The Karakorum continues to play tough. Yesterday the only team on K2 quickly flew out ending their effort and today the Broad Peak team halted their summit push but suggest they will try again in February to meet Denis Urubko’s definition of winter.
Broad Peak – Illness Stops Summit Push
Don Bowie developed some kind of lung issue forcing he and Denis to abandoned their summit push. I hope it wasn’t HAPE and he can recover. They still have 23 days to go until the end of February.
Urubko posted on Facebook:
We fixed tent and drink soup in ‘my’ crevase
at 7000m. Don is extremaly sick pulmons. Tomorow We will leave deposit and rapell down to the base camp. We have 2 weeks more. I feel well and will wait the moment. Way is ready to 7500m with fixed ropes.
Denis Urubko’s goal is to complete, what he considers, the first true winter ascent of Broad Peak and then, perhaps, go to K2 within his “winter.” He is teaming with Don Bowie and Lotta Hintsa. Hintsa is not on the summit push.
Everest – Windy
Txikon on Southeast Ridge – Remaining at C2 due to winds
Alex Txikon and team are at Camp 2 in the Western Cwm on their way to overnight at Camp 3. They are at 6457 meters/21,184 feet. They cite high winds as the reason to stay put instead of moving to C3. If you recall, the winds stopped Alex on his previous winter Everest efforts. Txikon’s posted this update on Facebook and Twitter
Alex & Co. have remained in C2 today, acclimatising and enduring high winds. Should it drop somehow tomorrow, they’d set off and work on the route toward C3.
His team includes Spaniard Oscar Cardo, and Nepalese Sherpas Chhiji Nurbu Sherpa, Pechhumbe Sherpa, and Tenjen Sherpa. You can follow him on his tracker.
Jost on West Ridge – Injury Better, Recco Climb to Lho La
German alpinist Jost Kobusch, appears to be back inspecting the route to gain the Cho La Pass. He has been resting a foot injury for a week or so making a couple of short trips out of EBC. He’s now been there for about six weeks, in very stressful, cold conditions. I can only imagine the toll this is taking on his body. He posted on IG:
Today I took a closer look at the rock climbing section. Feeling really better – during the last months I had some stomach problems but they have improved by about 20%. So I have 20% more energy! Many of you keep asking me how I am doing. I am incredibly happy and grateful to be here and to be able to live this adventure! At the same time I am also worried about the physical discomfort and the danger I am in at times. It is a mixture of love and hate that makes this adventure so exciting and creates an intensity that makes me appreciate so many small details in my daily life! I already remember so many experiences out here with so much clarity. Like climbing a 6b+ solo and being under so much adrenaline that you almost threw up. Or the freezing temperatures of my winter Everest route, which were so low that I had to climb in mountain boots, down suits and mittens. The mittens could be opened so I could climb with free fingers – which I had to warm with my breath every two minutes… And then there are times when I walk along the glaciers listening to the Tim Ferris Show or Mountain Meister. Then I am in flow and get so creative! Being here – it is a whole mix of physical and emotional sensations.
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. You can track his location on this excellent map from 3D Reality Maps.
Winter 2019/20
Everest At Camp 2
- Jost Kobusch – at EBC
- Alex Txikon – At C2 in Cwm.
K2 – Over
- Mingma Gyalje Sherpa – Over
Broad Peak – Summit Push Stopped
- Denis Urubko – Summit Push stopped due to illness
Batura Sar – Climbing at C1
Ama Dablam
- Zoltán Szlankó, Alex Goldfarb – Summitted
Gasherbrum I/II – Over
- Simone Moro and Tamara Lunger – Over
Climb On!
Alan
Memories are Everything
