Southwest China is a region with immense diversity of people, landscape, flora and fauna. The province of Sichuan exemplifies this diversity being the cultural border of Tibet and China, the domain of wild pandas and snow leopards, and containing several ranges of young, sharply etched peaks with beautiful rock faces and pristine glaciers. This region is called Kham by its Tibetan inhabitants, and was only recently opened by the Chinese government to outside visitors.
The traditional Tibetan town of Tagong is a short drive from Kangding, where we often go for a day of acclimatization. Photo by Colin Overy.
The focus of the Lamoshe expedition will be to help climbing enthusiasts with basic climbing experience become capable of gaining safe access to wilderness alpine areas; to help them become proficient in expedition climbing skills; to convey to them an appreciation of the serious requirements placed upon the mountaineer and the entire team when climbing at altitude; and to help them understand and protect the fragile alpine environment. We work to instill in participants both concepts and skills that will allow them to climb in high altitude alpine areas safely and confidently.
This program is meant to teach climbers how to become a technically competent rope team member capable of safely ascending high altitude alpine routes of intermediate difficulty. Some participants may choose to continue on to the Reddomaine Expedition after completing this course and climb.
Lamoshe, also known as Goddess Peak, is the highest objective in this sub-range of the Daxue Shan range. This amazing 19,915-foot mountain requires moderate climbing ability and excellent fitness. After participants have received instruction on glacier travel, alpine ice climbing and high altitude mountaineering techniques, we will make the two-day summit attempt.
Our climbing route, the north ridge is the snowy left hand skyline.
The climbing begins on the icy glacial snout below the saddle at the base of the north ridge. Andy Bourne
We begin our expedition in Chengdu, the capitol of China's Sichuan Province. We meet in the evening over dinner to discuss our plans for the upcoming days. The next morning we depart Chengdu in private vehicles bound for Kangding, historically a trading center between China and Tibet. Kangding sits on the flanks of the Tibetan Plateau at 9000 feet elevation, perfect for our first night of acclimatization. After reaching Kangding and checking into our hotel, we have the evening to wander around town and take in the Tibetan influences. We continue our acclimatization on the third day by choosing between one of the many day hikes around Kangding which offer stunning views of the deep gorges and snowcapped peaks. Another option for our acclimatization day is to make the two hour drive to the town of Tagong, famous for Khampa Tibetan architecture and culture, as well as it's sweeping open grasslands and expert horseman.
The town of Kangding lies in the deep gorges where the Tibetan Plateau drops off into the Sichuan Basin.
This lively town straddles the cultural border of China and Tibet with influences from both cultures. Aidan Loehr.
Our training starts with a thorough introduction to expedition packing - discerning which equipment and food is needed today, compared to that which is needed later in the expedition as well as learning techniques for proper organization. After carefully packing our gear, we drive to the trail head at approximately 14,000 feet and begin our hike to basecamp. Aided by horses, this first leg of our approach will be only with a lightweight day pack.
Lamoshe looms in the distance (far right), as our horsemen prepare to continue on. Aidan Loehr
The second portion of the expedition involves a series of carries to get our team and equipment to advanced base camp at approximately 15,500 feet elevation. This camp is situated at the start of the route where the technical climbing begins. We stay at this camp for three nights, with the days being taken up reviewing basic climbing skills, as well as learning new techniques such as ascending fixed ropes, anchors, and efficiency. The last day we start carrying to high camp.
The approach to advanced base camp on Lamoshe. Aidan Loehr
By the time we move to high camp at 17,000 feet, we will have completed our instruction in climbing techniques on snow and ice, rope team travel and use of fixed lines, expedition packing and prep, and introduction to high altitude physiology and proper acclimatization schedules. We have two full days for our summit attempt on the north ridge of Lamoshe. The route involves consistent 35 to 40 degree exposed snow and ice climbing on the increasingly exposed ridge. With our thorough acclimatization and skills preparation, our team will have excellent chances for reaching the summit of this remote and challenging peak.
A close-up of the route on the north ridge of Lamoshe. Aidan Loehr
We will spend two days descending back to base camp after our summit bid, where our horses will again meet us to aid in carrying our gear back to the car. That night we check into our hotel in Kangding and go out on the town for a celebration feast.
If you have basic alpine climbing experience, such as completing a course like AAI's Intro to Alpinism, and would like to take your skills into the realm of high altitude expedition climbing, this program is a good choice. There are many trips to choose from that give the novice climber a chance to take your skills higher. However, this is an expedition climbing course that brings the climber into remote and challenging alpine terrain far from the "standard" destinations. Join us in China if you have a sense of adventure and want to go a little further off the beaten path.
