Expedition report

"PEAK 41" is situated in Solu Khumbu in Nepal. Main ridge of the mountain is more or less in South-North direction and it is the watershed beneath the Hougu Kola (on the east) and Hinku Kola (on the west). Co-ordinates of main (middle) summit are N 27° 46' 27", E 86° 54' 40". The height of main summit varies according to different sources: 6654 m (Ministry of Culture, Turism & Civil Aviation), 6648 m (New topografic map sheet 2786 04 SAGARMATHA. His Majesty's Government of Nepal, Survey Department, 1997. Scale 1:50 000), 6623 m ("Schneider Map", scale 1:50000. Kartographische Anstalt Freytag-Berndt und Artaria, Vienna, april 1975). There are two subsidiary summits with heights 6550 m and 6575 m. To the south summit ridge goes to the Mera La (5416 m), on the west is Khare Glacier, on the east is the valley of Hongu Kola, on the north are Mera Glacier and Hinku Shar Glacier.

2. Short history of PEAK 41

First serious attempt to climb "PEAK 41" was, according to Miss Hawley, in spring 1998. It was Japanese expedition under the leadership of Yasushi Yamanoi. Beside him there was only one more climber in the team. First they climbed new route in Kusum Kanguru and later moved their base camp to the Khare Glacier. They reached plateau (5600 m) under the west face of "PEAK 41" and made two attempts in west face. First they were stopped by very steep and hard blue ice. On their second attempt they tried different line more on rocks, but the rock was very loose. They never got higher than cca 6000 m.

Second expedition which tried "PEAK 41" was Finnish- American in April 2000. They had very limited time and never managed to reach the plateau (5600 m) under the west face. More info you can find on their site at http://www.kuvalehdet.fi/realmera/ We also got a lot of useful information and we want to thank to Petri Kaipiainen for his help.

Same year (June 2000) Jamie McGuinnness from Scotland with New Zealand partner also tried "PEAK 41" from the west but were stopped by deep snow.

In May 2001 there was another Finnish attempt. Sami Maukonen and Jari Uusikivi managed to climb over very broken ice fall to the plateau under the west face of "PEAK 41" (5600 m). Next day they started to climb up the west face and spent the night at cca 6000 m. They continued up the wall but were hit by ice avalanche at 6100 m. Somehow they descended and make it back to the Khare Glacier.

3. Members

Matija Jošt - Matic, leader, 31 years
Urban Golob, 32 years
Aleš Kovač, 29 years
Boštjan Jezovšek - Boško, 25 years
Matej Kovačič, 25 years
Uroš Samec - Čečka, 27 years
Dom Chhiri Tamang - Maila, cook, 40 years
Kalorai, kitchenboy, 30 years

medicine personal from 12.Oct.
dr. Anja Jazbec, doctor, 32 years
Ela Aristovnik, nurse, 33 years

trekkers till 6.Oct.
Tanja Jankovič
Igor Ravnihar
Vesna Slabe

4. Agency in Nepal

EVEREST TREKKING
G.P.O: Box 1676
Kamaladi,
Kathmandu,
Nepal

Tel.: +977-1-226358, 247091
Fax.: +977-1-224031
E-mail: ettashi@mos.com.np
Executive Director: Tashi Jangbu Sherpa

5. Chronology of the expedition

19.9.	Departure from Ljubljana Airport and evening arrival to KTM.
20.9. - 22.9.	Arranging formalities, packing, renting equipment in KTM.
23.9.	Uros, Ales, Matej and Bostjan fly to Lukhla. There they will buy food and arrange porters. I make briefing on the Ministry and pay all royalties and deposits.
24.9.	All remaining members flight to Lukhla. Even today there is no room for 450 kg of our equipment
25.9.	We get all equipment and start to walk from Lukhla towards base camp. Very bad weather with heavy rain. We sleep at cca 3800 over the Chuthanga.
26.9.	Across Zetwa La (cca 5000 m) to Thuli Kharka (cca 4300 m). Weather is still very bad with heavy rains.
27.9.	We descend to Hinku Khola valley and sleep in Kothe (cca 3600 m). Fogy and cloudy with little rain.
28.9.	From Kothe to Thang Nangu (cca 4300 m). Fogy with little rain.
29.9.	We set up our base camp at the lover edge of Khare Glacier at cca 4900 m. Nice place and after long time also nice weather. For first time from KTM we have half day of sunshine.
30.9.	Rest. In the afternoon we reconnoitring how to avoid ice fall of Khare Glacier. We find the good passage in slopes of Point 6113 m.
1.10.	We have a rest and also we prepare for ascent of Mera Peak (6476 m).
2.10.	After breakfast all members go to Mera La (5415 m) and then we put high camp at cca 5800 m. Our Cook and one more porter helps us with crying of tents. They return to base camp. We sleep at high camp.
3.10.	In the morning we start up normal route to the top of Mera Peak. Uros, Matej, Ales, Bostjan and Matic reach the summit at cca 11.00. Urban, Tanja, Igor and Vesna reach the summit later. So first five climbers descent directly to base camp. The other four descent only to the high camp.
4.10.	Igor, Vesna, Urban and Tanja return to base camp.
5.10.	We have a rest and some more reconnoitring to better see west face of "PEAK 41".
6.10.	Tanja, Igor and Vesna leave base camp and return to Lukhla the same way we came up. Bostjan and Ales start up the "PEAK 41". They use known passage in rocks and they climb snow couloir in slopes of Point 6113 m. They reach the plateau under the west face of "PEAK 41", where they pitch the tent at cca 5600 m.
7.10.	Ales and Bostjan start climbing in the west face during the night. After 150 m they must return because of the problems with head lamp and bad, unsettled weather. Matej , Urban and Matic leave base camp, but because of bad weather we only manage to bring our equipment under the rocks of Point 6113 m and return back to base camp.
8.10.	Bostjan in Ales return to base camp. Bad weather.
9.10. - 10.10	Bad weather. Rest.
11.10.	Uros, Matej, Urban and Matic start up from base camp. We pick up equipment at the foot of Point 6113 m and continue, but at cca 5200 m at the beginning of snow couloir it start to snow. So we leave our eguipment and return to base camp.
12.10.	Bostjan, Urban and Matic go down to Thang Nang to buy some potato. We meet our doctor Anja and nurse Ela on their way up to base camp. In the afternoon we are all back in base camp (eating fresh potato).
13.10.	Rest. Weather forecast is good, so tomorrow we will attack.
14.10.	Uros, Urban and Matic start from base camp. We use already known passages and pick up our equipment at the foot of snow couloir. We climb this couloir and reach plateau under the west face of "PEAK 41". Snow conditions are bad (fresh snow, avalanche danger). Uros move into tent which was already placed few days ago, Urban and me (Matic) pick up another one. A little fall of snow in the afternoon.
15.10.	Urban, Uros and Matic start at 3.00 in the morning with climbing up the west face of "PEAK 41". Conditions are bad. There is a lot of fresh snow that make our progress very slow. We climb close to the rocks in the left part of the wall. All protection we put into rocks. The weather is good, but somehow our progress is slower than expected. After 8 hours of climbing we climb just 500 m. Anyway we continue and at 22.00 in the evening we reach the saddle left of the main summit at cca 6500. We find good bivy site on the north ridge. Other three climbers (Ales, Bostjan, Matej) climb from base camp to the plateau and spend the night in tents.
16.10.	Matic, Uros and Urban continue our ascent up the north ridge. There is impossible to put in any protection because of fresh snow, so we climb unroped. At 9.36 (local time) we reach the summit of "PEAK 41". We spend half an hour on the top and then start to descent the same way we climbed up. At bivy site we pick up equipment and start rappelling down the west face. First we make 6 rappels, then we climbed down about 150 m, and again we make 7 rappels. The other three climbers (Ales, Bostjan, Matej) try to climb the north ridge that day. They were stopped by deep fresh snow at cca 6000 m (6 hours of climbing from tents) and returned to the tents on the plateau. Ales and Bostjan come to meet us and friendly help to the first ascent party with making two abseil anchors in the bottom of the face.
17.10.	Uros, Urban and Matic descent to the base camp. Ales, Bostjan and Matej rest in the tents on the plateau.
18.10.	At 2.30 Ales, Bostjan and Matej start up the west face of "PEAK 41". They climb very light, without sleeping bags, stove and any bivac equipment. They climb about 200 m left of first ascent party and at 16.00 they reach the north ridge at cca 6500 m. At this moment it start to snow heavy and they decide to descent immediately. They use abseil anchors of firs party, and reach the tents at 2.00 next morning.
19.10.	Bostjan, Matej and Ales descent to base camp. Uros leave base camp because his plane back to Slovenia is on 25.Oct. Our Nepali staff arrange porters.
20.10 - 22.10.	From base camp to Lukhla.
23.10.	Lukhla - KTM
24. and 25.10.	Packing in KTM. Uros leave KTM on 24.Oct. and fly back to Ljubljana.
26.10.	Departure from KTM. Anja and Ela will return on 10. Nov., Bostjan will visit India for 6 months because of joga education.
27.10.	Arrival to Ljubljana airport.

6. Achievements of the expedition

Ascent of Mera Peak (6454 m). This very popular and technically easy peak we climbed for acclimatisation proposes.

First ascent of "PEAK 41" (6654 m). From 5100 m to 5600 m we climbed on south-eastern slopes of Point 6113 m left of the very broken ice fall (easy rocks from I to II, and snow couloir from 1 to 3, AI, from 400 to 700 ), then we reached almost horizontal plateau under the west face at 5600 m from where we climbed up the west face to cca 6500 m. There we had to bivouac and next day we continued up the north ridge and reached the 6654 m summit (snow and ice 4, AI, from 550 to 800 , and very few points of mix M4). Overall grade of the route is V+. It can be also alpine TD+. We climbed the route in alpine style. Climbers: Matija Jost, Urban Golob, Uros Samec.

Jernej Sinkovic memorial route in west face of "PEAK 41". Both rotes are identical to the plateau under the west face (5600 m). Above on the west face the Jernej route is all the time cca 200m to the right (south) of the original route. It reach the north ridge at cca 6500 m (snow and ice 4, AI, from 550 to 800 ). Overall grade of the route is V+. It can be also alpine TD+. They climbed the route in alpine style. Climbers: Bostjan Jezovsek, Matej Kovacic, Ales Kovac.

7. Internet site

Thanks to Branko Ivanek (Ibiko d.o.o.) our expedition have our own internet site. You can find us on internet address http://41.ice-climbing.net/ There is also English version available.

Leader of the expedition, Matija Jošt