Urkema | 2004 N Face

A Germany expedition to Urkema in 2004 via N Face, led by Barbara Bierling. Summit reached on 10th October 2004. 4 members recorded.

Expedition Details

Field Value
ID 6995
Imported 2026-03-06 18:04:49.359634
Expedition ID URMA04301
Peak ID URMA
Year 2004
Season 3
Host Country 1
Route 1 N Face
Route 2 -
Route 3 -
Route 4 -
Nationality Germany
Leaders Barbara Bierling
Sponsor Reconnaissance on Urkema
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 Argentina, UK
Approach -
Basecamp Date 2004-10-09
Summit Date 2004-10-10
Summit Time -
Summit Days 1
Total Days 1
Termination Date 2004-10-10
Termination Reason 5
Termination Notes Abandoned at 5500m due to bad snow conditions
High Point (m) 5500
Traverse False
Ski False
Paraglide False
Camps 0
Fixed Rope (m) 0
Total Members 3
Summit Members 0
Member Deaths 0
Total Hired 1
Summit Hired 0
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 C1(09/10,4900m),xxx(10/10,5500m)
Route Notes The team was composed of three members, all expatriates living in Kathmandu, and one climbing Sherpa, Namgya. The leader, Billi Bierling, was asked by the head of a Kathmandu trekking agency, Suman Pandey of Explore Himalaya, to do a reconnaissance of a 5890m Langtang Himal mountain called Urkema with the idea that the mountain could be a good peak for Scouts from other countries to climb in 2007 to mark the 150th birth anniversary of the founder of the worldwide Scouting movement, Lord Baden Powell. The four climbers in 2004 made a fast trip to the mountain during a Nepalese holiday period. They left Kathmandu on 3 October, went by road to Syabru Besi, then trekked eastward along the north side of Langtang Khola to Kyanjin Kharka/Gompa (3900m). They spent two nights at the gompa (the 7th-8th), which they made their base. On the 8th, the three members climbed a minor peak nearby, Therko Ri, while Namgya went off by himself to have a look at Urkema's eastern side. He crossed the Ganja La Pass, and climbed the east face of Urkema to about 4900m. He found many crevasses, and his time was up, so he abandoned his climbing effort and returned to Kyanjin Gompa. (In 2001, Namgya had been a trainee at a basic mountaineering course organized by the Nepal Mountaineering Association on the north side of Urkema. He explained that this was why he had taken this 2004 team to attempt that route.) On the 9th, the four climbers left the gompa for their mountain. They trekked west to the area's only bridge across the Langtang Khola so they could reach its south bank, then back eastward to the north side of Urkema. Namgya had been on the North Face before, in the autumn of 2001 on a Nepal Mountaineering Association training course, so he took the members directly up the gentle slope of the North Face, where they camped at 4900m. On 10 October they left the camp at 4:00 am for the actual climbing part of the route to the summit. The weather was clear and calm. Namgya broke trail through the snow, which consisted of one layer of snow on top of another layer that had not consolidated. After having climbed for about two and half hours, when they were at about 5500m, a small slab avalanche came down beside them. They decided at turn back because of the snow conditions. The same day, they collected their gear from their camp at 4900m and spent that night back at Kyanjin Gompa. They returned to Kathmandu on the 13th. Sherpa: Namgya/Namgyal Sherpa, 11/8/71, Gyabla, Lelep-8, Taplejung, Everest X2
Accidents -
Achievement -
Agency Explore Himalaya
Commercial Route False
Standard Route False
Primary Route False
Primary Member False
Primary Reference False
Primary ID -
Checksum 2457003
Year 2004
Summit Success False
O2 Summary None
Route (lowercase) n face

Members

4 recorded members.

Name Sex Year of Birth Citizenship Status Residence Occupation
Ana Agustina (Tina) Barros F 1977 Argentina Climber Mendoza, Argentina Conservationist Details Other expeditions
Barbara Susanne (Billi) Bierling F 1967 Germany Leader Kathmandu & Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Bavaria, Germany Journalist Details Other expeditions
Christine Ann (Chrissie) Wellington F 1977 UK Climber Thetford, Norfolk, England Development worker Details Other expeditions
Namgya/Namgyal Sherpa M 1971 Nepal H-A Worker Gyabla, Lelep-8, Taplejung - Details Other expeditions

References

0 recorded references.