October 8th, 2009 by admin

While many teams have already packed up and gone home for the season and others are just now finishing up their expeditions, the Climb With Us Team, which is sponsored by Hanesbrands, is just setting off for their climb on Pumori, the 7161 meter (23,494 foot) Himalayan peak located on the border between Nepal and Tibet. The mountain, which is known as “Everest’s Daughter” sits just five miles to the west of the Big Hill itself, and is a popular destination for mountaineers looking for a Himalayan climb.

For the Climb With Us team, they’ll be making a trial run with the new gear that was recently announced from Hanes, ahead of an Everest climb scheduled to take place next spring. You’ll be able to follow along with the expedition, which is led by Jaime Clarke, on the Expeditions Update page, which already has a nice story about Pumori from Stephanie Pearson, who is a contributor to Outside Magazine. Good luck to the whole team!

Meanwhile, ExWeb is reporting in that storms have moved into the region, and that is preventing many teams from moving up their mountains at all. Most climbers are hunkered down in base camp, waiting out the weather and hoping for a window to open soon.

On Annapurna, the Korean team, which includes Oh Eun-Sun, is holding fast for now, despite the fact that the heavy snow has collapsed tents and made life very difficult. Their weather forecasters tell them this storm will hold in place until the Friday at the very least, and after that they’ll have to decide if they can make another go at the summit or if they’ll come home. Annapurna is notorious for its dangerous avalanches, and this new blanket of snow won’t help their cause much. Miss Oh is hoping to become the first woman to nab all of the 8000 meter peaks, and has just this lone mountain to go.

Similar reports are coming in from Cho Oyu, Shisha Pangma, and Dhaulagiri as well. Teams on each mountain say that heavy snows have left them stranded in BC with near arctic conditions raging around them. Of course, if conditions are this bad in the base camps, how bad will they be further up the mountain, where the high camps have already been established? Some teams will no doubt face the task of having to re-establish those camps once the storm clears.

October 6th, 2009 by admin

The weekend news from the Himalaya begins with Andrew Lock, who reached the summit of Shisha Pangma last Friday, claiming his final 8000 meter peak, and becoming the the 15th person to summit all 14. The details on the climb are still a bit thin, but judging from his latest dispatch, it sounds like things were a bit treacherous on the descent. Andrew reached the true summit on Shisha, along with Neil Ward, but on their way down they were forced to camp, without gear, at 7600 meters. They did return to BC eventually, but have yet to share the details of their harrowing climb. I sense there is a good story here. Congrats Andrew! Well done.

Also on Shisha Pangma is the Summit Climb Team, which I reported last week were having some drama high on the mountain. One of the members of the team, Bart Dirven, had collapsed on the descent, and was having a difficult time making his way down after a successful climb to the Central Summit. Bart was suffering from exhaustion and altitude sickness, but in their latest update, it was reported that the entire team, including Bar, were down safe and sound. Crisis averted!

Meanwhile, over on Annapurna, the Korean team was turned back this weekend due to bad weather conditions high on the mountain. They are all back in base camp now, and plotting another attempt. ExWeb is reporting that they hope to make their next summit bid sometime next week, with an eye on being on top by October 15th, provided they get a weather window to proceed. This has temporarily put a halt to Oh Eun-Sun’s attempt to become the first woman to summit each of the 8000 meter peaks.

Over on Dhaulagiri, we have word that there is an Italian team making an attempt on that mountain. There hasn’t been a lot of news from Dhaula this fall, but that doesn’t mean it is deserted. The Italians went up as high as C3 over the weekend, but were also forced back down due to inclement weather. They hope to make another attempt, weather permitting, later this week.

Finally, teams are clearing out of the Himalaya and heading home. Alpenglow Expeditions returned to Kathmandu on Saturday, and Field Touring Alpine has already vacated the region, but they still found time to post an excellent trip report from their recent climb on Satopanth.

Clearly, the days are numbered on the Fall Season. Winter is not far off, but there are very few climbs during that season.

September 2nd, 2009 by admin

With the summer Karakorum season now behind us, and the monsoon moving off, the mountaineering world is now turning back towards the Himalaya and big peaks there, including Everest. The fall season will get underway soon, with modestly sized teams making their way to Kathmandu for a decidedly different experience than found there in the spring.

ExWeb had just posted the first edition of the Fall Expedition list, and as usual, it has some very interesting climbs. For instance, Basque climbers Alberto Iurrategi and Juan Vallejo are headed back to the North Side of Everest to attempt the Hornbein Couloir in alpine style, while Simone Moro has his sights set on a new route along the South-West Face of Cho Oyu.

A couple of climbers will be hoping to finish off their remaining 8000 meter peaks, including Andrew Lock who needs Shisha Pangma to join the list of men who have topped out on all of those mountains. That list may not remain exclusive to the male gender for much longer however, as Korean climber Oh Eun-sun has her sights set on Annapurna, and if successful, she’ll become the first woman to summit all 14 8-thousanders.

As usual, this list will probably be updated in the days ahead, as more expeditions firm up their plans and announce their last minute details. There are plenty of commercial teams making their way to the Himalaya as well, as the begin to lay the groundwork for Everest attempts next year. While the Fall Season isn’t nearly as busy as the spring, it still holds plenty of excitement, as it seems that the climbers that are there are hoping to push the envelope a bit further without the crowds to get in the way. Should be fun to watch as usual. Lets hope everyone stays safe in the week ahead.

September 2nd, 2009 by admin

I just wrote about the 2009 Fall Himalaya Expedition List yesterday, and now we get word today that things are already starting to happen in Nepal. ExWeb is reporting that teams have begun to arrive in Kathmandu, including the Basque team that will soon depart for Tibet, where they’ll be attempting the Hornbein couloir along the North Face. They’re joined by a Mexican team that has its sights set on Manaslu and two Chilean teams, one already on the trek to that mountain, and another preparing to set out for Dhaulagiri.

Swiss climber Ueli Steck continues his penchant for impressive climbs this fall by making an attempt on the West Pillar of Makalu. Ueli warmed up for this climb by making a solo summit on GII this past summer, and in keeping with that theme, he’ll be going solo on Makalu as well. He will be joined by photographer Robert Boesch and mountain guide Andy Waelchli, but neither of those two men will go above base camp. According to Ueli’s website, he expects to finish this project by the end of October. If there is a climber out there that can make a bold solo climb like this one, it’s probably Ueli.

The Altitude Junkies have an expedition planned for Manaslu, and according to their most recent dispatch, the team should now be in Nepal, and beginning their trek to the mountain today. Expect the usual excellent updates from AJ as the climb progresses.

Finally, here’s an interesting climb that is being sponsored by The North Face. It’s called the Cho Oyu Trinity project and it will see a team of climbers make an attempt on the 8021 meter Cho Oyu. Following a successful summit, the team hopes to snowboard back down the mountain, before running and mountain biking their way back to Kathmandu, a distance of approximately 275 miles. I guess they were looking for more of a challenge after climbing the sixth highest mountain on Earth.

June 23rd, 2009 by admin

For months we’ve been hearing about how Nives Meroi, Gerlinde Kaltenbruner, and Edurne Pasaban were the three women who were gunning to become the first to reach the summit of all 14 8000m peaks. Well now, thanks to a stunning triple header in the Himalaya, there is another woman throwing her hat into the ring to make that claim.

South Korean climber Go Mi-sun along with climbing partner Kim Jae-soo, pulled off a first in the Himalaya this spring season by knocking off three 8000 meter peaks. The pair first took on Makalu, reaching the summit on April 30th, before moving on to Kangchenguna, reaching the summit of that mountain on the 19th of May. Not content with having added two big peaks to their resume, they went on to the summit of Dhaulagiri, finishing their triple header on the 9th of June.

Having completed these three climbs, Go Mi-Sun now has 10 of the 14 8000m peaks under her belt, and has achieved all 10 in just 2 1/2 years. She is also reportedly en route to Pakistan, where she’ll attempt another triple header, this time bagging Gasherbrum I and II as well as Nanga Parbet. If successful, she’ll have just Annapurna on her list, and she’ll be right there with Nives, Gerlinde, and Edurne coming down the stretch.

Pretty impressive climbing to say the least. Having the potential to knock off six 8000 meter peaks in the span of just a few months is amazing. I wish her all the luck in the Karakorum this summer, and of course on Annapurna when she gets the opportunity. Saving that mountain for last may have been a good idea, but it is definitely no walk in the park, and often considered one of the most challenging mountains in the world.

Thanks to Stweart’s Climbing Blog for this great story.

May 5th, 2009 by admin

The calendar has turned to May, and while the rest of the world is dealing with the dreaded swine flu, in the Himalaya there is an altogether different ailment they are dealing with. it is right about this time each year that a nasty case of summit fever hits, and it seems to be indiscriminate in who it affects.

It seems Dhaulagiri may be the latest mountain to feel the impact, as ExWeb is reporting that Czech mountaineer David Fojtík topped out over the weekend, and completed the first summit of the season on that mountain by skiing most of the way back down. It is also reported that an unnamed Korean climber also reached the summit, although one of his teammates was not so lucky, and suffered severe hypothermia and frostbite on his descent back down the couloir. Congrats to the first summitteers of the season on Dhaula!

Meanwhile, things are really heating up on Everest’s South Side, where Alan Arnette is reporting that the lines could be fixed to the summit as early as tomorrow, with Sherpas reaching the summit for the first time in 2009. The prediction is that the weather will turn bad after that, stranding the teams in BC while they wait for the first window of the season, which is expected to come early next week. Everything is in position, and the stage is just about set. It is nearly go time on Everest.

Alan also reports of another significant development on Everest that should hopefully make the mountain safer this year and in years to come. It seems that fresh bolts have been dropped into the Yellow Band, a notorious bottleneck on the mountain, and new lines have been put into place. There will now be a rope for climbers going up, and climbers going down, which should help to move things along a bit more quickly. It is also reported that the guides who installed the new lines, Willie Benegas and Adrian Ballinger, also cleared out a lot of old rope that was just hanging on the face. That should greatly improve the route as well.

You may have heard that an avalanche hit Everest over the weekend, and you can checkout some video of it from the First Ascent Team below. Fortunately no one was hurt, but it sure looks scary enough. The Peak Freaks are reporting more ice slides today, and can’t help but wonder if global warming has anything to do with it. Speaking of the First Ascent team, Ed Viesturs and Peter Whittaker went up the mountain yesterday and established Camp 3 at 23,400 feet, where they also waited out the storm that hit over the weekend.

Finally, the Boys of Baruntse are taking a much deserved rest day today following a few days of scouting the mountain. They received a dusting of snow as well, but everyone is in good spirits and health, and they are preparing to make their assault on the 23,390 foot mountain, along a new route, and then make the first ski descent as well. Of course, they’re capturing the entire thing on video for future episodes of The Rest of Everest too! Can’t wait.

May 1st, 2009 by admin

As we sit on the edge of May, you can feel that we’re also on the edge of lots of activity in the Himalaya. Teams are moving up and down Everest, making their last acclimatization runs, and the Sherpas are busy working on the final fixed lines, laying the ground work for plenty of action to come in just a few short weeks.

ExWeb starts the updates off today with the news that the Lhotse-Everest Traverse Team are on the move and expect to spend the night in C3 today before carrying the last of their supplies to C4 tomorrow. They’ll spend the night there, then descend one final time. From there, they’ll make a go at it on the next weather window, with the plan that they’ll summit Lhotse, then trek across the ridge to Everest, where they’ll top out one final time, before descending back down the mountain. This one should be fun to watch.

On Everest’s South Side there is poor weather in the forecast, with snow expected tomorrow, which may strand a few teams in BC before making their next rotation up the mountain. Most are on their way to Camp 3 for the acclimatization process, where they’ll spend the night before one final hike back down the South Col. From there, it’ll just be a matter of resting up, and watching the weather.

The North Side is facing it’s own set of issues, as more teams are arriving on the mountain, but suffering from acclimatization issues of their own. Thanks to the fancy new road that was built to base camp for the Olympic Torch Team last year, teams are arriving faster than ever, but are also finding themselves ill equipped to deal with the altitude and finding themselves out of breath when they do get there. At least one team has gone back down the mountain to regroup already as well.

In other parts of the Himalaya, teams are preparing to make their bids. On Kangchenjunga for instance, Edurne Pasaban has gone up to Camp 3 and cached supplies, while other teams have moved up as well. On Makalu, a large Korean team is building the high camps and fixing the lines, while a lone female team member stays in BC, and awaits her shot at going up. Over on Dhaulagiri there have been rumors of a summit push going on now, but there have been no confirmations of this or word of successful summits just yet, while the word from Cho Oyu is that BC is quiet with relatively few teams there this season.

Finally, our friends on Baruntse, who are attempting to climb a new route, then make the first descent on skis checked in with CNN again yesterday. Check out the video below.

Embedded video from CNN Video

April 25th, 2009 by admin

Time for a late week round up on what is happening in the Himalaya, where throughout the week we’ve been hearing that there are issues in the Khumbu Icefall near Everest. It was widely reported throughout the week that the route through the icefall, often called the most dangerous part of the mountain, had collapsed, preventing teams from making their way up to the high camps. The route was down for portions of three days in a row, but of course, it was repaired fairly quickly, Ice Doctors doing their usual bang-up job, and access was restored to the mountain once again. This is not an uncommon occurrence in the icefall, where the ice shifts constantly, and seracs collapse with regularity. It can obviously be quite dangerous, but the Docs are consummate professionals, and usually have things repaired ASAP.

For most of the teams, it was another acclimatization week on Everest, with many making their way up to C2 for the first time, where they generally spend the night, and sometimes all the next day as well. The process of getting your body use to that altitude is a slow one, so it is important to spend time there before returning once again to base camp. Alan Arnette conintues to update his Everest 2009 page with some great info of where everyone is at on the mountain, plus his own personal insights into what is going on.

ExWeb is also reporting that the Sherpas have fixed the lines as high as Camp 3, opening the door for the climbers to head on up to that point soon, and continue the acclimatization process. They are also reporting that the Kazakh team working the Lhotse-Everest Traverse, are already at 7300m as they make their alpine style go both summits.

The Himex Team has split into several groups, and are heading back to Lobuje Peak for another acclimatization climb according to Billi Bierling, who will be going for her second successful summit there. Of course, Russell Brice know what he is doing in get his clients ready for the big hill, but not all clients are treated the same, as David Tait, who has climbed with Brice in the past, will skip a second trip up Lobuje, and instead climb to C2 on Everest instead. David already has a successful North to South traverse to his name, and is quite experienced on the mountain.

Meanwhile, other teams are weighing in, with the Peak Freaks updating their blog to indicate that they have team members stretching from BC all the way up to C3 where the Sherpa are fixing ropes. IMG is in a similar position with climbers in BC, C1, and C2. They are also helping to coordinate with other teams on fixing the ropes, making sure everyone is contributing something to the cause. The Adventure Consultants are back in BC on the other hand, having already spent four nights on the mountain, including one night in both C1 and C3. The team is well ahead of the game when it comes to acclimatization and are feeling good at the moment.

On the North Side of Everest, things are still gearing up. The Summit Climb Team reached ABC this week, and there are several other teams strung out between base camp and advanced base camp, with an interim camp in between. ExWeb is also reporting that the Canadian team led by Manuel Pizarro have elected to go for a permit to climb from the Tibetan side of the mountain, rather than their planned South Col route. They are en route to North Base Camp, and hope to be there early next week.

Moving away from Everest and to some of the other peaks, it looks like it is go time on Manaslu, where teams are in the midst of a summit push at this very moment. There is reportedly a lot of snow on the mountain, and that is making things treacherous, but despite those conditions, teams hope to top out on Monday.

Meanwhile, over on Annapurna, the weather conditions are forcing teams to abandon the mountain altogether. There is a lot of snow on the upper slopes, and Annapurna is notoriously dangerous when it is prone to avalanches. Base camp is reportedly nearly empty already.

On Dhaulagiri, the Polish Tatra Rescuers Expedition has already made a run up to C3 and are currently back in base camp, resting, and waiting for a weather window to make a go at the summit. ExWeb also reports that sadly, Peter Hamor has returned to Kathmandu and is filling out reports on climbing partner and friend Piotr Morawski, who died on the mountain a few weeks back.

Finally, Ben Clark posts a dispatch on the Ski The Himalayas website with an update on their progress. He, along with friends Josh Butson and Jonathan Miller, have their hopes set on as summit, and ski descent of 23,390 foot Baruntse. The team is still two days away from BC, but it has already been quite an adventure, with plenty of rain and snow so far. Ben notes that yesterday alone they had to traverse three 14,000 foot passes, in whiteout conditions no less. The best part is that all of that hasn’t dampened Ben’s enthusiasm for the adventure at all, and just reading his words you can tell how excited he is to be back in the Himilaya. We should all be so lucky.

April 15th, 2009 by admin

Lots of stuff happening in the Himalaya while I was off the grid. So hard to get caught up when you haven’t had Internet for days during one of the busiest times of the year in terms of adventure.

First up, by condolences go out to the friends and family of Piotr Morawski, the young climber from Poland who, at the age of 33, had already made quite a name for himself in the climbing community. I’m sure for most of you this is old news, considering he perished last week, but I’m still catching up, and this was sad news indeed. It seems Piotr fell while descending from Camp 2 on Dhaulagiri, and slipped into a crevasse. He had six 8000m peaks to his name, including the first winter ascent on Shisha Pangma with Simone Moro back in 2005.

In other news, it seems that the Ice Doctors have gone to work creating a path through the Khumbu Icefalls, allowing the climbers to make their first forays onto the upper portions of Everest. As you no doubt already know, the Icefall is part of the glacier that extends down the mountain, and is continually moving and shifting its position. This opens up large cracks and crevasses, and each year a new path through the region, the most deadly on the South Side, has to be built using a series of ladders, which are set down over the openings, allowing the mountaineers to pass by waking across, stepping on the rungs. Many say it is a scary portion of the climb, but it is done multiple times throughout the climb as the teams go up and down the mountain establishing their camps and acclimatizing. According to Alan Arnette’s Everest 2009 page, the first teams have moved through the early portions of the Icefall to get use to the process, which can be, in Alan’s words, intimidating.

ExWeb is also reporting that the Icefalls may be completely open as early as today, although some reports are indicating that the last 200 meters or so are giving them particular troubles. Once the route is finished, the teams will be free to begin establishing Camp I just on the other side of the Falls.

Alan also reports that many of the teams have now had their Puja ceremonies as well. The traditional religious ceremony is conducted for each team before they begin the climb up from base camp to show respect for the mountain and to ask for safe passage to the summit and back. For the Sherpas who are integral to any successful Himalayan climb, and for the experienced mountaineers who have climbed in the region in the past, it is a very important part of the process.

The action is heating up on some of the other peaks in the Himalaya as well, with ExWeb saying that teams have established C1 on Manaslu, where a Koren team is expected to make a summit push in just three days. I’m assuming that’s from a different route, or they’re going up in Alpine Style in a fast climb. Meanwhile, German Luis Stitzinger has announced that he intends to ski down Dhaulagiri from at least 8000m and possibly the entire mountain, depending on conditions. It would be the first ski descent of that mountain.

Finally, Joe Puryear and David Gottlieb have announced that hey will have a go at Lunag Ri, which they are calling “the highest unclimbed permissible and independent mountain in Nepal.” There are several mountains in the region that are higher, but are off limits, with no permits being issued, because of the religious significance of the places. It should be fun to follow their progress over the weeks ahead, as they go for the first ascent.