Pokharkang | 2009 N Ridge-NE Ridge

A France expedition to Pokharkang in 2009 via N Ridge-NE Ridge, led by Paulo Grobel. Summit reached on 20th November 2009. 10 members recorded.

Expedition Details

Field Value
ID 6688
Imported 2026-03-06 18:04:49.359634
Expedition ID POKR09301
Peak ID POKR
Year 2009
Season 3
Host Country 1
Route 1 N Ridge-NE Ridge
Route 2 -
Route 3 -
Route 4 -
Nationality France
Leaders Paulo Grobel
Sponsor Paulo Pokharkan Expedition
Success 1 True
Success 2 False
Success 3 False
Success 4 False
Ascent 1 2nd
Ascent 2 -
Ascent 3 -
Ascent 4 -
Claimed False
Disputed False
Countries -
Approach Besisahar, up Marshyangdi->Phu Khola->Phu
Basecamp Date 2009-11-12
Summit Date 2009-11-20
Summit Time -
Summit Days 8
Total Days 10
Termination Date 2009-11-22
Termination Reason 1
Termination Notes -
High Point (m) 6372
Traverse False
Ski False
Paraglide False
Camps 2
Fixed Rope (m) 60
Total Members 5
Summit Members 1
Member Deaths 0
Total Hired 5
Summit Hired 5
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 -
Campsites BC(12/11,4850m),ABC(15/11,5200m),C1(18/11,5500m),C2(19/11,5800m),Smt(20/11)
Route Notes BC northeast of mountain on grass ABC on moraine northeast of mountain C1 on north ridge C2 on glacier. Grobel had led another expedition on Ratna Chuli in October, so he met the members when they arrived at Phugaon on 9 November. The members had gone by road to Besisahar, then up the Marshyangdi River to the Phu Khola and via Phu Khola to Phugaon. From there, the team went north to Hagoru village via the Khumjugar Khola, west to Kulung Kharka via the Lunnakya Khola, and finally northwest to BC. Three days after their arrival at BC on 12 November, they made an ABC from which all five members and five Sherpas attempted to climb Sahasar, a 6188m peak north-northwest of Pokharkan. On the 16th they went up the glacier on the southeast side of Sahasar to 5800m, but then they turned around. There was some wind and light snowfall. They returned to ABC the same day. They then concentrated on climbing Pokharkan with two camps above ABC. C1 was at 5500m on the North Ridge; now to reach their C2 site, on the 19th they went along the North Ridge to 5900m, then down the slope on its east side to the glacier below at 5800m to pitch C2 there. From C2, De Varax and Sherpas Chhotemba, Pasang, Rinji, Bishal Rai and Kishor Gurung moved up the glacier onto the NE Ridge at 6215m. This point on the ridge was between two small Pokharkan peaks 6205m and 6265m high. They then followed the rounded snow-covered NE Ridge to the summit. They descended to C2 for the night and were back in BC on the 21st. Grobel had planned that after Pokharkan, the team would search for an approach to Mt. Amolsang. However that idea was abandoned because of the cold (minus 15 degrees Celsius) and wind (over 50 km/hr), and they returned about one week early to Kathmandu. Sherpas: Bishal Rai, 22 yrs old, Dharan, Sunsari, no 8000ers Chhotemba Sherpa, 29/9/84 he says; 5/10/84 according to Himalayan Database, Densi Chhungbu he says, Grobel thinks Walung, Database says Nurbugaon, all agree Makalu-9, no 8000ers Kishor Gurung, 26 yrs old, Gorkha, no 8000ers Pasang Sherpa, about 25 yrs old, Walung, Makalu, no 8000ers Rinji Sherpa, 10/3/85 (27/11/2041), Yaphu-9, Makalu, Dhaulagiri I X1
Accidents -
Achievement -
Agency Thamserku Trekking
Commercial Route False
Standard Route False
Primary Route False
Primary Member False
Primary Reference False
Primary ID -
Checksum 2458560
Year 2009
Summit Success True
O2 Summary None
Route (lowercase) n ridge-ne ridge

Members

10 recorded members.

Name Sex Year of Birth Citizenship Status Residence Occupation
Jean Michel Beaujon M 1947 France Climber Cassis, Bouches-du-Rhone, France Sports teacher Details Other expeditions
Hughes Alain Jacques Marie Riverieulx de Varax M 1958 France Climber Versailles, Yvelines, France Computer engineer Details Other expeditions
Paul Marc (Paulo) Grobel M 1957 France Leader La Grave, Hautes-Alpes, France Alpine guide Details Other expeditions
Corine Lechien F 1963 France Climber Chambery, Savoie, France Anesthetist Details Other expeditions
Francois Robert M 1962 France Climber Plan d'Aups, Var, France Municipal civil servant Details Other expeditions
Bishal Rai M 1987 Nepal H-A Worker Dharan, Sunsari - Details Other expeditions
Chhotemba (Cho Temba) Sherpa M 1984 Nepal H-A Worker Nurbugaon, Walung, Makalu-Barun - Details Other expeditions
Kishor Gurung M 1985 Nepal H-A Worker Kerauja-5, Gorkha - Details Other expeditions
Pasang Sherpa M - Nepal H-A Worker Walung, Makalu-9, Makalu-Barun - Details Other expeditions
Rinji Sherpa M 1985 Nepal H-A Worker Nurbugaon, Makalu-Barun - Details Other expeditions

References

3 recorded references.

Expedition ID Journal Author Title Publisher Citation Yak 94
POKR09301 AAJ Grobel, Paulo - - 84:303-304 (2010) -
POKR09301 - - http://www.paulo-grobel.com/05_expes/Fiches_PDF/FT_projet_pokarkang_09.htm - - -
POKR09301 - - http://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/12201030300/Pokharkan-6372m-North-Face-Cassis-Arte - - -