Phurbi Chhyachu | 2023 SE Ridge

A Spain expedition to Phurbi Chhyachu in 2023 via SE Ridge, led by Miguel Zabalza Azcona. Summit reached on 25th October 2023. 3 members recorded.

Expedition Details

Field Value
ID 11292
Imported 2026-03-06 18:04:49.359634
Expedition ID PHUR23301
Peak ID PHUR
Year 2023
Season 3
Host Country 1
Route 1 SE Ridge
Route 2 -
Route 3 -
Route 4 -
Nationality Spain
Leaders Miguel Zabalza Azcona
Sponsor Dream Carrier Phurbi Chhyachu Expedition 2023
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 Kathmandu->Bolde->Tembathang->Pemasal
Basecamp Date 2023-10-01
Summit Date 2023-10-25
Summit Time -
Summit Days 24
Total Days 28
Termination Date 2023-10-29
Termination Reason 4
Termination Notes Abandoned at 6570m due to lateness of day, bad weather
High Point (m) 6570
Traverse False
Ski False
Paraglide False
Camps 2
Fixed Rope (m) 0
Total Members 3
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 Summited Phurbi Txiki (6125m) by all members
Campsites BC(01/10,3900m),Biv1(05/10,4900m),Biv2(13/10,6000m),xxx(25/10,6570m)
Route Notes Approach: Kathmandu->Bolde (1770m)->Tembathang (2160m)->Pemasal BC 30/09-01/10 3900m Biv1 05/10 4900m Biv2 06/10 5400m (Phurbi Txiki) Smt 07/10 (Phurbi Txiki) by all members Biv2 13/10 6000m (Phurbi Chhyachu) HPt 25/10 6570m (Phurbi Chhyachu) by all three members Climb abandoned 25/10 for Phurbi Chhyachu due to lack of time, bad weather. Trio went from KTM by car until Bolde village (1770m). From there, it trekked via various villages, the main one called Tembathang (2160m). From a last village named Pemasal (circa 3400m), there wouldn’t be trails anymore. The difficult approach via the Nyanya Masal Khola to the base camp was achieved with the help of a local shepherd, showing them the trail and opening it with a khukri knife! At the beginning, trio faced a lot of rain and bad weather, waiting at the BC for 4 to 5 days. • “Phurbi Txiki”, 6125m, via its WSW Ridge, acclimatization. That peak, christened as “Phurbi Txiki” by the team, is a satellite one located southeast to Phurbi Chhyachu and measured at 6125m on the Finn Map. The trio made its first ascent in 3 days from BC, via its WSW Ridge. 05/10: from BC to circa 4900m under the ridge and down to the right glacier. 06/10: to a circa 5400m bivouac on the ridge. 07/10: to summit. The summit was so thin they couldn’t stand on it all 3 together at the same time but separately only! On the same day the trio went back to BC. Difficulties: a few mixed ground sections were soloed, also a few 70° maximum sections in snow and ice. On the way down, the trio made about 4 or 5 abseils, yet most of it was down-climbing. • Phurbi Chyachu, 6637m, attempts via the SE Ridge; The expedition first aimed for the obvious SW rocky pillar, but: (1) Its access proved to be unpleasant, through a ground prone to objective risks (stone falls), and very moist with a lot of lichens covering the rock. To be mentioned that Phurbi Chhyachu is a big mountain lying close above the jungle. For that reason, its climate is particularly moist (fog and rain every day) in comparison with Dorje Lakpa’s, the latter climbed two years before by its South Face and yet not that far to the northwest! (2) For climbing such big pillar serenely, one would need to make it capsule style likely, involving fixed ropes. With three ropes only (2 for climbing and 1 for security), the trio rather aimed for some alpine style climbing. First attempt to 6200m: 12/10: from BC to the previous 4900m bivouac. 13/10: reached the SE ridge at 6000m via its West Face, the latter consisting in steep slopes with the last 300m in sustained 60/70° snow-ice slopes (6 abseils there on the descent every time). 14/10: after a very windy night, had to wait for the wind to decrease, so that the trio started at 7 am only. The ridge itself proved to be harder than expected, so that the trio stopped its effort at 6200m, going back down to bivy 2 for sleeping. 15/10: down to BC. From there, the trio stayed a week at BC, waiting for a weather window with the less wind as possible. Eventually it could enjoy a second attempt with a rather good wind forecast, yet cold would unexpectedly invite into the game. When they were back to BC a few days before, the 0° isotherm was lying at 5500m, whereas it would drop down in fact to 3300m during the second attempt. Second attempt to circa 6570m: 23/10: went up to sleep at bivy 1. 24/10: went up to sleep at bivy 2 on the SE Ridge. 25/10: had to start at circa 6:30 am because of the cold and little wind. As they were climbing, at circa 11 am the first clouds appeared, then from noon wind, blizzard, spindrifts, all-in-all making the climb not easy. The attempt eventually stopped at 3 pm, not far below the top at circa 6570m. The trio had climbed until the end of the difficulties, stopping down to the last rock step. Here, knowing they had just 2:30 left before the night, they didn’t want to lose themselves in the summit area. The trio descended back down to its bivy 2, reached at circa 8:00-8:30 pm. It had faced cold during the day, with circa minus 25°C all day long. The ridge itself proved to be harder technically than the West Face giving access to the ridge. On the way up, trio faced 3 hrs of almost vertical mixed and ice ground, the ice itself being excellent, but the weather conditions at the same time being quite bad. Yet not that hard intrinsically, lower part of the ridge consisted in rock towers to bypass left and right, making it not straight nor quick. On the way down, trio had to make about 15 abseils. The first one in the upper part was quite long thanks to a straight ground. But lower down in the towers area, the trio had to make short abseils (30m) instead to be able to negotiate that complex ground. Meanwhile they would do roped down-climbing. 26/10: bivy 2 to BC. Overall grading for the route: 1500m, TD+. Zabalza first went in the area in 1992 (with Longpo Gang climbed under the radar ??, Gurkarpo Ri…). With newly opened peaks around, they will likely come back in 2024. Left BC on 28 or 29 Oct. Routes: WSW Ridge of “Phurbi Txiki” (6125m) SE Ridge of Phurbi Chhyachu from west. Sherpas above BC: None Oxygen: Not taken, not used Records: first recorded ascent of “Phurbi Txiki” (6125m) by its WSW Ridge; first attempt of SE Ridge of PHUR from west.
Accidents -
Achievement -
Agency Dream Carrier Treks
Commercial Route False
Standard Route False
Primary Route False
Primary Member False
Primary Reference False
Primary ID -
Checksum 2464111
Year 2023
Summit Success False
O2 Summary None
Route (lowercase) se ridge

Members

3 recorded members.

Name Sex Year of Birth Citizenship Status Residence Occupation
Miguel (Mikel) Zabalza Azkona M 1970 Spain Leader Pamplona, Navarra, Spain Alpine guide Details Other expeditions
Iker Madoz Campistegui M 1993 Spain Climber Pamplona, Navarra, Spain Student Details Other expeditions
Juan Vallejo Llanos M 1970 Spain Climber Tarragona, Vitoria, Alava, Spain Alpine guide Details Other expeditions

References

3 recorded references.

Expedition ID Journal Author Title Publisher Citation Yak 94
PHUR23301 - - https://explorersweb.com/cho-polu-first-ascent-himalaya/ - - -
PHUR23301 AAJ Griffin, Lindsay Phurbi Txiki, First Ascent, via West-Northwest Ridge; Phurbi Chhaychu, Southeast Ridge Attempt - 98:314-315 (2024) -
PHUR23301 - - http://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/13201216868 - - -