American Alpine Jounrna and Accidents in North American Climbing

Asia, Nepal, Attempts on Unclimbed Peaks Pasang Lhamu and Cho Polu

  • Climbs And Expeditions
  • Climb Year:
  • Publication Year: 1996

Attempts on Unclimbed Peaks Pasang Lhamu and Cho Polu. Plans to make the first ascents of two peaks by any routes failed. The highest of these, Jasamba (7351 meters), on a ridge just south of Cho Oyu (officially renamed Pasang Lhamu Peak in honor of the first Nepalese woman to summit Everest), was attempted by a South Korean team. They were the first people ever to try to climb it, but its northwest ridge proved to be too difficult. A Japanese expedition planned to climb Cho Polu (6711 meters) north of Baruntse, in only the second attempt on it. The first had been made in 1954. A reconnaissance from the Lhotse Shar Glacier convinced them that falling seracs made their proposed approach from the west to the north ridge unac- ceptably dangerous; they had no time to make a long trek around to the Barun Glacier for an ascent via the northeast face, which they thought would be easy. They did no actual climbing on Cho Polu.

Elizabeth Hawley
