Solu Khumbu

The prime objectives of this team were to climb new routes on the NE Face of Kyajo Ri (6186m) and the SW Face of Kusum Kanguru (6367m), both designated as ‘Trekking Peaks’, and hence subject to reduced peak fees. Initially, they tried to climb Kyajo Ri via its SW Ridge but they abandoned at 6000m due to poor snow conditions and injury to Dare, who was struck on the hand by falling ice. With Dare safely evacuated to BC, the remaining pair then attempted the NE Ridge, on which they reached 5700m before avalanche risk made further progress extremely hazardous. Moving to Kusum Kanguru, they found that the SW Face was bare and almost devoid of snow and ice, but a sustained snowfall soon changed that, and in fact forced them to abandon their attempt due to the unseasonal weather and high level of avalanche activity. However, they did manage to climb a (probable new) route up the far left of the face to the NW Ridge below the West Peak. This provided 1000m of slow mixed climbing up to an approximate grade of M5. In view of the snow conditions, they did not attempt to continue up and over the West Peak to the Central summit.