Ngadi Chuli

Ngadi Chuli
Ngadi Chuli (in center), left peak is Manaslu, the right one is Himalchuli
Highest point
Elevation	7,871 m (25,823 ft)  Ranked 20th
Prominence	1,020 m (3,350 ft)
Coordinates	28°30′12″N 84°34′03″E / 28.50333°N 84.56750°E / 28.50333; 84.56750Coordinates: 28°30′12″N 84°34′03″E / 28.50333°N 84.56750°E / 28.50333; 84.56750
Geography
Ngadi Chuli Location in Nepal
Location	Nepal
Parent range	Himalayas
Climbing
First ascent	19 October 1970 by Hiroshi Watanabe and Lhakpa Tsering or 8 May 1979 by Ryszard Gajewski and Maciej Pawlikowski
Easiest route	Snow/ice climb

Ngadi Chuli (also known as Peak 29, Dakura, Dakum, or Dunapurna) is a high peak in the Mansiri Himal (or Manaslu Himal), also known as the Gurkha Massif, in Nepal. It is flanked by Manaslu to the north and Himalchuli to the south.

Despite its top 20 height, Ngadi Chuli has only been climbed once or twice. The probable first ascent occurred in 1970. Hiroshi Watanabe and Sherpa Lhakpa Tsering, members of a Japanese expedition, climbed the east ridge and face. They left their camp V, at about 7500 metres, for a summit attack. About 70 m below the summit they disappeared out of sight for nearly two hours at 1:15 pm. On their return, after descending a difficult snow ridge, they suffered a fatal fall down an ice wall, from ca. 7600 m nearly down to camp 4 at 6900 m, where their climbing partners observed their fall. Neither their camera nor Watanabe's ice-ax, to which pennants would have been attached had they reached the summit, survived the crash so that no conclusive evidence could be found that they had reached the summit.^[1] In order to achieve a confirmed ascent of the mountain, the Japanese organized three more expeditions, in 1974, 1978 and 1982, but these all failed.^[1]

The first confirmed ascent, and as of 2014 the last attempt on the mountain, was in 1979 by the Polish climbers Ryszard Gajewski and Maciej Pawlikowski via the West buttress, involving some class V rock climbing at great height.^[1]

As of 2014, no further attempts have been made on the mountain since the last Japanese expedition in 1982.^[1]

Timeline

• 1961 First reconnaissance by Japanese climbers.
• 1969 Third Japanese attempt reached 7350 m.
• 1970 Probable first ascent, via the east ridge and face.
• 1978 Three climbers die in an avalanche during the seventh Japanese attempt.
• 1979 First confirmed ascent, by a Polish expedition.

References