Mount Changabang’s West Wall: The 2025 Italian Alpine-Style Expedition Making History
Anano Atabegashvili |
April 29, 2025 |
“We wondered if it was possible, but especially if we were able, to climb the Changabang with the same approach we use on the walls of the Alps or Patagonia. As always, to find the answer to our unknowns, the only way is to leave.”– Luca Schiera
In the remote folds of the Indian Himalayas, where the mountains carve the sky with sharp, shining edges, Mount Changabang stands like a blade of pure ambition. Its name – “Shining Mountain” – hints at beauty, but for climbers, it also speaks of something deeper: the rare, daunting promise of a truly elite ascent.
In spring 2025, the climbing world is watching with bated breath as three elite Italian climbers – Luca Schiera, Luca Moroni, and Giacomo Mauri, members of the legendary Ragni di Lecco club – attempt a historic feat: an alpine-style ascent of Changabang’s near-mythical West Wall.
And they’re doing it in a way that honors the purest traditions of mountaineering.
Photo by Daniel Joll.
A Wall Steeped in History
In 1976, British climbers Peter Boardman and Joe Tasker completed the first ascent of Changabang’s West Wall, spending 25 grueling days battling cold, fear, and impossibly steep granite. Their climb became a milestone in the history of high-altitude mountaineering – not just for its difficulty, but for the boldness of the style in which it was achieved.
Since then, the West Wall has been whispered about in climbing circles like a myth. Attempts have been made. Plans have been drawn. But for decades, the Boardman-Tasker route remained untouched – a route too proud to yield easily.
Only in 2022 did a New Zealand team finally make a second ascent, using a mix of big-wall tactics to manage the wall’s ferocity.
Joe Tasker and Peter Boardman
A Pure Alpine-Style Push: Climbing Without Compromise
The 2025 Italian expedition on Mount Changabang is defined by alpine style climbing – the boldest, most minimalist approach to big mountains. This means:
No fixed ropes.
No portaledges or camps along the wall.
No ferrying gear up and down.
No external support once the climb begins.
They will climb from the base to the summit in one continuous, committed push, carrying everything they need on their backs.
This style of ascent brings incredible risks: bad weather, injuries, or exhaustion can be catastrophic when retreat options are almost nonexistent. But it also brings a purity of spirit: moving fast, light, and completely self-reliant, trusting only in skill, teamwork, and judgment.
By choosing this method, Schiera, Moroni, and Mauri are aiming not just for the summit, but for a rare kind of climbing excellence that mirrors the spirit of Boardman and Tasker themselves.
The Challenge Ahead
Climbing Changabang’s West Wall remains one of the ultimate tests in Himalayan expeditions. The wall is a 1,600-meter vertical and overhanging labyrinth of granite, riddled with ice fields, loose rock, and technical cruxes. At an altitude nearing 7,000 meters, every movement demands more energy, every decision carries higher stakes.
As of late April 2025, the team has completed their acclimatization phase and is closely monitoring weather patterns. A narrow window of calm conditions could open the door for their historic attempt but up there, nothing is ever guaranteed.
Mountains like Changabang demand not only technical mastery but patience, humility, and resilience.
Boardman and Tasker’s 1976 route up the West Wall of Changabang. Topo by Pete Boardman
Why This Matters for the Mountaineering World
In an age when many Himalayan expeditions rely on siege tactics, fixed lines, and massive logistical support, pure alpine style climbing stands as a bold act of tradition and adventure.
The 2025 Italian expedition reminds us why we fell in love with mountaineering in the first place: The uncertainty. The risk. The profound human drive to test limits against nature’s most formidable challenges.
Whether they succeed or not, Luca Schiera, Luca Moroni, and Giacomo Mauri are already making history – by dreaming big, climbing clean, and daring to face one of the Himalaya’s fiercest faces in the way few others dare.
We’ll be following their journey closely – and no matter the outcome, their story is already one for the ages.
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