One of the many successes from a remarkable post-monsoon season in Nepal was the first ascent of Likhu Chuli I (6,719m) by well-known German alpinist Ines Papert.
Papert climbed the final section to the summit alone, while her partner, Thomas Senf from Switzerland, remained in their top camp, fearing that to continue would lead to serious frostbite in his toes.
Likhu Chuli I, and the lower western summit II (6,659m), also appear on maps as Pigpherago Shar and Pigpherago Nup respectively.
A long ridge running north from Likhu Chuli I eventually crosses the well-known trekking peak Parchamo (6,279m), before reaching the Tesi Laptsa Pass, a popular crossing point between the Khumbu and Rolwaling.
Papert and Senf arrived in the Khumbu hoping to try a new line on the nearby north face of Tengkangpoche (6,487m), but lack of ice forced a change in plan.
After a rapid acclimatization climb to the top of Parchamo, the pair set off up the north-northeast face, which leads to an eastern subsidiary top of 6,660m.
Excellent conditions allowed them to climb half the 1,800m snow/ice face unroped. Above, they had to pass through sections up to 70° and weave around rocky outcrops to reach the exit, which proved taxing.
Waist deep snow and a looming cornice forced them to bivouac just below the top, and the next day they breached the cornice, gained the subsidiary top, and set up camp for a second, very cold night.
The following morning they started along the east ridge to the main summit but soon realized the final section would be nigh on impossible due to excessive amounts of powder.
Instead they made a long traverse across the north flank beneath the summit pyramid, gaining the top section of the north ridge, where they made a third camp at 6,580m.
At this point Senf realized his feet were showing signs of frostbite and decided not to continue.
Papert left at noon on the following day, November 11, and in strong winds climbed the remaining 70° slopes in two hours, the intense cold and altitude now beginning to take their toll.
Next day the pair climbed down the north ridge until they could descend steeply east to the glacier, which they followed down to their starting point.
Both climbers had some form of frostbite and fingers and toes will take some time to heal completely.
In 1960 a French team, led by Robert Sandoz, explored various peaks in the Rolwaling, during which time they climbed the steep and difficult west-northwest ridge of Likhu Chuli II, to make the first and only known ascent.
They established two camps before Cécile Barbezat and Nawang Dorje reached the top.
The Linku Chuli peaks were officially off-limit until 2003, when the Nepalese government added them to the permitted list.
The only attempt after that took place in 2007, when Japanese Koichi Ezaki and Hiroshi Kudo fixed rope up the east flank of the north ridge to gain the crest at 5,950m.
The way ahead looked difficult, and not wishing to progress without fixing more rope (which they didn't have), they abandoned the mountain.
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