The Goals

1. To climb Yangmolong as a light, small team in alpine style. And, if all goes well, to reach the summit. Such a climb requires a high commitment level from each team member, not to mention an ability to deal with uncertain conditions. Team cohesion is essential.

2. To research the other peaks and valleys in this area and make this information available to the greater climbing community.

The Route

We have spent many hours analyzing approaches and possible climbing routes on Yangmolong. We have compared photos from past expeditions, including our own, analyzed old, large-scale topo maps and Google Earth. The geography of this mountain is complicated. Most is known about the south side, especially since we attempted a route up this side in 2009. Regardless, we are going to avoid the south as we believe better and safer routes exist on other parts of the mountain.

Thanks to two previous expeditions by the British and Japanese we have some information that will help. Photographs from the last British team have been an invaluable resource. We have found what looks like a feasible line straight up a ridge on the north face. The east side also may have a possible route, but there is too little information to know for sure. No matter what route we choose, nothing tangible is known above the 5450-meter elevation line, the high point of previous expeditions.

As we are unable to approach the mountain from Sanglongxi Valley due to the local people, we must enter from Dang Village and walk up Chongba Valley and over to the north side. From here we can acclimatize on one of the shorter peaks before attempting a purely alpine ascent up Yangmolong. If the northern face proves too hazardous, we can climb up a pass on the mountain’s northern ridge and over to the east side of the mountain and look for possible routes from here. Almost nothing is known about the mountain’s east side slopes and faces.

In Memoriam Liu Xinan (Leow See'nan)

Liu Xinan started to work for Jon Otto and Ma Yihua as head of the rock climbing programs for the Aréte Alpine Instruction Center (AAIC) in Chengdu, China. Liu was a respected and accomplished Chinese climber leading his generation to a new level in the sport. At 36 years of age he was on top of his game in the world of big wall climbs and alpine style ascents. His new route up the very difficult southwest ridge of Pomiu (Celestial Peak) in 2005 raised the bar for Chinese alpinist.

Liu Xinan came from a modest background, he was a metal worker by trade, but an artist at heart, as he enjoyed oil painting when he wasn’t climbing. He loved the sport of climbing and made it a part of his life. Liu was a growing phenomenon in China creating a niche for himself in the climbing community and making a living at it.

But just as Liu was in the prime of his career, tragedy struck in May of 2007 when he fell and died while rappelling from an attempt on Makara or Central Peak.

Liu was climbing with Ma Yihua, co founder of AAIC, and Zhang Jian. Ma gave an account of what happened to Jon Otto and Jon explains as follows:

“On the fateful day, Xinan and Ma went for the summit while Zhang Jian stayed in high camp. The two of them were coming back from nearly making the summit. They were descending in the dark and Liu rappelled first from this particular section. When Ma rappelled down to the ledge where Liu should have been he was not there. Ma looked around and called out but there was no response. He noticed a patch of yellow snow near the edge. Ma continued to descend, searching for Liu as he went down to their high camp where Zhang Jian was waiting.

“The first thing next morning Zhang Jian and Ma went to search for Liu and first found blood on the snow. They followed a trail of blood to his body, which was hundreds of meters below the ledge he fell from the night before.

“Ma and Zhang Jian were unable to take Liu’s body out because the terrain was too challenging for just two people to manage. A large recovery team was assembled in Chengdu and went in days later. They were unable to reach Liu’s body due to bad weather and avalanche danger. To this day Liu’s body lies on the flanks of these mountains, his spirit a part of theirs.”

We return to Yangmolong not only to make an attempt on this unclimbed peak but also to remember Liu Xinan and commemorate the full life he led, a life of passion.






The Goals 1. To climb Yangmolong as a light, small team in alpine style. And, if all goes well, to reach the summit. Such a climb requires a high commitment level from each team member, not to mention an ability to deal with uncertain conditions. Team cohesion is essential. 2. To research the other peaks and valleys in this area and make this information available to the greater climbing community. The Route We have spent many hours analyzing approaches and possible climbing routes on Yangmolong. We have compared photos from past expeditions, including our own, analyzed old, large-scale topo maps and Google Earth. The geography of this mountain is complicated. Most is known about the south side, especially since we attempted a route up this side in 2009. Regardless, we are going to avoid the south as we believe better and safer routes exist on other parts of the mountain. Thanks to two previous expeditions by the British and Japanese we have some information that will help. Photographs from the last British team have been an invaluable resource. We have found what looks like a feasible line straight up a ridge on the north face. The east side also may have a possible route, but there is too little information to know for sure. No matter what route we choose, nothing tangible is known above the 5450-meter elevation line, the high point of previous expeditions. As we are unable to approach the mountain from Sanglongxi Valley due to the local people, we must enter from Dang Village and walk up Chongba Valley and over to the north side. From here we can acclimatize on one of the shorter peaks before attempting a purely alpine ascent up Yangmolong. If the northern face proves too hazardous, we can climb up a pass on the mountain’s northern ridge and over to the east side of the mountain and look for possible routes from here. Almost nothing is known about the mountain’s east side slopes and faces. Objectives of the 2009 Expedition On October 14th our team of three Chinese and two American climbers will meet in the city of Chengdu where preparations will be finalized for our departure to climb Yangmolong in the far western part of the Sichuan Province. We will travel by jeep from Chengdu through the town of Kangding and continue west across the Sichuan-Tibet Highway passing through the Tibetan frontier town of Litang before arriving at the head of the Sangchu Valley. We’ll be hiring a local villager and horses to move gear down the valley to our basecamp, which at this time is not known. In the truest sense of the word adventure, we’ll be embarking into an area that has seen very few foreigners, which in itself is why this trip is just as much about reconnoitering the area as it is about climbing. The previous two expeditions to attempt Yangmolong were made from the north (1991 Japanese, 2007 British). Although the British team was unsuccessful in their attempt on Yangmolong they managed to put a new route up on Danghezhengla making it the second ascent of the peak. The British also managed to circumnavigate the Yangmolong-Danghezhengla Massif. We have three objectives for this expedition: 1. To attempt a first ascent of Yangmolong by a northerly or easterly route. There is very limited information or photos that show potential routes on the mountain. Weather and poor climbing conditions with heavy avalanche danger have thwarted previous expeditions attempting the peak, which accounts for the limited information available. 2. To commemorate the life of Liu Xinan who died while attempting a neighboring peak Makara (Central Peak). Please see memoriam below. 3. To visit with local villagers and assess the situation and needs of rural communities so that the Aréte Alpine Instruction Center (AAIC) and BlueSheep Adventures can assist and help develop philanthropic programs for the people of rural Sichuan. In Memoriam Liu Xinan (Leow See'nan) Liu Xinan started to work for Jon Otto and Ma Yihua as head of the rock climbing programs for the Aréte Alpine Instruction Center (AAIC) in Chengdu, China. Liu was a respected and accomplished Chinese climber leading his generation to a new level in the sport. At 36 years of age he was on top of his game in the world of big wall climbs and alpine style ascents. His new route up the very difficult southwest ridge of Pomiu (Celestial Peak) in 2005 raised the bar for Chinese alpinist. Liu Xinan came from a modest background, he was a metal worker by trade, but an artist at heart, as he enjoyed oil painting when he wasn’t climbing. He loved the sport of climbing and made it a part of his life. Liu was a growing phenomenon in China creating a niche for himself in the climbing community and making a living at it. But just as Liu was in the prime of his career, tragedy struck in May of 2007 when he fell and died while rappelling from an attempt on Makara or Central Peak. Liu was climbing with Ma Yihua, co founder of AAIC, and Zhang Jian. Ma gave an account of what happened to Jon Otto and Jon explains as follows: “On the fateful day, Xinan and Ma went for the summit while Zhang Jian stayed in high camp. The two of them were coming back from nearly making the summit. They were descending in the dark and Liu rappelled first from this particular section. When Ma rappelled down to the ledge where Liu should have been he was not there. Ma looked around and called out but there was no response. He noticed a patch of yellow snow near the edge. Ma continued to descend, searching for Liu as he went down to their high camp where Zhang Jian was waiting. “The first thing next morning Zhang Jian and Ma went to search for Liu and first found blood on the snow. They followed a trail of blood to his body, which was hundreds of meters below the ledge he fell from the night before. “Ma and Zhang Jian were unable to take Liu’s body out because the terrain was too challenging for just two people to manage. A large recovery team was assembled in Chengdu and went in days later. They were unable to reach Liu’s body due to bad weather and avalanche danger. To this day Liu’s body lies on the flanks of these mountains, his spirit a part of theirs.” We return to Yangmolong not only to make an attempt on this unclimbed peak but also to remember Liu Xinan and commemorate the full life he led, a life of passion.