autumn Himalayan Climbing Update 2 – Jornet Cancels Everest
Kilian Jornet has ended his speed attempt on Everest from Tibet citing “dangerous” conditions. Meanwhile the only other climber from that side, Japanese Nobukazu Kuriki, remains at base camp also noting that Everest is covered with deep snow this autumn. He remains optimistic that he can still make an attempt. The monsoon seems to be hanging on a bit longer this year bringing snow to Everest but rain to the other base camps. Teams on the other peaks are making good progress with acclimatization rotations to the higher camps. But before I get to those, a couple of new efforts have been reported since my last update. Speed and First Ascents First While not Everest, which “would be a bit of a walk in the park” according to Canadian Elia Saikaly; he and Pasang Kaji Sherpa are attempting a first ascent on two recently opened points along the ridge between Cho Oyu and Gyachung Kang. They were previously called Ngozumba I and III but renamed Tenzing Peak (7,916 m) and Hillary Peak (7,681 m) and opened for climbing. Nepal has been opening new peaks, 104 in 2014, for legal climbing over the past few years to promote tourism and perhaps shift climbers away from Everest due to overcrowding. Today there are 414 peaks available for climbing permits However there is some controvesery about some of the newly opened peaks Nepal. Climber Damien Gildea noted: … it’s not about altitude, it’s about Prominence, which is often considered a measure of how significant a peak is, and correspondingly how worthwhile a climbing challenge it is. Tenzing has just 170m of Prominence, or 2.14% of its height. Hillary, at 124m, or 1.6%, is even less significant. A general rule for the Himalaya & Karakoram is that 6-8% is needed for a peak to be classified as a mountain. In toponymic and geographic terms, these government inventions fall well short. Saikaly counters: For us: it’s not about how high. We’ve been to the top of Everest. Myself twice, PK, 4 times. It’s not about the altitude, it’s not about the difficulty, it’s about the depth of the idea and the meaning of the project. It’s about the symbolism. In no way whatsoever do we put ourselves in a category anywhere near Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay, but it is our belief that seeing PK stand up there on behalf of all Sherpas will mean something profound for him, for us and for his community. Hopefully for many others as well. A third member of the team, Gabriel Filippi, was injured early in the expedition and has returned home. Saikaly will be filming the attempt for an 8 part series that will be shown on Discovery Canada. Speed Over on Cho Oyu, Alpenglow Expeditions owner, Adrian Ballinger and his partner Emily Harrington are spending September around their Lake Tahoe home running and hiking then spending the night in altitude tents. At the very last minute, they plan to fly to Tibet and speed climb Cho Oyu hoping to get it all done in two weeks. Ballinger has been making his mark in the guiding industry with his “rapid ascent” climbs that cut the time spent away from home by half for some climbs. He charges twice the going rate ($85,000 vs $40,000 on Everest North and $31,000 vs $14,900 on Cho Oyu) for this advantage attracting people who want to climb the big mountains but don’t have a lot of time. While criticized by some as missing the point of climbing, Harrington told me: I don’t agree though that people on accelerated trips are missing out, or rushing the climb – I actually think it’s quite the opposite. When I go climbing, I like to do just that – climb. I love having big days, moving well, and trying hard. Most of the time I’d rather go climb something in a day than break it up into several, because it’s just more fun that way. I don’t feel like I’m rushing with this approach, but rather I’ve figured out that I like climbing and dislike the downtime in between. From my understanding the faster programs on Everest allow a climber to do just that – climb more and rest/acclimatize/trek less and thus the trip is shorter, which is good as well I guess for people with families, job restraints, etc. I was at Everest basecamp for nearly 2 months in 2012 and honestly I could have done with less time, and I still feel like I would have felt the same joy and satisfaction from the trip. But that’s just me. In my opinion the people signing up for these trips are not necessarily racing to bag Everest, and I don’t think it’s accurate to believe that their experience will be less enjoyable or valuable to them. It’s just different. Ballinger’s Cho Oyu attempt comes on the heels of his no O’s Everest climb this past spring where he turned back due to cold and fatigue. Alpenglow has other climbers on Cho Oyu guided by a different guide than Ballinger this autumn. Cho Oyu The world’s sixth highest peak at 26,907’/8201m is always popular attracting hundreds of climbers each autumn season. It is the most summited, after Everest, of all the 8000 meter mountains with 3,331 summits thru 2014 according to the Himalayan Database. UPDATE: It is getting crowed as expected on this popular 800er. Teams reported at Advanced base Camp include: Adventure Consultants Alpine Ascents International Aplenglow International Mountain Guides SummitClimb 7 Summits Club Most are already on their acclimatization rotations having spent a night or two at Camp 1 at 21,000 feet. Billi Bierling reports: At c1 @ 6400m after having negotiated the infamous killer slope, which was not as bad as expected. Feeling strong and so does everyone else. Billi is referring to a 1,000 foot steep scree (loose pebble) hillside that serves as the troll to Camp 1. Manaslu Similar to Cho Oyu, Manaslu is regarded as attainable and in recent years has seen a dramatic increase in traffic. Seven Summits Treks, the now dominate Nepali owned
autumn Himalayan Climbing Update 1
Well, really not a lot to report – I know what you’re thinking – that I would never be a journalist for an outdoor magazine with this as my opening line. Maybe this headline should have read “Amazing News from Early Himalayan Climbs – No News!” lol 🙂 Actually there is some news plus two new expeditions to announce. Cho Oyu The world’s sixth highest peak at 26,907’/8201m is always popular attracting hundreds of climbers each autumn season. It is the most summited, after Everest, of all the 8000 meter mountains with 3,331 summits thru 2014 according to the Himalayan Database. UPDATE: Many teams have now reached Advanced Base Camp, which some call the highest altitude of any 8000 meter base camp at 18,500 feet. Adventure Consultants reports in including wifi available at ABC: Everyone made it through their first night at ABC in good shape. Whew! We awoke to swirling mist and filtered sun revealing and obscuring magnificent scenery. Our camp is peaceful and set in a sheltered reclusive moraine bowl. By late morning it was snowing. A good day for reading and letting one’s body gain equilibrium for the hard toil ahead. Folks were happy to be connected on wifi. It is way too early to determine what the snow conditions are like above 7000 meters. The climbers are starting their first rotations to C1 this week. As I reported earlier, the usual suspects of Adventure Consultants, Alpine Ascents (AAI), Asian Trekking, IMG , SummitClimb are all there. Manaslu Similar to Cho Oyu, Manaslu is regarded as attainable and in recent years has seen a dramatic increase in traffic. Seven Summits Treks, the now dominate Nepali owned and based guide service, posted they have 130 members and Sherpas for the 2016 season. This is astounding in that in the year ever, 2011, Manaslu saw 140 total summits. Since 1956, Manaslu has had 980 total summits. UPDATE: Russel Brice, Himalayan Experience reports heavy rain at base camp which is somewhat normal for this 8000er: I write from a very wet rainy Manaslu Base Camp, so what is new. This is our 9th trip to Manaslu and we have always apart from last year managed to fly into Samagon on the program date of 29 Aug. Maybe this is too early but I still feel that we need to be right on the heels of the monsoon so as we are ready for the very short weather envelope for the summit. This year we all managed to fly by helicopter to Samagon where we had 4 days with very little rain as we did our normal acclimatisation treks. Samagon continues to see so much new house construction, so I suspect that the economy there is doing OK, although I am surprised as we still need to send our loads over the Larkya Pass from the adjacent Marvangdi valley rather than coming straight up the Budh Kandaki water shed. I really see that this difficult trail needs to be reopened after last year’s earthquake in order to support the local inhabitants who have invested in lodges so as to support trekkers who do the Manaslu Circuit trek. I understand that it is taking time to rebuild this trail in the lower Kandaki which is not surprising considering the steepness of the mountain slopes on either side of the river. Dhaulagiri From early repots Altitude Junkies appears to be the only team on this 8000er this autumn season. At 26,794’/8167m, Dhaulagiri was considered to be a hard peak to climb but nowadays is considered as in the lower half of the 8000er list. The normal route has some short technical sections and some avalanche danger, but overall it’s a quite straight forward climb. 469 climbers have reached the summit thru 2014. UPDATE: Phil Crampton reports the team has finally reached base camp after multiple delays and rain but the weather is good now The team reached base camp on September 8. The all important Puja ceremony will be held on Monday, September 12. After that, the work will begin and the rope fixing will start. The plan will be to create a new route to Camp 1, due to the dry snow conditions. We are still the only team here. Of note, they will not have satellite access with their BGAN modem as the mountain blocks direct line of sight. Everest There are no reported teams attempting Everest from Nepal this second half of 2016 but two climbers are on the north side. Kilian Jornet As I previously reported, Spanish speed climber Kilian Jornet will attempt to set a speed record by climbing from the Rongbuk Monastery (Tibet) to the summit in a single push. He expects to take around 20 hours to summit and about 35 hours to descend. Kilian and his three partners are already in Tibet. UPDATE: He has been in the base camp area now for a couple of weeks continuing to acclimatize before his attempt. He reported recently: Hi all! we continue with the acclimatization. There’s a lot of snow, but everything is ok! Nobukazu Kuriki As I posted a few weeks ago, Japanese climber, Nobukazu Kuriki, is climbing from the north side. He is now at base camp. He posted recently: This morning’s advanced base strong wrapped in gas out for visibility, I’m afraid of heights adaptation to leave after it is changed to tomorrow. Still monsoon new year. This is his sixth autumn (post-monsoon), no O’s, climbing alone, attempt on Everest. His previous try have been met with drama and injury. He has lost nine fingers on Everest in 2012 during a thwarted attempt on the West Ridge of Everest. In 2015, he reached a bit above the South Col before deep snow forced him to stop. Climbing alone is his “style” of climbing. He has climbs of McKinley (2004), Aconcagua, Elbrus, Kilimanjaro all in 2005 and Carstensz Pyramid in 2006. Plus these 8000m climbs: Cho Oyu (2007), Manaslu (2008), and Dhaulagiri (2009). He attempted Annapurna last spring without a summit due to weather. These are the two new expeditions recently announced: autumn Broad Peak Attempt. Altitude Pakistan reports that Oscar Cadiach will (re)attempt Broad Peak in
autumn Himalayan Climbing Begins
If it is early September, it must mean a migration to the big mountains of Tibet and Nepal. Today, multiple teams are reported en-route or arriving at their Base Camps of Cho Oyu, Dhaulagiri, Manaslu, Ama Dablam and even Everest. Cho Oyu The world’s sixth highest peak at 26,907’/8201m is always popular attracting hundreds of climbers each autumn season. It is the most summited, after Everest, of all the 8000 meter mountains with 3,331 summits thru 2014 according to the Himalayan Database. It is generally regarded as one of the most “attainable” 8000 meter peaks with a straight forward climb to a huge flat summit and a dramatic view of Everest. However, in recent years, the success rate has dropped dramatically due to avalanche danger and generally poor snow conditions. Also the Chinese government has made getting to Cho Oyu a gamble with random border closures and unannounced bans on climbing due to fears of protests involving Tibet. There were zero summits on Cho Oyu last year after China closed all of Tibet to climbing after the spring earthquake. For 2016 everything seems back to a more normal environment. Cho Oyu is a popular expedition run by the major commercial guide companies like Adventure Consultants, Alpine Ascents (AAI), Asian Trekking, IMG and Seven Summits Treks. AAI reports in: We arrived at Chinese Basecamp today to a new elevation of 16,100ft. The drive from Tingri only took about an hour and a half and they are working hard to pave the whole road to CBC! We were greeted by our great Sherpa and Nepali staff here and had a great second breakfast cooked by Gopal. The rest of the day we ate and hydrated, and took a walk down the road towards the mountains. It was a little windy today with a few sprinkles of rain but overall a pretty nice day. Tomorrow we will go on another hike, gaining some elevation to further acclimatize. Manaslu Similar to Cho Oyu, Manaslu is regarded as attainable and in recent years has seen a dramatic increase in traffic. Seven Summits Treks, the now dominate Nepali owned and based guide service, posted they have 130 members and Sherpas for the 2016 season. This is astounding in that in the year ever, 2011, Manaslu saw 140 total summits. Since 1956, Manaslu has had 980 total summits. Himalayan Experience is also running a trip there along with several other western companies. Himex has been guiding Manaslu since 2008. Due to the crowds however, long time operator, Altitude Junkies will not be on Manaslu for the first time since 2008. They have shifted their autumn climb to Dhaulagiri and even more telling is that Phil Crampton, owner of the Junkies, has left Everest all together due to the crowds. Dhaulagiri From early repots Altitude Junkies appears to be the only team on this 8000er this autumn season. At 26,794’/8167m, Dhaulagiri was considered to be a hard peak to climb but nowadays is considered as in the lower half of the 8000er list. The normal route has some short technical sections and some avalanche danger, but overall it’s a quite straight forward climb. 469 climbers have reached the summit thru 2014. Phil Crampton reports the team is on their way having to navigate some logistics challenges including landslides, rains and flight delays. We had hoped to reach Marpha tonight but with the flight delay and another landside between Beni and Marpha, we have decided to spend the night at Beni and make an early morning start. We will have to change vehicles en-route and we expect to have to walk for around three hours from the drop off to the pick up area. Hopefully we will be with our Sherpa staff tomorrow evening. Everest There are no reported teams attempting Everest from Nepal this second half of 2016 but two climbers are on the north side. Kilian Jornet As I previously reported, Spanish speed climber Kilian Jornet will attempt to set a speed record by climbing from the Rongbuk Monastery (Tibet) to the summit in a single push. He expects to take around 20 hours to summit and about 35 hours to descend. Kilian and his three partners are already in Tibet. He has been in the base camp area now for a couple of weeks continuing to acclimatize before his attempt. Nobukazu Kuriki As I posted a few weeks ago, Japanese climber, Nobukazu Kuriki, is climbing from the north side. He is now at base camp. This is his sixth autumn (post-monsoon), no O’s, climbing alone, attempt on Everest. His previous try have been met with drama and injury. He has lost nine fingers on Everest in 2012 during a thwarted attempt on the West Ridge of Everest. In 2015, he reached a bit above the South Col before deep snow forced him to stop. Climbing alone is his “style” of climbing. He has climbs of McKinley (2004), Aconcagua, Elbrus, Kilimanjaro all in 2005 and Carstensz Pyramid in 2006. Plus these 8000m climbs: Cho Oyu (2007), Manaslu (2008), and Dhaulagiri (2009). He attempted Annapurna last spring without a summit due to weather. Mountain Deaths In sad news over the weekend, the search was called off for US climbers Kyle Dempster and Scott Adamson who were attempting the very difficult and technical Ogre II in Pakistan. They had not been seen for over 12 days when their headlamps were sighted half way up the 22,900’/6980m peak. My condolences to their family and friends. Best of luck to all this autumn season. Climb On! Alan Memories are Everything
Devloping an Everest Climbing Plan
With the Everest season in full swing, many people ask what it takes to climb the highest mountain in the world.
It comes down to a few areas: skills, experience, fitness and commitment.
An Update from Ang Tshering Sherpa
Ang Tshering Sherpa is the Chairman and Founder of Asian Trekking, one of the oldest expedition companies in Nepal. He is the current President of the Nepal Mountaineering Association and perhaps the most influential Nepali in mountaineering. He sends a few letters out during the year with updates on the Himalayan climbing scene. His most recent letter has a few interesting tidbits. Everest 2010 Asian Trekking is supporting 9 expeditions, with 3 on Everest, this season including their own Eco Everest expedition. Dawa Steven Sherpa is co-leading the climb as usual. Last year they had an innovative “Cash for Trash” program that resulted in tons of garbage being removed from the south side of Everest. This year they want to clean up Everest above Camp 2. Apa Sherpa goes for #20 Apa Sherpa, the famed Nepalese Sherpa with the most summits of anyone, is back in 2010 going for his 20th summit! He is co-leading the Eco Everest expedition. Cho Oyu from Nepal? Ang Tshering suggests that climbers may have an alternative to climbing Cho Oyu from Nepal instead of the traditional Tibet route. The Nepal Government was asked to waive all permit fees for five years for Cho Oyu. However, the route from Nepal is quite difficult and would not replace the Tibet route that makes Cho Oyu an “easy” 8000m mountain. Last fall, Denis Urubko and Boris Dedeshko climbed the south-east face in alpine style. This competed Urubko’s 14 8000m quest climbing all the peaks without supplemental oxygen. But Cho Oyu from Nepal it could an attractive alternative for qualified climbers if the Chinese continue to make it difficult to obtain permits as they are this season on Everest. Recently, climbers have been told not to enter Tibet until April 10, a slight delay that will cause more aggravation than problems. But it was announced late and some teams had to abandon previously planned acclimatization climbs in Tibet. Here is Ang Tshering’s letter in full: Namaste and warm greetings from Nepal. I am delighted to inform you that finally the spring Expedition Season starting soon and I am pleased to share with you many interesting and positive news from Nepal. Apa Sherpa,World Record Holder for 19 ascents of Mt.Everest and Climbing Leader of Eco Everest Expedition is heading for 20th Summit on Mt.Everest this spring and Asian Trekking family extends their all support and wishes for the success. Eco Everest Expedition: Once again this year Asian Trekking is organising the Eco Everest Expedition (2010). Under the leadership of Dawa Steven Sherpa, Apa Sherpa (19 times Everest Summiteer: world record holder) as the Climbing Leader and Nanga Dorje Sherpa as Sirdar. The focus will be on climbing in an eco-sensitive manner, bringing old garbage, and all human waste produced on the mountain down to base camp for proper disposal. The expedition will once again be using the highly successful alternative energy solutions like the parabolic solar cookers and the SteriPENs for water purification. This year Dawa Steven and his Eco Everest Expedition team has planned to focus to collect and bring down previous expedition garbage between the altitudes of 6500 m and above. A team of 10 high altitude Sherpas will be hired to clean up garbage and debris from such high altitudes. Eco Everest Expedition 2009 team had brought down nearly 6000 kilos of previous expedition garbage from Mt. Everest under the Cash for Trash program. This year’s Eco Everest Expedition targets to bring down 1000 kgs of debris from high altitude above Camp 2 (6500m) and 6000 kgs of debris from Camp 2 and below. Since the spring Season is approaching very closed, The following are the expedition Teams Confirmed up to today through Asian Trekking: 1. Eco Everest Expedition 2. Kazakh Lhotse Expedition 3. International Everest Expedition 1 4. International Everest Expedition 2 5. International Cho-oyu Expedition 6. International Shishapangma Expedition 7. Chilean Amadablam Expedition 8. Korean Himlung Expedition 9. German Cho-oyu Expedition Please visit: www.asian-trekking.com for details. Beat the GLOF Event and Save the Himalaya Khumbu Festival will be held at Khumjung village on 4 June 2010 instead of 10 – 11 June. The date for this event has been postponed for the convenience of the guests of 3rd International Sagarmatha (Mt.Everest) Day Celebration, which will be held on 29 May 2010, to participate in Beat the GLOF Event and Save the Himalaya Khumbu Festival. The event will be celebrated with various programs which focus on the mountain communities, the mountain environment and the impacts of climate change on them. The event will be supported by Idea,Nepal Tourism Board, Sagarmatha National Park, and many non government organizations. 2nd New International Airport in Nepal: Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation held a ceremony on March 7, 2010 where an agreement was signed between The Government of Nepal, Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation, and Land Mark Worldwide Co. Ltd., Korea. The agreement was on the detailed feasibility study of the second international airport at Dhumberwana, Nijgadh; a town situated in Bara District, 84 kilometers south-east from Kathmandu. The feasibility study will have to be completed within 10 months from the date of agreement signed. Nepal Tourism Year 2011 was officially launched on February 26, 2010 and preparations have already begun which is sure to make way for improvements in Nepal’s Tourism. All the political parties of Nepal including the Unified Maoist Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) have signed an agreement committing not to call any bandhs or any such strikes that affect the tourists during the period of Nepal Tourism Year. Nepal Mountaineering Association (NMA),TAAN and EOAN have appealed and suggested to The Government of Nepal to help solve many problems prevailing in the Nepalese mountain tourism. Among the many requests made following are the main ones. A) Since 16 July 2008, the Government of Nepal waived off royalty of the opened peaks in the Midwestern and Farwestern Nepal for five years (till 16 June 2013) which shows good sign of positive developments in these region. Similarly
No Fall 2009 Everest Summits
Fall is a difficult time to climb Everest. This year there were only two teams – one on each side. Both gave it their all and both have now left the mountain without a summit attempt. Heavy snowfall and high winds were the primary issues.
Follow Your Dreams
Setting hard goals and working towards them often defines part of human existence. Two of my friends did just that this week. Jim Davidson summited Cho Oyu and John Little his first 14er. I am so proud of both of my friends. In Jim’s blog he wrote: “I began to wonder what climbing to such great heights would be like, how one got to go on such an adventure, and, dare I say it, if even I might be able to go someday. A dream was born.” I trained with Jim and saw his plan evolve, his desire grow and his resolve strengthen. And he stood on the summit of the 26,907 Tibetan peak, 6th highest on earth, on September 24th. I can’t wait to hear the stories. John Little set a goal few of his Houston friends understood – to stand on top of a Colorado 14er. John saw climbing as a way to improved health and worked hard to reach his dream. His first attempt was thwarted by a combination of factors including a deep and soft spring snow pack but also, his understanding of the challenge. Not one to surrender, he continued to train. He wrote on his Never Stop Climbing website: “You can learn a lot from falling face first in deep snow every 30 seconds for hours on end. So, the plan now is to take those lessons and return to Belford-Oxford in early October” I was honored to climb with John to the top of the 14,197′ Mt. Belford. He worked hard and pushed his ever expanding limits. He stood on the top. Sadly another story this week ended in triumph and tragedy. 71 year-old Clifton Maloney died after his summit of Cho Oyu. My condolences to his friends, family and guide. He was an avid climber who loved the challenge. Reportedly his last words were: “I am the happiest man in the world. I just climbed a beautiful mountain.” My experience has been there are three themes to accomplishing a big goal: 1. Make it bigger than you think you can do 2. Do the hard work of detailed preparation 3. Never abandon your dream My sincere congratulations to Jim, John and Clifton. You lived your dream. Climb On! Alan
Cho Oyu Summits
Looks like Cho Oyu is being nice this season with over 30 climbers already on the summit and down safely. IMG reports their team put 7 climbers and 5 Sherpa on top yesterday and Jagged Globe has 12 members on top with Sherpa support. Also a Maltese team had 3 summits. I am especially proud for my friend, Jim Davidson, with this being his first 8000m climb. You can read the details on Jim’s blog.
More summits are expected from Adventure Consultants, Alpine Ascents, Amical, Mountain Madness and Summit Climb over the next few days. The weather looks good through the 27th.
Himalayan 2009 Fall Updates
The Fall 2009 Himalayan season continues with teams on Cho Oyu, ambulance Manaslu, capsule Shishapangma and Everest. It is still early in most team’s acclimatization schedules. For example, prescription IMG’s Cho Oyu team has spent only one night at Camp 1 and Altitude Junkies have just reached base camp on Manaslu. I believe there are only two teams on Everest is Fall, a Basque and an Indo Tibetan Border Police team who is attempting to ski down from the summit. The weather has relaxed a bit with no reports of heavy snowfall or high winds – but you know what they say about weather! Many teams have had their Pujas to ask the mountain Gods for permission and forgiveness to climb the mountain. At least the lowest high camp is established and Sherpa are hauling more tents, sometimes oxygen, food and more to the mid-level camps. We should look for summit bids in late September. As usual, I find individuals who posts have the most introspective and revealing accounts. My good friend, Jim Davidson is on Cho Oyu with IMG and posted this recent update after his climb to Camp 1 at 21,00′: It was tough going. I had felt sick all day. My stomach problem had cleared up, but I had picked up the cold/cough/virus going around. So I was suffering and slow. At 20,000 feet I had to take 2 breaths per step. At 20,500 feet, three breaths per step. Any faster and I went anaerobic. It was a sufferfest. He is one of the strongest climbers I know and will do well. Climb On Jim! Some teams and individuals with blogs to monitor include: Cho Oyu: Alpine Ascents Adventure Consultants IMG Jagged Globe Jim Davidson Summit Climb Manaslu: Altitude Junkies Himalayan Experience Shishapangma: Andrew Lock Nick Rice Everest spring 2009 Follow-up Bill Burke, the oldest American to summit Everest just sent out a sad follow-up from the spring season. Again, my sincere condolences to Lhakpa Nuru friends and family. Bill’s message: As you know from my expedition reports, the first death on Mt. Everest this season was Lhakpa Nuru, our Sherpa, who died in an avalanche in the Khumbu Icefall. Here is a message I just received from Dawa Steven, the Managing Director of Asian Trekking: Dear Friends, I hope this email finds you all well. Yesterday, we received a call from the Sirdar of an Expedition on Everest who had reached base camp a few days ago. They informed us that they spotted the body of Lhakpa Nuru in the icefall. They couldnt give us any further details but said with certainty that it is Lhakpa Nuru. Today, we sent up 4 sherpas under the leadership of Naga Dorje to retrieve the body. They will reach Base camp tomorrow morning. I am taking Lhakpa’s widow with me to Khumbu and help with the arrangements of the funeral. Unfotunately our flights were cancelled this morning due to the weather in Lukla. We hope to fly tomorrow! Though its difficult for his family to have old wounds opened again, I hope that having a proper puja and cremation will give them the needed closure and bring peace to Lhakpa’s soul. If anyone would like to contribute to help Lhakpa’s young family, their bank details are: Himalayan Bank, Thamel. A/C holder: Urgen Tenzing Sherpa (The account is in his Son’s name) A/C No. 01902302580011 SWIFT No: HIMANPKA Please let me know if you make any contributions and I will follow it up from here. Thanks to many of you who have already contributed. I will keep you informed you about the retrieval and the funeral. Best Wishes, Dawa Steven Good luck and safe climbing to all the teams this Fall. Climb On! Alan
Cho Oyu 2009 is underway
In spring it is Everest, in the fall it is Cho Oyu serving as the most popular 8000m climbs. With unrest in Tibet and their own Olympic torch agenda, the Chinese restricted access the past two years but 2009 is back to normal with over 10 expeditions.