SUMMARY

This report features climbs in the famous Karavshin area of Kyrghyzstan the Yosemite Valley of the former Soviet Union - during 2009. These include a new route on Pik Slesov, an allfree ascent of the North West Face of Asan, the first all female ascent of the same face, and an overview of activity on the giant North West Face of Pik 4810. We continue with a unique report covering a selection of outstanding unclimbed peaks in Sichuan, China. PHOTODIAGRAMS Included are accurately drawn topos of many existing routes on Slesov and Asan. A map and many photos depicting unclimbed summits in Sichuan follow.

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CIS Kyrghyzstan
Karavshin 2009 Ak-su Valley Pik Slesov
Alexander Lavrinenko from Ukraine has visited the Karavshin on four occasions. In 2009, together with Alexander Homenko and Taras Tsushko, he put up a big new route on the North West Face of Pik Slesov (4,240m) above the east side of the Ak-su Valley (Slesov is named after Ivan Slesov from Rostov-on-Don but in the West it is commonly know as the Russian Tower, 4,240m). Lavrinenko had sketched a line in his mind's eye many years ago, but had simply not got around to trying it. His proposed route more or less took the blunt prow between the 1992 Spanish Dihedral (Gallego/Gomez/Seiquer: 6c and A4) and the Moroz Route (c1988, Russian 6A/6B). Although July-September would be the popular time to climb in this region, the Ukrainians decided to go in June-July. The disadvantages were the amount of snow and the cold: on the plus side there would be snow on the ledges for water, negating the need to haul it, and the daylight hours are longer. The weather was poor on arrival and the team was able to spend time scoping the 900m face. This proved useful as there was much snow and ice in the upper section, and when the face heated up in the afternoon, the ice would start to fall. Noting its track down the wall, the team modified the planned line accordingly. The Ukrainians climbed six pitches, with difficulties up to UIAA VI and A3, and then spent two nights, the 8th and 9th July, in portaledges. At

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The superb Yangmaiyong (aka Jambeyang: 5,958m) in Chinas Gongga Xueshan, seen from the north west. Despite several attempts, this mountain remains unclimbed, though obtaining an official permit is likely to prove impossible at the present time. Yangmaiyong is one of many alluring virgin peaks recorded in this INFO's report, Sichuan Unclimbed. TAMOTSU NAKAMURA

this point the weather deteriorated. Pitch nine took them to the base of a huge chimney visible from afar. They were shocked by its size and formation: the chimney was formed by a huge detached flake leaning precariously against the face. The inside was filled with giant blocks, some of which were secure, some so finely balanced that they wondered how they remained in place.

Higher, it was possible to see through to the other side. After two pitches (VI, and VI and A3) it became too wide, so they exited through the far window and set up a second portaledge camp. They would spend three nights here from the 10th-12th. Climbing two pitches up the wall to the right, they were blocked by a series of crackless roofs.

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The 900m North West face of Pik Slesov (4,240m). (1) Spanish Dihedral (Gallego/Gomez/Seiquer, 1992: 6c and A4). (2) Odessa Route (Homenko/Lavrinenko/Tsushko, 2009: VI+ and A3). (3) Moroz Route (1988: 6A). The huge corner close to the right skyline is the Klenov Route (6A/6B), and between this and the Moroz are the Semiletkin (6A/6B) and its variant Russian Shield (5.10 A4, Anker-Lowe, 1995). Perestroika Crack (Faivre/Gentet/Givet/Roche, 1991: 7a A2, FFA 1995 at 7b) takes the redder rock to the right of the Klenov.
ALEXANDER LAVRINENKO

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Fortunately, away to the right they spotted a series of flakes, which they reached by a 30m pendulum across a black water stripe. Falling ice frequently bombarded this water runnel, but when they made the crossing there was no sun and the wall was quiet. After another camp on the 13th, they worked up right, passing the roofs, and reached sound cracks, joining the Moroz Route at the top of their 17th pitch. At the top of the 19th pitch they established their last camp and continued the next day up fine cracks in sound granite to reach the summit. The Odessa Route had given 24 pitches up to VI+ and A3. Around five pitches needed drilled placements for progression and the route was given the highest overall Russian grade of 6B. After five days' rest they repeated the Kritsuk Route on the North West Face of Pik 4810, as reported below. After their free ascent of the Timofeev Route, also reported below, the Swiss Nina Caprez, Giovanni Quirici and Stephan Siegrist walked east to the Ak-su Valley and together with Sbastien Pochon, who was already in the valley with an expedition from Geneva, made a very swift ascent of the famous Perestroika Crack on the West Face. Caprez and Quirici led through and on-sighted every pitch, Siegrist led the entire route, also on-sighting every pitch - the first one-day, on-sight ascent of the route. They completed the line in around eight hours. This single crack splitting the West Face of the Russian Tower is one of the world's classic bigwall free routes. It was put up in 1991 by four Frenchmen - Pierre Faivre, Frdric Gentet, Robin Givet and Zbulon Roche - at 7a and A2, with much of the climbing at around 6c. It can be climbed in anything from 18 to 24 pitches. Two years later Francois Pallandre climbed it with only one pitch of aid, at 7a/7b. In 1995, in a single push of 28 hours, Greg Child and Lynn Hill freed it at 7b. Adam and Pawel Pustelnik, with Slawek Syndecki, likely made the first on-sight in 2006, though in a much longer time than the Swiss.

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In the giant chimney, pitch 10 (VI) of the Odessa Route on Pik Slesov. Towards the top of the picture it is possible to see daylight on the far side. The climbers had to go through a similar window to reach the face right of the chimney, when the latter became too wide.
ALEXANDER LAVRINENKO

Looking down pitch 12 (VI and A3) of the Odessa Route on Pik Slesov. The flake forming the giant chimney (pitches 10 and 11) is visible behind the climber.
ALEXANDER LAVRINENKO

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Kara-su Valley Asan

As part of a Mammut Team Trip to the Karavshin, Nina Caprez, Giovanni Quirici and Stephan Siegrist from Switzerland made the first free ascent of the Timofeev Route on the sheer 880m North West Face of Asan (4,230m). The route, which lies right of centre on the face, was first climbed during the 1988 Soviet Championships as primarily an aid climb, and given the hardest Russian grade of 6B. Later it became relatively popular and was downgraded to 6A. Some of the aid was eventually eliminated to give technical difficulties of F7a and A3 on sound rock. Together with Austrian David Lama (and photographer Rainer Eder, filmmaker Christoph Frutiger and expedition organizer Robert Steiner), the three reached the area after a cultural four-day, 3,700km train ride from Moscow to Bishkek, a short flight to Batkin, a road journey and then a three-day trek to a base camp in the lower Karasu, where they found other teams, mostly Russian and Ukrainian. The team's original objective was to create a completely new, all-free route on the face, but after attempting two pitches of a potential line, they were forced to retreat. Back at camp the Russians confirmed that all possible lines on the wall had already been climbed, and away from these the rock was poor. They were advised to try the Timofeev and after a couple of relatively straightforward introductory pitches found the crux to be the next four pitches of compact steep slabs. Old Soviet 5mm bolts were in place, but these were replaced like for like (with one exception), so that the standard of aid climbing

Starting the first pitch (VI and A2) of the new Odessa Route on the North West Face of Pik Slesov.
ALEXANDER LAVRINENKO

has not changed. Above, they continued up a superb series of cracks to the top of pitch 10, fixing rope before a final push. Then in one long day Caprez, Lama, Quirici and Siegrist reached the summit and returned to base camp. The team had managed to redpoint every pitch except for two of the four hard slab pitches. Lama now had to leave but the remaining three climbers went back and freed these pitches at 7b+, 7b obl. The route had now been climbed completely free, though the climbers didn't return to redpoint all 17 pitches in a continuous one day ascent, preferring

to move east to the Ak-su Valley and climb the famous Perestroika Crack, as reported above. There were also a number of significant repetitions on the North West Face. Notable was the first all-female ascent of a route on the wall. Marina Kopteva and Anja Jasinskaya climbed the Moroz Route (6A) on the left edge of the wall from the 5th-10th July. The Moroz route was put up in 1986 during the first Russian Championships in the Karavshin. It is a variant finish to the Pogorelov Route, climbed the same year. In 2006 Australians Steve Anderton, Julian Bell, David Gliddon and
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The c880m North West Face of Asan with all existing routes accurately marked except for: the 2006 Australian Free Route, which is a variant to the Moroz Route; Hammer and Sickle (2006), which shares common ground with the Rusiaev Route; and the 2006 American variant to the upper section of the Alperien Route. See DECEMBER 2007 INFO for these lines.
VOLODJA MOGILA

Nina Caprez belayed by Giovanni Quirici on the first part of the big corner in the lower section of the Timofeev Route on the North West Face of Asan. Below is the moraine-covered Kara-su Glacier and in the far distance the North East Face of Piramidalniy (5,509m) VISUALIMPACT.CH/RAINER EDER

Kent Jensen free climbed the Nina Caprez climbing the hard slab pitches during Moroz, with a few variations, at the first free ascent of the Timofeev Route on Asan. 5.11d (although an attempt at a VISUALIMPACT.CH/RAINER EDER repeat ascent thought the grade might be harder). See DECEMBER 2007 INFO. The two Russian women adopted conventional tactics, with Kopteva leading more or less the entire climb and Jasinskaya jumaring and hauling. They completed the route in 27 pitches (1,100m of climbing) at VI and A2/3. They used a tent on the wall and found that, like the Ukrainian team, climbing so early in the season they could use snow on the ledges and dispense with bringing an extra c15kg of water. This allowed them to manage with just one haul bag. Throughout the climb they made radio contact with another team in the valley, which was repeating the Gorbenko Route a little further right on the same face. On the first day, 5th July, the two women climbed the initial four pitches and camped for the night. The following seven pitches, together with pitches 13-22 contain the sustained difficulties. After the second day the weather deteriorated and on the 7th, 8th and 9th the pair had to climb during snow and rain. By the 9th they were negotiating streams of water caused by snow melt from above. However, on the 10th the sun came out and although the rock was still wet, the pair completed the final six pitches in a long day (8am to 8pm) to reach the summit. They were back at base camp on the 11th.

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The locations of unclimbed peaks mentioned in Sichuan Unclimbed are marked on this sketch of Sichuan Province by Tamotsu Nakamura.

Pik 4810
It was a bumper season on the huge North West Face of Pik 4810 (sometimes referred to as Pik Boston or even Pik Odessa, as the first ascent was made in 1986 via the North Ridge by Mikhail Sitnik and his Odessa team). Two teams repeated the Kritsuk Route, two the Sakharov, one the Voronov, and two more the Nazarov. The Voronov Route (Igolkin/Kopeyka/Kritsuk/Voronov, 1988: 6B) was climbed by a team led by Alexander Ivanov and was probably only the fourth ascent of this hard route up the centre of the face. The hardest route on the face and generally accepted to be the second hardest on the mountain after the 1995 Borikhin-Odintsov Direttissima on the East Face, is the Sakharov (Komarov/Sakharov/Shcherbakov/Vinokurov, 1994: 6B), which climbs a feature known as the Red Pillar on the left side of the face. Technical difficulties are generally quoted as F6c and A3, and the route had a 'Western' ascent in 1999 from Americans Rosanna Brock and Brian McCray, who took 10 days. The Kritsuk (Kaurov/Kritsuk/Moshnikov/Pleskachevsky, 1988)

on the left side of the face but right of the Sakharov, although still 6B, is now considered the easiest proposition on the main wall. The Nazarov lies on the flanks and is graded 5B. The most notable achievement on the wall last summer came from Eugeni Dmitrienko from Rostov na Donu (Rostov-on-Don), who made fast ascents of both the Kritsuk and Sakharov, the latter with Alexsander (Sasha) Grebzov from Voronesh. Not only were the ascents speedy, but the climbs were made in quick succession with very little rest in between. Dmitrienko is a famous Russian aid climber, known for his new routes on Norway's Troll Wall in winter, the Eiger North Face in winter, and other harsh winter ascents in the Ak-su. He is also quite inventive when it comes to gear: his pitons, originally homemade, are now widely used in Russia, and last season he completed the routes on 4810 using an homemade non-metallic portaledge, based around a blow-up Lilo. Five days after his ascent of a new route on Pik Slesov, reported above, Homenko, Lavrinenko and Tsushko started up the Kritsuk Route. The initial section is a broken, overhanging corner and is the most unpleasant part of the route. Again, because

they were early in the season, snow covered all the ledges and there was no need to haul water. The trio had three different route descriptions and by picking a line that averaged the three, never got seriously lost. However, they note that while many previous ascensionists talk about much free climbing, there was a surprisingly large number of drilled bathook holes. The team felt this 1,200m route was easier, but of course longer, than their new line on Slesov. They were subsequently pleased to discover that the combination of these two routes in 2009 won them the annual Ukrainian Championships. Presenting an imaginative thought for the future, German climber Robert Steiner, who knows much of the history of the area and has climbed one of the big routes on the North West Face of 4,810m, is of the opinion that some of the World's most talented rock climbers would most likely be able to free climb any of the routes on this peak. An accuate photodiagram by Volodja Mogila of all existing routes will appear next INFO. INFO: Nina Caprez/Alexander Lavrinenko/Volodja Mogila/Robert Steiner and the reference source of the American Alpine Journal.

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II (6,119m) was soloed by the legendary American mountaineer Charlie Fowler in 1997, the same year a UIAA organized expedition made several hard technical ascents in the area. Not all the remaining unclimbed peaks are hard. The example shown here is Polujab (5,816m) at the north west tip of the range. It lies close to the historic Zhogchen Gompa (monastery) west of the Chola Shan Pass.

Shaluli Shan
The Shaluli Shan is a vast range running more or less south down the county from Chola Shan. It is difficult to assign boundaries to this chain, but it is subdivided into a number of separate ranges or massifs. These will be covered from north to south.
Seen here from the west, Polujab (5,816m) is one of a number of unclimbed peaks in the Chola Shan. TAMOTSU NAKAMURA

Gangga Massif
Immediately south of the Chola Shan, the Gangga Massif lies south west of Ganzi (on the Sichuan-Tibet Highway) and the Yalong Jiang, a tributary of the upper Yangtze (Golden Sand River). The highest summit, Gangga (5,688m) has been reconnoitred by a Japanese team, but no serious attempt made. The massif holds several 5,400-5,500m peaks that are mostly rocky and would appear to give good rock/mixed objectives. All are unclimbed.

China
Sichuan Unclimbed
With more foreign climbers now visiting the mountains of Sichuan, it is time to re-examine the potential for first ascents in this, until recently, little known part of the world. Although there now remain relatively few unclimbed summits over 6,000m, there are a considerable number of alluring peaks above 5,400m waiting for attention. Many of these will present difficult technical challenges. Who better to provide information than Tamotsu (Tom) Nakamura, who in recent years has been the prime explorer of these unvisited mountains, travelling through valleys and taking beautiful photographs that have inspired numerous mountaineers from across the world. In an area of notoriously unsettled weather, Nakamura has often timed his journeys with clear blue skies. Such is his luck that several prospective parties have considered waiting to hear on what dates he is visiting the country before planning their own trips. The following report presents just a selection of outstanding unclimbed objectives in the West Sichuan Highland.

Jarjinjabo and Xiashe Massifs

These two areas have seen a number of visits: Japanese and Americans climbed fine granite objectives in 2001 and '02, while Garrapunsum (5,812m), the highest of the Jarjinjabo, was climbed by British in 2007. Xiashe (5,833m) was eventually climbed in 2007 by Pat Deavoll and the late Karen McNeill via the South West Ridge, though a second ascent came shortly after courtesy of Ed Douglas and Duncan Tunstall, who climbed directly up the North Face.

Litang Plateau
North east of the Yangmolong Massif (see below) the Chinese topographical map shows a collection of peaks between 5,700m and 5,800m. The name given to the highest, Pt 5,870m, is not known, but the second highest is called Xianqingqieke (5,867m). None are known to have been visited and one summit of c5,700m is illustrated.

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The West Chola Shan

Rising close to the southern end of the Tibet-Qinghai Plateau, the Chola Shan is a range of fine alpine peaks running north west to south east. The highest, Chola I (6,168m) was first climbed in 1988 by Japanese from the east. Chola

Yangmolong Massif
Midway down the Shaluli Shan, and c16km east of Batang on the Sichuan-

The North Face of Gangga (5,688m), the highest point of the Gangga Massif in the Shaluli Shan
TAMOTSU NAKAMURA COLLECTION

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Nothing is known of this unnamed and unclimbed 5,700m icy summit on the Litang Plateau north east of the Yangmolong Massif. TAMOTSU NAKAMURA

Tibet Highway, stands a compact cluster of peaks known as the Yangmolong Massif. There are three principle peaks on an east-west axis: Yangmolong (6,060m), Makara or Central Peak (6,030m) and Dangchezhengla (locally Bongonzhong: 5,833m). The unammed Pt 5,850m stands north west of Dangchezhengla, and in total there are over 24 peaks above 5,000m, many of which would make attractive objectives. Japanese tried Yangmolong from the north in 1991 and returned in 2002 to make the first ascent of Dangchezhengla from the south. A British team made the second ascent in 2007 via a new route from the north, as well as making the first ascent of Pt 5,600m south of Pt 5,850m. An American-Chinese party made the third ascent, using a similar route to the Japanese, in 2009. However, despite attempts by Americans, British (twice), Chinese, Japanese and most probably Koreans, Yangmolong remains unclimbed. The Central Peak is reported to have been climbed from the south by Koreans in 2003, most likely during an attempt to reach Yangmolong. It was attempted again in March 2007, also likely as part of an attempt on Yangmolong. This attempt was not only unsuccessful but resulted in the death of one of China's top climbers, Liu Xinan. Unknown outside his country, Liu Xinan was a national sport climbing champion who had made the third ascent (by a new route) of difficult Celestial Peak in the Siguniang Shan. There is a memorial to him at Yangmogen Lake (pronounced Jong More Gen) south west of the massif. Yangmolong presents a difficult aspect from the south. The most feasible line appears to be from the north east but this requires an approach from the Sanglongxi Valley, which is fraught with ethnic problems: the local people there, who have a bad history of thievery, have banned foreign climbers from accessing the mountains, as recent British and American-Chinese teams have found to their cost.

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Yangmolong (6,066m, left) and Makara (aka Central Peak, 6,033m) from the north. The main summit remains unclimbed, though Makara is reported to have been climbed by Koreans in 2003. The highest point of Yangmolong is just above the left arm of the seracs/hanging glacier left of center. Dangchezhangla (5,830m) is off picture to the right.DAVE WYNNE-JONES

Genyen Massif
Referring to Genyen (6,250m), the highest summit of the group, William Gill wrote in his 1877 narrative, The River of Golden Sand, "no word can describe the majestic grandeur of that mighty peak. A traveller can appreciate the Tibetan feelings, which have led locals to call the mountain Nen-da or Sacred Mountain". Two years later a Hungarian count referred to the peak as Kangboune and assigned it a height of 8,100m. Genyen was climbed in 1988 by Japanese, who followed the South Ridge to East Peak and thence to the main top. No other climbers appear to have visited the area, which lies above the historic Rengo Monastary, until 2006, when a group of Italians, including the late Karl Unterkircher, made the first ascent of Genyen's elegant North Ridge. Later the same year a team of Americans completed a series of fine rock climbs, including the first ascent of the second highest peak, Sachen (5,964m). Sadly, just a month or so afterwards, Christine Boskoff and Charlie Fowler would lose their lives in an avalanche on the lower slopes of Genyen.

Yangmolong (6,060m) from the south in very snowy conditions. While this aspect looks reasonable, the foreground ridge conceals a steep rock wall forming the lower half of the face. A line on this wall was attempted unsuccessfully in 2009 by an American-Chinese team. TAMOTSU NAKAMURA

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Just to the north and north east of the Genyen group there are many impressive 5,800-5,900m rock peaks shown on the Russian topographical map. Three such peaks illustrate this report and show a hitherto unclimbed area that will surely provide a real paradise for alpine rock climbers in the years to come.

Gongga Xueshan
The three main peaks of the Gongga Xueshan or Konkaling Massif lie on the rim of a north facing cirque and form the southern end of the Shaluli Shan. Xiannariri (aka Shenrezig or sometimes Xiangre Ri: 6,032m), Yangmaiyong (aka Jambeyang: 5,958m) and Xiaruduo (aka Chanadorje: 5,958m) are spectacular mountains and holy to Tibetan people. Because of this the area has been extensively visited, resulting in adverse human impact. By 2000 a tourist camp for Chinese was being run by monks from the Gongah Chonguh Monastary at the foot of Xiannariri: after a holiday period, trash discarded in the valley was considerable. Xiannariri was attempted in 1989 from the north west by a Japanese team from Kyoto University. Several more attempts by Japanese teams have been reported since. Yangmaiyong is sometimes known as Jambeyang, the name ascribed to it by Joseph Rock in 1928 (his inspiring photo of the peak appeared in National Geographic Magazine). In 1993 a two-man Anglo-American party attempted the North Ridge but only reached 5,000m. They also tried the South Face of Xiannariri, equally unsuccessfully, though came to the conclusion that these lines represented the most feasible and less objectively dangerous on the two mountains. A few years later Yangmaiyong was attempted by John Catto and Charlie Fowler via the North East Face but they were defeated by unconsolidated snow. Poor snow conditions really characterize these mountains and also defeated an American pair in 1999, and a primarily American team, organized by Fred Beckey, in 2000. Members of this team also attempted the North East Face but found loose snow over shattered, crumbling limestone. They traversed a hanging glacier to a col south of the mountain and from there found the South Face to be in even worse condition. A view of the western flanks showed vertical decomposing limestone and retreat was sounded. The same year Pete Athans led an American team to Xiaruduo but he was also defeated by bad snow conditions. Access to all these peaks is strictly controlled by the Deocheng County Government and at the current time a permit is most unlikely to be granted due to environmental concerns and the holy nature of the mountains.

An unnamed and unclimbed c5,800m granite peak to the north of the Genyen Massif.
T OBTULOVIC/TAMOTSU NAKAMURA COLLECTION

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Another c5,800m unclimbed granite peak to the north of the Genyen Massif. The view is from the east. T OBTULOVIC/TAMOTSU NAKAMURA COLLECTION

Gongkala Shan
Lying c30km south east of Ganzi on the Sichuan Tibet Highway, east of the Yulong Jiang and between the Shaluli and Daxue shans, the Gongkala range has no history of climbing. In 1998 a Japanese expedition made a

Large sweeps of granite rise to a third c5,800m peak in the area north of the Genyen Massif
T OBTULOVIC/TAMOTSU NAKAMURA COLLECTION

The North Face of Xiannariri (aka Shenrezig: 6,032m), the highest peak of the Gongga Xueshan. This difficult mountain has been attempted several times but success has always been thwarted by bad snow conditions. Currently, obtaining an official permit to climb in this area is likely to prove impossible. TAMOTSU NAKAMURA

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when Malcolm Bass and Pat Deavoll climbed the North Face. A second ascent came shortly after: Christine Boskoff and Charlie Fowler also climbed it from the north, but as they were killed soon after, details will sadly never be known. Although not detailed below, there is a group of non-glaciated rock peaks north of Kangding. These are generally referred to as the Lotus Flower Mountains and Japanese climbed the highest summit, Pt 5,704m, in 1998.

Danba County
There are several virgin summits of 5,400-5,500m approximately one-third distance down the chain. However, only Xiaqiangla (5,470m) is attractive. The surrounding region has beautiful glacier lakes and the local administration is keen to develop it as a tourist site. Beware!

Lamo-she
This massif lies just east of Kangding and rises to a little over 6,000m. The highest peak, Lamo-she or Tianhazi Shan (Goddess Peak: 6,070m), was climbed in 1993 by Chris Seashore, Gray Thompson, Jon Turk and Andy Zimet. These climbers spent three weeks in the range but bad weather prevented an attempt from the north west. They gave up and returned to Kangding, only to have the weather turn fine. After negotiating a week-long extension to their trip, they climbed the mountain from Kangding in alpine style. Later, the fourth highest, Shehaizi Shan (5,878m) was climbed by an American-Canadian-New Zealand party. The second, Baihaizi Shan (5,924m), and third, an unnamed 5,880m summit, remain virgin and are attractive objectives.

Karawani I (5,992m), the highest summit in the Gongkala Massif, seen from the north.
TAMOTSU NAKAMURA

reconnaissance of the two highest peaks, Kawarani I (5,992m) and II (5,928m). In 2005 a British team explored the north and south sides, coming to the conclusion that an approach from the south offered better prospects. They set base camp at 4,200m up valley from a couple of monasteries. At first the climbers received friendly cooperation from monks and local villagers, but a few days later, after a short spell of late monsoon weather, a delegation from the village ordered the expedition to leave: it appeared the British were being blamed for two violent thunderstorms that had occurred in previous days. Locals repeatedly displayed non-pacifistic attitudes, so despite holding an official permit from the SMA, the team felt it had no choice but to leave.

Minya Konka Massif

Minya Konka (7,556m) is the highest mountain in Sichuan and the highest peak east of the Himalaya. Climbing here is on the increase and the area was wellcovered in APRIL 2010 INFO. There are still a number of unclimbed 6,000ers, but the highest are Pt 6,858m and the triple-summited Mt San Lian (6,684m, 6,468m and 6,368m). These are situated south of Minya Konka. South west is Nyambo Kangri (6,114m), attempted twice, latterly in 2009 by an American-New Zealand team. Three unnamed peaks lie on the ridge between E-Gongga (Edgar) and Jiazi. These are Pt 6,130m, Pt 6,130m and Pt 6,206m. Between the last two is Pt 6,134m climbed by the Russians in 2009. And there is the indistinct Pt 6,418m on the South West Ridge of Minya Konka. Pt 6,858m is another less distinct top on the South Ridge of Minya Konka, so although lower, perhaps the most dominant unclimbed peak in the massif is now San Lian.

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The Central Region Daxue Shan

This long but discontinuous chain of mountains running south from the edge of the Tibet-Qinghai Plateau east of the Dadu River (a tributary of the Upper Yangtze) holds the highest and some of the best known peaks in Sichuan. Outside the Minya Konka Massif, one of the most coveted peaks was Haizi Shan (aka Ja-ra or Yala/Zhara). This was attempted many times before eventual success in 2006,

The Eastern Region

East of the Dadu River
The East Face of Xiaqiangla (5,470m) in the Daxue Shan. TAMOTSU NAKAMURA

South east of Danba, and between it and Luding, are many 5,400-5,700m peaks. The highest is 5,734m. There is no record of any climbing in this region; in fact there seems to be little information at all. However, it is thought that these peaks are unlikely to be particularly attractive to climbers (though this may be the time for a party to find out).

Baihaizi Shan (5,924m), the second highest peak in the Lamo-she Massif south east of Kangding, seen from the west. TAMOTSU NAKAMURA

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Minya Konka (7,556m) from the west. Pt 6,418m on the South West Ridge and Pt 6,858m on the South South East Ridge are unnamed. Pts 6,684m and 6,468m form two of the three summits of Mt San Lian. Pt 6,124m is unnamed, while Pt 6,114m is Nyambo Konka, attempted twice from the east. The insert shows part of the Chinese PLA map.

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SHAOHONG/TAMOTSU NAKAMURA COLLECTION

Se'erdenpu (aka Barbarian:5,592m) seen from the north west across the upper Shuangqiao Valley. Just off picture to the right is Putala Shan (5,428m) climbed by Andrej and Tanja Grmovsek in 2003.
KONZO OKAWA/TAMOTSU NAKAMURA COLLECTION

The North Face of unnamed Pt 6,418m on the South West Ridge of Minya Konka.
SHAOHONG/TAMOTSU NAKAMURA COLLECTION

Yanggong Shan and Min Shan

These ranges lie north east of the Qonglai. The Yanggong is a compact range with a high point of 5,273m, which was climbed from the east in 1991 by Japanese. To the east of the The East Face of Goromity (5,609m), a major upper Min River, the Min Shan unclimbed peak towards the southern end of the Siguniang Massif. A distant photo of the north east has a high point of 5,588m side of this peak appears in MAY 2010 INFO. called Xuebao Ding. It has been KONZO OKAWA/TAMOTSU NAKAMURA COLLECTION climbed at least three times by Japanese, first in 1986. These are limestone peaks rising out of dense forest and form the eastern end of the Hengduan Mountains. Further east there are no more snow covered peaks. INFO: Tamotsu Nakamura and the reference source of the American Alpine Journal

Qonglai Shan
This is probably the most well-known range in Sichuan due to the spectacular mountains found in Siguniang National Park, which is situated in the middle section of the Qonglai. In the last 10 or so years many outstanding peaks and new routes have been climbed. This range holds a considerable number of peaks above c5,400m peaks and many of these still remain virgin, particularly in the north of the area. However, two of the highest unclimbed summits have been singled out: Se'erdenpu (Barbarian: 5,592m) and Goromity (5,609m). Se'erdenpu is situated just north of Putala Shan above the upper Shuangqiao, while Goromity lies in the southern sector of the Park, between the Shuangqiao and Changping valleys. Just to its north west stands Goromiku (Rhino Moon Peak: 5,582m) climbed by Charlie Fowler in 1994.

68 WWW.CLIMBMAGAZINE.COM JUN 2010