Pethangtse 2009 and High Hope

High Hope, An Expedition to the Sharp Edge of Nepal and Tibet

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This is the blog to track our expedition to climb Pethangtse (6738M) on the border of Nepal and Tibet, and to complete a traverse of the three 6000M. ice cols on the ridges of Baruntse. The posts below are in chronological order with the most recent first.
The climb of Pethangtse will be the first in 26 years and the first by Canadians. Crossing from the Barun Glacier to the Khumbu region will connect two of the major river systems of the Himalaya; the Arun and the Dudh Koshi. The expedition is in October and November 2009 and is privately funded. All support services and climbing sherpas are suppplied by Dawa Geljen Sherpa and Adventure Thamserku. www.adventurethamserku.com. Our Sirdar is Pemba Sherpa.

Team members are: Stephen Graham of Kelowna BC; Colin McLean of Calgary Alberta, and David Graham, father to Stephen, also of Kelowna BC. ndw0203l1

Stephen and Colin are completing their fourth year in Geography at the University of Victoria and taking on this climbing and trekking challenge as a next step in their mountaineering careers. David has been enjoying mountains around the world his whole adult life and is taking this expedition on as a high point in a long history of mountain pursuits.

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Pethangtse is the low summit in the middle of this picture with the Everest massif to the right and the Makalu massif on the left. This picture is taken from the below Langma La in Tibet.
Since we have now completed the expedition, some of the more recent blogs are out of time sequence but read on and it should make sense. These recent ones contain more photos that we couldn’t post earlier.

Enjoy!

High Hope Pethangtse 2009 has chosen Hope for the Nations Nepal Young Adult Home Project as its charity. See the April 16 post for more. header2

http://www.hopeforthenations.com/pages/where/country.php?id=5#projects

The expedition is self-funded and un-sponsored but is supporting the charity Hope for the Nations, using this expedition to raise awareness to some critical needs in Nepal and to seek donations to Hope for the Nations. One hundred percent of the funds raised will reach worthwhile projects in Nepal directly. More information on the projects will be posted soon. (see the April 16 posting for more details)

2009: 02/20
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NEW LOOK for the BLOG

WordPress has released a new blog format called “Monochrome”. The look is lean and clean and navigation is easier with the side bar calendar showing the post dates each month. I hope you like it. Feel free to comment. It can always change back to “Chaos Theory”. (I like the name!)
David G

2010: 02/04
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Summit Panorama

The brain is numb, the hands are frozen, and so is the camera. Taking a panorama of this nature under these conditions and without a tripod yields sketchy results. The good news is that 180 degrees of Jomolonzo, Makalu, Chamlang, Baruntse, Lhotse and Everest makes for a nice family photo. Ama Dablam and Thamserku are peaking in as well. I hope you can click on this and open it up for a full view. Seven pics are stiched. Have fun looking and dreaming!

2010: 01/25
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Unique Photos of Makalu, Lhotse, Everest and Pethangtse

The photos of Makalu, Lhotse, and Everest taken from the summit of Pethangtse (see other blog posts) are unique on the internet. The last visit to the summit appears to have been 1984 and photos from that expedition, or the two expeditions from the 50’s, have not been published on the internet (or anywhere else for that matter).
So these photographic views of those incredible mountains, are unique.
There are some wonderful photos of Pethangtse too and search as you may, these are the only ones like this published anywhere.
Our brains were not functioning at 100%. The number and quality of pictures from the summit is limited but hey…they’re the best in existance! Enjoy!

2010: 01/20
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Hope for the Nations Confirms Event

Nick Arkle, chair of the Himalayan Section of Hope for the Nations, confirmed today that HFTN is renting the Mary Irwin Theatre at the Rotary Centre for the Arts in Kelowna to present High Hope, An Account of the First Canadian Ascent of Pethangtse.
The expedition team members have tried to use the climb as a way of bringing attention to the conditions faced by many children in Nepal. We want to help HFTN raise some funds for youth projects in Nepal. This event is hoping to raise some money through the admission fees paid by those attending. Proceeds will go to the HFTN Young Adults Home in Kathmandu.

The event will be at 7PM on Thursday February 25th. Tickets are on sale now at Fresh Air Experience (both locations) and Valhalla Pure Outfitters in Kelowna. $15 per ticket (no fees added to the ticket price).

The High Hope Pethangtse team at Pethangtse basecamp receive blessings from two Buddhist Lamas, Phurba Nuru Sherpa, and Urgan Sherpa, before attempting the summit. Left to right: Lama Phurba, Lama Urgan, climbing guide Dawa Sherpa, Colin McLean, Stephen Graham.

Prayer flags and katas (prayer shawls) were blessed by the Rimpoche (senior lama) in Kathmandu and placed on the prayer pole at base camp. Climbing gear at the base of the prayer pole was also blessed, as was food, which was then shared among everyone present.

2010: 01/14
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It’s Been A While

As a further reward to dedicated blog readers, here is a most amazing photograph of Makalu, taken from the summit of Pethangtse. We told it you it was impressive…here’s proof! Click on it to enlarge.

Since we last posted to the blog, Steve is back at UVIC learning more about geography (if that’s possible), Colin is looking for powder in Montana, and David is back at home with Sheila and daughters Amy and Stephanie (who is carrying our first grandson) nearby. Memories of Nepal, Pethangtse and China are imposing themselves into our daily lives.
Planning is underway for a presentation on the expedition to be held in the Mary Irwin Theatre at the Rotary Centre for the Arts in Kelowna,BC on February 25. This is a charitable fund raiser for the Himalayan Projects of Hope for the Nations. Much more on this later but mark your calendar.

2010: 01/08
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The Flying Bags of Nepal

Our guide strung a zip line down the East Col to relieve the porters of carrying heavy loads down such a steep slope. Bags came flying down at very high speeds. Scotch was lost due to broken containers. The entertainment value of watching this stuff plunging off the col (all this above 6000 meters) was ALMOST worth it.

2009: 12/03
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Rubble

Here are some photos showing the glacial rubble and rockfall we were navigating. A kilometer on the map can be several on the ground as we bob and weave through the rocks. The footing is always uncertain. Often there is glacial ice underneath.

2009: 12/02
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Makalu and Jomolonzo from the Summit of Pethangtse

The Makalu/Jomolonzo massif is acutally larger than the Everest/Lhotse massif although not quite as high. The three summits of Jomolonzo (7800 meters) plus the amazing pyramid of Makalu (8463 m.) are spectacular and very aesthetically pleasing in their form.

2009: 12/02
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Everest,Lhotse, and Tibet from the Summit of Pethangtse

<Everest's Fantasy Ridge is visable on the right ( it's a fantasy to think it can be climbed). It's not the right skyline but the next one moving to the left of the skyline. The South Col between Everest and Lhotse is in the upper left of this photo. This was taken with a wide angle lens, masking the 4K. vertical rise on the Kangshung Face of Everest.

The middle picture is Lhotse Shar, Lhotse, and Everest. The bottom one has Khartaphu out there in Tibet.
We saw Lhotse from several different angles on this expedition. It has very extreme and massive faces on all sides. When considered geologically rather than through conventional mountain naming, both Lhotse and Lhotse Shar are really supplementary peaks of Everest.