GUNUNG · Nepal

Api Himal

Api / Api Himal

Information

Elevation: 7.132 m
Country: Nepal (NP)
Location / Range: Gurans Himal (Yoka Pahar), Himalaya barat — Distrik Darchula, Provinsi Sudurpashchim
Mountain type: Puncak tertinggi seksi Yoka Pahar, subrangkaian Gurans Himal (Himalaya barat)
Volcanic?: No (non-volcanic)
Coordinates: 30.0053, 80.9297
Difficulty: Sangat berat (mountaineering ekspedisi bersalju/es; jarang didaki, terpencil)
Best Season: Pra-monsun (April–Mei) dan pasca-monsun (Oktober–November)
Permits & Rules: Puncak ekspedisi berizin di wilayah terpencil dekat perbatasan; butuh izin pendakian, pemandu/agen, dan logistik trek panjang dari Darchula
Hazards: Ketinggian >7.000 m, dinding selatan yang menjulang ~3.300 m rawan longsoran & batu jatuh, medan gletser dan es, cuaca ekstrem, keterpencilan sehingga evakuasi sulit

Description

Api (or Api Himal, 7,132 m) is the highest peak in the Yoka Pahar section of the Gurans Himal, a subrange of the western Himalayas, in Darchula District of Sudurpashchim Province in Nepal's far northwest, near the border with India and Tibet. Though lower than other Himalayan giants, Api stands out for its prominence and dramatic rise above the surrounding valleys — its south face climbs about 3,300 m from its base. The region was visited by Westerners in 1899, 1905 and 1936, but the summit was not attempted until 1953 by W. H. Murray and John Tyson; an Italian attempt in 1954 cost two lives. The first ascent was made in 1960 by Japan's Doshisha Alpine Society via the Northwest Face. A British Army expedition in 1980 came within a few hundred metres of the top via the south face, and the first winter ascent was achieved by Polish climbers Tadeusz Piotrowski and Andrzej Bieluń in December 1983 — Bieluń disappeared on the descent. Remote and seldom visited, Api is better known today for the trek to its base camp in Far West Nepal than for summit climbs.

Gallery

Foto bersumber dari Wikimedia Commons — klik untuk memperbesar & lihat sumbernya.

Routes

Dinding Barat Laut (Northwest Face) — jalur pendakian pertama

Mountaineering es/salju berat, ketinggian >7.000 m

Ekspedisi berbasis kamp bertingkat (beberapa minggu termasuk pendekatan)

Rute pendakian pertama yang berhasil (Doshisha Alpine Society Jepang, 1960), menuntaskan jalur yang gagal dicoba ekspedisi Italia 1954. Melalui lereng gletser dan dinding barat laut dengan kamp-kamp bertingkat; medan es, risiko longsoran, dan ketinggian ekstrem menjadikannya pendakian ekspedisi penuh, bukan trek biasa.

Dinding Selatan (South Face)

Sangat teknis & berbahaya

Ekspedisi (upaya berhari-hari di dinding)

Dinding selatan menjulang sekitar 3.300 m dari dasarnya dan menjadi sasaran upaya berat — ekspedisi Asosiasi Pendakian Angkatan Darat Inggris 1980 sempat mencapai beberapa ratus meter dari puncak sebelum mundur. Rute yang panjang, curam, dan rawan batu/es jatuh; hanya untuk pendaki ekspedisi berpengalaman.

Climbing Experiences

Because of its remoteness, Api Himal is usually explored via the long trek to Api Base Camp from Darchula in Far West Nepal rather than a technical summit climb. The videos below document the base-camp trek, panoramas of the 7,132 m peak, and the villages and valleys around it.

References

The summary above is compiled from the following sources. Click to explore them yourself.