Shishapangma

Shishapangma,<ref>Potterfield, Peter; Viesturs, Ed; Breashears, David (2009). Himalayan Quest: Ed Viesturs Summits All Fourteen 8,000-Meter Giants. National Geographic. p.137 Template:ISBN.</ref><ref>Spelled "Shisha Pangma" in Messner, Reinhold (1999). All 14 eight-thousanders. Mountaineers Books. p.105. Template:ISBN.</ref> or Shishasbangma or Xixiabangma (Template:Lang-zh), is the 14th-highest mountain in the world, at Template:Convert above sea level. The lowest 8,000 metre peak, it is located entirely within Tibet. In 1964, it became the final eight-thousander to be climbed.

Name

Geologist Toni Hagen explained the name as meaning a "grassy plain" or "meadow" (Template:Transliteration) above a "comb" or a "range" (Template:Transliteration or Template:Transliteration) in the local Tibetan language, thereby signifying the "crest above the grassy plains".<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

On the other hand, Tibetologist Guntram Hazod records a local story that explains the mountain's name in terms of its literal meaning in the Standard Tibetan language: Template:Transliteration, which means "meat of an animal that died of natural causes", and Template:Transliteration, which means "malt dregs left over from brewing beer". According to the story, one year a heavy snowfall killed most of the animals at pasture. All that the people living near the mountain had to eat was the meat of the dead animals and the malt dregs left over from brewing beer, and so the mountain was named Shisha Pangma ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}), signifying "meat of dead animals and malty dregs".<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

The name of the mountain, Gosainthan, means "place of the saint" or "Abode of God".<ref name="Baume130">Baume, 1979, op. cit. pp 130-134</ref> The name is in use in popular literature. For example, in the comic strip Tintin in Tibet,<ref name="TintinInTibet">Tintin In Tibet, 1960, op. cit. pp 2, 10</ref> a fictional Air India flight had crashed at Gosainthan. Tintin, Captain Haddock and the Sherpa team traveled to Gosainthan in search of Chang Chong-Chen.

Geography

Shishapangma is located in south-central Tibet, five kilometres from the border with Nepal. It and Nanga Parbat are the only eight-thousanders entirely within Chinese and Pakistan territory respectively. It is also the highest peak in the Jugal Himal, which is contiguous with and often considered part of Langtang Himal.<ref name=aaj_1985/> The Jugal/Langtang Himal straddles the Tibet/Nepal border. Since Shishapangma is on the dry north side of the Himalayan crest and farther from the lower terrain of Nepal, it has less dramatic vertical relief than most major Himalayan peaks.

Shishapangma also has a subsidiary peak higher than 8,000 m, Central Peak, at Template:Cvt.<ref name="8000ers2" />

Ascents and attempts

Some of Shishapangma's ascents are not well verified, or still in dispute, with climbers potentially having only reached the slightly lower west peak at Template:Cvt or the central peak at Template:Cvt, which is still almost two hours of dangerous ridge-climbing from the Template:Convert true summit at Template:Cvt.<ref name=AAJ1>Template:Cite aaj</ref><ref name=NYT1>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=aaj_1991>Template:Cite aaj</ref> Himalayan chronicler and record keeper Elizabeth Hawley<ref name="haw1">If a mountaineer wants worldwide recognition that they have reached the summit of some of the most formidable mountains in the world, they will need to get the approval of Elizabeth Hawley.{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="haw2">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> famously got Ed Viesturs (amongst others) to re-climb the true main summit of Shishapangma in his quest to climb all 14 eight-thousanders, as she would not accept central (or west) summit ascents as being full ascents of Shishapangma for her Himalayan Database.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Thirty-one people have died climbing Shishapangma, including Americans Alex Lowe and Dave Bridges in 1999, veteran Portuguese climber Bruno Carvalho, and noted Bulgarian climber Boyan Petrov, who disappeared on 3 May 2018. Nevertheless, Shishapangma is considered one of the easiest eight-thousanders to climb. The most common ascent, via the North Route, traverses the northwest face and northeast ridge and face, and has relatively easy access, with vehicle travel possible to base camp at Template:Convert. Routes on the steeper southwest face are more technically demanding and involve Template:Convert of ascent on a 50-degree slope.<ref name="FanVen">Template:Cite book</ref>

First ascent

Shishapangma was first climbed, via the Northern Route, on 2 May 1964 by a Chinese expedition led by Xǔ Jìng. In addition to Xǔ Jìng, the summit team consisted of Zhāng Jùnyán (张俊岩), Wang Fuzhou, Wū Zōngyuè (邬宗岳), Chén Sān (陈三), Soinam Dorjê (索南多吉), Chéng Tiānliàng (成天亮), Migmar Zhaxi (米马扎西), Dorjê (多吉), and Yún Dēng (云登).<ref name="Baume130"/><ref name=AJ1964/>

Later ascents and attempts

• 1980: 7 May, "Northern Route", (second ascent) by Michael Dacher, Wolfgang Schaffert, Gunter Sturm, Fritz Zintl, Template:Ill and Manfred Sturm (12 May); as part of a German expedition.<ref name=aaj_1981>Template:Cite aaj</ref>
• 1980: 13 October, "Northern Route", (3rd ascent) by Ewald Putz and Egon Obojes, as part of an Austrian expedition.<ref name="SM303-306">Scott & Macintyre 2000, op. cit., pp 303-306</ref>
• 1981: 30 April, "Northern Route", (4th ascent) by Junko Tabei, Rinzing Phinzo and Gyalbu Jiabu, as part of a Japanese women's expedition.<ref name="SM303-306"/>
• 1981: 28 May, "Northern Route", (5th ascent) by Reinhold Messner (Italy) and Template:Ill (Italy), as part of an Austrian expedition.<ref name="SM303-306"/>
• 1982: 28 May, "British Route", southwest face, also known as "Right-hand couloir" (alpine style), FA by Doug Scott, Alex MacIntyre and Roger Baxter-Jones (all UK). This route follows the right-hand couloir on the southwest face.<ref name="ScottMacIntyre">Template:Cite book</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

• 1987: 18 September,<ref name=8000ers/><ref name=Sale-Cleare>R. Sale, J. Cleare: On top of the world. Climbing the world's 14 highest mountains, lists of ascents, HarperCollins Publ., 2000, page 221</ref><ref name=him-info1>himalaya-info.org List of significant ascents of Shisha Pangma,(with further links to pdf files with details)</ref> Elsa Ávila and Carlos Carsolio become the first Mexicans to summit Shishapangma. This was Ávila's first eight-thousander and Carsolio's second, via the northern face/ridge to the central summit, then along the arete to the main summit, with Wanda Rutkiewicz, Ramiro Navarrete, and Ryszard Warecki.<ref name="SM303-306"/><ref name=8000ers/><ref name=Sale-Cleare/>
• 1987: 18 September, the two Poles Jerzy Kukuczka and Artur Hajzer, climbing alpine style, made the first ascent of the west ridge and the western peak Template:Convert then continued to traverse the summit ridge to reach the central peak Template:Convert and finally the main summit.<ref name=aaj_1988>Template:Cite aaj</ref> Kukuczka then skied down from near the main summit.<ref name=8000ers/><ref name=Sale-Cleare/><ref name=him-info1/><ref name="SM303-306"/> This was the last of his fourteen eight-thousanders.<ref name=aaj_1989>Template:Cite aaj</ref>
• 1987: 19 September, central couloir, north face, FA by Alan Hinkes (UK) and Steve Untch (US).<ref name="SM303-306"/><ref name=8000ers/><ref name=Sale-Cleare/><ref name=him-info1/>
• 1989: 19 October, Central buttress, southwest face, FA by Andrej Stremfelj and Pavle Kozjek.<ref name=8000ers/><ref name=Sale-Cleare/><ref name=him-info1/><ref name=Korea>"Korean Highway Corporation 2002 Shishapangma Expedition", k2news.com, 17 May 2002</ref>
• 1990: Left-hand couloir, southwest face (not reaching the main summit),<ref name=8000ers/><ref name=Sale-Cleare/> Wojciech Kurtyka (Poland), FA by Erhard Loretan (Switzerland) and Jean Troillet (Switzerland).<ref name=him-info1/><ref name=evnews>" Korean Alpinists Climb New Route on SW Face of Shishapangma", everestnews.com.</ref>
• 1993: Far-right couloir, southwest face, FA solo by Krzysztof Wielicki (Poland).<ref name=8000ers/><ref name=Sale-Cleare/><ref name=him-info1/><ref name=evnews/>
• 1993: May 22, Marcos Couch and Nicolás De la Cruz (Argentinian expedition).
• 1994: Left-hand couloir, southwest face (not reaching the main summit<ref name=8000ers/><ref name=Sale-Cleare/>), Template:Ill (France), Catherine Destivelle (France).
• 1996: 9 October, Anatoli Boukreev completed a solo ascent.<ref>"Above the Clouds", pp. 186-197</ref>
• 1999: 28 September, Edmond Joyeusaz (Italy), first ski descent from central summit.
• 2002: 5 May, "Korean Route" on southwest face, FA by Park-jun Hun and Kang-yeon Ryoung (both South Korean).<ref name=Korea/>
• 2002: 26 October: Tomaž Humar (Slovenia), Maxut Zhumayev, Denis Urubko, Alexey Raspopov and Vassily Pivtsov got to the summit. Humar climbed last 200 m (80°/50–60°, 200 m) of ascent and descent (65–75°, 700 m).
• 2004: 11 December, Jean-Christophe Lafaille (France) provoked controversy when he climbed the "British Route" on the southwest face, solo, and claimed a winter ascent. Since this was not calendar winter, he changed his claim to an ascent "in winter conditions."<ref name="alpinist_11"/>
• 2005: 14 January, first (calendar) winter ascent by Piotr Morawski (Poland) and Simone Moro (Italy) who climbed the south face by the "Slovenian route".<ref name=8000ers>List of ascents at 8000ers.com</ref><ref name=aaj_2005>Template:Cite aaj</ref> Morawski & Moro had made a winter attempt the previous year, on 17 January 2004 they reached the summit plateau at 7,700m but because of the late hour they faced an unplanned bivouac and a high likelihood of frostbite so they returned to camp, the attempt was abandoned the following day in the face of deteriorating weather.<ref name=aaj_2004>Template:Cite aaj</ref>
• 2006: First Portuguese expedition reaching the top of the mountain. João Garcia, Hélder Santos, Rui Rosado, Bruno Carvalho and Ana Santos Silva reached the summit, but Bruno Carvalho died on the descent.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

• 2011: 16–17 April, Ueli Steck (Switzerland) soloed the southwest face in 10.5 hours, leaving base camp (5,306m) at 10:30 pm on 16 April and returning to base camp 20 hours later.<ref name="climbing_2011" /><ref name="himspeed_2011" />
• 2014: September 24, Sebastian Haag died along with the Italian mountaineer Andrea Zambaldi in an avalanche.<ref name=double8/> Haag was 36 years old.<ref name=bild/>
• 2018: May 3, Bulgarian climber Boyan Petrov disappeared after having been last seen at Camp 3 (~7,400 m). A subsequent two-week search effort found only a few personal items and medicine.<ref>"The final report puts to rest all speculations surrounding the Boyan Petrov Search Operation", Dream Wanderlust, May 17, 2018.</ref>
• 2019: October 29, Nirmal Purja (Nepal) made it to the top of Shishapangma six months and six days after summiting his first 8000-metre peak as part of his Project Possible to climb all 14 eight-thousanders in seven months.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

See also

• List of deaths on Shishapangma

Sources

• A Photographic Record of the Mount Shisha Pangma Scientific Expedition. Science Press Peking, 1966.
• Template:Cite book
• Template:Cite book
• Sale, Richard; Cleare, John (2000): On Top of the World (Climbing the World's 14 Highest Mountains), lists of ascents, HarperCollins Publishers, Template:ISBN.

External links

• Shisha Pangma main page on Himalaya-Info.org
• Shisha Pangma description on Summitpost
• Template:Cite peakware
• Shisha Pangma on www.8000ers.com, the complete list of ascent up to 2009 by Eberhard Jurgalski (PDF)
• Shisha Pangma on everestnews.com, photodiagram of the routes on the SW face
• himalaya-info.org panoramas from the slopes and peak of Shisha Pangma with exact explanations, images 6 to 13 are from the very top. The topography of variations to the normal route from northern side is explained by the two last photographs (no. 13 and 14), including the view from main summit to the other two. Template:In lang

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