{"id":24639,"date":"2016-10-28T14:49:37","date_gmt":"2016-10-28T20:49:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.alanarnette.com\/blog\/?p=24639"},"modified":"2016-11-12T14:49:06","modified_gmt":"2016-11-12T21:49:06","slug":"autumn-himalayan-around-the-world","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.alanarnette.com\/blog\/2016\/10\/28\/autumn-himalayan-around-the-world\/","title":{"rendered":"autumn Climbing Around the World"},"content":{"rendered":"

We are well into the autumn climbing around the world including the Himalayan as well as the traditional shoulder\u00a0season climbs around\u00a0the world including\u00a0Carstensz Pyramid (4, 884 m) in Indonesia and the Mexican volcanoes.<\/p>\n

So far all looks good with no serious incidents reported. There are no current attempts on any of the world’s 14 8000 meter mountains. The first Ascent of Burke Khang in Nepal is\u00a0now underway.<\/p>\n

First Ascent Attempts<\/h2>\n

Nuptse South Face\u00a0– over<\/h3>\n

French alpinist Frederic Degoulet \u00a0Frederic Degoulet<\/a>\u00a0and team\u00a0have ended their attempt to open a new route on the South Face of Nuptse II, at 7742m.\u00a0The summit is on the same ridge as the Lhotse next to Everest. They posted an excellent report (translated by Google):<\/p>\n

We probably made a bad decision up there trying the all out on day five in one push mode, no backpack, no back up if we butions on too long time to overcome difficulties. 700m over 7000m to swallow, too cocky, too confident.Especially as the route was uncertain, we all thought that it would not be obvious, but surmountable. It did not happen, we climbed steep slopes and extremely steep flutes ices, improt\u00e9geables 300m in 8 hours … We had not done half the way we had left to do and we were still not in easy terrain. The altitude was beginning our confidence, our facility, our mind, our capabilities simply. And all still take more time the more you go up. A final length leading to a finished bag ass finish us and we realized at once it was over, it was too long, too hard to reach the summit that day. Bivouac without us it was impossible to stay here and try again the next day, our highest point, reaching the summit. gross strategic error but that this time we seemed obvious.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Burke Khang – just starting<\/h3>\n

Bill Burke, the oldest American to summit Everest and live, is well on his way\u00a0to\u00a0attempt a first ascent of a peak named after him by the Nepal Government. \u00a0He attempted it last year but found the summit blocked by opposing cornices. I wrote an long article<\/a> about their attempt last year. He and David Liano <\/a>are posting updates on their Facebook pages and websites<\/a>. They are currently\u00a0in Namche Bazaar, on their trek to base camp.<\/p>\n

UPDATE<\/strong> Nov 12, 2016 – Effort abandoned. Burke posted<\/a> on his site:<\/p>\n

The trip is over. The mountain is a beast! Small but mighty. Kicked our butt big time-especially mine. I plan to leave Burke-Khang alone. This mountain is for the ages. Even David and the experienced Sherpas were blown away! I am choppering out of here tomorrow. I\u2019ll never cross those glaciers again. Once I am back in Kathmandu and physically \u00a0and mentally recovered, I\u2019ll file a complete report. I have some great photos and videos to share.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

7000 meter Peaks<\/h2>\n

Nepal is extremely popular for climbs of the so called “Trekking Peaks” of Island, Baruntse and Meru. Multiple teams are reported to have\u00a0safely summited\u00a0these peaks this month. Adventure Consultants<\/a> is doing a nice job of posting dispatches on their Island Peak climb.<\/p>\n

\"Ama<\/a>
Ama Dablam<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Ama Dablam\u00a0(6,812m\/22,349\u00a0ft)<\/h3>\n

Ama Dablam is often called the most beautiful peak in the world and it is attracting\u00a0record crowds this 2016 autumn season.<\/p>\n

Ama has emerged as a dangerous climb. Six climbers were killed in November 2006 when part of the Dablam collapsed hitting Camp 3. Parts\u00a0of the\u00a0\u00a0Dablam also collapsed in late 2008 but didn’t take any lives. In 2014, three climbers were killed when the Dablam released but some say they were depending on\u00a0old ropes<\/a> and that contributed to their deaths.<\/p>\n

When I summited<\/a>\u00a0it in 2000, we were the only team on the mountain. The Himalayan Times<\/a>\u00a0excellent climbing journalist Rajan Pokhrel reported more than 400 climbers are on the mountain split evenly between foreigners and local Sherpa support.<\/p>\n

A team of Sherpas including\u00a0Pemba Wongdi, Pasang Tenji, Nima, Lhakpa Wongchhu, Temba and Thuktan fixed the route to the summit via the \u00a0Southeast ridge route a few days ago opening\u00a0the flood gates. There have been several attempts<\/a> in the past three years to summit via the North Ridge instead of the standard\u00a0South East Ridge, but there has been no success.<\/p>\n

\"Cholatse\"<\/a>
Cholatse<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Cholatse\u00a06,440m\/21,130′<\/h3>\n

Cholatse located between the Khumbu and\u00a0Gokyo Valleys, has emerged as an alternative to Ama with less danger.<\/p>\n

Update<\/strong>:\u00a0Phil Crampton<\/a>, Altitude Junkies, posts<\/a> that their Sherpas fixed the ropes to the summit a few days ago and six of the team\u00a0summited on 28 October 2016.<\/p>\n

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Other Climbing News<\/h2>\n

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\"Tyrollean<\/a>
Tyrollean Traverse by Ranveer Jamwal<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Carstensz Pyramid (4,884 m)<\/h3>\n

CP is one of the strangest climbs\u00a0I’ve ever done<\/a>. Nestled deep in the rain forests on West Papua (irian Jaya) in Indonesia’s New Guinea, I cant imagine\u00a0going there unless you wanted to complete\u00a0the Messner list of the 7 Summits<\/a>.<\/p>\n

International Mountain\u00a0Guides<\/a> (IMG) posted updates from their successful summit last week. The old\u00a0Tyrollean traverse rig has been replaced\u00a0by what is touted as a safer system. Judging by this picture by Ranveer Jamwal<\/a>, I’m not sure!<\/p>\n

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This is a video of me on the old system in 2011:<\/p>\n