ASIAN ALPINE E–NEWS
Issue No.19, February 2018

CONTENTS
1. Mountains and Mountaineering in Art and Literature

Tony Astill F.R.G.S. Les Alpes Livres

Page 2

2. Yoshio Ogata’s Photo Collection “Mountains of Sikkim”
from new book published by the Himalayan Association of Japan
Photo copyrights: Yoshio Ogata(Supplements with Tom Nakamura’s Aerial Views)

Page 3 ~23

3. News and Photo Album
Queen Valley of Beauties & Mt. Siguniang, Qionglai Mountains
Hengduan Mountains in West Sichuan Kenzo Okawa
Page24~46

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Mountains and Mountaineering in Art and Literature
Tony Astill F.R.G.S. Les Alpes Livres
Tony Astill has been selling old and rare mountaineering books for more than 40 years
and also fine mountain paintings for 25 years.
A very large selection can be seen on his websites www.mountaineeringbooks.org andwww.mountainpaintings.org
His book ‘Mount Everest : The Reconnaissance 1935’ won the James Monroe
Thorington Award for best book Mountaineering History at the Banff MountainFestival 2006. Tony will be very pleased to hear from all those who would like tocontact him astill.tony@gmail.com

T. Howard Somervell, [1890-1975]
Lhotse, Everest and Makalu from Singalila, Sandakphu.
1943 watercolour and gouache over pencil, on his usual Kraft brown paper.
signed with date twice, lower left. 29 x 36 cms.

Yoshio Ogata’s Photo Collection “Mountains of Sikkim”
from new book published by the Himalayan Association of Japan
Photo copyrights: Yoshio Ogata(Supplements with Tom Nakamura’s Aerial Views over the Himalaya)Kangchenjunga northeast ridge, lower part
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From “Indian Himalaya” (JAC Tokai section)

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From “Indian Himalaya” (JAC Tokai section)
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Kangchenjunga east face viewed from Zemu Glacier before sunset

Kangchenjunga west face viewed from Yalung Glacier in morning sunshine4

Siniolchu 6889m

Gurudongmar 6715m from Lake Gurudongmar, Copyrights: Harish Kapadia
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Pyramid Peak 7123m

North side of Kangchenjunga
6Tent Peak 7365m

Jongsang Peak 7483m

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(left) Twins 7350m, (center behind) Jongsang Peak 7383m, (right) Pyramid Peak 7123m

Langpo Peak6954m
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Sphinx 6824m

Kangchengyao 6889m

9Sugarloaf 6455m

Chombu 6362m

10Chomo Yummo 6829m

Talung Peak 7349m
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Tent Peak 7365m seen from Tent Peak Glacier

Zemu Gap 5861m

12Siniolchu at dawn

Climbing arête to Jongsong PeakClimbing Kangchenjunga northeast ridge
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Tent Peak 7365m viewed from Changsang Glacier
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Tom Nakamura’s Aerial Views over the Himalaya
Golden Flying Route: Kathmandu-Lhasa-Chengdu(East Nepal~North Sikkim~China-Bhutan border)

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The First Ascent of the Himalayan Peaks by Yoshio Ogata
Mt.HimalchuliWest Peak (7540m)

We climbed a new route on SW Face of Himalchuli from Dordi khola in the premonsoon 1978.BC (3870m) on the left fork of Dordi Khola was made on Mar.24. C1(4960m) on the base of the rock band beneath SW Face was set up on Apr.1. C2 (5720m)
on 8th and C3 (6170m) on 19th were made. The snow arête and mixed section continued
above C3. C4 (6700m) on SW ridge was made on 28th. C5 (7300m) on the shoulder ofWest Peak (7540m) was made on May 4th. On 6th three members was reached the top ofMain Peak (7893m). Next day I and Sugeno made the first ascent of West Peak (7540m)
via the col between N and W Peaks.

Mt.Mamostong Kangri (7516m)
We made the first ascent via S Face in 1984. Mt.Mamostong Kangri is situated in theKumdan Group of the Karakorum Range and is a highest peak of the Group. Mountainis situated about 20km off the Leh-Yarkand Central Asian Trade Route.
We approached by Mamostong Gl.and BC on the glacier at 5600m was made on
Aug.18th. Two camps were made on the glacier, and went into Tanman Gl. after crossing
a col (5600m) on the SW branch ridge. C2 (6100m) was made on the 26th and C3 (6700m)
also was made next day. Ropes were fixed to the shoulder (7200m) on the 30th. After arest ABC. Two Japanese and three Indian members reached the top on the Sep.13th.
The top was reached by five members on the 15th and by two members on the 16th. Allmembers reached the top.

Mt.Gyala Peri ( 7151m)
We made the first ascent via W Face-S Ridge in1986. This peak, located near thefamous Great Bend of the Yarlumg Tsangpo river and facing to Namcha Barwa over theriver, had long been “a secret mountain in the world”. On Sept.16th, after 6 days’approach march along the river we set up BC (3200m) at the river bed, lower part of theGyala Peri Glacier. Taking the route by the side branch-right end of the W Face, weplaced two more camps then moved on the S Ridge and pushed the Ridge to place C3(6300m) and C4 (6750m), But we attack from C4 on 29th and 30th failed. On 31st I andtwo members reached the summit which took 10 hours 40 minutes.

Mt.Rimo Ⅰ(7385m）
We made the first ascent via S Face in 1988. We approached from the Siachen Glacier19

to the Terong Glacier and on June 8th placed ABC (5040m) on the North Terong Gl.
Three days later we placed C1 (5960m) right under the Ibex Col and climbed S Face.
This was much more efficient direct line than the SW Ridge route that was taken by theIndo-UK team in 1985. We placed C3 (7000m) on the SW Ridge. On July 28th I and threemembers reached summit.

Mt.Patibhara (Pyramid Peak 7123m)
We made the first ascent from Sikkim side in spring 1993. The NE Peak of thismountain (c.7000m) had been climbed in 1949 by the Swiss team, led by Eduard
Wys-Dunant,from the Nepalese side but the ascent of the Main Peak was the first time.
We placed BC on Mar.7 near the Green Lake on the Zemu Glacier. Toward the end ofMar. it heavily snowed and accumulated 45cm deep at Lachen, the road head, which
resulted in the delay of transportation of our goods and so the accumulation of all ourgoods at BC completed as late as Apr.13. To the contrary above situation of continuing
good weather in Apr. favored our climbing activities. We placed ABC (5450m) on Apr.7thon the Tent Peak Glacier, then climbed over the Tent Peak Pass with some fixed ropes
and descended to the Changsang Glacier where we placed C1 (5600m) on Apr.11th
We first, from this point, approached the col between the Sphinx and South Langpo
Peak, but turned to a tributary spur stretched southeast ward from the Sphinx, on thecrest of which we climbed up by Apr. 17th and finally reached the summit ridge of theSphinx. We placed C2 (6700m) on Apr. 19th, which were 4 pitches short of the highestpoint (6824m) of the Sphinx. On Apr. 20th we climbed over the Sphinx and reached the E
Ridge of Pyramid Peak, and on Apr. 22nd, extended our fixed ropes to the col between theNE Peak and the Main Peak. On Apr. 24th, I and six members made the summit. The 7
pitches route from the NE Peak to the summit was a horrible sheer snow arête which
was the crux of the whole climbing route.

Other climbed Himalayan Peaks by Yoshio Ogata.
Mt.Everest(8848m) via SW Face in winter 1993 (Winter first Ascent).
Mt.Yalung Kang (Kangchenjunga West 8505m) in the pre monsoon 1981.
Mt.Cho Oyu (8201m) in the post monsoon 1993.
Mt.Gasharbrum Ⅱ(8035m) & Mt.Broad Peak(8051m) in summer 1997.
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Mt.Satopanth (7075m) via N Ridge in post monsoon 1995.
Mt.Tukuche Peak (6920m) via N Ridge in pre monsoon 1974.
Mt.Kedarnath Dome (6831m) via N Ridge in post monsoon 1980.

※Mt.Gangkhar Puensum
Gangkhar Puensum is not only the highest mountain in Bhutan but remains thehighest unclimbed summit in the world with an elevation of 7570m.
I attempted climbing the Central Ridge of Gangkhar Puensum in 1985. The Central
Ridge is a contact line straightly going up to the summit sharing Southwest and South
Face. But we had to stop climbing on the way since one member unfortunately sufferedfrom lung dropsy and rescued by a helicopter.

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KENZO OKAWA

News and Photo Album
Queen Valley of Beauties & Mt. Siguniang, Qionglai Mountains
Hengduan Mountains in West Sichuan

1The Hengduang Mountains are not exceptional in climate changes taking place in thegreater ranges of the world. Mountaineers and geographers report glacial receding alsoin Mt. Siguniang massif in the eastern rim of the Hengduan Mountains. Mt. Siguniang’s
English name is ‘For Girls Mountains’ whereas ethnologic Tibetan name is ‘Sukolagidda’that signifies a holy mountain. Receding due to the global warming is observed aroundthe main peak of Mt. Siguniang and its north ridge. It is specially mentioned thatshifting of rainy season to dry season has changed in recent years. Rainy season in Mt.
Siguniang normally started in June and caused heavy rainfall intermittently with short
blue sky. Till 2011 fine weather suddenly continued for one ~ two weeks from lateAugust to early September and then rainy season ceased. After rainy season fineweather and rain/snowfall followed periodically. However, this normal cycle haschanged since 2012 as the end of rainy season is delayed for one ~ two months. This has
been continuing for six years till 2017.
An approach to Mt. Siguniang is easy. You may reach a touristic centre of Siguniang
Mountains Management Bureau in three hours from Chengdu, capital of Sichuan
Province. The route is a highway, Wolong, a homeland of Giant Panda and a new tunnel
3800m under Balannshan Pass 4400m, and down to the town. The main peak of Mt.
Siguniang was first climbed via southeast ridge by a Japanese party of Doshisha
University. A British party of Mick Fowler and Paul Ramsden opened a line on the2

northwest face 1n 2002 which was awarded with the first Piolet’s d’Or of France. Mt.
Siguniang, UNESCO World Natural Heritage is now a hive of climbers, trekkers andtourists throughout the seasons. The area is abundant in alpine flora such as blue poppy,
Meconopsis.
Danba County is situated around 350 kilometers west of Chengdu, in the Garze Tibetan
Autonomous Prefecture of western Sichuan Province. Zhangu, a pleasant town at thebank of Dadu River, is Danba’s county seat. ‘Kingdom of Towers’ and ‘Beauty Valley’ are
the two titles given to Danba County because of many towers and beautiful Tibetan
women, which are called as Queen Valley (Chinese name is ‘Jiarong’, traditional
Tibetan name is ‘Gyalmo-rong’) or Valley of Beauties. (Notes: Not only for a lookout andbeacon, the Towers have various implications such as an offering to the Gods and thesymbol of wealth, a milestone of the afterworld or a temple for fortune telling andpraying.)
Tibetan women in the villages of Danba County have gained the reputation of being
attractive and graceful. Their stunning beauty thus gives the valley its name – Beauty
Valley. Their profession is selected
dancer, singer and dress model ofan ethic dancing team as officiallyrecognized. According to an old
legend they are descendents ofbeauties of Western Xia (西夏) inthe13th century including those ofWestern Regions (Xi-yu 西域) andIndia. They escaped to Danba being
turned by Mongolian. Every threeyears, a beauty contest is held in
the County to select the prettiest
girl. Danba girls are usually seen tobe wearing a headdress, turquoise
and coral ornaments into theirplaited hair, and an ethnic style
dress basically black colored. Photois Kenzo Okawa’s family in Danba.

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Kenzo Okawa Photo Album

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Group I – Mt. Siguniang Massif

Mt. Siguniang massif, right end: Main Peak of Mt. Siguniang

Main Peak east face

South face and southeast face of Main Peak (right)
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Main Peak – Northwest face (1)Main Peak – Northwest face (2)6Main Peak – Northwest face (3)This awful northwest face was first climbed by a British team of Mick Fowler
and Paul Ramsden along ice-streaks running in the center of the face in 2002.
They were awarded the fist Piolets o’Dr of France.

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Main Peak – South face

Main Peak – North ridge
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(above two) Holy Celestial Peak 5413m and adjacent peaks, Changping Gou
9Group II – Alpine Flora, Meconopsis

Blue poppy: Meconopsis barbiseta

10Yellow poppy – Meconopsis integrifolia

11Red poppy – Meconopsis punicca

12Group III – Legend and Goddess in Queen Valley

Holy “Moerduo Mountain” 4820m highest in the center of Queen Valley

Ruin of nine stories palace of lord13

Group IV – Towers

Towers in Zhonglu, Queen Valley, Danba

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Towers and village along river, Queen Valley

Towers in Queen Valley, Danba
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Group V – Ancient pot and paintings

Frog designed old wine pot

Life-holding Goddess of old Bon religion

Life-taking Goddess of old Bon religion
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Group VI – Spring Festival and Ethnic Dresses

People visiting a temple for cerebrating Chinese New Year

Dancing to celebrate Chinese New Year (1)17People gathering for “Unveil a treasured Buddhist image”
in Chinese New Year18

Dancing to celebrate Chinese New Year (2)People praying “return “having a head touch to a bundle of sutra
to be publicly opened in Chinese New Year

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People praying “return “having skins touch to a body of God
to be publicly opened in Chinese New Year

Dipping holy water in Chinese New Year (1)20Dipping holy water in Chinese New Year (2)Dancing in Chinese New Year21

Group V11 – Ethnic Dress, Costume and Beauties

Costumes in Festival in Queen Valley, Danba22

Danba girl at Zhonglu village of towers

Danba beaities in Queen Valley23