The Mountain

The Sichuan province boasts a vast region of unexplored mountains, one of the last of its kind on the planet. Within this sea of un-trodden peaks, glaciers, and rock walls, lies Yangmolong, one of the last 6000-meter mountains yet to be climbed. To enter this region and attempt to climb this mountain is what true adventures are made of.

Yangmolong, also known as ”Jangmulan“ by the local Tibetans, has been branded as possibly the hardest remaining 6000-meter peak to climb by the Japanese Alpine News. This recognition is not entirely due to its technical difficulty, though we have come to find that it does hold quite the technical challenge. The weather in this region is notoriously unpredictable and now local Tibetan communities are making it more difficult for expeditions to approach the northern side of the mountain.

Yangmolong lies in a remote area on the far western border of Sichuan and Tibet. There is little information about the approaches to the mountain, and even less information on any possible routes up its flanks. Useful photographs to the potential climber are few, topographical maps are old and imprecise, and even Google Earth only shows an approximate outline of the mountain.

From the metropolis of Chengdu, it’s an 18-hour drive to reach the mountain’s approach valleys. From here it’s another two to three day hike up the valleys to the base of the mountain. The mountain can be approached from three different sides, the north, the east, and the south. Locals on the north and east sides are hostile to climbers and may forcibly prevent climbers from going up their valley. Not much is known about the best side or season to climb Yangmolong and weather reports are spotty. The rock is of poor quality and snow and ice cornices seem to ring the summit.

All these unknowns and more are what make Yangmolong difficult. You cannot go to a mountain like this anticipating what the route will be like. You must make an intelligent deduction and prepare as best as possible. Our plan right now is to attempt a route on Yangmolong’s north side. This may all change once we reach the mountain. Nobody has been above 5450 meters. The climb up to this point is long and uncertain and the terrain beyond is anyone’s guess. Uncertainties can compound and multiply, eventually exploding beyond what we can handle. Our team must be completely self sufficient and outside rescue is improbable.

Climbing History

Starting in 1990, explorer, photographer, and editor of the Japanese Alpine Journal, Tamotsu Nakamura, spent the last 20 years conducting extensive research of the region. His research has garnered him multiple awards, including the Royal Geographic Society’s Busk Medal. Tamotsu’s photographs and writings revealed to the world a remarkable region of virgin peaks, including Yangmolong.

“Some convince themselves that veiled mountains in the greater ranges are an experience of the past,” Nakamura says. “But Tibet has an incredibly vast and complex topography that holds countless unclimbed summits, and beckons a lifetime’s search. The peaks there are stunning and magnificent, and many of them will remain enigmas for generations.” He goes on to say that Yangmolong is perhaps one of the toughest peaks in Sichuan, as it remains unclimbed after multiple attempts.

In 1991 the Nippon University mountaineering club attempted Yangmolong’s north face. They reached 5450 meters.

In 2002 a four man Japanese team made the first ascent on Mt. Dangchezhengla. Kiyoaki Miyagawa and Junta Murayama reached the summit. They than made an attempt on Makara, the middle peak, but were unsuccessful.

In October of 2007 the British team of Dave Wynne-Jones, Steve Hunt, Dick Isherwood and Peter Rowat made an attempt on the north face of Yangmolong. The route was steep and difficult with sérac barriers guarding the upper mountain, they reached 5400 meters before retreating.

Although the British team was unsuccessful in their attempt on Yangmolong they managed to put a new route up on Dangchezhengla making it the second ascent of the peak. The British also managed to circumnavigate the Yangmolong- Dangchezhengla massif.

In September 2009 the British returned with Dave Wynne-Jones, Peter Rowat, Dick Isherwood, and Derek Buckle to attempt the east side of Yangmolong. They traveled up the same valley as in 2007, but nothing was the same. Local Tibetans plagued the expedition with theft and extortion. This was quite the contrary from 2007 when the villagers in this same valley were friendly and helpful. Despite the fact that they had to practically sleep on top of their equipment to protect it from theft, the team gave a valiant effort but bad weather, dangerous terrain and time prevented further movement up the mountain.

In October of 2009 our KAILAS-AAIC team planned to attempt a route up the east side of the mountain, but locals prevented the team from approaching the mountain. Instead, we made an attempt straight up Yangmolong’s south face. We reached 5400 meters but had to retreat due to falling rock and ice due to extensive melting above us. Instead, the team made a new ascent up the east face of Dangchezhengla (5833 meters).

Mountain Statistics

Elevation: 6,060 meters (19,877 feet)

Located in the Kham region of eastern Tibet (western Sichuan province), approximately 20 kilometers northeast of the Tibetan border town of Batang in the Shaluli Shan Range of the Hengduan mountains.

The Yangmolong massif consists of three immediate peaks that stand in a line from east to west.

The most westerly of these peaks is Dangchezhengla and it stands at 5,833 meters. The central peak, called Markara, stands at 6,033 meters, and Yangmolong located at the eastern end of the massif is 6,060 meters. An unnamed fourth peak stands at 5,850 meters, is located northwest of Dangchezhengla, and is also considered a part of this massif. A handful of other 5,000-plus-meter peaks ring Yangmolong.

The Region

The town of Batang lies in the Kham region of China, an area that encompasses sections of the eastern Tibet Autonomous Region, western Sichuan, southeast Qinghai, and northwest Yunnan.

The Kham region of eastern Tibet and western Sichuan is also known as the Lawless Regions of China. The Tibetans from Kham are known as the Khampas, and have a long history of ambushing or terrorizing travelers, stealing, and even killing foreigners and Tibetans. During the initial Chinese invasion of Tibet, the Khampas put up the most resistance against the Chinese and continue to provoke problems for Chinese migrants moving to western Sichuan—even today.

The Kham region and the town of Batang have a storied geopolitical history dating back to the 1500s. Tibetans and Chinese have fought over this land ever since.

In the early 1700s the land between the Yangzi and Mekong Rivers became a boundary of sorts where political control of all land west of this region, including the town of Batang, was administered under the government of Tibet in Lhasa. To the east, all land fell under China administration. Although the Kham region has always been a land in flux, in 1950 40,000 Chinese troops took control of the important Kham city of Chamdo, giving China complete control over the whole region to this day.

It’s a rugged country consisting of high grassland plateaus flanked by striking unclimbed peaks and steep gorges. The wild and seemingly desolate landscape stretches beyond the horizon, but on closer inspection, nomadic yak wool tents dot the distant hills and valleys, confirming that even here, life exists.








The Mountain The Sichuan province boasts a vast region of unexplored mountains, one of the last of its kind on the planet. Within this sea of un-trodden peaks, glaciers, and rock walls, lies Yangmolong, one of the last 6000-meter mountains yet to be climbed. To enter this region and attempt to climb this mountain is what true adventures are made of. Yangmolong, also known as ”Jangmulan“ by the local Tibetans, has been branded as possibly the hardest remaining 6000-meter peak to climb by the Japanese Alpine News. This recognition is not entirely due to its technical difficulty, though we have come to find that it does hold quite the technical challenge. The weather in this region is notoriously unpredictable and now local Tibetan communities are making it more difficult for expeditions to approach the northern side of the mountain. Yangmolong lies in a remote area on the far western border of Sichuan and Tibet. There is little information about the approaches to the mountain, and even less information on any possible routes up its flanks. Useful photographs to the potential climber are few, topographical maps are old and imprecise, and even Google Earth only shows an approximate outline of the mountain. From the metropolis of Chengdu, it’s an 18-hour drive to reach the mountain’s approach valleys. From here it’s another two to three day hike up the valleys to the base of the mountain. The mountain can be approached from three different sides, the north, the east, and the south. Locals on the north and east sides are hostile to climbers and may forcibly prevent climbers from going up their valley. Not much is known about the best side or season to climb Yangmolong and weather reports are spotty. The rock is of poor quality and snow and ice cornices seem to ring the summit. All these unknowns and more are what make Yangmolong difficult. You cannot go to a mountain like this anticipating what the route will be like. You must make an intelligent deduction and prepare as best as possible. Our plan right now is to attempt a route on Yangmolong’s north side. This may all change once we reach the mountain. Nobody has been above 5450 meters. The climb up to this point is long and uncertain and the terrain beyond is anyone’s guess. Uncertainties can compound and multiply, eventually exploding beyond what we can handle. Our team must be completely self sufficient and outside rescue is improbable. Climbing History Starting in 1990, explorer, photographer, and editor of the Japanese Alpine Journal, Tamotsu Nakamura, spent the last 20 years conducting extensive research of the region. His research has garnered him multiple awards, including the Royal Geographic Society’s Busk Medal. Tamotsu’s photographs and writings revealed to the world a remarkable region of virgin peaks, including Yangmolong. “Some convince themselves that veiled mountains in the greater ranges are an experience of the past,” Nakamura says. “But Tibet has an incredibly vast and complex topography that holds countless unclimbed summits, and beckons a lifetime’s search. The peaks there are stunning and magnificent, and many of them will remain enigmas for generations.” He goes on to say that Yangmolong is perhaps one of the toughest peaks in Sichuan, as it remains unclimbed after multiple attempts. In 1991 the Nippon University mountaineering club attempted Yangmolong’s north face. They reached 5450 meters. In 2002 a four man Japanese team made the first ascent on Mt. Dangchezhengla. Kiyoaki Miyagawa and Junta Murayama reached the summit. They than made an attempt on Makara, the middle peak, but were unsuccessful. In October of 2007 the British team of Dave Wynne-Jones, Steve Hunt, Dick Isherwood and Peter Rowat made an attempt on the north face of Yangmolong. The route was steep and difficult with sérac barriers guarding the upper mountain, they reached 5400 meters before retreating. Although the British team was unsuccessful in their attempt on Yangmolong they managed to put a new route up on Dangchezhengla making it the second ascent of the peak. The British also managed to circumnavigate the Yangmolong- Dangchezhengla massif. In September 2009 the British returned with Dave Wynne-Jones, Peter Rowat, Dick Isherwood, and Derek Buckle to attempt the east side of Yangmolong. They traveled up the same valley as in 2007, but nothing was the same. Local Tibetans plagued the expedition with theft and extortion. This was quite the contrary from 2007 when the villagers in this same valley were friendly and helpful. Despite the fact that they had to practically sleep on top of their equipment to protect it from theft, the team gave a valiant effort but bad weather, dangerous terrain and time prevented further movement up the mountain. In October of 2009 our KAILAS-AAIC team planned to attempt a route up the east side of the mountain, but locals prevented the team from approaching the mountain. Instead, we made an attempt straight up Yangmolong’s south face. We reached 5400 meters but had to retreat due to falling rock and ice due to extensive melting above us. Instead, the team made a new ascent up the east face of Dangchezhengla (5833 meters). Mountain Statistics Elevation: 6,060 meters (19,877 feet) Located in the Kham region of eastern Tibet (western Sichuan province), approximately 20 kilometers northeast of the Tibetan border town of Batang in the Shaluli Shan Range of the Hengduan mountains. The Yangmolong massif consists of three immediate peaks that stand in a line from east to west. The most westerly of these peaks is Dangchezhengla and it stands at 5,833 meters. The central peak, called Markara, stands at 6,033 meters, and Yangmolong located at the eastern end of the massif is 6,060 meters. An unnamed fourth peak stands at 5,850 meters, is located northwest of Dangchezhengla, and is also considered a part of this massif. A handful of other 5,000-plus-meter peaks ring Yangmolong. The Region The town of Batang lies in the Kham region of China, an area that encompasses sections of the eastern Tibet Autonomous Region, western Sichuan, southeast Qinghai, and northwest Yunnan. The Kham region of eastern Tibet and western Sichuan is also known as the Lawless Regions of China. The Tibetans from Kham are known as the Khampas, and have a long history of ambushing or terrorizing travelers, stealing, and even killing foreigners and Tibetans. During the initial Chinese invasion of Tibet, the Khampas put up the most resistance against the Chinese and continue to provoke problems for Chinese migrants moving to western Sichuan—even today. The Kham region and the town of Batang have a storied geopolitical history dating back to the 1500s. Tibetans and Chinese have fought over this land ever since. In the early 1700s the land between the Yangzi and Mekong Rivers became a boundary of sorts where political control of all land west of this region, including the town of Batang, was administered under the government of Tibet in Lhasa. To the east, all land fell under China administration. Although the Kham region has always been a land in flux, in 1950 40,000 Chinese troops took control of the important Kham city of Chamdo, giving China complete control over the whole region to this day. It’s a rugged country consisting of high grassland plateaus flanked by striking unclimbed peaks and steep gorges. The wild and seemingly desolate landscape stretches beyond the horizon, but on closer inspection, nomadic yak wool tents dot the distant hills and valleys, confirming that even here, life exists.