Himlung Himal | 2017 SW Ridge

A France expedition to Himlung Himal in 2017 via SW Ridge, led by Paulo Grobel. Summit reached on 4th May 2017. 16 members recorded.

Expedition Details

Field Value
ID 9441
Imported 2026-03-06 18:04:49.359634
Expedition ID HIML17101
Peak ID HIML
Year 2017
Season 1
Host Country 1
Route 1 SW Ridge
Route 2 SW Ridge to HMLE smt, ESE Ridge to HIML smt
Route 3 -
Route 4 -
Nationality France
Leaders Paulo Grobel
Sponsor Paulo Himlung East Expedition 2017
Success 1 True
Success 2 True
Success 3 False
Success 4 False
Ascent 1 -
Ascent 2 -
Ascent 3 -
Ascent 4 -
Claimed False
Disputed False
Countries -
Approach Phu->BC
Basecamp Date 2017-04-26
Summit Date 2017-05-04
Summit Time -
Summit Days 8
Total Days 16
Termination Date 2017-05-12
Termination Reason 1
Termination Notes -
High Point (m) 7126
Traverse True
Ski False
Paraglide False
Camps 5
Fixed Rope (m) 0
Total Members 10
Summit Members 7
Member Deaths 0
Total Hired 7
Summit Hired 4
Hired Deaths 0
No Hired False
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 Summited Himlung East (HMLE-171-01)
Campsites BC(26/04,4850m),ABC(27/04,4950m),C1(29/04,5480m),C2(02/05,5980m),C3(04/05,6280m),C4(06/05,6850m),C5(07/05,7050m),Smt(04,07-08/05)
Route Notes BC 26/04 4850m ABC 27/04 4950m (French camp) C1 29/04 5480m C2 02/05 5980m C3 04/05 6280m C4 06/05 6850m C5 07/05 7050m Returned to BC on the 10th of May. May 7: 6 French and 3 Nepalis camped at C5 (7050m), 100m below the Himlung Himal summit. Paulo Grobel and Bertrand Vayssettes also summited on that day. Summit day on HMLE: 8th of May at 11 am with 2 members and 2 hired (Isabelle Guillaume, Paulo Grobel, Jangbu Sherpa, Rajan Bhote). Himlung East summit team climbed via W Ridge. Intended to continue to traverse onto the ridge farther north from HMLE (border between Nepal and China), but didn't try. On return they climbed ESE ridge of Himlung to the summit. First traverse between both peaks. Others summiting HIML via normal route: 4th of May: Jean Francois Males, Karma Sherpa 7th of May: Bertrand Vayssettes, Paulo Grobel 8th of May: Bertrand Vayssettes (again), Regis Bardet, Christian Hurgon, Michael Collin, Temba Tsiring Sherpa High Points for other members: On 6th of May, Christophe Adam, Denis Levaillant, Zangbu Sherpa reached a small summit near Himlung Pass at 6600m. Note from Paulo Grobel - 6 August 2017 After many expeditions to Himlung Himal by various itineraries, I felt confident to try a big journey at altitude, traversing this accessible 7000er via a previously untrodden ridge, carrying more than four days of food. Our plan was to climb the normal route up the NW Ridge of Himlung Himal (7126m), without fixed ropes of course, put a high camp just below the summit, then climb over the top with food and all our gear and continue to the unclimbed Himlung East (6932m). The latter is a recently opened (2014) peak on the frontier with Tibet, on the ridge that leads north toward Ratna Chuli. We would then continue down this north ridge, over several tops including Phu Kang (6694m; opened in 2002, this peak is still unclimbed, though the goal of a 2008 Swiss expedition that found no accessible route to the summit), and onward to the vicinity of Peak 6566m, where we would descend the ridge west, and eventually reach the valley north of Himlung Himal, so completing a "horseshoe." It was a strange climb. We established five camps on the NW Ridge of Himlung Himal, the last on a flat shoulder at 7050m, northwest of and not far from the main top. It was higher than our eventual goal, Himlung East. We arrived at this camp at 11 am on May 7: the previous day two members of our group, Jean Francois Males and Karma Sherpa, had reached the main summit. However, the weather on the 7th was not good. Bertrand Vayssettes and I climbed to the main summit to scope the way ahead. We had spent a lot of time acclimatizing so we could live safely at 7000m and our schedule was now tight. More importantly, the weather felt too unstable to commit to the full traverse. Reluctantly, we took the decision to make Himlung East our goal. On the 8th Isabelle Guillaume with Jangbu Sherpa, and Rajan Bhote and I left camp and skirted the summit by the northern slopes to reach the east ridge, which we descended, narrow at first, to a col and then ascended the west ridge of Himlung East to its summit. On the return we climbed up the east ridge of Himlung Himal and over the summit, so making the first ascent of this ridge. That same day five other members of the group reached the top of Himlung Himal. By the time we had returned to camp the weather was poor again, but fortunately next morning the cloud level rose and we were able to make our descent. Traversing a summit is such a great game, this ridge is fantastic, and the continuation north is still there to be done.
Accidents -
Achievement -
Agency Yeti Adventure
Commercial Route False
Standard Route False
Primary Route False
Primary Member False
Primary Reference -
Primary ID -
Checksum 2460345
Year 2017
Summit Success True
O2 Summary None
Route (lowercase) sw ridge

Members

16 recorded members.

Name Sex Year of Birth Citizenship Status Residence Occupation
Paul Marc (Paulo) Grobel M 1957 France Leader La Grave, Hautes-Alpes, France Alpine guide & journalist Details Other expeditions
Christophe Albert Adam M 1966 France Climber Andolsheim, Haut-Rhin, France Technical director Details Other expeditions
Bertrand Vayssettes M 1982 France Climber Rodez, Aveyron, France Mechanical engineer Details Other expeditions
Regis Gerard Bernard Bardet M 1958 France Climber Droue-sur-Drouette, Eure-et-Loir, France Commercial director Details Other expeditions
Michael Guy Collin M 1987 France Climber Haguenau, Bas-Rhin, France Employee of sports shop Details Other expeditions
Christian Hurgon M 1954 France Climber Les Houches, Haute-Savoie, France Retired Details Other expeditions
Isabelle Anne Julie Guillaume F 1975 France Climber Jacob-Bellecombette, Savoie, France Budget control manager Details Other expeditions
Christine Madeleine Levaillant F 1951 France Climber Acheres-la-Foret, Seine-et-Marne, France Gynecologist Details Other expeditions
Denis Jean Maurice Levaillant M 1952 France Climber Acheres-la-Foret, Seine-et-Marne, France Music composer Details Other expeditions
Jean Francois Males M 1950 France Climber Tulle, Correze, France Retired Details Other expeditions
Jangbu Sherpa M 1988 Nepal Sirdar Chheskam-2, Solukhumbu - Details Other expeditions
Karma Sherpa M 1981 Nepal H-A Worker Kimathanka-8, Makalu-Barun - Details Other expeditions
Rajan Lama Bhote M 1987 Nepal H-A Worker Hatiya-1, Makalu-Barun - Details Other expeditions
Temba Chhiring Bhote M 1985 Nepal H-A Worker Hatiya-1, Makalu-Barun - Details Other expeditions
Anil Kulung Rai M 1995 Nepal H-A Worker Bung-5, Solukhumbu - Details Other expeditions
Tenjin Bhote M 1993 Nepal H-A Worker Chepuwa-8, Makalu-Barun - Details Other expeditions

References

3 recorded references.

Expedition ID Journal Author Title Publisher Citation Yak 94
HIML17101 - - http://www.paulogrobel.com/himlung-traverse/ - - -
HIML17101 - - http://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/13201214464/Himlung-East-West-Ridge-East-West-Traverse-of-Himlung-Himal - - -
HIML17101 AAJ Grobel, Paulo Himlung East, West Ridge; Traverse of Himlung Himal - 92:315 (2018) -