ㅡ EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT HIMLUNG HIMAL CLIMBING EXPEDITION

[곽노성(샛별)]

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT HIMLUNG HIMAL 7126M CLIMBING EXPEDITION

Himlung Himal summit 7126M. Pic by - Elisa Rotterud

Himlung Himal 7126M is another accessible 7000M+ in the remote corner of mid-western Nepal. This is one of the mountains that sits in the rain shadow region of Nepal. The climbing route is semi-technical with fixed rope line support available to reach the summit. During climbing days, Sherpa guides leaders from several groups to work together to set up the ropes. The climbing route is mostly on ice and snowy surfaces with an exposed and wide steep uphill climb all the way to the summit. This is definitely a must climb for any climbers seeking high altitude climbing adventure or progress to 8000M+.

Overview:

• Altitude: 7126M / 23,379ft

• Climbers experience level: Intermediate/Advanced

• Location: Annapurna Region

• When to climb?: September - October

• Total no of days: 31 Days

• Difficulty grading: D+/4 (Alpine/Fitness grading info)

• Accommodation: Lodges and Base camp, Camp 1/2/3

We have listed 10 useful pieces of information that will help you prepare for your Baruntse peak climbing expedition.

1. When is the best time to climb Himlung Himal?

Himlung Himal is best suited to climb during early autumn season just towards the end of the monsoon season. End of August - September.

Note - Himlung is one of the remote climbing peaks with very few teams attempting the climb every year. You can be certain there won’t be many climbers or traffic during your expedition.

2. How much does Himlung Himal expedition cost? What does it include?

With Namas Adventure team, Himlung Himal expedition costs $9050/£7050/€8100 per person. We provide premium high-quality all-inclusive peak climbing services. Our team’s focus is your safety, successful summit, experiencing the local culture having fun. As a company, we are focused on our core values of being a responsible, ethical, and sustainable mountain adventure brand. Climbers do not have to worry about anything with our team and totally focus on their climbing holiday and fun times ahead.

List of what’s included in your booking.

• IMFGA/NMA certified Guide leader

• $500 Individual tip pool. Tip pool will be fairly distributed among all Namas staff members. (Guides, porters, drivers, hotel security, and staff). Guest may personally hand in extra tips to our guides and porters)

• Namas Branded merchandise (Down Jacket, Cap, Buff)

• 1:2 Sherpa/client ratio. ( 1:1 Sherpa can be arranged, extra charges apply)

• Head chef and 2 kitchen helpers ( Helpers increase with the numbers in climbing team members )

• Arrival hotel in Kathmandu

• All trekking and climbing permits (Annapurna Region Permit and TIMS)

• All internal-local transportation to and from the trekking trailhead

• Expedition tents ( 2 or 1 person tents ) Brands Salewa, Mountain Hardwear, Samaya equipment, Kailas

• 40 kgs personal weight

• Freezed dried meals during camping days ( Chicken, mushroom, vegan options etc )

• Chocolate, energy bars, hydration pills, biscuits, canned foods, nuts

• Burners and expedition equipment

• Walkie talkie/ Satellite phone

• Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner on trek and expedition days.

• Lodge accommodation during the trek

• Porters per guest

• Arrival pick up and departure

• Internal flights

• Basic First aid kit

• Welcome/Farewell leave Dinner

3. What experience do climbers need to climb Himlung Himal? Are guides necessary for Himlung Himal climb?

Experiences - Previous high altitude (3000M - 6000M+) alpine/mountaineering climbing experiences are absolutely necessary in order to climb Himlung or other 7000M+ peaks. It necessarily doesn’t have to be in Nepal but can be anywhere else in the world. Climbers need to have good knowledge and experience of hiking/climbing using crampons on snow, ice, and steep surfaces. Be comfortable and proficient using a fixed rope to climb on steep and exposed sections. Climbers should be familiar with the use of climbing gears, basic rope techniques like tying safety knots and abseiling when coming down from the mountains and have the mental toughness to climb in cold and windy conditions. On a most major expedition like Himlung and other expeditions in Nepal for the majority of the time, climbers will have to rely on their jumaring skill and strength (ascending) and rappeling/abseiling skills to safely descend down the mountains. Your strength and endurance to continue this for a long duration of time is very key for any climbers to complete this expedition.

Local Guides - By Nepalese law, when issuing permits for high altitude peaks above 6000M+ guides are a must. To issue a permit for Himlung Himal climbing it will have to go through a registered local company. For intermediate experience level climbers, we highly suggest climbing the peak with guides. The usual climbing route does have a crevasse and there can be other danger points along the unexplored routes. However, if you are one of the experienced climbers with tons of climbing routes under your belt then there can be several routes that even local guides may not be able to climb. So even if you climbers want to explore new routes then taking a guide as a backup option would be a wise choice.

4. What is the best-acclimated itinerary for climbing Himlung Himal Expedition?

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On high altitude climbing trips it’s imperative that climbers acclimatize properly so that the body is well-rested, adapted, and stronger to climb even higher. When we want to commit to climbing adventure at high altitude, slow and steady is the right way. Our itineraries have been refined and designed by our guides with years of climbing and guiding experiences.

On the Himlung Himal expedition trip, we have strategized with 3 high altitude camps giving climbers sufficient time to acclimatise.

More details are on our Himlung Himal climbing strategy.

5. What training is required for Himlung Himal? Can you suggest to me a training plan?

Himlung Himal Peak is by no means an easy climb and we require interested climbers to have a previous high altitude of at least 3000M+ - 6000M+ climbing anywhere in the world. Mountains are graded based on their technical and physical difficulties. For your training, it is very hard to mimic walking on ladders like the ones you will come across when crossing the crevasse. We highly recommend focusing on endurance, core, and strength training. Any type of aerobic exercise, like long-distance running (10-20km) 3 to 4 times a week, cycling (1 hour - 2 hours), hiking gaining elevation with 15-20kgs weights on are some of the suggested training. We advise you to schedule your training at least 5-6 months before your climbing departure. More on our training mountain expedition blog.

DOWNLOAD 7000M+ PEAKS TRAINING TEMPLATE

Courses like beginner mountaineering classes are also a helpful tool. You will learn technical skills like climbing with a rope on 5/6 anchor points using ascenders, how to walk with crampons on ice, snow, and rock, and to be efficient with abseiling and overall gear safety checks awareness.

6. How hard is Himlung Himal climbing expedition?

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Himlung Himal is graded at D+/4 in difficulty. (Alpine/Fitness grading link).

We cannot stress enough but it is very important climbers are mountain fit and strong before starting the expedition. In total, we will have 12 - 14 days of alpine climbing days and the climb will demand every ounce of your fitness and awareness. Breathing is challenging but with proper acclimatization done ahead of time and by staying well hydrated and consuming enough nutrition, you should be able to cope with the altitude. When we depart from the base camp “also named the french base camp” the real alpine challenge begins, mostly climbing on glaciers and ice surfaces. Once set up at Himlung Himal base camp and the climbers prepare here for the next 10 - 14 days of climbing and summiting Himlung. On the route, there are fewer crevasses hazards along the way but the climb itself has a lot of sloppy uphill bumps which make the route challenging. Camp spots are also set up in a wider section of the mountain making it less hazardous compared to setting up camps on exposed cliffs. Climbers can expect a lot of fresh snow along the route. All your previous training of endurance and strength training should have prepared your body to face those challenges. 

7. What are the clothing and gears - boots required for Himlung Himal climb (trekking and mountaineering)? Can I rent gears for Himlung Himal climb?

Choosing the right gear is very important. We advise climbers not to make compromises on the quality of gears and clothing, and to pay attention to layer up comfortably as well. You will depend highly on your clothes to keep you warm enough for the dropping temperatures at nighttime which can go down to -10c /-20c. Please check our equipment blog for recommended clothing and gear.

Renting your gears in Nepal? The simple answer is NO. This is one of the most frequently asked questions mainly by beginner climbers. We have tested and tried several gears in Nepal and frankly, we do not recommend hiring here. We know it might seem like a huge amount of expenses to buy all the gears, but they are well worth it. You can even hire from the city you live in. Make sure they are the original products from well-known adventure gear companies. (North face, Mountain hardware, Kailas, etc.)

Boots (trekking and mountaineering) for Himlung Himal

With better technologies, climbing shoes have improved every year. We highly recommend double-layered boots like Kailas Everest 8000M, La Sportiva Olympus Mons Cube, Scarpa 8000 phantom, Millet Everest summit GTX. It is wise to spend on good mountaineering boots, as so with all the gears that we have mentioned in this post above.

More 8000M boots link here (other media article)

Switchback Travel | Best Mountaineering Boots of 2021

8. What types of foods are available during Himlung Himal climb? Is clean water available and how much water intake is recommended? Hydration and nutrition

We suggest all our clients to drink 4-6 l of water every day. Staying hydrated will also help you with acclimatizing properly. It’s best to take hydration tablets or filtration bottles with you.

Most of the foods are prepared in the tea houses and during your climbing days, kitchen tents are set up by our Sherpa teams. You do not need to worry about food but remember to eat enough. In the high altitudes, although the weather is extremely cold, your body will naturally want to reject food or avoid using energy on anything, which includes eating too. You might have to force yourself with the first few couple of bites and then eventually your body will start accepting the food. We also provide packed dried meals, so that clients have other options should they not want to eat what’s being cooked in the tents.

Remember to avoid smoking and any alcohol intake. You might see our guiding leaders smoking or drinking but remember they are professionals and they have adapted very well to these environments compared to the climbers who go there just for adventure holidays.

9. What trip insurance will I need for Himlung Himal climb? Do I need helicopter evacuation to be included in my insurance cover?

No matter how prepared you are, you never know when or how things might go wrong. You might be sick suddenly or not that we wish but there might be some incident, you might suffer from altitude sickness or anything we can’t imagine yet. So, for these reasons, it is always good to have insurance cover. Our recommended Insurance companies (link)

Helicopter evacuation is our final emergency option and we do recommend you have one in your insurance, as it is the only means of transport in the Everest region. Our guides will assess your condition and examine if it is a major issue. If not, they will use their experience to motivate and push you through your trip. However, in case of emergency, helicopter evacuation will be called upon. 

There is a procedure to follow when calling for emergency evacuation. We will call the insurance company hotline, get approval with your insurance, and only then helicopters are sent to the distress call location. You will have to pay for the evacuation in Nepal from your own pocket but once you are back home you can claim your money back. Make sure you collect helicopter evacuation receipts, certified doctor’s approval letter. The insurance company will ask for this evidence to back up your claim. There was a huge helicopter scam in Nepal during 2018, so insurance companies are taking extra measures to stop this from happening. Our guides and staff members in Kathmandu will also remind you of this process during briefings.