A team of Georgian mountaineers became the first group of climbers to conquer a 6,425-metre peak in the Nepalese Himalayas this month, after a nine-day ascent that crowned their long expedition in the famed global hub of peak climbing.
Giorgi Tepnadze, Bakar Gelashvili and Archil Badriashvili successfully stepped foot on the Larkya peak this week, becoming pioneers among mountaineers from Georgia in the Manaslu region.
The achievement was reflected in the group's naming of their trekking and climbing course a "Georgian path" in the region that offers varied climbing opportunities but is also considered to be off the beaten track.
The three members of the Georgian team photographed in front of the peak. Photo: members of the expedition.
The ridges and massifs in the region feature a number of peaks ascended on steep rock walls, with the three climbers from Georgia successfully overcoming one on their Larkya ascent.
Conducting a 38-day expedition in Manaslu, the group took a long trekking route taking them to the approaches of the peak, before the three team members set up their base camp at 4,600m altitude.
Following a scouting of the ascent the climbers said they decided to take advantage of stable weather conditions in the area known for its unpredictable climate and launch their attempt without further rest.
The mountaineers climb the face of the Larkya rock wall. Photo: members of the expedition.
The nine-day effort included six days of climbing the Category Six (highest difficulty) rock wall of Larkya, and required the three mountaineers to clear natural obstacles on their way.
Tepnadze, Gelashvili and Badriashvili cleared the rock wall on the sixth day of ascent and reached the 6,425m peak during late hours, marking the first path for Georgian adventurers in the location.
The rock wall took the three climbers six days to clear. Photo: members of the expedition.
The three members of the team have climbed various peaks over the years in Georgia's Caucasus mountain range and Kyrgyzstan.
These include the various directions of the Chaukhi Range in northern Georgia's Kazbegi Municipality as well as the Chatini Peak in the province of Svaneti, where the group was first formed.
The members of team are involved in mountain guiding, rescuing and medicine work during between climbing expeditions.