{"id":35706,"date":"2019-12-24T16:20:09","date_gmt":"2019-12-24T23:20:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.alanarnette.com\/blog\/?p=35706"},"modified":"2020-03-07T17:14:47","modified_gmt":"2020-03-08T00:14:47","slug":"2019-20-winter-himalaya-climbs-k2-permit-issued","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.alanarnette.com\/blog\/2019\/12\/24\/2019-20-winter-himalaya-climbs-k2-permit-issued\/","title":{"rendered":"2019\/20 Winter Himalaya Climbs: K2 Permit Issued"},"content":{"rendered":"

Mingma Gyalje Sherpa<\/a><\/strong>‘s Imagine Nepal<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n

Wajahat Khan<\/a>\u00a0of Ariprcot Tours, the logistics agency for MIngma’s effort, told me today that:<\/p>\n

The climbing permit for \u201cK2 Winter Expedition 2019-20\u201d 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\u00a0mountaineers listed below:<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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  1. Mingma Gyalje Sherpa (Nepal) \u2013\u00a0view profile<\/a><\/li>\n
  2. Tamting Sherpa (Nepal)\u00a0\u2013 view profile<\/a><\/li>\n
  3. Pasang Namgel Sherpa (Nepal)\u00a0\u2013 view profile<\/a><\/li>\n
  4. Kili Pempa Sherpa (Nepal)\u00a0\u2013 view profile<\/a><\/li>\n
  5. John Snorri Sigurionsson (Iceland)\u00a0\u2013 view profile<\/a><\/li>\n
  6. Gao Li (China)\u00a0\u2013 view profile<\/a><\/li>\n
  7. Tomaz Rotar (Slovenia)\u00a0\u2013 view profile<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Broad Peak – Trekking to BC<\/h2>\n

    Broad Peak First then Maybe K2<\/strong><\/p>\n

    Denis Urubko’s<\/strong> 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\u00a0<\/strong>who will stay in base camp to support the two climbers. They are the trek to base camp hoping to arrive around December 23. Bowie posted on IG:<\/p>\n

    Dinner time at 4276 meters elevation on the Baltoro Glacier. Our cook Mohsin is taking good care of us with delicious meals despite -20C temps. To stay warm and conserve energy, Denis Urubko,\u00a0@lottahintsa<\/a>, and I, sleep in the dining tent along with some of our base camp staff. Another 2 days and we should reach base camp- but the snow is getting deeper each day. Keep your fingers crossed for us… –<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

    Nepal Cuts Climbing Permit Fees, but not for Everest<\/h2>\n

    Once again the outstanding PR machine out of the Nepal Ministry of Tourism has succeeded in generating global headlines of “in 2020 Nepal will cancel and reduce the cost of climbing permits by 50%.” Kathmandu Post,<\/a><\/p>\n

    This is a nice deal on Dhaulagiri and Kanchenjunga which will now cost $900 instead of the usual $1800, 50% of the usual cost. But Everest remains at $11,000, no change at all as it generates the most revenue of all the peaks in Nepal. Last year 384 permits were issued.<\/p>\n

    A few other smaller peaks have low to no cost including Api, Saipal, Ganesh Himal. Gyalzen Peak\u00a0but the largest sleight of hand was promoting that the popular 8000-meter mountain, Cho Oyu, will be offered at no fee, zero! But of course, Cho is usually climbed from the Tibet side. Since 1954, there have been 137 summits from the Nepal side and 3,707 from the Tibet side.<\/p>\n

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    Winter 2019\/20<\/h2>\n

    Everest<\/h3>\n