Over the last 2 years Neil and I have been putting together an expedition to Nepal. Initially the plan was to attempt a 6900 meter unclimbed peak in the Kanchenjunga region but after careful research and a little information from previous expeditions we decided it was objectively too dangerous and so turned our attention to the Rolwaling Himal.

With our sights firmly set on this remote area dominated by the worlds sixth highest mountain; Cho Oyu, we set about researching potential peaks which involves hours of internet searching and hundreds of emails sent to a vast array of people all over the world.

In the spring of 2009 a plan was born and moments later crushed as two Americans; Joe Puryear and David Gottlieb made a successful accent of Jobo Rinjang via its impressive South face. Interest in the area has since increased and in October 2010 a team of strong French Alpinists made a successful ascent of the South East face of Lunag I. Named ‘Close the Door’ this was surely one of the most notable first ascents of a Himalayan peak in 2010.

These previous expeditions to the Lunag range have only increased our motivation to develop the area further and map out an objective for our chosen range of mountains.

Steve Holmes

Steve Holmes was brought up in Lancashire but has been living in Scotland since 2001. After a short career in the Royal Marines Steve spent three years in the security industry, most notably two of these were in the Middle East providing close protection for US personnel. Originally a dedicated hill walker he has spent many years amongst the hills of the Lake District and North Wales before testing his metal in the mountains of Scotland. Rock and winter climbing has quickly become an obsession and trips to the European Alps, Africa and Nepal have now became a common affair for Steve many of which he has been appointed expedition leader. Steve is the expedition leader for the Informa Lunag Expedition 2011. You can contact him about the expedition at:

steve@verticalfever.co.uk

Neil Phillips

Neil is originally from Birmingham. After graduating through college he went on to study at Manchester Metropolitan University completing his BSc in Outdoor Sport Studies. During this time he was lucky enough to spend six months travelling around Australia and Hong Kong. This is where Neil’s obsession for hanging from ropes and travelling the globe began, since then he has been lucky enough to explore and work in numerous countries around the world from Scandinavia, The UAE, Jordon, Europe, India, Oman, Thailand and Cambodia to name a few. He is ever seeking new adventures and insights into different cultures. Neil has been organizing all the equipment needed for the expedition if you would like to be involved in supplying gear you can contact Neil at:

pine85uk@hotmail.com