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To mark the millennium, the British Services are mounting a joint expedition to the Kangchenjunga region of the Nepal Himalayas in the pre-monsoon season (April-June). The British Services Kangchenjunga Expedition 2000 is the latest quadrennial tri-Service adventurous training expedition and follows on from Everest 88, Everest 92 and Gasherbrum I in 96. Success on Gasherbrum I re-established the Services as a credible force in Himalayan mountaineering and BSKE 2000 aims to build on that success.

In order to meet the aims of Adventurous Training, Service expeditions tend to be larger and more complex than civilian expeditions. Thus BSKE 2000 comprises 2 teams, a Main Team of 14, of whom 4 are RAF personnel, aims to climb Kangchenjunga by the south west face for only the second time by a British expedition. At the same time a Junior Team of less experienced, forces personnel, including one woman, intend to climb Ramtang (6,600 metres/22,000 feet) a subsidiary peak on the north side of Kangchenjunga massif. Ramtang has not had a complete ascent since it was first climbed in 1930.

Main Team Objective

At 8,586 metres (28,169 feet) Kangchenjunga is the third tallest mountain in the world being surpassed in height only by Everest and K2. It is situated in a remote part of North East Nepal and is rarely climbed. It takes 2 weeks to walk to the bottom of the mountain which has no easy routes by which to climb it. All of its faces are objectively dangerous and its ridges long and hard. Its position at the extreme east of the Himalaya ensures that it bears the full brunt of the monsoon. It will take about a month from arrival at base camp to climb the mountain via the SW face and the north ridge. A very strong team with a significant RAF element has been selected and has been training hard in the UK, Germany and Switzerland. The expedition Higher Managment Committee are confident that the team has a strong chance of success on the mountain.

Junior Team Objective

The Junior Team face a longer walk-in to their base camp for Ramtang Peak as they will accompany the Main Team to their Kangchenjunga base camp before the teams go their separate ways. It will be a further week»s walk to their base camp. This will allow 2 weeks to climb Ramtang by the route taken by the original ascentionists and if time permits they will explore the possibility of climbing a new route on the south face. This team has been similarly well prepared

Expedition Management

The Expedition Higher Management Committee

is lead by an RAF Officer and their role is to monitor, advise, assist and support the expedition leader regarding the planning, preparation and organisation of the expedition. They provide the focal point for appropriate single-Service issues and are the main link between the expedition and Sir Peter AbbottVice Chief of Defence Staff. Additionally the HMC will provide a rear link focus whilst the expedition is in the field. The HMC comprises:

Air Commodore M Gilding RAF HMC Chairman & President of the RAF Mountaineering Association

Brigadier D V Nicholls RM President of the Royal Navy & Royal Marines Mountaineering Club

Brigadier N J Cottam, OBE Chairman of the Army Mountaineering Association

Lt Colonel H R A Streather, OBE 1st ascent of Kangchenjunga 1955

The teams will fly from UK to Kathmandu in late March 2000 and then on to Suketar from where the two week walk-in to our Base Camps will start. This approach march will improve fitness and strengthen team bonding, whilst the slow gain in height (from a starting point of 1,800 metres (5,904 feet) to a Base Camp at 5,400 metres (17,712 feet)), is essential for optimum acclimatisation to the rarefied atmosphere found at high altitude.

From a Base Camp on the Yalung Glacier the Main Team will face over 10,000 feet of hard climbing through difficult terrain to reach the summit of the mountain. The team will establish four high camps between a height of 6,000 metres (20,000 feet) and 7,800 metres (26,000 feet) on the mountain. The Main Team will not use supplementary oxygen.

Because of its geographical position Kangchenjunga experiences unique weather which includes extreme high winds and heavy snows. As the monsoon approaches it is preceded by a ridge of high pressure which usually arrives over the mountain in the middle of May. This brings a short period, perhaps two weeks, of settled weather during which an attempt to reach the summit can be made. It is crucial that the expedition is in a position to launch its summit bid when this weather window arrives. In all the team will be in the field for 10 weeks.

The Junior Team will accompany the Main Team to their Base Camp. From there they will reverse the walk-in route for a short distance and cross a high pass to gain the valley which will lead them to their Base Camp at Pangpema, below the north face of Kangchenjunga. For the next 3 weeks they will acclimatise, learn the subtleties of Himalayan mountaineering and explore the potential routes on Ramtang Peak, climaxing with an ascent of the mountain.