No-Fall Zone: U.S. Trio Secures First Ski and Snowboard Descent of Dorje Lhakpa’s South Face

American snowboarder Nick Russell and skiers Adam Fabrikant and Billy Haas have etched their names into Himalayan mountaineering history, successfully completing the first-ever ski and snowboard descent of the formidable south face of Dorje Lhakpa. Towering at 6,966 meters (22,854 feet) in Nepal's Langtang region, the peak—often referred to as the Langtang Pyramid—presented a grueling, high-stakes challenge that the trio conquered in pure alpine style.

The successful summit and descent on October 20, 2026, was the culmination of a two-year dream for Russell. Accompanied by photographer Blake Gordon and Canadian cinematographer Leo Hoorn filming from high camp, the team relied on a mix of perfect timing, immense physical endurance, and sheer nerve to pull off the unprecedented feat.

Battling Cyclones and Illness

The expedition’s beginnings were far from auspicious. After arriving at base camp on October 6, the team was hit by a double-edged sword: a massive cyclone had just blanketed the region in heavy snow, and shortly after arriving, three of the five expedition members, including Russell, contracted COVID-19.

However, they recovered just as the weather windows opened. The cyclone's heavy precipitation actually proved to be a blessing, coating the lower sections of the mountain with enough snow to allow a continuous, clean descent without the need for down-climbing or rappelling. Supported by a dedicated Sherpa team—Dawa Geljee Sherpa, Kami Sherpa, and Nuri Sherpa—who helped move camera gear to high camp, Russell, Fabrikant, and Haas carried their own gear and set the tracks up the mountain.

A Grueling Ascent and an Unforgiving Descent

After establishing a high camp at 6,000 meters, the trio launched their summit push. The route was demanding, requiring them to cross an exposed icefall before tackling the sustained 45-to-50-degree steepness of the south face, which featured pockets as steep as 55 degrees.

"It was two-tool and crampon climbing the entire way, with no proper rests to take the pack off," Russell noted. After a grueling 7.5-hour climb, they topped out at 1:30 p.m.

The descent, which took roughly an hour and a half, was a high-wire act. Dropping in simultaneously—Russell on a snowboard, Fabrikant and Haas on skis—they were met with incredibly firm snow conditions that teetered right on the edge of what was rideable.

"Between the altitude, exposure below, steepness, and how firm it was, it was by far the heaviest line I've ever ridden," Russell recalled. "The entire line was a no-fall zone; one lost edge, and it'd be over." Despite the harrowing conditions, the team expertly navigated the face, eventually riding all the way down to the moraines near 4,500 meters the following day.

Adding to the Mountain's Legacy

Dorje Lhakpa has a storied, albeit quiet, history in the world of extreme winter sports. The legendary French snowboarder Marco Siffredi and Bertrand Delapierre famously rode the mountain's west ridge in 1999. However, the daunting south face remained untouched by descending boards or skis; in fact, it was only successfully climbed for the first time in 2021 by a Spanish alpine team.

Discovering the Spanish team's ascent in the American Alpine Journal was what originally sparked Russell's obsession with the face, which is visible on a clear day all the way from the Kathmandu Valley.

For Russell, Fabrikant, and Haas—who have previously logged major ski expeditions on peaks like Gasherbrum I and II—the Dorje Lhakpa descent represents a monumental step forward in high-altitude freeriding. As the climbing world remains heavily fixated on the 8,000-meter giants, Russell believes the true frontier for big-mountain skiing and snowboarding lies just below that threshold. "There are still virgin lines waiting for a snowboard/ski descent in the 6,000-7,000m range," he reflected. "It just takes a ton of work to make it happen."