2019/20 Winter Himalaya Climbs: Summit!

The first Himalayan summits of this winter season were on Ama Dablam while poor weather bogs down the other climbs.

Ama Dablam – Summit!

Alex Txikon and the team summited Ama Dablam. They will now move to Everest for an attempt on the standard SE Ridge route. His team includes Spaniard Oscar Cardo, Jonatan García and Nepalese Sherpas Chhiji Nurbu Sherpa, Pechhumbe Sherpa, and Tenjen Sherpa. Txikon posted on Instagram:

It has been a day full of emotions. Thus we have lived the summit moment from the base camp. Because nothing would be possible without the work of the entire expedition team.

Their home team gave this update:

Alex Txikon has achieved the first summit this winter in the Himalayas. At 10:15am, local time, he stepped on top of Ama Dablam (6,858m) together with Jonatan García, Pasang Sherpa, Cheppal Sherpa and Kalden Sherpa. The climbers  had set off from Camp 3 (6,300m) at 4:30am. “It’s been a tough ascent,” Alex said on the phone from the summit. “Wind hit us hard all they way up, but here we are, the five of us on top! Next, let’s start descending carefully.”

We will report again on social media as soon as the climbers reach safely back some higher camp. News is also expected on the progress of other team members. Weather forecasts indicated good conditions today with weaker winds, but conditions may turn for the worse tomorrow.

A few pictures from Racetraker and Alex

Everest – At Base Camp

Now that Alex Txikon has summited Ama Dablam, he will move to Everest for a standard route attempt, his third effort. It will be interesting to see if German alpinist Jost Kobusch, age 27, alters his plans and joins them (which I think would be excellent and then to return in a year or two for a solo attempt.)

Jost is 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. You can track his location on this excellent map from 3D Reality Maps.

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).

K2 – No Os – Loads to ABC

Mingma Gyalje Sherpa‘s Imagine Nepal team arrived at Broad Peak Base Camp in deep snow and have started carrying loads to the foot of the Abruzzi route at 17,835.33 ft​【5.436 m】. John Snorri posted on IG :

Today we manage to port 100-120kg of equipment up to 5600m on the Abruzzi Spur. The icefall was tricky and some places a bit dangerous, so we needed to fix lines to pass. We didn’t set up ABC camp because we believe the wind will be to strong for the tent’s there. We are still climatasing. Next days the weather will be bad, so we have to play along with the wether. The team is felling well and strong.

Broad Peak – To 6800 meters, Back at BC

Broad Peak First then Maybe K2

The team wanted to overnight at 7,000 meters to complete their acclimatization then potentially make a summit attempt last next week. They 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. Bowie gave this brief update on Friday, January 24:

Denis Urubko and I made a sprint yesterday, climbing from base camp at 4850m elevation to 6840m -then doing some work there- then climbing back down to base camp. It was a long day with 2000 meters vertical climbing (and then descending) but when you get a few hours of good weather in the forecast, sometimes you need to launch a marathon day to get a little work done. We pushed our existing high point up 100m vertical to just below Camp 3 before getting chased off the face by hurricane winds and low temps. Now back in base camp waiting the next weather window.


Winter 2019/20

Everest At 6000 meters

K2

Broad Peak, then K2?

  • Denis Urubko – Tagged 7000m, At BC

Gasherbrum I/II

  • Simone Moro and Tamara Lunger – Over. Due to injury

Ama Dablam

  • Zoltán Szlankó, Alex Goldfarb

Climb On!
Alan
Memories are Everything

 

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