Singu Chuli is the mountain formerly known as Fluted peak. A few days after, enjoying that view of “ Fluters”, wilf Noyce and David Cox went on to make the first ascent of this attractive and difficult mountain by its North-East Face and the top section of the East Ridge. Despite the relative ease of access to the Sanctuary this mountain has proven too difficult for most commercial climbing groups who have tended to concentrate their efforts on Tent Peak.

As you approach the Sanctuary and reach the simple lodges at Machha-puchhare base camp little can be seen of the mountain, which is toward the head of the valley, cradling the West Annapurna Glacier .It is the first summit on the long ridge thrown down from Tarke Kang (Glacier Dome), which separates the South and West Annapurna Glaciers.

The approach to the first ascent route follows a shelf and a trough above the west bank of the West Annapurna Glacier, skirting round the base of the mountain’s rocky east ridge to gain the foot of the North-East Face, which is unseen, even from the moraines above the lodges.

Perhaps the best distant view of the mountain is from Annapurna South base camp. From the moraines above the lodges the fluted South Face presents a ‘beautiful shape, buttressed by pencil-shadowy ridges of snow and ice’ well seen, rising above the ridge connecting it with Tharpu Chuli.

To date, apart from the original route, most efforts to climb the mountain have concentrated on the face and ridges seen from this viewpoint. The South-West Ridge, the one that ultimately connects to Tent Peak, is an obvious, albeit corniced, line although a far more complicated connecting ridge than at first at first it appears. The terrain between the two peaks is quite confused and not at all a straightforward ridge. The fluted face to the right of the ridge, although menaced in places by ice bulges and seracs is set at a reasonable angle and appears an attractive proposition. However, despite rumours that routes have been made on these, no route descriptions have been made available and the NMA have no record of ascents.

Additionally, it offers some of the most spectacular mountain scenery, pristine forest, and high altitude climbing in the world. We start this climb with a hair-raising flight into the small town of Lukla at 2,800 m (9,184 ft). From there it is a six-day trek, with plenty of acclimatization days to keep us healthy at our ever-increasing altitude, through some of Nepal’s most pristine Rhododendron, oak, silver fir and birch forests, past beautiful alpine lakes, and finally up to the foot of Mera Glacier where we’ll establish base camp. We’ll set up two more high camps, the first over 300 m above B.C. on the Mera Glacier, and the second after we cross the Mera crevasse field at 5,800 m. From here it is a steady and steep climb to reach the summit, with awe-inspiring views of Kanchenjunga and Makalu to the east, Everest and Lhotse to the north, and Ama Dablam and Cho Oyu to the west.