Nicolas Jean & Benjamin Védrines make first ascent of Anidesh Chuli in Nepal

French alpinists Nicolas Jean and Benjamin Védrines are currently in Nepal where, after a foiled attempt 2024, they now hope to make the first ascent of the North Face of Jannu East.

The pair arrived in early September and immediately started their acclimatisation on the surrounding peaks, despite unpredictable weather that brought with it plenty of fresh snow. So far they have spent various nights above 6000 meters and, interestingly, they have now made the first ascent of the virgin Anidesh Chuli via its beautiful north ridge.

After delaying their start due to the poor weather forecast, Jean and Védrines set off at 03:00am on Friday 26 September from ABC located at 5500m and managed to climb the exposed 1150m line alpine style in just a day. They breached difficulties estimated at TD-, 90° snow, 3+, M4, and summited at 10:00am. Their gear had been stripped down to the bare minimum "to stay fast and reach the summit in time: a 60m, 6 mm static rope, a few screws, pickets, and only the day’s essentials in our packs." The crux involved tunnelling their way through a steep section of soft snow towards the end of steep ridge, before reaching easier ground, tagging the summit and enjoying splendid views onto Jannu. The pair descended by paragliding back to Base Camp.

Writing on his social media handle after the ascent, Védrines explained "I am very happy to have been able to bring this project to life, which we had already envisioned during our expedition last year. This summit, though overshadowed by the giants surrounding it, deserves attention. Being the first to set foot on this peak is a privilege. The vertical stretches of sugar snow, typical of the Himalayas, gave us a hard time. Breaking trail through this beautiful powder was sometimes challenging, both mentally and physically. And Nicolas cleverly used his wits to forge a route where the elements could have stopped us in our tracks! A great adventure that perfectly concludes our acclimatisation for Jannu East."

 

 

 

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