Nepal Solukhumbu (Part 3 of 4): Amphulapcha and Island Peak

We continued north over Amphulapcha pass (19177 ft) which was quite a challenge for the whole group. Not because of the altitude (in the meantime we were well acclimatized) but because it is one of the more difficult regularly travelled passes in Nepal. One ascends a series of seracs on the south side and rappels down the north side for a few rope length. This is not a problem for reasonably fit and properly equipped people but it's quite an endeavor to do such a pass crossing with 25+ heavily loaded and ill equipped (tennis shoes, no harnesses, no crampons) porters and crew. Luckily, in the end everybody made it, nobody got hurt, and not a single bag disappeared in one of the many crevasses...

The Amphulapcha crossing had brought as directly south of the Everest-Lhotse massif. The next highlight was to climb Imjatse/Island Peak (20305 ft). Seen from far away, Island peak doesn't look like a real peak but more like a speck in the middle of Lhotse's huge south face. But it is indeed a peak on its own right. Standing on it the views are absolutely stunning with Makalu, Ama Dablam, and numerous other Himalayan peaks. To the north one looks directly into Lhotse's north face which rises to nearly 28000 ft.