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johnkelley
climber
Anchorage Alaska
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Topic Author's Original Post - Feb 10, 2017 - 10:58pm PT
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Here's a few from shots from a solo ascent of the South Face of Thakar-Go East (20,183') in the Rolwaling area of Nepal in January.
After spending a week in Kathmandu securing permits my friend Chetanath Adhikari and I took a flight to Lukla and spent the next two days hiking up to Namche Bazaar. We ended up staying there for about a week since I got sick. After picking up around two weeks worth of food and fuel we headed west, towards Trashi Labtse Pass. Chetanath and I spent a few days getting there and a few more at the base of the Pass in unsettled weather. Chet took off back to Kathmandu and I sat around in worsening weather. After another day I stashed my gear and the remaining food and heading back to Namche to wait for clearer days.
After it cleared up I hiked back up to my stashed gear with more food/fuel and started up Trashi Labtse Pass (18,881') which separates the Khumbu from the Rolwaling. It took a few days crossing over the pass and another day to cross the Dolorambro Glacier to get to the base of the South Face of Thakar-Go East.
I headed up the South Face on pretty good granite in perfect weather. The route went pretty easy with rock up to 5.7 and some grade 4 ice/mixed climbing. It took around 10 hours to get to the summit from my base camp and around 5 more to get back down to camp.
Didn't do much the next day except eat and sleep. The next morning the clouds started moving back in so I headed back over the Pass to Namche.
Special thanks to Chetanath Adhikari for all the help and to Langtang Ri Trekking & Expedition for help with the permits and the other government requirements!
Thakar-Go East is the peak on the far right
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thebravecowboy
climber
The Good Places
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Feb 11, 2017 - 09:25am PT
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moar photoz!
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phylp
Trad climber
Upland, CA
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Feb 11, 2017 - 09:59am PT
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Cold, snowy climbing!
I don't do it but I like to read about it.
More info please!
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kunlun_shan
Mountain climber
SF, CA
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Feb 11, 2017 - 11:09am PT
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Pretty awesome, johnkelley! TFPU!
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johnkelley
climber
Anchorage Alaska
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Topic Author's Reply - Feb 11, 2017 - 08:58pm PT
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Heading over Trashi Labtse Pass (18,881')
The start of the route, looking up at the summit, Everest in the distance from the summit
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Vitaliy M.
Mountain climber
San Francisco
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Feb 13, 2017 - 08:09am PT
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If only John had a gopro...could have had a piolet d'or bro! :)
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johnkelley
climber
Anchorage Alaska
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Topic Author's Reply - Feb 15, 2017 - 10:32pm PT
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Guess this isn't a climbing forum anymore?
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nah000
climber
no/w/here
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Feb 15, 2017 - 10:44pm PT
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sweet... any non-foreshortened views of the route? how much gain from base camp was there? did you rope up for any of it? in general: any good [climbing or otherwise] stories come out of the trip?
thanks for the pics...
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David Knopp
Trad climber
CA
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Feb 15, 2017 - 10:45pm PT
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Still is, john! Awesome effort-tell us more please.
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Gnome Ofthe Diabase
climber
Out Of Bed
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Feb 16, 2017 - 04:01am PT
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Okay then, if you insist I was staying scarce out of respect
(and to not spew about you know who!)
I may have said this to you before? If so please don't get sore.
But think that for every post, 5 others have looked to see what gives.
, so don't get bent by Very slow and few responses!
I was googling where in the range that sits as soon as you posted it.
.
I'm not into the big mountain thing, that's mainly why I did not drop by 'a for now.
I've got the feeling that you added more text since this 1st posted?
That's good.
This very cool man!
The level of commitment !
the sheer audacity to go ,
alone!
Com' on Taco shites post a ' Hey John letter'
EDIT:
Glad you see it that way.
I think it is very weak sauce and I am embarrassed to have removed the very light criticism.
There were Other things, stupid crap, on other pages, that led to my sayng that;
"any one who thinks leaving booby-trapped aid climbs is ok ?
sucks in my book" a booby-trapped aid line is criminal.
You think that maiming or killing a climber is fine.
you have some major character flaws - as do we all,
Some are just evil and need be shown for what they are.
Sorry that the light of truth blinds you.
I'm sure you know what I think you can go do.
What I removed , I may have saved in drafts it was what it was !
A comment that was not aimed at you,
more at what you are willing to be associated with , there is a distinction...
without compassion for others there is no humanity,
Being a good Yo-Yo at the expense of common decency is worth pointing out,
So glad I could ablige you
Again...
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johnkelley
climber
Anchorage Alaska
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Topic Author's Reply - Feb 16, 2017 - 06:14pm PT
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Gnome Ofthe Diabase -
Thanks for setting me straight! Good job slandering me and an old friend I haven't seen in a decade...I love how you do it. Disguised by a fake name through the internet. Oh, and thanks for reminding me why I stopped posting TR's here.
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johnkelley
climber
Anchorage Alaska
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Topic Author's Reply - Feb 24, 2017 - 07:54pm PT
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Nice back edit Gnome...
Guess I should have posted this one first for the Gnomes out there?
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johnkelley
climber
Anchorage Alaska
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Topic Author's Reply - Mar 1, 2017 - 05:38am PT
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Gnome how did you get a fast food place named after you?
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johnkelley
climber
Anchorage Alaska
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Topic Author's Reply - Mar 1, 2017 - 06:37am PT
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DMT- yeah I ate there. It was ok, not my favorite spot but it was good. The price was right. About $2 for lunch
Gnome- nice 2nd back edit! Did you get it right this time? Figure out what you wanted to say this time? Where did you come up with the idea that I want to intentionally maim and kill climbers or anyone else for that matter? Nothing could be further from the truth. You are a f*#king idiot!
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Vitaliy M.
Mountain climber
San Francisco
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There are talented content killers on this site. Gnome is really hard to understand when he speaks in these (annoying) verses, but usually does not mean harm. I seriously don't get the sh#t he is saying and would be psyched if he spoke normal English to avoid confusing the simple-minded fool (me).
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johnkelley
climber
Anchorage Alaska
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Topic Author's Reply - Mar 1, 2017 - 07:07am PT
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Gnome is a 1st class as#@&%e
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micronut
Trad climber
Fresno/Clovis, ca
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Rad post JohnKelley! Nice climb. Any shots of the mountain as a whole? Looks like you got into some nice terrain. I love me some Nepal. Haven't been there since 2012 but I'm sure much hasn't changed.
Keep sending and posting up!!!
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steve shea
climber
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Way to go John. I just looked at my photos of the Rolwaling recently and was wondering if you had success. It looks as though you did. The best part of the Nepal Himal in my opinion. Nice job. SS
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johnkelley
climber
Anchorage Alaska
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Topic Author's Reply - Mar 1, 2017 - 11:20pm PT
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NahOOO - It's kinda a short route. Around 2,000' from the base (start of the 5th class) to the summit. Maybe around 1/3 of it was ice/mixed (with crampons) and the other 2/3 was on dry rock of pretty good, but not great, quality. I used a rope, one 60m, to make 6 rappels and down climbed the rest. The line of descent was slightly east of the climbing route.
Steve Shea - Thanks for answering all of my stupid questions and turning me onto this area.
Micronut - What part of the country were you in? I've only been to the Khumbu and the Rolwaling areas but am interested in other areas.
I'm mostly interested in areas that don't require a huge amount of paperwork and permits. The paperwork you are supposed (required by the government) to get makes for a huge pain in the ass. It took me 7 days to get permits for this one and another 10 full days to get my "garbage deposit" back. Yeah 17 days of waiting on the Ministry of Tourism... At least the permits were cheap. Only $70 USD for open "expedition peaks" below 6,500m during the "winter " season which runs from December through February according to the Ministry's rules.
Haha I just realized that I misspelled the name of the peak in the thread title. It should be Thakar Go East (aka Takargo East and Dragkar Go East). Is there anyway to edit the thread title?
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FRUMY
Trad climber
Bishop,CA
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TFPU nice.
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Jan
Mountain climber
Colorado & Nepal
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Congratulations!
Doing Trashi Labtsa twice in the winter would be an extraordinary feat in itself and then you did a 6,000 m. peak as well,
I lived in the Rolwaling Valley for a year in 1974 and nearly got killed by stonefall on Trashi Labtsa. There are many first ascents to be done there still and some of the world's best high altitude climbers are from there in case you ever want to climb with someone. Their trekking companies all have Rolwaling in the name or Tseringma, the Sherpa and Tibetan name of the sacred mountain on the northern boundary, also known as Gauri Shankar. The whole valley of Rolwaling is in fact sacred to Tibetan Buddhists.
I'm curious if you encountered any of the local people during your stay?
And more photos please!
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G_Gnome
Trad climber
Cali
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Thanks for posting John. It looks like a wonderful trip in spite of waiting for weather.
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johnkelley
climber
Anchorage Alaska
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Topic Author's Reply - Mar 3, 2017 - 03:12am PT
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Jan - I saw very few people once I got past Thame. I didn't see anyone once I got past that small yak herding village that's a few hours walk towards Trashi Labtse Pass from Thame. I can't remember the name of that place. I never saw anyone on the western side of the Pass but I didn't head any further west, towards Na and Bedding, then my base camp. I don't know about Na but Bedding is occupied year round.
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johnkelley
climber
Anchorage Alaska
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Topic Author's Reply - Mar 4, 2017 - 10:16pm PT
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Anyone want to make plans to head over to the Rolwaling next year? I have some ideas... There's plenty to do.
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Clint Cummins
Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
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Cool climb, trip report and photos!
Thanks for sharing - somehow I missed these the first time.
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johnkelley
climber
Anchorage Alaska
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Topic Author's Reply - Mar 5, 2017 - 09:59am PT
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That group made the first and only other ascent of Thakar Go East via the Northeast Ridge on the other side of the peak from where I was. They also approached from the west instead of crossing the Pass. Both approaches have their advantages.
I decided to come into the Rolwaling from the east because you can buy food, fuel, beer, and pretty much anything else in Namche. The disadvantage of coming from the east is having to cross Trashi Labtse Pass.
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Mungeclimber
Trad climber
Nothing creative to say
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TFPU.
Side note; it always seemed to me that pics don't really give the 'immensity' feeling of being in mountains that big.
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norm larson
climber
wilson, wyoming
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Cool John! Looks like another quality John Kelly outing. Keep it up.
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johnkelley
climber
Anchorage Alaska
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Topic Author's Reply - May 14, 2017 - 06:09pm PT
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After doing a little digging around I'm pretty sure that the all Sherpa team and I climbed two different peaks. I'm not sure which one is actually Thakar-Go East? They topped out on the lower summit at the very end of the east ridge of Thakar-Go. I climbed the highest point on the ridge running east from Thakar-Go. The spire I topped out on is maybe a 1/4 mile west and several hundred feet higher then what they summited
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