Baruntse Expedition

Mt. Baruntse lies in the heart of the Khumbu Region on the lap of Mt. Everest and Mt. Makalu. This mountain is becoming famous like Mt. Pumori, Ama Dablam and Mt. Everest for expeditions in this region. Baruntse is another attractive Mountain for climbing due to its location, classical symmetrical beauty and relatively accessibility to climbers across a wide range of skills. It is the most accessible 7000-meter peak in the region besides having a normal route of ascent. World-famous summiteers Edmund Hillary and Jim McFarland were also the summiteers of Mt. Baruntse. Colin Todd and Geoff Harrow ascended Baruntse firstly on 30 May 1954.

The Southeast Ridge of Baruntse is a bit difficult because of being a straightforward and hard way to climb. In the Expedition of Mt. Baruntse, there are hard sections of 50 Degrees elevation with a prominent ice cliff for climbing and facing the risk of avalanche. The climbers have succeeded in the mountain mostly in the spring season because of being the best season for the climber for safety. However, some climbers have reached the top of this mountain in the autumn season too.

Baruntse Expedition is an experience sense of being in a remote area without investing a considerable amount of time and effort. There are two ways of getting to the peak from Lukla via Mera La Pass and Hunku glacier with a possibility of climbing Mera peak as a part of the adventure and from Tumlingtar along the Makalu access trek and West Barun glacier. The second option offers also a crossover and walk-out via Mera La pass to Lukla, a full spectrum adventure.

The ascent route for Baruntse Expedition is through the southern ridge overhanging the famous West pass; this is in fact the traditional route opened by Hillary and Ship Ton in 1952. The regular approach begins at Lukla and takes you across the Hongu valley, one of the most fertile regions in Nepal, passing northward through a beautiful alpine environment. The walk passes through delightful Sherpa country and provides for excellent acclimatization. The Baruntse base camp is at an altitude of around 5400m and sits near the pristine lakes below Amphu Lapcha pass. The route then follows a long ridge leading to the summit. An ascent on Baruntse is an adventure for climbers wishing to meet a true Nepalese 7000-meter Peak.

Baruntse Climbing Base Camp Services:

• Snowy Horizon Treks & Expedition provides very professional, helpful and friendly service from Kathmandu to the Baruntse Base Camp and during the climb. Our objective is to provide a high-quality, helpful, safe, friendly, stress-free and comprehensive service to maximize the Baruntse summit opportunity.
• We offer a wide range of services from Base Camp logistics to fully guided climbs with individual climbing Sherpa helping their clients to achieve a summit.
• High elevation climbing requires not only a set of climbing skills and the fitness level but also the ability to cope with high elevation conditions affecting the ability to function to the extent possible at sea level, where most climbers are living. 
• Our philosophy is to support climbers by the skill and high-altitude genetic ability of Climbing Sherpa, born and grew up at a higher elevation, as did his predecessors.
• Baruntse like all other 7000m peaks requires the set-up of 2-3 high camps, where the gear, food and fuel have to be carried. No matter how physically strong and fit one is at sea level. At a high level, your physical efficiency drops considerably and the team of Climbing Sherpa pooled from all clients will setup the route and allow you to summit.
• Having a personal Climbing Sherpa eliminates the arbitrage of the ‘Leader’ to decide who will get limited climbing support on the summit day. In the emergency situation, the classic expedition Leader has responsibility for a number of people including those with impaired physical abilities due to high altitude, while Climbing Sherpa has only responsible for his own client with high physical abilities at high elevation due to natural genetic predisposition and all in cooperation of other expedition Climbing Sherpa. Our Climbing Sherpa are highly trained and experienced climbers doing high elevation climbs in Nepal and Tibet season after season.
• We believe that our philosophy of an expedition with the Base camp Leader-Coordinator and the team of Climbing Sherpa assigned to individual climbers is by far the most efficient and safest way to achieve a high elevation summit.
• Our cooks and helpers will prepare and serve three delicious freshly cooked and plentiful meals a day and will ensure that hot and cold drinks are available 24hrs a day.
• We provide spacious expedition quality personal tents for all our clients. We also provide a dining tent, kitchen tent, toilet and portable shower facilities and tent accommodation for our staff.
• We provide access to communication including satellite telephone and internet access, solar panels to charge your batteries and UHF/VHF handheld radios on the mountain to maintain communications between ABC and high camps.
• Our Leader and camp manager as well as climbing Sherpa have an extensive experience in multiple climbs above 7000m, so whether you use our full board service or Base camp services you can expect good advice and support from them. They also know personally most of the other Climbing Sherpa and network together in the Base camp regardless of the operator they work for.

Baruntse Expedition Full Board Service:

• For full board clients, who would be less experienced climbers or single climbers requiring a climbing friend, we provide personal tent and food at high camps with the climbing Sherpa, who will prepare appropriate meals.
• We provide a personal climbing Sherpa guide to help the clients to reach the summit. Personal climbing Sherpa will set up high camps including food provisions and fuel and will guide and assist the client on the summit day and if required will set-up fixed rope to ensure the safety.
• We provide the climbing Sherpa with appropriate radio communication to Base Camp from the climbing route. Our Climbing Sherpa will network, cooperate and work with other clients Climbing Sherpa on the route to ensure the safety of his client as well as the overall expedition team.
• After arriving at the Base camp (5300m) we will take a day or so of acclimatizing rest and preparations including snow practice so that we all develop common understandings and refresh our basic climbing and rescue techniques. We develop our climbing protocol. Our climb protocol will follow principles of standard high elevation and acclimatization and building higher camps progressively.
• The standard route begins at the Base Camp (5300m) located on the Hunku glacier at the foot of the mountain on a small lake, which will be our water source. The water must be filtered or purified by iodine tablets, or boiling.
• We will first climb to Camp 1 located at 6100m along the Hunku glacier to the 150m long steep gully leading to West Col. We will set-up a fixed rope beeline to the Col, climb to Camp 1 and return to Base camp for overnight rest. As a next step, we climb up to camp 1, set it up and stay there overnight. We will explore the route to camp-2, and return to the Base Camp for another rest day.
• We move from the Base Camp directly to camp-2 (6400m), setup the camp and stay there overnight. There will be an opportunity for summit attempts for members who feel strong. We return to Base camp for a couple of rest days to rest and recover followed by another summit attempt. Our program allows 9 days for the climbing period to account for weather and individual physical condition and strength. It gives us plenty of opportunities to carry supplies to camps 1 and 2 and few opportunities for the summit push.

Approaches to ABC via Mera La Pass and the Hongu Valley:

• We will follow a standard approach from Lukla to Mera peak via Chatrawa La Pass and picturesque Hinku valley, where we undergo acclimatization at Thangnak and Khare. From Mera La pass, we will have an option to climb easy Mera Peak via Mera glacier for acclimatization and warm-up to Baruntse.
• From Mera la Pass, we down climb to Hunku glacier valley and Kongmadin and Seto Pokhari and follow it to Baruntse Base camp at the base of Baruntse below the West Col with one overnight camp at Seto Pokhari.

Climbing Routes:

Normal Route - Southeast Ridge

• The Southeast Ridge of Baruntse is a straightforward climb, mainly on snow but at high altitudes and crossing some steep sections of ice at 50°, with a prominent ice cliff at about 7,000m. We will setup a fixed-line there.
• The ridge geometry and position make it prone to the accumulation of cornices. Despite the cornices appearing very stable, we safeguard the steeper sections by fixed lines in places where we have to traverse between the camps. The avalanche risk on the lower slopes of the mountain appears to be low. The most successful ascents are made in the spring when good snow conditions prevail. This is also objectively the safest time on the mountain.
• We establish the Base Camp at 5300m (17,400ft) in a broad open valley next to a beautiful lake on the lateral moraine of the Hunku glacier near the base of the mountain.

Camp 1 (6100m):

To reach camp 1 (6100m) located on the West Col on the edge of Upper Barun glacier, we cross Hunku glacier to a steep gully leading directly toward. For the 150m steep and 50deg climb to the West Col from the glacier, there will be fixed ropes to provide a beeline to camp-1 for safe carrying of the loads required for the climb.

Camp 2 (6400m):

Camp 2 (6400m) is located on the edge of the Upper Barun glacier at the start of Southeast Ridge. From camp 1 at West Col, we begin a long glacier ascent on a low angled glacial slope; we may use a fixed rope to protect against open or hidden crevasses.

Summit Day (7129m):

From camp-2 we climb-up is a short steep 75 degrees ice wall to a small Col at 6500m. The next section to 6700m is a 45deg snow shoulder after which we reach a sharp summit ridge of Baruntse, which we follow to the wide summit cone leading to Mitru summit at 7129m. The view from the summit is just incredible, truly stunning views of Lhotse, Mount Everest, Cho Oyu, Kanchenjunga, Makalu, and the Khumbu Himal.