NZ climbers to attempt world first in the Himalayas

Media Release

New Zealand climbers to attempt world first in the Himalayas

The third 2013 Sport New Zealand Hillary Expedition will depart on Sunday afternoon to tread where no one has set foot before.

The New Zealand White Wave Expedition will travel to the Kanchenjunga Himalaya in Nepal and attempt to summit the unclimbed Anidesha Chuli, also known as White Wave.

Team leader Rob Frost says a successful first ascent of the 6800 metre peak will make headlines around the world in the mountaineering community, and will help re-establish the pioneering reputation of Kiwi climbers.

“We’re so excited about this climb. We discovered Anidesha Chuli in an old book that was written in 1976 by Graeme Dingle, who’s a bit of a hero for us. We did some research and found it was still unclimbed. We realised it’s one of those opportunities that don’t present themselves too often, so we decided to go for it.

“The Himalaya region is especially exciting for us. The Himalayas is where Ed Hillary summited Everest of course, and his name is affiliated to Sport NZ’s Hillary Expeditions, we’re proud of that link. To be honest, I think all of us believe there can be no greater experience or excitement than ascending an unclimbed Himalayan ridge,” says Frost.

Other team members are Ben Dare, Andrei van Dusschoten and Scott Blackford Scheele.

Sport NZ Chief Executive Peter Miskimmin says he hopes this expedition will help inspire another generation of outdoor adventurers.

“One of the reasons the Sport NZ Hillary Expeditions exist is because we want these adventures to inspire Kiwis to get out there. The guys in the White Wave expedition mostly got their start in the outdoors by hiking around New Zealand’s tracks. They’ve learnt how to climb technically and competently and now they’re tackling a world first, climbing an unclimbed Himalayan Peak,” says Miskimmin.

The goal of inspiring Kiwis to get into the outdoors is something the White Wave team is proud to support.

“We’ve been inspired by a number of Kiwis who have achieved world firsts in the same area of the Himalaya, such as Norman Hardie on the Kangchenjunga, at 8586 metres that’s the third highest peak in the world. There’s Graeme Dingle of course, who climbed the North Face of Jannu, at 7710 metres it’s one of the world's most formidable mountains,” says Frost.

“We’re taking cameras and will film most of the expedition. We want to use this footage to promote mountaineering, inspire people to get involved with tramping and mountaineering clubs, and just raise the profile of outdoor adventure. We live in a country that’s blessed with outdoor opportunities that are easily accessible, with walking tracks and landscapes for all ages and abilities. Hopefully our expedition might inspire others to pursue the outdoors, even if they’re just beginners,” says Frost.

Frost points out that he got the necessary skills and experience by joining outdoors clubs, like his university’s tramping club, and the Rock and Alpine Club.

“After just a couple of years, I was familiar with the sort of mountaineering that had previously seemed like something ordinary people could never do. It requires a lot of knowledge, but I got almost all of it from tramping and rock climbing. The main thing I learnt is that all the rope-work and techniques you need to climb a mountain aren't really that complicated, you just need someone to show you how it works.”

The team’s base camp will be around 5000 metres in the Ramtang Valley, where they will be based for about three weeks. This will allow enough time to acclimatise prior to attempting the summit, which they hope to do in early to mid-May during the best weather conditions. The team believes it has chosen an achievable although challenging route to the summit via the Ramtang Glacier and East Ridge.

This is the third of seven 2013 Sport NZ Hillary Expeditions. For more information, go to www.hillaryexpeditions.org.nz

ENDS

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