Expedition to climb Zemu Gap from south: our first attempt fails in November 2011

In November 2011, a small team from Adventure Mania made an attempt to ascend Zemu Gap from south (tongshiong glacier).

approaching guicha la

Starting from Yoksum they crossed Guicha la and descended down the talung glacier via Yongiotak. Making a base near the junction of talung chu and tongshiong chu they managed to climb the rock wall and camped next to tongshiong's vast and complicated icefall.

our tent after the 5 days of snow storm in the tongshiong ice fall

abseiling in near blinding white out

Simvu and Tongshiong glacier as seen from our base camp

Our base camp after 5 days of snow. Pandim in the backdrop, Talung face visible

Their further progress was foiled due to 5 days of non stop snow storm. They however managed to repeat the 1936 Tilman route down the Rukel and Rongyoung chu gorge. From Yoksum to Mangan it took them 12 days in total( From Tongshiong base it took them 5 days). The members were Lhakpa Sherpa, Thendup Sherpa, Arjun Saha, Arindam Sarkar, Dukpa Tsering Sherpa, Pemba Sherpa and Anindya Mukherjee. This is the fourth party to have succesfully done this traverse (1890-Claude White, 1920-Raeburn, 1936-Tilman). Anindya and Thendup also achieved a rare privilage to have done this traverse from both directions (March 2011-Mangan to Yoksum:Expedition Mayel Lyang 2011). Adventure Mania is going back to Tongshiong glacier in December 2011.

Zemu Gap from south: the first documented ascent

view of Kangchenjunga south summit and Talung peaks from Tongshyong glacier. Pic. Anindya Mukherjee Text & Photographs: Anindya Mukherjee Introduction The history of exploration around Kangchenjunga [1] , especially around its south, south east and east flanks; has always fascinated me. The classic journeys and adventures of pioneers [2] like W.W. Graham, John Claude White, Douglas Freshfield, Dr. A.M. Kellas, Harold Raeburn, N.A.Tombazi, Lord John Hunt and Paul Bauer ignited my imagination. The height of inspiration of course came from reading my hero Mr. H.W. Tilman’s account in the Himalayan Journal (vol. IX) on his attempt on Zemu Gap from south in 1936. The primary challenge of climbing Zemu Gap from south has always been its remote & complicated approach. Many failed just to reach the foot of this col. To add to that its apparently impregnable defenses took Zemu Gap to a next level of exploratory climbing. In 1925, Greek photographer N.A.Tombazi is sai

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