Category: Climbing News

Peak bagging season continues with summits on Tibet’s 8000ers. Look for some of the Annapurna summiteers to bag Makalu or Dhualagiri, then combo Everest and Lhotse. The weather is the wildcard this year if we see long lines like in 2019.

Big Picture

Teams are now scattered all over the Big Hill, working on their acclimatization, from EBC to Camp 3 just below the Lhotse Face. S spat of bad weather slowed some teams for a couple of days, but nothing serious. However, over on Dhaulagiri, reports from base camp note five feet of snow in the last few days. Carlos Soria must be quite nervous given this is his fourteenth at, and he’s 84 years old.

An American, Jonathan Sugarman, 69, died at Camp 2 on Everest on Tuesday, May 1, 2023. He was climbing with International Mountain Guides. The retired MD from the Seattle area trained diligently for the expedition and was feeling well. Last year, he summited Lobuche and Island Peak and reached Camp 3 on Everest. #everest2023

It’s mid-season, and there are mixed results on the ‘other’ 8000ers and a lot of movement on Everest. The ropes are now at the South Col, and the rope team estimates tagging the summit around May 10, depending on the weather. This is slower than previous estimates. Let’s take a look at acclimatization and climbing the Lhotse Face.