2019/20 Winter Himalaya Climbs: Warming Conditions
The cold is easing up a bit allowing more movement on Everest. No word from Denis Urubko on Broad Peak. Everest Txikon on Southeast Ridge – At EBC Alex Txikon and team are hoping to leave EBC for Camp 3 or even 4 at the South Col in a day or so. Txikon’s posted this update […]
2019/20 Winter Himalaya Climbs: Only A Few Remain
Cold has hampered the remaining expeditions, two on Everest and one on Broad Peak. However, this week looks better for Everest but still mind-numbing wind chills on BP. Broad Peak Denis Urubko was thought to go on his summit pus solo this weekend but stayed at base camp due to weather. The porters are […]
2019/20 Winter Himalaya Climbs: Weekend Update
Climbing in the winter is dramatically different than in the usual seasons, obviously. More expeditions don’t summit than stand on top. There are many reasons for this ranging from experience, preparation, and team dynamics to weather, mountain conditions or just that after weeks on end at temperatures hovering under -20F/-29C and winds gusting over 100mph/160kph […]
2019/20 Winter Himalaya Climbs: Broad Peak Summit Push Stopped
The Karakorum continues to play tough. Yesterday the only team on K2 quickly flew out ending their effort and today the Broad Peak team halted their summit push but suggest they will try again in February to meet Denis Urubko’s definition of winter. Broad Peak – Illness Stops Summit Push Don Bowie developed some kind […]
2019/20 Winter Himalaya Climbs: Update on Everest Hanging Serac
Last Autumn, several teams abandoned their Everest climbs fearing a teetering serac above the Khumbu Icefall. It was so massive that if it fell, it would shatter directly on top of their route killing anyone there instantly. Echos of a similar release in 2014 were loud. That incident killed 16 Sherpas. So the big question […]
2019/20 Winter Himalaya Climbs:K2 Winter OVER, Broad Peak Summit Push Underway
Huge news that Mingma Gyalje Sherpa‘s Imagine Nepal has ended its K2 winter effort. The reasons remain vague. The team flew back to Askole by helicopter ending speculation some might stay and join with Urubko and Bowie after their Broad Peak attempt currently underway. But we never know for sure until everyone is back home. […]
2019/20 Winter Himalaya Climbs: It’s Cold Up there!!!
To state the obvious for the millionth time, climbing in the winter is cold, damn cold. Currently, the Karakorum climbers are seeing still air temps of -20F/-29C this week. Even with the best down suits, you have to be very active to stay warm and with most of the climbers doing the slow work of […]
2019/20 Winter Himalaya Climbs: Incident in Khumbu Icefall
Winter alpine climbing and especially in the Khumbu Icefall are notorious for objective hazards, i.e., avalanches, serac releases, and falls into open crevasses or through soft snow bridges. Today we saw more evidence this winter. First to Simone Moro on Gasherbrum, now to Jonatan García on Everest. The problem with these snow bridge collapses is […]
2019/20 Winter Himalaya Climbs: Summit Push Called Off
Climbing 8,000 meters peaks are hard enough, but in winter all the odds are against making the summit. This winter is validating that axiom. The summit push was halted on Broad Peak due to strong winds and dangerous conditions, while an injury to Jost has temporarily stalled his solo effort. But Txikon did make through […]
2019/20 Winter Himalaya Climbs: Injury and Summit Push
The weather on Everest is making for slow progress but it’s better in the Karakorum where the Broad Peak team is hoping to summit soon. Everest – Back at EBC Jost on West Ridge German alpinist Jost Kobusch, is back at EBC after a quick trip up the Lho La according to his tracker. His high […]