Mountain: Baruntse
Route: East Ridge
Country: Nepal
Height: 7129 meters/23,389 ft
Dates of Expedition: March/May 1980
Overview of climb: My Spanish partners organized this first himalayan expedition from the Aragon region of Spain. Leader, Pepe Diaz from Zaragoza, invited the very experienced trio of Jeronimo Lopez, Lorenzo Ortas, and Javier Escartín together with four additional Aragones members, plus myself. After careful deliberation, they chose as our objective an unclimbed ridge on the East flank of Baruntse. The mountain had only one recorded previous ascent.
Team Members: Juan Jose (Pepe) Diaz Ibañez (Leader) Jeronimo Lopez (deputy leader) Lhakpa Dorge (Sirdar and climber) Dr. Jose Ramon Moraindera (doctor) Javier Escartín Lorenzo Ortas Gonzalo Prado Juan Manuel Blanchard Carlos Buhler
Lasting Impression:
Our ascent of Baruntse was an evolution of the desire to search for new, difficult lines on Himalayan peaks that had been previously climbed. For me it was a watershed experience. I managed to keep up with the very strong and experienced trio of Jeronimo, Javier and Lorenzo, adding where I could to the strength of the team. We employed fixed rope on the initial 60 degree ice flanks and along the East Ridge to the location of a very tight crevasse camp at about 6600m. On a perfect, April 27 morning, the four of us reached the summit after a series of roped pitches up the last of the East Face and finally along the North Ridge. Gonzalo Prado and Lhakpa Dorje Sherpa reached the summit the following day. This was my first experience above 7000 meters and ultimately gave me the confidence in altitude climbing to embark on Everest's Kangshung Face three years later.
