Expedition to the Khumbu Valley and Cholatse, Nepal
Photos by Felix Berg / www.SummitClimb.com - his post-monsoon expedition had the goal of exploring the less traveled Cholatse (6443m) mountain in the middle of the Khumbu Valley in Nepal. The style was alpine and light, the team just made up by Robert Steiner and myself, both German nationals. We left Frankfurt on the 14th of September with a cheap and badly timed Air India flight, had a day in Katmandu for organization, and arrived to the Khumbu at the rough little airport of Lukla town with its short uphill landing strip on the 17th. We hiked in through the beautiful Khumbu Valley, surprised at the development of internet, coffee shops and prices, to reach base camp on the 22nd of September. Read more.
Approaching BC Cholatse with north face and Cho Tse Lake.
Hiking towards Cho La Col with Labuche in background.
Khumbu valley with Ama Dablam and Tabuche peak on the way to Cho La Col.
Robert in front of Cholatse North Face.
Cholatse and Robert.
Hiking down to BC after Nirekha Peak.
Getting bored in BC 2, Robert finding bones.
Getting bored in BC 3 daily view.
Robert going mad at basecamp.
Robert before sunrise on the acclimatization trip near Lobuche.
Cholatse in a moment of clouds breaking.
Robert on the normal way down Lobuche.
Brief sunny moment at BC.
Robert hiking towards Cholatse normal route on the first full sunny day in three weeks.
Sunrise on Cho Oyu with 8201m sixth highest mountain in the world.
Robert on the way to the left hand couloir of the big rockt ower.
Robert in the tunnel on the last pitch to high camp at 5700m.
Robert on the big rock tower.
Robert near the summit.
Robert on the summit.
Summit Felix left with broken tooth and Robert iced up.
Robert on the way down traversing the exposed summit ridge on the southern side.
www.climbing.com/photo/image/CholatseExpedition-FelixBerg-2009/24 Robert under the serac wall with the deep steps leading left and down.
The lower part of the SW ridge with the rock tower in the background clouds.
Robert descending the normal route past the rock tower the day after the summit.
Cholatse North Face BC view of Ama Dablam.
Ama Dablam.
Island Peak.
Felix after 2h 57min speed ascent of Island peak summit.
