“How to design a trophy? How to incorporate the characteristics of the event into the trophy’s design? How can this trophy tell a story?” — Fu Kun, the trophy designer for the 2015 Kailas Four Girls Mountain Super Trail Run, pondered these questions for several months.
This was the first (first ascent) climbing route up Yatou Peak. In 1981, the Kyoto University Mountaineering Team from Japan made two arduous attempts before reaching the summit. Li Qing, who served as the Japanese interpreter at the time, recalled that the team entered the mountains in April planning to climb the South Face via the Southeast Ridge route but only managed to reach an altitude of 5,620 meters. After reflecting on their experience, the climbers left the mountain to rest, while a few others stayed behind to continue scouting the route. In July, they resumed the climb, still taking the South Face via the Southeast Ridge, and ultimately seven members summited in three separate groups.
We also obtained valuable photographic materials — in 1979, veteran Chinese mountaineers from the China Mountaineering Association, such as Zeng Shusheng and Zhang Jiangyuan, scouted the Four Girls Mountains. In 1980, the Four Girls Mountains became one of the first peaks opened to foreign climbers. The following three photos are from those reconnaissance expeditions.
From July 10 to July 15 was the period of acclimatization and transportation. On average, each climber and hired porter carried 23 kilograms. The initial part of the route to the base camp was a steep forested area, followed by a grassy slope along the lower part of the West Ridge cliff, which had a very steep gradient. After completing this sloped section, they reached a flowery alpine meadow. From here, the climbers could see the gully of the climbing route. The throat area at the bottom of the gully was free of snow.
On July 16, they began scouting the C1 campsite and also attempted a trial climb near the throat area at the bottom of the snow chute. The base camp received sunlight starting around 9 a.m. Prior to that, the rock surfaces were covered with slippery thin ice. The direction of advance was along the ridge of the 5,600-meter rock peak, crossing through a boulder field to a relatively flat moraine section. Further up was a glacier zone riddled with crevasses. From this point onward, climbers needed to wear crampons and move in ropes teams. C1 camp was set at approximately 5,250 meters. About 40 meters up from the bottom of the snow chute, the first major challenge of the route — the throat — could be seen. About 80 meters above the base, the terrain became more moderate. The snow chute route was entirely a mixed ice and rock section, requiring both rock climbing and ice climbing techniques. The biggest issue with the snow chute route was falling rocks, especially severe ones at the throat. Nevertheless, the snow chute route was confirmed as the main climbing path.
On July 28, Team A’s Chuida and Kakuniya set out early from C2. The climb went smoothly, and they reached 6,100 meters by 8 a.m., then continued while setting fixed ropes. The snow conditions on the entire route were poor, making it difficult to secure snow pickets. By 10 a.m., five fixed ropes had been used up, leaving only one rope for the final roped team section. At this point, there were two more sections before the shoulder leading to the summit. They had to proceed using the roped team method for mutual protection. Approaching 10:40 a.m., they reached the shoulder, with the final snow cornice right above them. From this spot, they could first see the majestic presence of the north peak of the Four Girls, and it was hard to tell which was taller — the north or the nearby south peak? The col between the two peaks lay right ahead. At 11 a.m., they crossed the shoulder area. At 11:30 a.m., they reached the base of the final snow cornice. Team member Kakuniya crawled forward using hands and feet, climbed 40 meters up the concave snow wall on the right, traversed five meters to the right, surmounted the snow cornice, then moved back five meters to the right, and finally reached the summit at 12 p.m. On July 29, Team B’s Takahashi and Iwata summited the south peak.
On July 30, Team C’s Miyazaki, Tagawa, and Kono summited both the south and north peaks. On July 31, the entire team safely returned to the base camp. (The above climbing information is provided by the Kyoto University Mountaineering Team from Japan, compiled by Zhang Handong)