The K2 winter team is almost at base camp but has been slowed by deep snow. Excellent progress on Ama Dablam and Broad Peak and Jost on Everest is back at base camp after overnighting on the Lho La. Summits on the Antarctica volcano Mt Sidely.
Everest – Back to Base Camp
German alpinist Jost Kobusch, age 27, is back at Everest Base Camp according to his tracker. His GPS coordinates map to 5,272 meters/ 17,296 feet. His high thus far was 6146 meters / 20164 feet on the Lho La Pass where he planned to establish his Camps 1 and 2. His photographer Daniel Hug has left thus Jost is truely climbing solo now. You can track his location on this excellent map from 3D Reality Maps. He posted on Facebook:
There was a lot of new snowfall in the Basecamp! ❄ However, the departure to camp one yesterday was without any problems. I started the ascent only around noon to climb the huge serac leading to camp at night at low temperatures. The ascent took 10 hours in total. Nonstop. Solo. So today I will have a rest day in my bedroom (at 6060m) 😏 , before I will open a new route to camp two tomorrow.
Hug shared a photo he took from the helicopter on his way out of Jost high on the Lho La.
I believe in the photo, Jost is approximately where the ‘J’ is on this map.
In review, he plans on a winter, solo Everest climb without supplemental oxygen and no Sherpa support. This exact style has never been attempted or accomplished. Jost had acclimatized on other peaks including Amotsang (6,393m), Island Peak (6,186 meters) and Pachermo Peak (6,259 meters).
Ama Dablam – Camp 1
Alex Txikon and the team are climbing Ama Dablam Base. They will move to Everest for an attempt on the standard SE Ridge route after Ama. His team includes Spaniard Oscar Cardo, Jonatan García and Nepalese Sherpas Chhiji Nurbu Sherpa, Pechhumbe Sherpa, and Tenjen Sherpa. Txikon posted on Instagram:
Yesterday some members of the team climbed up to C1 for their first night at 5,400m. Ramon Portilla’s voice speaking on the radio from Base Camp bring us back to the documentaries he used to participate in. We grew to love mountaineering watching those shows!
K2 – No Os – Almost to BC, Despite Deep SNow
Mingma Gyalje Sherpa‘s Imagine Nepal team arrived at Broad Peak Base Camp in deep snow. MIngma posted :
Today we reached Broad Peak Base Camp. I had problem with my net but it’s fixed now and we will trek to K2 base Camp tomorrow. We had too much snow on our way so it took us more days fighting with snow to reach here.
Broad Peak – Touched 6700, Back at BC
Broad Peak First then Maybe K2
The team made it to Camp 2 before experiencing more tough weather on January 19 then went on to tag 6,650 meters. Denis Urubko’s goal is to complete, what he considers, the first true winter ascent of Broad Peak and then, perhaps, go to K2. He is teaming with Don Bowie and Lotta Hintsa. Don Bowie posted on Instagram
Denis Urubko arrives at the small shelf of Camp 2. We had a few days of relative good weather and took full advantage of them, with Denis and I pushing the route somewhere around 6650m. Lotta, Denis, and I, stayed one night in Camp 1, and 2 nights in Camp 2. Despite mostly clear skies the temperatures remain extremely low. Denis really pushed hard on the 17th, getting out of the tent early to start working almost 1.5 hours ahead of me- which I consider a monumental effort considering temperatures that morning were -52C with wind chill. I mean just brrrr. (I owe you one Denis) We are back in base camp now, but I’ll post a few pictures this week from this last push. Please note that due to limited satellite data I cannot read or comment on my posts- but please leave your input and I will answer any questions later.
And Lotta gave this perspective on IG
Yesterday we came down to BC after spending 1 night in Camp 1 and 2 nights in C2 and I have to say I’m already incredibly proud of our team! There is a reason why people don’t climb in the winter, the conditions are brutal!! You’re constantly either breaking trail in waist-deep snow, trying not to trigger avalanches, or climbing steep, blue ice, where one mistake might mean you’re going waaaay down, probably in five pieces. And that’s only (part of) the climbing, not even mentioning the camping in crazy conditions (I’ll do another post about that) or the work that goes into preparation. So making it to camp 2 on Broad Peak in winter is so cool! (Here I also need to mention that the guys once again started the work of cutting out ropes from under the ice between C2&3. I salute them!) Now we wait out the weather again and see what opportunities it brings… Picture from our slippery descent below C2 yesterday by @donbowie
Antarctica Mt Sidely – Summit!!
David (Rosco) Roskelley and the entire team summited on January 18.
As of approximately 3:22pm MDT, (from what I can tell on the tracker) Team Sidley reached the SUMMIT – HOORAY!! CONGRATULATIONS to the entire Mt. Sidley team!! They had perfect, sunny conditions today with no wind, which is pretty remarkable given where they are. Amazing!! Today was a BIG climbing day. . . 4,700 vertical feet of elevation gain from high base camp to the summit. WOW! It’s official. . . Roscoe is the FIRST American to complete the Volcanic Seven Summits + Seven Summits!! We are all sooo very proud of you David C. Roskelley!! In the photo below I’m not sure if I was able to capture the tracker as they were standing on the exact summit, but pretty dang close. The second photo was sent by teammate Andrew Hughes. . .showing one of the rope teams on the ascent, with the Basler DC3 plane in the background.
The team included:
- David C. Roskelley – will be the first American to complete the 7 Volcanic Summits + 7 Summits
Andrew Hughes & Roxanne Vogel – each will only have one more volcanic summit (Damavand in Iran) to complete the 7 Volcanic Summits.
Oleg Mezentsev – will complete the 7 Volcanic Summits – and with his recent summit of Mt. Vinson, that completes the 7 Summits for him as well!
Vaughan de la Harpe & Arthur Madsen– will be the first South Africans to complete the 7 Volcanic Summits!
Donald O’Connor [South Africa]
Rob Williams [South Africa]
Winter 2019/20
Everest At 6000 meters
- Jost Kobusch – at EBC
- Alex Txikon – At C1 on Ama Dablam
K2
- Mingma Gyalje Sherpa – Broad Peak BC
Broad Peak, then K2?
- Denis Urubko – Tagged 6700 meters
Gasherbrum I/II
- Simone Moro and Tamara Lunger – Over. Due to injury
Ama Dablam
- Zoltán Szlankó, Alex Goldfarb
Climb On!
Alan
Memories are Everything
