{{Short description|Mountain in Nepal}} {{Infobox mountain | name = Baruntse | image = Baruntse_wp.jpg | image_caption = Baruntse from Hongu Valley | elevation_m = 7162 | elevation_ref = <ref name="peakbagger">{{cite peakbagger|pid=10648|name=Baruntse, Nepal|access-date=2012-01-22}}</ref> | prominence_m = 979 | prominence_ref = <ref name="peakbagger"/> | range = Himalayas | location = Khumbu, Nepal | map = Nepal Province1#Nepal | range_coordinates = | map_caption = Nepal | label_position = left | coordinates = {{coord|27|52|18|N|86|58|48|E|type:mountain_region:NP_scale:100000|format=dms|display=inline,title}} | coordinates_ref = | first_ascent = 1954 by New Zealand expedition | easiest_route = glacier/snow/ice climb }}
'''Baruntse''' is a mountain in the Khumbu region of eastern Nepal, crowned by four peaks and bounded on the south by the Hunku Glacier, on the east by the Barun Glacier, and on the northwest by the Imja Glacier. It is considered as one of the best preparation peaks in the Himalayas for climbers readying themselves for eight-thousanders, however the mountain has a low success rate due to its technical difficulties, steep slopes and unpredictable weather conditions.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-11-03 |title=Three climbers scale Mt Baruntse with Seven Summit Treks |url=https://thehimalayantimes.com/nepal/three-climbers-scale-mt-baruntse-with-seven-summit-treks |access-date=2024-06-27 |website=The Himalayan Times |language=en}}</ref> It is open for beginners, but requires the use of fixed ropes to climb.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Callaghan |first=Anna |date=2019-03-03 |title=The First Canine Ascent of a 7,000-Meter Himalayan Peak |url=https://www.outsideonline.com/culture/active-families/first-dog-ascent-baruntse-nepal/ |access-date=2024-06-27 |website=Outside Online |language=en-US}}</ref>
The mountain is usually accessed from the South, where climbers can ascend Mera Peak to acclimatize before moving up the valley to the Baruntse base camp. From the village of Lukla, it is an eight-day hike to the base camp.<ref name=":0">{{Cite aaj |last=Efimov |first=Sergei |date=1995 |title=Baruntse, West Face, Historical Ascent |article_id=13201216130 |access-date=2024-06-27}}</ref>
== First ascents == The mountain was first climbed May 30, 1954 via the south ridge by Colin Todd and Geoff Harrow of a New Zealand expedition led by Sir Edmund Hillary.<ref>{{cite journal|journal=New Zealand Alpine Journal |year=1955 |pages=5–53 |title=The N.Z.A.C. Himalayan Expedition, 1954 |author1=Hillary, E. |author2=Hardie, N. |author3=Harrow, G. |author4=Ball, M. |author5=Todd, C. |url=http://alpineclub.org.nz/product/new-zealand-alpine-journal-1955 |access-date=November 25, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130218070658/http://alpineclub.org.nz/product/new-zealand-alpine-journal-1955 |archive-date=February 18, 2013 }}</ref>
The first ascent of the East Ridge was made on April 27, 1980, by Lorenzo Ortas, Javier Escartín, Jeronimo Lopez (all Spain) and Carlos Buhler (United States of America) of a Spanish expedition led by Juan José Díaz Ibañez.<ref>Díaz Ibañez, Juan José (1983). Expedición Aragonesa al Himalaya Baruntse (7220). Zaragoza, Aragon, Spain: Caja de Ahorros y Monte de Piedad de Zaragoza, Aragon y Rioja. {{ISBN|8450083397}}.</ref>
In 1994, the first ascent of the North West face of Baruntse North by Vladimir Leitermann, Martin Otta and Tomas Pekarek was nominated for a Piolets d'Or.<ref name=pioletsdor>{{Cite web |title=Piolets d'Or - 1992 - 2021 |url=https://pioletsdor.net/index.php/en/1992-2021 |access-date=2024-06-27 |website=pioletsdor.net}}</ref>
The first ascent of the west face was made in 1995 by a Russian team consisting of climbers Valeri Pershin (climbing leader), Evgeni Vinogradski, Salavat Habibulin, Nikolai Zhilin, and Yuri Ermachek. The ascent was made in seven days and the summit was made on October 12.<ref name=":0" />
In 2004, the first ascent of Ciao Patrick (V+/VI M6+ 90°) on the northwest face and northwest ridge of Baruntse North (7,057m) was made by Simone Moro, Bruno Tassi and Denis Urubko. The alpine-style ascent was identified as one of the most notable ascents of the year.<ref name=pioletsdor/>
In 2010, Becky Bellworthy from the United Kingdom became the youngest woman to summit Baruntse at 18 years old.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gardner |first=Tina |date=December 19, 2010 |title=Becky climbs into the record books |url=https://www.thebmc.co.uk/becky-climbs-into-the-record-books_0 |access-date=2024-06-27 |website=www.thebmc.co.uk}}</ref>
=== Notable climbs and incidents === In 1998, prominent American alpinist and ski racer Raoul Wille died of altitude sickness while climbing Baruntse.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Raoul Wille Memorial - Mount Raoul |url=https://www.mountraoul.org/ |access-date=2024-06-27 |website=www.mountraoul.org}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=The Himalayan Database Online |url=https://www.himalayandatabase.com/ |access-date=June 27, 2024 |website=The Himalayan Database |place=Ann Arbor, Michigan}}</ref>
Nineteen-times Everest summiteer Chhewang Nima died in 2010 on Baruntse<ref name="bbc.com">{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-south-asia-11618349|title=Search for missing Nepal Sherpa Chhewang Nima stopped|work=BBC News|access-date=1 September 2015}}</ref> after falling through a cornice while fixing a rope beneath the summit.<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.outsideonline.com/1928326/disposable-man-western-history-sherpas-everest |work=Outside magazine | title= The Disposable Man: A Western History of Sherpas on Everest| date=6 March 2020}}</ref>
In 2013, Petr Machold and Jakub Vaněk from the Czech Republic were lost after attempting to climb up the mountain's west side, which had only been done once previously. They made it to 6,600m. Heavy snow caught them in camp, and when a rescue operation was mounted, the climbers could not be found.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Volynsky |first=Masha |date=2013-10-21 |title=Two Czechs missing in the Himalayas |url=https://english.radio.cz/two-czechs-missing-himalayas-8311392 |access-date=2024-06-27 |website=Radio Prague International |language=en}}</ref>
In 2018, Mera, a stray Tibetan mastiff-Himalayan sheepdog cross climbed Baruntse after following a trekking expedition up the mountain. Team leader Don Wargowsky shared his tent and a sleeping mat with the dog, who is thought to be the first canine to ascend a 7,000m peak.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Cockburn |first=Harry |date=2019-03-07 |title=Stray dog follows climbing expedition to become first to reach Himalayan summit |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/stray-dog-himalayas-mountain-climb-summit-baruntse-nepal-meera-a8812591.html |access-date=2024-06-27 |website=The Independent |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":1" />
In 2021, Czech climbers Marek Holeček and Radek “Ráďa” Groh attempted the North-West face climb that had caught Machold and Vaněk eight years earlier.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Watch Márek Holeček, Radoslav Groh establish Heavenly Trap on Baruntse |url=https://www.planetmountain.com/en/news/alpinism/marek-holecek-radoslav-groh-establish-heavenly-trap-baruntse.html |access-date=2024-06-27 |website=PlanetMountain.com}}</ref> The perilous climb, which they later named "Heavenly Trap", lasted ten days due to increasingly worsening weather conditions. After summiting, the descent took nearly 80 hours.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Márek Holeček, Radoslav Groh survive Baruntse NW Face ordeal |url=https://www.planetmountain.com/en/news/alpinism/marek-holecek-radoslav-groh-survive-baruntse-nw-face-ordeal.html |access-date=2024-06-27 |website=PlanetMountain.com}}</ref> The climbers graded the route VI+ M6+ 80°.<ref name=AAJ2022>{{Cite aaj |last=Holeček |first=Markek |date=2022 |title=Baruntse, West Face, Heavenly Trap |article_id=13201216080|volume=|issue=|pages=|links=off|access-date=2024-06-27}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
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Category:Mountains of Koshi Province Category:Seven-thousanders of the Himalayas Category:Solukhumbu District
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