Well, they did it. At 8am on Saturday 13th May 2023 Club member Tristan Blanchard together with several friends and sherpa guide successfully reached the summit of Imja Tse / Island Peak (6189m / 20,305ft) in the Nepal Himalaya.
Tristan says “Leaving Island Peak base camp (5083m) just after midnight, a good rock scramble took us up to crampon point. Ladder crossings of crevasses kept it interesting, and we approached the head wall at dawn. The 350m head wall was brutal, a near vertical mix of ice and broken rock, mostly done on Jumar /ascender, very taxing climbing at 20,000ft where there is less than half the oxygen available to breath as at sea level. It finally gave way to the summit ridge, which we followed to the top.”
To top off this successful Himalayan ascent, by pure chance given all factors it fell on Tristan’s birthday. Happy birthday Tristan and congratulations.
This is just one of a number of successful high altitude climbs over the years by members of Gwent Mountaineering Club.
Not everyone aspires to the Himalaya but every adventure like this begins years earlier with first steps and more modest achievements closer to home. For many, that’s all the satisfaction they need. Try us for free, join gwentmc and learn skills you’ll use, whatever your level of aspiration. #findyouradventure
Here’s a selection of Tristan’s photos:
