Likhu Chuli I, north ridge, attempt. Japanese Koichi Ezaki and ...

Likhu Chuli I, north ridge, attempt. Japanese Koichi Ezaki an d H iroshi Kudo m ade th e first offi­ cial a ttem p t on the n o rth ridge o f Likhu C huli I (6,719m ). T he w ell-know n trekking peak o f Parcham o (6,279m ) is the n o rth erly extension o f this ridge. O n N ovem ber 24 the p air clim bed the steep and technically difficult east (K h u m b u ) flank o f th e ridge tow ards th e crest, fixing rope to 5,950m. Above, they felt the need to fix m ore rope. They had cached ropes earlier in the m onth, after Ezaki led a larger expedition to Parcham o, b u t w hen they retu rn ed they found the ropes had been stolen. N ot w ishing to progress w ith o u t m ore fixed rope, they ab an d o n ed the expedition. In 1960 a French team , led by R obert Sandoz, th at had C h obuje (C hobutse, 6,686m ) as its original aim , clim bed a n u m b er o f peaks from the Rolwaling, including Parcham o and Pimu. A fter ab an d o n in g C hobutse d u e to ice fall, they tu rn e d to Likhu C huli I (then know n as Pigpherago Shar). After establishing cam ps at 5,500m an d 6,150m , Cécile B arbezat an d N awang D orje reached the su m m it on O ctober 21 via the steep, difficult west ridge. To the west, Likhu C huli II (Pigpherago N up, 6,659m ) has no know n ascent. Both sum m its were officially opened to foreign clim bers in 2003. E lizabeth H awley, A AC Honorary Member, Nepal, and R ichard Salisbury, The Himalayan Database