History has been made in the Himalayas. On October 20, American climber Nick Russell became the first person ever to descend the Dorje Lhakpa South Face on a snowboard. The 37-year-old Truckee, California native rode from the summit point to base camp, successfully completing the scenic journey in the Langtang region of Nepal.
“My wildest dreams realized this month on a line I’ve thought about for years,” Russell said in an Instagram post after completing his descent from the 6,966-meter summit. “Despite a difficult year in the big mountains, we were blessed with favorable weather that allowed safe passage on this diamond in the sky.”
Russell made the journey alongside fellow American climbers Adam Fabrikant and Billy Haas, who skied from the summit to base camp. Behind the camera were Leo Hoorn and Blake Gordon, who documented Russell’s ride.
The three climbers embarked on their expedition on October 3 with the help of Shangri-La Nepal Treks. They arrived at the base camp of Dorje Lhakpa on October 6, spending two weeks on the mountain before pushing for the summit. “Spending two weeks on the mountain, the team reached the summit and made a long-time dream true after making a ski descent from the top,” Russell said in a Tourism Times article.
Thankfully for the crew, the weather could not have been more cooperative. After a strong storm blanketed Nepal’s mountains with heavy snow, Russell and the others were met with a string of clear, calm, and perfect weather days. The storm packed the South Face with enough stable snow, and the clear days following were perfect for a descent. “This season we were blessed with amazing weather for most of our expedition that allowed for a successful trip,” Russell said in the Tourism Times article. “The Nepalese Himalaya holds endless potential for future snowboarding and skiing.”
Russell was inspired to snowboard the South Face of Dorje Lhakpa by the late Marco Siffredi and Bertrand Delapierre. Siffredi and Delapierre made the first and only descent of the West Ridge in 1999.
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Russell also thanked his sponsor, Patagonia, as well as his fellow climbers and Sherpas who helped him accomplish his feat. “To share this experience with a group of close friends has been incredible,” Russell told the Tourism Times.
While the snowboard descent of the Dorje Lhakpa South Face may be one of his most famous accomplishments, the Californian has no plans to slow down. “More to come,” Russell wrote in his Instagram post.
He has not yet announced what his next goal is. But if it’s anything like this one, it’s sure to make history.
