Tomeu Rubi and Pep Roig manage to ascend the Dolma Kang (6,332m) in alpine style

17 June 2022

Rowaling Expedition 2022

Text and photos by Tomeu Rubi and Pep Roig

After the obligatory acclimatization process, during which we took the opportunity to visit the different valleys to the east of Na, we must set a goal. It is not easy since there are many conditions imposed by the Nepalese government when it comes to issuing the permit for any attempt to climb any of the mountains in the valley. Our intention is to try to climb some new or little climbed route, on a virgin face or with few previous climbs, and to do it in alpine style. In the end, the limitations that affect us, if we do not want to act outside the law to avoid problems in the event of an accident…, meant that we had to divert our sights towards the northwest. There are two peaks that could fit our claims, Beding 6126m and Dolma Kang 6332m (this could be considered as a secondary summit of Gaurisankar 7146m).

Dolma Kang:

Dolma Kang 6.332m,

On April 30th we make an approach to the southeast wall of Dolma Kang. The route has some complicated sections that make it not a mere approach. At about 4900m submerged in the fog that accompanies us daily and lets a few snowflakes escape, we find some flat ledges where our tents can be set up. On a wooden board lost among the rocks we could appreciate an inscription that speaks of some expedition of the year 2017. The fog does not allow us to see the wall up close at any time. With that we go back down to Beding, where no one can give us information about the 2017 expedition.

On May 1st we must return to Na again in search of the material we need for the ascent. Not having a set plan before finishing the approach trek has a certain appeal, but also some drawbacks. We wanted a day of rest before getting down to business, in exchange for a beautiful round trip Beding-Na-Beding with heavy backpacks…

The dodgy weather forecast we cling to predicts a rain-free day for May 3rd. On May 2nd we climbed the 1200m of uncomfortable terrain to the small terraces that we had seen two days before. Today we did manage to see the wall, it seems strange to us that no one has climbed or tried this wall before…

At 03:30 the next day the alarm clock rings, an hour later we get going. 1000m of elevation gain later we stop to pitch our tent on a ledge costly carved out of the ice. Something is wrong, the tent, although small, is too large for the space provided. Tonight it will be time to sleep tight. To get here we have had to overcome a long couloir of snow in not very good condition. The average inclination of the corridor was about 60/65º with vertical buttresses of rotten ice. The last 300m have been of a more vertical mixed terrain difficult to protect… a terrain similar to the one that awaits us tomorrow.

Last pitches before the bivouac

Pep Roig arriving at the bivouac

Summit day:

With hardly any sleep, it seems that we are not as acclimatized as we thought, the alarm clock rings around 04:00, what a relief! An hour and a half later we managed to start moving slowly to overcome the approximately 400m that separate us from the top. The terrain turns out to be more technical than the day before, and therefore more dificult. While I belay Pep in one of the many belay stations I see to my right some ropes that ascend a spur to which we are heading, at last the doubt dissipates, and we are not the first to pass through here. It’s a shame to find so much rope and abandoned material. (After the expedition ended, we were made aware that in 1980 an Australian team “in spring” and another Japanese “in autumn” had climbed the wall in heavy style, leaving the material found. The 2017 expedition did not reach the summit of the Dolma Kang.).

Tomeu Rubi reaching the summit of Dolma Kang

Descent:

Around 12:00 we reached the top without time to savour it. The clouds already surround us and we have to find the way down. This begins with a glacier full of seracs and cracks. We navigate between the points that we mentally fix each time the clouds decide to separate enough to be able to see the next one. Several times we will have to wait because we cannot see where to go. At last we reached the ridge that we had set as a point from which we no longer had to worry about getting into a dead end. We thought that same day we would reach the ledges where we had slept two nights ago, but we could not see beyond 15 or 20m. That is why around 4:00 p.m., passing by a place where you can easily prepare the ground for setting up a tent without much effort, we decided to stop. We are like the night before at about 5900m (according to my watch). The next cloudless morning we do some abseiling and climbing that requires our full attention… This same day, although much later and with little energy left, we arrived back at Beding.

Last rappel during the descent

Bestard Top Extreme Lite

During the complete duration of this activity I have been using the Bestard Top Extreme Lite double boot. It is a very comfortable and light boot, yet very robust and resistant. It is an ideal choice for this type of ascents up to 6,000-7,000m in alpine style, as I can use the same boot for both the approach and the technical climbing all the way up to the peak, where it also offers very good protection against cold and humidity at altitude. The ability to remove the inner boot for bivouacking is also a great advantage in cold temperatures, keeping the inside of the boot warm and dry in the mornings.