Climbing period
When we are physically and mentally ready, we begin our climb. After all the cclimbing we’ve done already, the ascent seems less difficult. To make the climb successful, we establish two camps above Baruntse base camp. Two camps are set up above the base camp for climbing purposes. Camp 1 is set up just below the East Col. at an altitude of 5700m, and the Baruntse Camp 2 is on the southeast ridge at an altitude of 6420m.
Above Camp 1, we climb up snow slopes at a 50 degree angle, past a subsidiary summit (6745m). From here the route becomes more complex. A series of short, steep steps of snow and ice are gained until we pass onto the west side of the ridge. Some short sections of rock scrambling lead back onto the ridge until it narrows at about 7000m. This leads to a marked cleft and an ice cliff, after which we have access to the easier, broader slopes above. These lead to the summit at 7129m. The trek takes approximately ten hours. After attaining the summit of Baruntse, we descend by the same route.