Normal Glacier Route

Approach

ROUTE PAGE STILL UNDER CONSTRUCTION. PHOTOS TO COME LATER THIS WEEK.

Start from the Shanghai Zi Recpetion Center. Follow the first drainage north of the center up into the valley. There is not a trail per se, so lower down, just keep the stream on your right going up and you will keep running across traces of mud tracks left by previous climbers. Because the canyon is so wide, it is advised to hire locals to take up to C1, and even all the way to C2. it is easy to run into dead ends and spend time finding a new route up.

The most difficult portion is between timberline past the rhododrendrum forest and C1. Expect carins and markings to improve in future. Even if you lose tracks, you are always looking u at Banji glacier and the basin just below it. In fog and cluds, you will not have this as a guide.

C1 is at a flat spot, often snow covered, at about 4400 m . From C1 the way up is quite clear. You will make your way up the north side of the valley to the Banji Feng glacier just south of the large pinnicle rock marking the lower rim of the upper glacial valley. You gain 600 m from C1 to C2 and the going is steep walking directly up to the upper basin.

I came down in near white out conditions and even the local walking with me had a difficult time avoiding a few cliffs, so consider taking locals, especially if the weather is not clear.

Route Description

If you make camp on the north side of the bottom of the glacier, you will climb directly into the center of the glacier but not to the far side beneath Niupeng Peak.

There are two steep sections ascending the glacier by the normal route till you arrive on the summit dome. I will mark the route on photos soon. More snow accumulation wil lmake the route much easier but as can be seen on the signature photo on the main page, the glacier can also be blue/green and require alpine ice climbing skills. One 10 m section of the climb is over 75 degrees steep. The glacier is not heavily crevassed.

The climb can be done easily in one day or less.

Essential Gear

Normal route requires crampons and ice axes. You will want to take ropes and short axes to climb the steeper sections especially when the glacial ice is exposed. A few Ice screws and pickets should be all you need for protection.

Miscellaneous Info

If you have information about this route that doesn't pertain to any of the other sections, please add it here.