Nuptse Explained
Nuptse or Nubtse (Sherpa: नुबचे, Wylie: Nub rtse,) is a mountain in the Khumbu region of the Mahalangur Himal, in the Nepalese Himalayas. It lies WSW of Mount Everest. The main peak, Nuptse I at an elevation of, was first climbed on May 16, 1961, by Dennis Davis and Sherpa Tashi. After a hiatus of almost 20 years, Nuptse again became the objective of mountaineers, with important routes being put up on its west, south, and north faces.
Name
Nuptse is Tibetan for "west peak", as it is the western segment of the Lhotse-Nuptse massif.[1]
Geography
Nuptse lies WSW of Mount Everest. It is a dramatic peak when viewed from the south or west, and it towers above the base camp for the standard south col route on Everest. However, it is not a particularly independent peak: its topographic prominence is only 3190NaN0. Hence it is not ranked in the list of highest mountains.
The main Nuptse ridge contains 7 summits:
| Summit | Elevation | Latitude (N) | Longitude (E) |
|---|
| Nuptse I | | 27°57′59″ | 86°53′24″ |
| Nuptse II | | 27°57′52″ | 86°53′34″ |
| Nuptse Shar I | | 27°57′41″ | 86°53′47″ |
| Nuptse Nup I | | 27°58′05″ | 86°53′08″ |
| Nuptse Shar II | | 27°57′39″ | 86°53′55″ |
| Nuptse Nup II | | 27°58′06″ | 86°52′54″ |
| Nuptse Shar III | | 27°57′30″ | 86°54′42″ | |
Climbing
Nuptse was first climbed in 1961 and a few times thereafter.
- 1961 - First ascent of the North Ridge on May 16 by Dennis Davis and Sherpa Tashi as part of a British expedition led by Joe Walmsley. Tashi was the first human to set foot on the summit as Davis waited to take photos. Davis followed closely after Tashi.[2] On May 17, other members of the same expedition reached the summit: Chris Bonington, Les Brown, James Swallow and Pemba Sherpa.
- 1976 - The Joint British Army-Royal Nepalese Army Nuptse Expedition in an attempt to be the second team atop Nuptse ended in tragedy with the loss of four climbers to falls.[3]
- 1979 - Ascent of the North Ridge on October 19 by Georges Bettembourg, Doug Scott, Alan Rouse and Brian Hall.[4] [5]
- 1984 - First ascent of the West Ridge by Yvan Estienne, Rémi Roux, et al., an expedition led by Raymond Renaud.
- 1994 - First ascent of the south pillar of Nuptse Shar I by Frenchmen Michel Fauquet and Vincent Fine, who were stopped by the wind on the summit ridge 300m (1,000feet) from the summit. The climb was nominated for a Piolets d'Or.[6]
- 2008 - Opening of the south face by Stéphane Benoist and Patrice Glairon-Rappaz; nominated for the Piolets d'Or in 2008.
- 2017 - Frédéric Degoulet, Benjamin Guigonnet and Hélias Millerioux open a route on the south face.[7]
- 2023 - On 8 May, a team of 3 climbers from the US and 6 Sherpas were the first to reach the summit in the year. It is reported that at least 65 climbers in 6 teams have obtained permits for Nuptse.[8]
In culture
In 1987, Sally McCoy, Director of Equipment at The North Face, an American outdoor recreation products company, was part of the Snowbird Everest Expedition. This inspired The North Face to create outerwear named after peaks and glaciers of the region. In 1992, the company introduced the Nuptse Jacket. It featured a novel baffle construction to reduce shifting of the down and to increase warmth.[9] The Nuptse jacket in bright colours was popular in New York City in the 1990s, especially among school kids and rappers.[10] The Nuptse line of outdoors clothing has expanded to over 60 items in 2023.[11]
See also
- Ueli Steck, Swiss alpinist who died falling from Nuptse
External links
Notes and References
- Web site: 2003 . Nuptse . 4 November 2023 . summitpost.org.
- Davis . D. . 1961 . Nuptse: Part II Summit . . 23 . 1.
- Web site: AAC Publications - Asia, Nepal, Nuptse Tragedy . 2024-06-13 . publications.americanalpineclub.org.
- Blanchard . B. . 1 June 2023 . A Mountain Apart . . Summer 2023 . 82 . 50–75.
- Web site: Hall . Brian . 2022-07-21 . Epic Descent From Nuptse . 2024-06-13 . Climbing . en-US.
- Web site: Piolets d'Or - 1992 - 2021 . 2024-06-13 . pioletsdor.net.
- Web site: Franz . D. . 2017 . French team completes new route on Nuptse's south face . 4 November 2023 . Alpinist.com Newswire.
- News: 8 May 2023 . HG climbers make season's first summit on Nuptse . . 5 November 2023.
- Web site: Kollat . M. . 30 November 2022 . The North Face relaunches the exact replica of its most famous jacket . 4 November 2023 . T3.
- Web site: Takanashi . L. . 31 October 2018 . How The North Face Took Over ’90s New York . 5 November 2023 . The Cut.
- Web site: 2023 . The North Face Nuptse Collection of Jackets, Vests, and More . 4 November 2023 . The North Face.
