Changabang 2025: Italian Alpinists Forced to Retreat
Luca Schiera, Luca Moroni, and Giacomo Mauri wrap up their month-long alpine-style expedition on Changabang without a summit – but with clarity, respect, and motivation for what’s next.
After more than a month immersed in the icy silence of India’s Garhwal Himalayas, the Italian trio – Luca Schiera, Luca Moroni, and Giacomo Mauri – has officially concluded their 2025 expedition on Changabang (6,864 m) and is now returning home to Italy.
The three members of Ragni di Lecco, also known as The Spiders, had set out to repeat one of the mountain’s most legendary lines: the 1976 West Wall route established in bold alpine style by British climbers Peter Boardman and Joe Tasker. The Italians aimed to follow in their footsteps, committing to the same minimalist approach – no fixed ropes, no high-altitude support, no camps left behind. Only skill, endurance, and partnership.
In an early update shared directly by Luca Moroni, the team revealed the key reason behind their retreat:
“We descended yesterday from the Changabang base camp where we bullied each other mercilessly for a month straight. As an experience – the places and atmosphere – it was spectacular. For the entire month of May it snowed, except for three days of very strong wind.”
The ceaseless snowfall prevented any serious acclimatisation and left the West Wall buried in unstable snow. Though physically ready, the conditions simply did not allow an attempt.
“There wasn’t even the opportunity to try to climb the West Face as we intended, because it remained encrusted with inconsistent snow,” said Moroni.
Despite this, the climbers came away with an optimistic outlook – and even a sense of historical awe.
“Altitude and cold aside, with the eyes of today, the route seems quite manageable. But it’s impressive to think of those two guys just over twenty-five years old, who 49 years ago faced an objective of that kind.”
While this year’s expedition didn’t result in a summit, the Italian trio leaves with the validation that their alpine-style vision is possible – and perhaps, with unfinished business.
“We’re returning with the desire to try again.”
They also extended a heartfelt thank-you to teammate Matteo Della Bordella, who provided ongoing morale boosts and weather updates from afar.
“We thank Teo, who gave us repeated morale boosts with the weather forecast, and the whole group for the energy and the effort made to send us all the way to India to shovel snow!”
No summit, no regrets – just lessons, brotherhood, and a shared hunger for the next window. The spirit of alpine climbing is alive and well, and Changabang may yet see the return of this determined Italian team.
We’ll continue to follow them closely. Stay tuned for more updates and (we hope) first-hand insights from the team once they’re back on solid ground in Italy.
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