Ganesh NW (Ganesh II/III)

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Ganesh NW (Ganesh II)
Elevation	7,118 metres (23,353 feet)
Location	Nepal/Tibet
Range	Ganesh Himal, Himalaya
Coordinates	28°22′45″N, 85°03′24″E
First ascent	October 1981
Easiest route	rock/snow/ice climb

Ganesh NW (or Ganesh II, or sometimes Ganesh III) is a peak of the Ganesh Himal, which is a subrange of the Himalayan range.

Ganesh NW, and the entire Ganesh Himal, lie between the Burhi Gandaki and Trisuli Gandaki valleys, about 70 km northwest of Kathmandu. Ganesh NW lies about six km west of Yangra (Ganesh I).

Nomenclature for this peak is ambgiuous and confusing, and varies between sources. Many sources refer to this peak as Ganesh III, and also as Salasungo. However Salasungo more properly refers to a different peak in the Ganesh Himal, Ganesh SE or Ganesh III. The name Ganesh II is used on the Finnmap, the most recent authoritative source.

[edit] Notable Features

Although low in elevation among the major mountains of Nepal, Ganesh NW is exceptional in its steep rise above local terrain. For example, it rises 5800 m from the Burhi Gandaki in a horizontal distance of about 16 km.

[edit] Climbing History

There were six unsuccessful attempts on this peak, including attempts in 1953 and 1954, before two simultaneous first ascents in October 1981. The two successful teams were a German-Sherpa team (Hermann Warth, Ang Chappal, Nga Temba) on the North Ridge, and a Japanese-Sherpa group (N. Kuwahara, J. Nakamura, N. Hase, Tendi Sherpa, Kirke Sherpa) on the Northeast Spur. The two groups combined at 6,300 metres and finished on the North Face.

There have been two additional unsuccessful attempts since 1981, in 1988 and 1992, but no more ascents of the peak.^[1]

[edit] Sources

H. Adams Carter, "Classification of the Himalaya," American Alpine Journal 1985.
Jill Neate, High Asia: An Illustrated History of the 7000 Metre Peaks, ISBN 0-89886-238-8
DEM files for the Himalaya (Corrected versions of SRTM data)