Poor weather has hampered progress on Broad Peak and the Gasherbrums meanwhile we get a good look at the Everest West Ridge route. There are expeditions on K2, Everest, Broad Peak, and the Gasherbrums plus a few others.
Everest – West Ridge Animation
German alpinist Jost Kobusch, age 27, has announced on his Facebook page that he will take the West Ridge. Initially, he will climb with his photographer, Daniel Hug the top of the Lho La Pass but then proceed solo. His team put together this excellent animation of the route:
Jost Kobusch – Mount Everest winter solo 2019/2020 from 3D RealityMaps on Vimeo.
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). You can follow him on his tracker.
Traveling to Nepal for Everest
Alex Txikon is planning his third winter Everest attempt. He just finished an outing in Antarctica to explore new routes on various peaks before going to Nepal to acclimatize for Everest on Ama Dablam. His team includes Spaniard Oscar Cardo, Jonatan García and Nepalese Sherpas Chhiji Nurbu Sherpa, Pechhumbe Sherpa, and Tenjen Sherpa. He is now traveling back home and then on to Nepal.
K2 – No Os – Team in Pakistan
Most of Mingma Gyalje Sherpa‘s Imagine Nepal team has arrived in Pakistan according to a message I received from Mingma plus his logistics organizer Apricot Tours. Mingma and Gao should have arrived today in Pakistan. Mingma will climb without supplemental oxygen.
Broad Peak – 150 mph Winds!
Broad Peak First then Maybe K2
Denis Urubko’s goal is to complete, what he considers, the first winter true ascent of Broad Peak and then, perhaps, go to K2. He is teaming with Don Bowie and Lotta Hintsa who will stay in base camp to support the two climbers. They have made a couple of rotations to 5,100 meters and cached gear and Urubko spent one night at C1. On January 6, 2020, Urubko’s home team posted on Facebook that they were hunkered down at base camp due to the winds:
After passing one night in Camp 1, Denis is resting on Base Camp. Just now the weather is not good enough to climb again. The wind is too strong even in BC. After three days, they expect to have an opportunity to continue working on the route. As Denis has written in his last sms: “I need to fight”.
And Lotta Hintsa added on Instagram:
Hanging out in (and around) base camp until further notice, waiting for some better weather. The winds above the summit have been around 240km/h, it’s cloudy and cold, and snow is blowing wildly all around. It sounds like the mountains are roaring… This has been some good time to explore around BC and today me and @donbowie went ice climbing just a 10min walk (aka swim through snow) away
Gasherbrum Traverse – Windy
Simone Moro and Tamara Lunger are trying to make acclimatization rotations but are also stalled by high winds. They want to traverse the two peaks in a single push via the Gasherbrum La at 6,400 meters. Tamara Lunger made this update on their progress:
Bad weather, but it didn’t stop us from getting a little higher and even more in trouble!! Today I could have been the one who opened the trail and that would have made me so happy. At some points, the snow reached my hips mindless of snowshoes. I also accidentally saw the crevasses from the inside, but when on the other side of the rope you find a person to whom you would entrust your life, nothing seems serious and then you give everything for this great goal, which is still far away, but at the same time very close! Thanks to all of you! I can feel your energies
Antarctica: Mt. Tyree
And finally, Jimmy Chin noted a “dream team” will attempt a ski descent of the north face of Mt. Tyree, the second-highest peak on the Antarctica continent:
En route to Antarctica to attempt two first descents I’ve dreamed of for years. The 7000ft【2.134 m】 NE face on Mount Tyree (pictured) is one of the main objectives and a new line on Vinson. Always some butterflies and a little bittersweet leaving home, family and the familiar for the unknown. The remote mountain ranges have an indescribable draw – always have for me and it seems they always will. Excited to be embarking on this journey w a dream team @conrad_anker @jimwmorrison @hilareenelson. Should be a good one…Hope the conditions hold steady
Winter 2019/20
Everest
- Jost Kobusch – at EBC
- Alex Txikon – in Antarctica
K2
- Mingma Gyalje Sherpa – soon
Broad Peak, then K2?
- Denis Urubko – on the trek
Gasherbrum I/II
- Simone Moro and Tamara Lunger – in Pakistan
Ama Dablam
- Zoltán Szlankó, Alex Goldfarb
Climb On!
Alan
Memories are Everything
2 thoughts on “2019/20 Winter Himalaya Climbs: Poor Karakorum Weather, Everest WR Video”
Great blog as Always Alan. Increcrible story from Tamara who was saved, as i read it, by the brotherhood of the rope. She makes it sounnd so normal after she fell in a crevasse. Also really curious whether both the Everest west ridge and the K2 winterclimb will be succesfull.
Broad Peak should read ‘true winter ascent’ not ‘true ascent’
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