Langtang Lirung
Encyclopedia
Langtang Lirung is the highest peak of the Langtang
Himal,
which is a subrange of the Nepal
ese Himalayas
, southwest of the Eight-thousander
Shisha Pangma.
Himal forms the western portion of a complex of mountains which also
includes the Jugal Himal, home of Shisha Pangma. This complex lies between the Sun Kosi valley on the east and the Trisuli Gandaki valley on the west. Langtang Lirung lies near the Trisuli Gandaki, and north of the Langtang Khola.
its large vertical relief above local terrain. For example, it rises 5500m above the Trisuli Gandaki to the west in only 16 km. It has a large South Face which long resisted climbing attempts. The List of the world's highest 100 mountains puts it at number 99.
and P. Lloyd in 1949. Attempts were made to climb the peak via the East Ridge in the 1960's, but none got close to the summit.
In 1978, Seishi Wada and Pemba Tsering, from a Japanese-Sherpa expedition, succeeded in reaching the summit, via the same East Ridge route. They made four camps.
According to the Himalayan Index, there have been 14 ascents of Langtang Lirung (in 1978, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1986, 1988, 1989, 1992, 1994, and 1995), mostly by the Southeast or Southwest Ridge routes; and 13 unsuccessful attempts on the peak (these may be underestimates).
On November 9, 2009, Slovenian mountaineer Tomaž Humar
, who was on a solo climb (the expedition started on October 5) via the South Face, had an accident during his descent. Sources report that he became stuck on the mountain at an approximate height of 6300 meters with a broken leg (other sources also report broken ribs and damaged spine). His only contact with the base camp staff via a satellite phone
was made on the day of the accident, and he appeared to be in a critical condition. The rescue party found his body on November 14 at the height of 5600 m. Presumably, he died on November 9 or 10.
Langtang
Langtang is a region in Nepal to the north of Kathmandu and bordering Tibet. It is protected as Langtang National Park and has a number of high peaks including Langtang Lirung . As of 2010, the entrance ticket to the park cost 2400 Nepali Rupees for foreigners.About 4,500 people live inside the...
Himal,
which is a subrange of the Nepal
Nepal
Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
ese Himalayas
Himalayas
The Himalaya Range or Himalaya Mountains Sanskrit: Devanagari: हिमालय, literally "abode of snow"), usually called the Himalayas or Himalaya for short, is a mountain range in Asia, separating the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau...
, southwest of the Eight-thousander
Eight-thousander
The eight-thousanders are the fourteen independent mountains on Earth that are more than high above sea level. They are all located in the Himalayan and Karakoram mountain ranges in Asia....
Shisha Pangma.
Location
The LangtangLangtang
Langtang is a region in Nepal to the north of Kathmandu and bordering Tibet. It is protected as Langtang National Park and has a number of high peaks including Langtang Lirung . As of 2010, the entrance ticket to the park cost 2400 Nepali Rupees for foreigners.About 4,500 people live inside the...
Himal forms the western portion of a complex of mountains which also
includes the Jugal Himal, home of Shisha Pangma. This complex lies between the Sun Kosi valley on the east and the Trisuli Gandaki valley on the west. Langtang Lirung lies near the Trisuli Gandaki, and north of the Langtang Khola.
Notable Features
Though not high by the standards of major Himalayan peaks, Langtang Lirung is notable forits large vertical relief above local terrain. For example, it rises 5500m above the Trisuli Gandaki to the west in only 16 km. It has a large South Face which long resisted climbing attempts. The List of the world's highest 100 mountains puts it at number 99.
Climbing History
The peak was reconnoitered by H. W. TilmanBill Tilman
Major Harold William "Bill" Tilman, CBE, DSO, MC and Bar was an English mountaineer and explorer, renowned for his Himalayan climbs and sailing voyages.-Early years and Africa:...
and P. Lloyd in 1949. Attempts were made to climb the peak via the East Ridge in the 1960's, but none got close to the summit.
In 1978, Seishi Wada and Pemba Tsering, from a Japanese-Sherpa expedition, succeeded in reaching the summit, via the same East Ridge route. They made four camps.
According to the Himalayan Index, there have been 14 ascents of Langtang Lirung (in 1978, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1986, 1988, 1989, 1992, 1994, and 1995), mostly by the Southeast or Southwest Ridge routes; and 13 unsuccessful attempts on the peak (these may be underestimates).
On November 9, 2009, Slovenian mountaineer Tomaž Humar
Tomaž Humar
Tomaž Humar , nicknamed Gozdni Joža , was a Slovenian mountaineer. A father of two, Humar lived in Kamnik, Slovenia...
, who was on a solo climb (the expedition started on October 5) via the South Face, had an accident during his descent. Sources report that he became stuck on the mountain at an approximate height of 6300 meters with a broken leg (other sources also report broken ribs and damaged spine). His only contact with the base camp staff via a satellite phone
Satellite phone
A satellite telephone, satellite phone, or satphone is a type of mobile phone that connects to orbiting satellites instead of terrestrial cell sites...
was made on the day of the accident, and he appeared to be in a critical condition. The rescue party found his body on November 14 at the height of 5600 m. Presumably, he died on November 9 or 10.
Sources
- H. Adams Carter, "Classification of the Himalaya," American Alpine JournalAmerican Alpine JournalThe American Alpine Journal is an annual magazine published by the American Alpine Club. Its mission is "to document and communicate mountain exploration."...
1985. - Jill Neate, High Asia: An Illustrated History of the 7000 Metre Peaks, ISBN 0-89886-238-8
- Himalayan Index
- DEM files for the Himalaya (Corrected versions of SRTM data)
- World's Highest Mountains
External links
- A list of mountains ranked by local relief and steepness showing Langtang Lirung as the world #20.
- Pictures of Langtang Lirung with Cheng Liru
- Tomaž Humar dies in Langtang Lirung