First Ascent of the South Face of Numbur in Alpine Style

Numbur rises between the Rolwaling and Khumbu regions but geologically belongs to the smaller Shorong Himal, an isolated subrange with only three prominent peaks: Numbur, Khatang, and Karyolung. Despite its proximity to heavily traveled trekking routes - popular Everest Base Camp treks begin not far away in Lukla - the area remains surprisingly under-documented and still offers a rare sense of exploration in the modern Himalaya.

For all three climbers, the objective felt refreshingly new. Although each of them has extensive Himalayan experience, none had previously visited this valley. Adam Bielecki described the attraction as “a piece of exploration in the heart of Nepal,” where the limited available information kept the climb uncertain and intriguing.

Adam had long wanted to attempt a project like this, but the Numbur expedition was initiated by Hervé Barmasse, who shared photographs from the region. Felix Berg, a long-time climbing partner of Adam, joined the plan and took on the expedition logistics in Nepal through his agency SummitClimb.

The team was already preparing together for a larger upcoming project in Nepal, and the south face of Numbur offered an ideal technical alpine-style challenge.

Historically, a Catalan team attempted this wall in 2016 but managed neither to complete the line nor to reach the summit, leaving the face without an alpine-style ascent.

The team arrived at base camp on October 6, but heavy snowfall and logistical complications delayed the proper setup by three days. Transporting equipment from Saharsabeni required several yak rotations due to difficult terrain and weather conditions, so the base camp only became fully operational on October 9.

Before their final push, the climbers completed a short acclimatization cycle, establishing a temporary camp below the wall and then returning to base camp for rest. The plan was to climb the route in a single continuous push. Their alpine approach meant no fixed ropes, no supplemental oxygen, and no heavy bivouac gear—only minimal equipment and a shared emergency bivy sack weighing about half a kilogram.

The climb took place from October 18 to 19, just ten days after the base camp was established. Their chosen line followed logical icefalls in the lower section of the wall - roughly the same line attempted by the Catalans - before entering completely untouched terrain when falling rock and ice forced them to improvise.

The route, named “Nepali Ice Spa,” is graded ED- with technical difficulties up to WI5 and M4.

1. Technical crux in the lower two-thirds: The terrain here was steep, mixed (rock and ice), and highly exposed. Icefalls formed a continuous “white thread” through rock barriers, sometimes requiring combined climbing. Although technically demanding, the team was well prepared for this level of difficulty.
2. Mental crux in the final 300 meters: The upper section proved more challenging than expected. Instead of stable snow, they encountered steep, loose, unstable “sugar snow” with no reliable protection. They had to move together, fully committed, aware that any mistake could have catastrophic consequences.

At around 6,900 meters, just below the summit ridge, darkness and exhaustion forced them to stop. Without a tent, sleeping pads, or sleeping bags - and with temperatures around -25°C / -13°F and strong winds - they spent the night huddled together in a small emergency bivy sack. For hours, their focus was less on climbing than on avoiding frostbite and hypothermia.

At daybreak, having survived the night without injury, they decided to continue upward and complete the climb rather than retreat.

On October 19, the team reached the summit of Numbur, completing the first full ascent of the south face.

Given the conditions, the style, and the alpine nature of the climb, this marks the first complete alpine-style ascent of the direct south face and the first successful ascent of Numbur via this line.

After summiting, they descended via the southwest flanks into the left side of the south face, largely following the presumed ascent route of a Japanese expedition from 1963 (Himalayan Journal).

The ascent of Numbur’s south face stands out for its technical difficulty, fast pace, exploratory character, and high level of commitment. The professionalism and efficiency of the climbing team were key to the expedition’s success. Their minimalist alpine style, challenging conditions, and complex route finding reflect the essence of modern Himalayan mountaineering.

Felix Berg is an expedition leader and Managing Director of SummitClimb. In addition to organizing guided and supported expeditions, our company is dedicated to exploring lesser-known regions and supporting adventurers who wish to pursue ambitious alpine challenges.