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2019/20 Winter Himalaya Climbs: Moving Higher!

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Jan 182020
 
2019/20 Winter Himalaya Climbs: Moving Higher!

Excellent progress on Gasherbrum and Broad Peak and Jost is on the move on Everest. There are expeditions on K2, Everest, Broad Peak, and the Gasherbrums plus a few others. Big Picture – Patience Pays Off Taking advantage of lower winds, but still, mind-numbing cold, teams from Everest to Broad Peak are climbing and establish the high camps. By either definition of winter, there is still plenty of time but they need to jump on every opportunity. Some teams are comfortable summiting using the meteorological definition of the seasons that begin on the first day of the months that include the continue reading

2019/20 Winter Himalaya Climbs: Cold Progress

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Jan 172020
 
2019/20 Winter Himalaya Climbs: Cold Progress

It’s cold in the Himalaya!  Teams are fighting the conditions yet are making as good of progress as you might expect for the middle of winter. Camp 2 reached on Broad Peak. There are expeditions on K2, Everest, Broad Peak, and the Gasherbrums plus a few others. Big Picture – Cold The winds have calmed in the Karakorum for the moment but it’s very cold, -13F/-25C at Broad Peak Base Camp. At Everest Base Camp, it’s not much warmer, but a bit at -2F/-19C, according to the excellent online weather app, Windy. In both locations, the weekend weather calls for continue reading

2019/20 Winter Himalaya Climbs: Winds Stall Climbers

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Jan 132020
 
2019/20 Winter Himalaya Climbs: Winds Stall Climbers

Big winds have returned to Everest and the Karakorum forcing teams to remain at base camp waiting out the storm. There are expeditions on K2, Everest, Broad Peak, and the Gasherbrums plus a few others. Big Picture To state the obvious, climbing big peaks in the winter is all about the weather. Regardless of your fitness, skills or preparation, humans cannot survive in -100F/-73C wind chill for, well, not for long. The summit winds are hovering over 150 mph/240kmh – that’s a category 5 hurricane and we saw what that does to a place like the Bahamas last year. The continue reading

2019/20 Winter Himalaya Climbs: Cold, Tough, Slow but Progress

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Jan 112020
 
2019/20 Winter Himalaya Climbs: Cold, Tough, Slow but Progress

Taking advantage of a small window of good weather progress was made on a few of the Himalayan peaks this week. More bad weather is expected later this weekend.  Meanwhile, Everest and K2 climbers have arrived in Nepal and Pakistan respectively to begin their trek to base camp. There are expeditions on K2, Everest, Broad Peak, and the Gasherbrums plus a few others. Everest – Above Base Camp 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 continue reading

2019/20 Winter Himalaya Climbs: Poor Karakorum Weather, Everest WR Video

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Jan 082020
 
2019/20 Winter Himalaya Climbs: Poor Karakorum Weather, Everest WR Video

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 continue reading

2019/20 Winter Himalaya Climbs: Everest West Ridge, No O’s on K2

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Jan 052020
 
2019/20 Winter Himalaya Climbs: Everest West Ridge, No O's on K2

For the first time since 1979, there will be an attempt on a rarely climbed Everest route. K2 climbers arrive in Pakistan for a no O’s K2 Winter attempt and progress on Broad Peak. It’s getting serious now! There are expeditions on K2, Everest, Broad Peak, and the Gasherbrums plus a few others. Everest – Taking West Ridge German alpinist Jost Kobusch, age 27, has announced on his Facebook page that he will take the West Ridge. The route is set! It will be the west ridge. Until the first camp at 6000 meters the complete rock could be fixed with 3 continue reading

2019/20 Winter Himalaya Climbs: Multiple Climbs Begin

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Jan 022020
 
2019/20 Winter Himalaya Climbs: Multiple Climbs Begin

The winter climbing season of 2019/20 has begun in earnest. Teams are arriving at Base Camps and some are already on acclimatization rotations. There are expeditions on K2, Everest, Broad Peak, and the Gasherbrums plus a few others. Everest – Exploring German alpinist Jost Kobusch, age 27, is at Everest Base Camp using it as a base to explore an alternative route to the Khumbu Icefall. Prior to his arrival he had mentioned wanting to use the West Ridge but then said the standard Southeast Ridge. Yesterday, January 1, 2020, his route tracker showed him taking a hike approaching the continue reading

2019/20 Winter Himalaya Climbs: Everest Climb Has Begun

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Dec 292019
 
2019/20 Winter Himalaya Climbs: Everest Climb Has Begun

The winter climbing season of 2019/20 continues.  A bit of progress but no summits .. yet. There are expeditions planned for K2, Everest, Broad Peak, and the Gasherbrums plus a few others. Everest – Exploring German alpinist Jost Kobusch, age 27, has arrived at Everest Base Camp. He appears to be exploring an alternative route to going through the Khumbu Icefall. Prior to his arrival he had mentioned wanting to use the West Ridge but then said the standard Southeast Ridge. His route tracker shows him taking a few hikes up the Lho La Pass. This from his tracker:   continue reading

2019/20 Winter Himalaya Climbs: K2 Permit Issued

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Dec 242019
 
2019/20 Winter Himalaya Climbs: K2 Permit Issued

Mingma Gyalje Sherpa‘s Imagine Nepal effort has been cleared to make a winter attempt on K2. They are back from Acocangua and will leave for Pakistan any day now. No updates on their financial issues but Minga told me it wouldn’t stop them. Wajahat Khan of Ariprcot Tours, the logistics agency for MIngma’s effort, told me today that: The climbing permit for “K2 Winter Expedition 2019-20” was issued yesterday (19th December, 2019). The team leader of the expedition is Nepalese mountaineer Mingma Gyalje Sherpa. Permission has been granted for a total of 7 mountaineers listed below: Mingma Gyalje Sherpa (Nepal) – view profile continue reading

2019/20 Winter Himalaya Climbs: At Everest Base Camp

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Dec 222019
 
2019/20 Winter Himalaya Climbs: At Everest Base Camp

December 21, the winter solstice, is considered the beginning of winter, so let the race begin. Momentum is picking up with the first climber at Everest Base Camp, potentially, but unlikely, looking at a summit attempt this upcoming week. There are expeditions planned for K2, Everest, Broad Peak, and the Gasherbrums plus a few others. Everest – At EBC German alpinist Jost Kobusch, age 27, has arrived at Everest Base Camp. He is doing frequent posts on his Facebook page.  In review, he plans on a winter, solo Everest climb without supplemental oxygen and no Sherpa support. Jost has been acclimatizing continue reading

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