czech Republic Chumbu Expedition 2022
Success 1 True
Success 2 False
Success 3 False
Success 4 False
Ascent 1 1st
Ascent 2 -
Ascent 3 -
Ascent 4 -
Claimed False
Disputed False
Countries Slovakia
Approach Lukla->Namche->Renjo La->Gokyo->Ngozumba Glacier->Gyubanare Glacier
Basecamp Date 2022-10-20
Summit Date 2022-10-29
Summit Time 0900
Summit Days 9
Total Days 10
Termination Date 2022-10-30
Termination Reason 1
Termination Notes -
High Point (m) 6859
Traverse True
Ski False
Paraglide False
Camps 3
Fixed Rope (m) 0
Total Members 5
Summit Members 4
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(20/10,5400m),Biv1(26/10,5700m),Biv2(27/10,6400m),Biv3(28/10,6800m),Smt(29/10),Biv4(29/10,6500m)
Route Notes Approach: Flight to Lukla on 08/10, trek kedto BC via Namche, Renjo La, Gokyo, Ngozumba Glacier and along the Gyubanare Glacier. BC 20/10 5400m on western side of Gyubanare Glacier Biv1 26/10 5700m just below W Face across Gyubanare Glacier Biv2 27/10 6400m in a serac cave Biv3 28/10 6800m on shoulder of S Ridge just below summit Smt 29/10 by Hak, Bansky, Groh, Kejklicek at 9 am Biv4 29/10 6500m on a saddle of S Ridge (on descent). First ascent of Chumbu. Alpine style ascent, no Sherpa support, no fixed ropes, no supplemental oxygen. Traverse of Chumbu (direct W Face up, S Ridge down). Hak and Bansky had seen this line during their ascent of Kangchung Shar in 2021 and made plans to try an ascent via W Face. Koren flown out by helicopter from BC on 21/10 because of Dengue Fever. He did not get higher than BC. Hak also with Dengue during approach and climb. Hak was sick in Namche and Thami and had to stay behind for a few days. Hak reached BC on 23/10, the others on 20/10. Approach to BC via Namche, Thami, Renjo La, Gokyo. Two days walking from Gokyo, across the Ngozumba Glacier and along the Gyubanare Glacier. They roped up in two teams, Hak climbing with Kejklicek and Bansky with Groh. From Bivy 1 to Bivy 2 across the Gyubanare Glacier. From Bivy 2 to Bivy 3 they followed a snow couloir for the most part. Reached the shoulder of the S Ridge at 6800m, where they decided to bivouac, 60m below the summit. Hardest part of ascent just below Bivy 3, face almost vertical for 20-30m, maybe 80° with soft snow, dangerous. On 29/10 started at 8:30 am. On the summit at 9 am. Very hard conditions; had to climb over unstable snow, snow like sugar. Icy parts. Hard work to break trail. Good weather, not much wind. Stayed on the summit for 30 minutes and enjoyed perfect views towards Cho Oyu, Everest, Lhotse, etc. After summit down the South Ridge to a saddle at 6500m, 4th bivouac. Hardest and most dangerous part was on descent before the saddle. Very bad snow conditions, had to cross unstable snow mushrooms and corniced ridge. Two pitches of rappelling to get to saddle. On 30/10 they were looking for a place to rappel down the S Ridge to Changri Nup Glacier. They found a way some time down after saddle of 4th bivouac. Rappeled down some pitches to Changri Nup Glacier. There they called for a heli evacuation because Kejklicek was developing frostbite on his fingers. Heli could not fly that day and they continued to Lobuche; had to walk across the glacier and frozen glacial lakes a few times. Hak reached the lodges of Lobuche at 8 pm, the others around midnight. Next day all members flown by heli from Lobuche to Kathmandu. Team says Chumbu may have been already climbed by a French team without a permit in 2016, but not sure. Classification of route: TD+. Name of route: The last flight of the falcon (in memory of Polish climber Andrzej Sokolowki who died in 2022 in the High Tatra). Records: 1st ascent of Chumbu. Other peaks: Acclimatized on small peak P5890 just west of Base Camp. Accidents: Kejklicek slight frostbite on toes and fingers, Hak slight frostbite on toes. Hak and Koren with Dengue Fever. All recovered 100%.
Accidents -
Achievement -
Agency 14 Summits
Commercial Route False
Standard Route False
Primary Route False
Primary Member False
Primary Reference False
Primary ID -
Checksum 2461994
Year 2022
Summit Success True
O2 Summary None
Route (lowercase) w face (up), s ridge (down)

Members

5 recorded members.

Name Sex Year of Birth Citizenship Status Residence Occupation
Zdenek Hak M 1980 Czech Republic Leader Mala Skala, Czech Republic Alpine guide Details Other expeditions
Jaroslav Bansky M 1980 Czech Republic Climber Vrchlabi, Czech Republic Alpine rescue patrol Details Other expeditions
Radoslav Groh M 1989 Czech Republic Climber Vrchlabi, Czech Republic - Details Other expeditions
Petr Kejklicek M 1981 Czech Republic Climber Dvur Kralove nad Labem, Czech Republic Alpine guide Details Other expeditions
Juraj Koren M 1992 Slovakia Climber Stara Lubovna, Slovakia - Details Other expeditions

References

7 recorded references.

Expedition ID Journal Author Title Publisher Citation Yak 94
CHUM22301 - - https://mteveresttoday.com/first-ascent-of-chumbu-peak/ - - -
CHUM22301 - - https://explorersweb.com/more-detail-from-the-first-ascent-of-chumbu/ - - -
CHUM22301 - - https://explorersweb.com/nepal-attempts-on-annapurna-iv-chumbu-and-pungi/ - - -
CHUM22301 - - https://thehimalayantimes.com/nepal/first-ascent-of-chumbu-arduous-and-glorious - - -
CHUM22301 AAJ Hak, Zdenek Last Flight of the Falcon, The First Ascent of Chumbu - 97:337-338 (2023) -
CHUM22301 - - http://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/13201216488 - - -
CHUM22301 HJ Hak, Zdenek Last Flight of the Falcon - 78:311-315 (2023) -