Langtang valley trek with Naya Kanga
Expedition. Trekking and climbing in the picturesque Langtang
National park. Naya Kanga (Ganjala Chuli) Peak climbing
can be combined with Langtang-Helambu trek in Nepal.
Area: Langtang National Park north of
Kathmandu.
Langtang region is a popular destination
for climbing snow peaks and spectacular panoramic views
of mountains in Nepal and Tibet. Easy access to the region
and availability of several snow peaks scattered around
for acclimatization make this region an ideal destination
for novice as well as experienced climbers. Naya Kanga
is an attractive peak rising to the west of the Ganja
La pass (5,122m/16,800ft) . Ascending to Ganja La and
the summit of Naya Kanga offer the spectacular panoramic
views of mountains in Nepal and Tibet including Langshisa
Ri (6,370m/20,894ft), Pemthang Ri (6,836m/22,422ft), Shisapangma
(8,046m/27,749ft), Langtang Lirung (7,425m/24,354ft),
Pemthang Kapro Ri (6,830m/22,402ft) and Langtang II (6,571m/21,553ft).
The normal route of ascent to Naya Kanga is via the north
- east ridge over a line on ice and snow. We follow the
route of Langtang trek to Kyangjin (3,749m/12,297ft) for
the ascent of Naya Kanga. To the north above Kangjin,
there are several hills that provide both the magnificent
views and acclimatization. Northeast of Kyangjin Ri (4,700m/15,416ft),
there are two peaks; Yala Peak (5,500m/18,040ft) and Tsergo
Peak (5,749m/18,857ft) that provide good climbing for
acclimatization.
Naya Kanga Climb from North-East
Face & North Ridge
Crossing the Langtang Khola below Kyangjin, we climb steeply
along the ridge through a forest of rhododendron and juniper.
Finally climbing more gently, we arrive at yak pastures
of Ngegang at about 4000m. We continue following the trail
to Ganja La climbing steeply through moraine . We leave
Ganja La trail to climb steeply up yet more moraine to
reach the eastern end of the glacier shelf beneath the
north-east face of Naya Kanga. We set up the high camp
here for the ascent. We cross the glacier shelf to the
foot of a shallow couloir heading to the north ridge.
We climb the couloir to the notch and the base of the
ridge . Then we turn to the ice nose on the left which
is only the technical section on the climb. Now the ridge
widens and leads to a small col. on the east-west summit
ridge and the summit is only 30m higher to the right.
The climb near the summit should be done carefully. Normally,
the ascent takes 5-7 hours from the high camp. For the
return trek, we may follow Ganja La-Helambu route or back
the way we came in to Dhunche.