On Thursday, October 29 at 2.30 pm we stand on the summit of 7350m high Jasemba. Michi, Samuel and I. Somehow, joy doesn't really came up. Jasemba hasn't got a flat side sloping. Similar to the Matterhorn, once you reach the summit, you are only half way through. The same evening we made it back to 6900 meters and the other day we were back at BC. Totally 25 times abseiling on v-thrades, stoppers, camalots, a buried ice-axe and a buried telescope stick segment.

Exhausted and very much relieved we are now back at BC.

We start on October 25. After a 5-hours trek over the disrupted glacier of Somna we reach the foot of the wall at 5800 meters. The following day we move on fast. A little bit of ice climbing and then snow trudgeing. Almost high-spirited we place our tent on a snow-mushroom. Height: 6500 meters. We sleep belayed. The following day the passages become very insidious. Snow-mushrooms as big as cars up to trucks and in between steep ice walls got in our way. While climbing in the ice, we were able to belay very well with our ice screws. But once you stand in bottomless snow you can only move forward like a vole, without any useful belay. We asked ourselves what this had to do with climbing. Our nerves were on the edge, because you move on one step and then you fall back two. With a day performance of "only" 400 meters of altitude we install pretty exhausted our bivouac at 6900 meters. A gap in a snow mushroom gives just as much space for our 2-men-tent. You may imagine how comfortable this night was. The height and the efforts of the past three days did not increase our moral for a summit attempt. A 150 meter high barrier of rock with vertical passages and another 300 meters of snow trudgeing did demand everything from us. Thanks to our great team spirit and our motivation we made it to the summit.

With our first ascent through the southwall the summit of Jasemba has been ascended for the first time also in the alpine style.

See you soon,

Simon Anthamatten