American Trio top Mount Jannu

Americans Alan Rousseau, Matt Cornell, and Jackson Marvell have summited Jannu (Kumbhakarna) via the north face, in alpine-style.

The trio completed the climb on 13th October 2023 at 4:20 AM Nepali time according to their team Grand Himalayan Treks & Expedition.

“Climbing such a challenging peak is a remarkable achievement,” said a statement on the company social media. “Their dedication, teamwork, and courage are truly commendable. They are safely Base Camp now. Being the first Americans to summit Mt. Jannu is an incredible achievement and a testament to their skill and determination as mountaineers.”

The climb took a lot out of the climbers, who were admitted to CIWEC hospital following their descent, but they were all appear in good spirits.

On 18th October, Alan Rousseau reacted to the feat via his social media;
“So for three years I’ve been trying to climb the north face of Jannu in alpine style with Matt and Jackson. We finally got it done! In a 7 day push BC to BC. The 2700 meter north face was one that caused a lot of doubt and anxiety. In the end we all did our part and climbed the face in a style we are very proud of. We shared alot of terrain. From the Russian 04 line and the final 200 meters with the sw ridge. Our hardest steepest climbing was from 7000 meters to 7500 meters. This recessed portion of the north face has not been climbed previously. This is where we experienced some of the most intensely wonderful mixed climbing any of us have had the pleasure of partaking in. Here’s a first look at what we are calling ‘round trip ticket’ 2700M, M7 AI5+ A0. We will be sharing some more stories and photos in the coming days.”

Marvell Jackson added;
“Well the deed is done. It was years in the making and it feels surreal or even unthinkable at times that it worked out. Over 7 days Alan Rousseau Matt Cornell25 and I climbed a new route on the north face of Jannu in alpine style. We are still deep in the works of processing the experience and likely will be for a long while. More details to come when we feel like getting around to it.

Jannu or Kumbhakarna is the 32nd highest mountain in the world. It is an important Western outlier of Kangchenjunga, the world’s third highest peak. Jannu is a large and steep peak in its own right, and has numerous challenging climbing routes.