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Lhakpa Ri
Lhakpa Ri (7,043m/23,107ft) is an ideal objective for the Climbing Blind Tibet 2004 expedition. It is positioned just across the glacier from Everest sharing the historic route up the East Rongbuk Glacier. The peak is just over the milestone altitude of 7,000m, making it higher than anything outside Asia. Technically fairly straight forward the mountain will still test both the blind teenagers as well as the US climbing guides. Logistics may be harder for this team as more interim camps will need to be put in place as the children may not ascend as quickly as sighted climbers.
Lhakpa Ri is one of several peaks that line the east flank of the East Rongbuk Glacier. The summit is a prominent three-sided pyramid which drops to the East Rongbuk Glacier to the west, the Kharta Glacier to the east and falls steeply to a tributary glacier of the Kangshung to the south. Being so close to Mt Everest is appropriate as it was on Mt Everest that Erik Weihenmayer shattered everyone’s expectations about what a blind person could achieve. He became the first blind person to summit Mt Everest in 2001.
Following an initial acclimating trek, the ascent follows a shallow, snow-filled depression on the southwest flank, ascending low-angled snow for 600m, which steepens at mid-height to around 30-35°. After gaining the crest of the ridge close to the Lhakpa La, we turn south and follow the snow ridge to the summit. Achieving the summit will be the wonderful conclusion of over two years hard work by both the Tibetan and US teams. Erik and the US team, that has benefited so much from their successful ascent in 2001 will have also truly giving something huge back the people of the region.
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