Autumn 2019 Himalayan Season: Last Climbers Abandon Everest

An avalanche off the West Shoulder of Everest onto the Khumbu Icefall in 2008.

Nirmal Purja Purja Purja confirmed his last climb of his Project Possible and the remaining teams on Everest leave due to the end of the season and serac dangers.

Everest – And Then There Were None

Madison Mountaineering and Kilian Jornet both fearing the devasting effect of being hit by the trailer sized ice serac a few thousand feet above the Khumbu Icefall when it falls, have officially abandoned their climbs. Their Nepali logistics organizer, Iswari Paudel, Managing Director at Himalayan Guides, confirmed their decision in the Himalayan Times

Garrett told me yesterday:

Yes, I think I’m going to call it off tomorrow…we’re running out of time. Yeah, it was a tough season with the late and heavy monsoon…plus the Serac. Just wasn’t in the cards for us this time.

He posted this picture

2019.10.05 The Serac circled is still hanging on up there seems to be leaning more every day but just hasn’t fallen yet. Courtesy of Madison Mountaineering

Kilian Jornet got higher on Everest than anyone else this season using his speed climbing to reduce the risk of being in the wrong place at the wrong time in the Icefall. He made these comments on his Twitter and Instagram feeds:

This last month I had been in Khumbu valley

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2 thoughts on “Autumn 2019 Himalayan Season: Last Climbers Abandon Everest

  1. Alan
    Isnt the serac over the bottleneck on K2 much larger than this serac in the Khumbu?
    And that didnt prevent climbers from summiting last August, so I dont see the point about all the noise Made for the Khumbu serac.

    1. It was snow in the Bottleneck that presenting avalanche danger last summer on K2, not the serac. Yes, the K2 serac is much wider and taller. There are seracs all over the west face of Everest and over on Nuptse threatening the Khumbu Iceball. The issue this autumn was a chuck had calved off but not yet fallen and could have at any moment.

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