Tsoboje Northwest Face in Nepal climbed by Nejc Marčič, Luka Stražar

Top Slovenian alpinists Nejc Marčič and Luka Stražar have made a clean, alpine-style ascent of the NW Face of Tsoboje, the stunning 6,686m peak the towers above the Rolwaling Valley in Nepal. Also referred to as Chobutse or Chobuje, the mountain was first climbed in 1972 via the NE Ridge by the Germans Wolfgang Weinzierl, Peter Vogler, Gustav and Klaus Harder. In 2015 Mingma Gyalje Sherpa made an impressive solo ascent of the West Face, but the colder NW Face is an entirely different proposition.

Marčič and Stražar left Slovenia at the start of October along with Marko Prezelj and Matija Volontar and after acclimatising properly despite poor weather, Marčič and Stražar climbed the mountain’s NW Face from 28 to 30 October. They encountered steep, exposed climbing in the central part and despite unfavorable terrain they found two really good bivy spots.

The climb was accompanied with low temperatures and strong winds, creating frequent spindrifts. To avoid any confusion due to small height difference, the party climbed both the central and east summit of Tsoboje. They rappelled and descended the southern side of the mountain and reached base camp the evening before their planned return to Kathmandu.

Prezelj and Volontar for their part attempted a line up the mountain’s south face, but were were forced to turn back due to the aforementioned high winds.

Info: www.pzs.si/novice.php?pid=15296

Luka Stražar thanks: CAMP, Karpos, SCARPA