Climb your fi rst 6,000m peak
PHOTO: GEDDES MURRAY
MAKE THIS YEAR COUNT
Q Many people break the 6,000m barrier on Mera Peak - could you be one of them?
Join the three-mile-high club this year. Tom Briggs from expedition specialists Jagged Globe has fi ve tempting suggestions for your fi rst 6,000-metre peak.
Mera Peak (6,476m) Nepal’s highest trekking peak, and many people’s fi rst 6,000-er. The views of Everest, Lhotse, Makalu, Cho Oyu and Kangchenjunga are superb, and it only requires basic ice axe and crampon experience, a decent level of fi tness and sensible acclimatisation. It’s a gentle climb on snow, apart from the top 50 metres to the summit, but can be really cold: double boots, down jacket and warm mitts are essential.
Aconcagua (6,959m) At just under 7,000m, Aconcagua, in Argentina, is the highest mountain outside the Himalaya. As it doesn’t involve any technical climbing, it’s often dubbed the highest trekking peak in the world, but it’s actually incredibly tough. Bad weather, extreme cold and hard work are the order of the day: “I am surprised at how diffi cult it is to climb, it’s really hard!” said 10-time Everest summiteer, Pasang Tenzing Sherpa, who recently climbed it with us.
Stok Kangri (6,121m) Ticking all the boxes for a fi rst Himalayan climb, Stok Kangri is visible from Leh, Northern India, and can be climbed in just over two weeks from the UK. It’s in a wonderful and interesting part of the Himalaya and there’s just enough technical interest on the fi nal grade-one scramble to keep it interesting.
Lungser Kangri (6,662m) Little-known Lungser Kangri is located in south east Ladakh on the edge of the Tso Moriri lake. This is a genuinely unspoilt region of rolling mountains with stunning vistas. Apart from the altitude, Lungser Kangri is an easy walk on snow, suitable for keen walkers. Two camps are used above
base camp on the normal route and you’ll need to rope up on the glacial summit day. Think Mera Peak but without the crowds.
Dhampus Peak (6,060m) Located on the Dhaulagiri Circuit, Dhamphus Peak is an easy walk on snow, though it can be bitterly cold. The Circuit trek itself is something of an expedition, with the 5,300m French Col and isolated Hidden Valley not somewhere you’d want to be caught in bad weather. Dhampus is a 1,000m summit day from a camp in the Hidden Valley, and the views towards Manaslu and the Annapurna Range are stunning. For the experienced trekker, it's a great opportunity to cross the 6,000m contour.
Tom Briggs is Marketing Director for Jagged Globe, who organise climbing, trekking and skiing trips on every continent. When he escapes the offi ce, his favourite destination is Alaska.
www.jagged-globe.co.uk
30 | 70TH ANNIVERSARY | FOR BRITISH CLIMBING AND WALKING SINCE 1944
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