Paldor Peak Climbing

Welcome to Nepal. You land at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu (1,400 m), where our representative meets you in the arrivals hall and drives you to your hotel in Thamel.

Your climbing guide joins you in the afternoon. The Langtang peaks are close enough to Kathmandu that the logistics are simple, so the briefing concentrates on the climbing itself: what the summit day involves, how the fixed rope is used, and what we expect you to be able to do on it.

The rest of the day is yours to rest after the flight. Overnight in Kathmandu.

A working day in the city. The morning goes on paperwork: the Nepal Mountaineering Association peak permit is finalised, insurance details for the crew are lodged, and your own policy is checked against the altitude you are going to.

The afternoon is the equipment inspection, which matters more than most people expect. Every item of personal climbing kit is laid out and checked — harness, crampons, ice axe, ascender, descender, helmet, carabiners and boots — and anything unsuitable is replaced or hired from the shops in Thamel.

If you have never used an ascender, your guide will run you through it here rather than on the mountain. Overnight in Kathmandu.

A long day by jeep north out of the valley. The road climbs over Kakani, drops to the Trishuli and turns up the Pasang Lhamu Highway toward the Tibetan border, running high above the Bhote Koshi for the last stretch.

Above Dhunche the route leaves the highway for a rough track that switchbacks up to the Thambuchet valley and on to Gatlang (2,238 m).

Gatlang is a large Tamang village of stone houses with slate roofs, stacked up a hillside above terraced fields, with a gompa and a small lake above it.

Around 8 to 9 hours. Overnight in a homestay at Gatlang.

The first walking day, and the one where the trip leaves everything behind.

The trail climbs west out of Gatlang through rhododendron and oak forest to the Pangsang ridge (3,830 m), a broad grassy crest with the whole Ganesh Himal laid out to the north and Langtang behind.

From the ridge the route descends into the head of the Somdang valley, following a rough mining track to Somdang (3,270 m), a scatter of abandoned buildings from a zinc and lead operation that closed decades ago.

Around 6 to 7 hours. The camp crew has the mess tent up and this is the first night under canvas. Overnight in tents at Somdang.

Up the Tiru valley into genuine mountain country.

The trail follows the Tiru Khola north on yak trails, climbing steadily through juniper scrub that thins into open moraine and grazing shelf. There is no path in places and the crew leads the line.

The valley closes in as you gain height, with Paldor (5,896 m) and the Ganesh peaks appearing at the head of it.

Around 5 to 6 hours brings you to base camp at 4,200 m, a flat moraine shelf beside meltwater with the mountain directly above.

The crew establishes camp for the next several nights. Overnight in tents at base camp.

The first of two instruction days, and an acclimatisation walk built into it.

The morning climbs several hundred metres onto the moraine above camp to gain height, with a first close look at the south-east ridge and the line the summit day takes.

The afternoon is climbing school on the snow beside camp: fitting and walking in crampons on hard and soft snow, ice axe technique and self-arrest, and moving as a rope team.

Your guide watches how everyone moves and adjusts the plan accordingly. Overnight in tents at base camp.

The second instruction day concentrates on rope work, which is what the upper ridge actually demands.

The morning covers ascending a fixed line with a jumar, changing over at an anchor, and abseiling — repeated until it is automatic, because it has to work in the dark with cold hands.

The afternoon is spent on crevasse awareness and a short session on the glacier snout, followed by a gear check: every harness adjusted, every crampon fitted to the boot it will be used with.

Meanwhile the climbing Sherpas carry a load to high camp and inspect the route. Overnight in tents at base camp.

A steep carry onto the mountain proper. The route climbs the moraine above base camp and then onto the glacier, roped, gaining around 900 m over four to five hours.

The ground is loose lower down and snow-covered above, and the pace is deliberately slow because everyone is carrying more than usual.

High camp at 5,100 m is a shelf of snow and rock beneath the south-east ridge, with the summit line directly overhead and a very large view south over the Tiru valley.

An early dinner, a final gear check and an early night. Wake-up is around midnight. Overnight in tents at high camp.

Summit day, starting around 1 a.m. from high camp, roped in teams and moving by headlamp onto the south-east ridge.

The lower ridge is a steady snow slope; higher up it steepens to around 45 degrees and the climbing crew fixes rope on the hardest section. The final stretch is a corniced ridge that demands concentration and careful placement.

The summit of Paldor (5,896 m) comes in the middle of the morning. Around you are the Ganesh Himal peaks, Langtang Lirung and the Langtang range east, Manaslu and Himalchuli west, and the Tibetan plateau north.

Down the same way, striking high camp on the way through, to base camp. Ten to thirteen hours. Overnight in tents.

The first of two contingency days, held for a second summit attempt if the first was turned back by weather or snow condition.

If the peak has been climbed, this is a rest day, and after thirteen hours on the mountain it is generally spent doing very little beyond eating and sleeping in the sun.

The crew begins bringing the last loads down from high camp and sorting the rubbish that goes out with the group under the terms of the garbage deposit.

Overnight in tents at base camp.

Off the mountain and back down the Tiru valley, retracing the approach with much lighter legs.

The descent follows the moraine and then the yak trails beside the Tiru Khola, dropping back into juniper scrub and then grazing country.

It is around 4 to 5 hours, and the change in oxygen after five nights above 4,200 m is immediate and very welcome.

The camp crew sets up at Somdang (3,270 m) for the last night under canvas, which is traditionally when the cook produces something considerably better than usual. Overnight in tents.

The last walking day, back over the Pangsang ridge with a final look north at the Ganesh Himal and the peak you climbed.

From the ridge the trail descends through forest to Gatlang, where a jeep meets the group for the rough track down to Syabrubesi (1,460 m).

Around 6 hours of walking plus two on the road.

Syabrubesi has hot showers, cold beer and beds with mattresses, all of which feel remarkable after six nights in a tent. This is the evening the crew is paid and thanked and the climbing Sherpas get their summit bonus. Overnight in a lodge.

The drive back down the Pasang Lhamu Highway and over the valley rim, around 7 to 8 hours with a lunch stop.

The road runs high above the Bhote Koshi, descends to the Trishuli and climbs to Kakani, where the Ganesh Himal and Langtang stand along the northern horizon — a last look at ground very few people have walked.

Transfer to your hotel in Thamel. The afternoon is free for a shower, a change of clothes and souvenir shopping.

Most groups meet for a farewell dinner, and on this trip in particular there is usually a good deal to talk about. Overnight in Kathmandu.

A slow morning in Kathmandu. If your flight is late in the day there is time for last shopping in Thamel, a walk around Boudhanath or Durbar Square, or simply a long breakfast.

Our representative collects you from the hotel and drives you to Tribhuvan International Airport around three hours before departure.

If you are staying on in Nepal we are happy to arrange onward travel, a Chitwan extension, a Pokhara flight or extra hotel nights — just tell us while you are still on the mountain so we can book it.

Thank you for climbing with us, and we hope to see you back on a bigger peak.