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(3.08.2020)
The experience of alpinists in the treatment of COVID-19

Baglan Zhunus:

This misfortune affected almost every family in Kazakhstan, my dad also fell ill … The temperature stayed above 39 degrees for more than 10 days, the saturation ped to 58 points.

Before connecting to mechanical ventilation, he asked the attending physicians to apply the experience of high-altitude climbers (similar symptoms with pulmonary edema at altitude).

I urgently found an oxygen cylinder with a mask (we usually use it at an altitude above 8000 m.), intensively injected with dexamethasone and added oxygen therapy.
Today we were discharged from the hospital, now I will prepare him for a high-altitude ascent (just kidding).
Saturation rose to 92 points. Now we are on the mend.

Source: Baglan Zhunus

(22.07.2020)

Lenin Peak from BC
(Photo from Japanese command archive)
Gender in Detente and Disaster: Women Climbers in the Soviet International Pamir Camp 1974

ABSTRACT:

In the summer of 1974, the Soviet Union first opened its borders to a large number of climbers from the west.

In a special camp in the Soviet Pamir mountains, climbers from ten different Western nations, were to climb and live side by side with each other and with Soviet and Polish climbers nearby.
Inscribed in the context of political detente, the Pamir camp allowed for more cultural contact across the Cold War divides.

It can thus be seen as a microcosm of different climbing communities, sometimes overcoming, but sometimes also divided by the lines of nationality, language, political system, and last but not least by gender.

From the camp, two allwomen groups attempted to reach Pik Lenin: a Soviet team of eight women led by El’vira Shataeva, and a mixed international women’s team composed of the Swiss Heidi Ludi and Eva Isenschmid and the ˆ American Arlene Blum.

Their attempts ended with the tragic death of all eight Soviet women and of Eva Isenschmid.

This article looks at the camp as an intersectional place between political systems and gendered climbing by analyzing and comparing the women’s climbing biographies, their interaction and the interpretations their all-women climbing parties were attributed.

  • Read Eva Maurer's article (PDF)

    • Source: Victor Baybara, St. Petersburg, Russia

    (16.07.2020)
    Doyen of Bulgarian mountaineering Georgi Atanasov, Djidji, dies

    Pfof. Georgi Atanasov-Djidji was well-known in Bulgaria as the first professor of mountaineering in the world and one of the most prominent figures in Bulgarian alpine movement.

    Founder and, for many years, head of the Tourism, Alpinism and Orienteering department at the Bulgarian National Sports Academy, Prof. Atanasov has climbed more than 600 routes in Bulgarian mountains, in the Alps and Caucasus, including many first ascents.

    In 1963, Georgi Atanasov and Avram Avramov were the first Bulgarians to have climbed the West face of Petit Dru in the Alps. In 1964 he traversed the famed Bezengi Wall in the Caucasus, and in 1967 Djidji led the expedition to the first Bulgarian seven-thousander - Lenin Peak (Avicenna, 7134 m) in Kyrgyzstan.

    With his activity Prof. Atanasov paved the way for the next generations of Bulgarian climbers to the eight-thousanders.

    To the end of his life he was hiking, skiing, surfing and participating in many festivals - a person really loved by the climbing society in his country.

    A week after he suddenly passed away (while swimming in the Black sea) three Bulgarian alpinists - Stanislav Atanasov, Nikolay Petkov and Vladimir Pekov, opened a new route in Rila mountain - "Djidji" 7b trad.

    “In this region - "Iglite" in Rila mountain, the first route was opened by Djidji and here is the last one, in memory of him. He was a great climber and a great person” - said Nikolay Petkov*, one of the best Bulgarian climbers

    *Nikolay Petkov has been climbing for over 40 years and is author of houndrets routes in Bulgaria - both sport ans alpine. He has summited Everest via the West Ridge, Nanga Parbat, Hidden Peak, the South face of Communism, the South face of Aconcagua, Trango Tower, Fitz Roy, El Capitan, the North faces of Matterhorn adn Eiger in winter, Petits Jorassess, Cima Grande, Chivetta, Piz Badile, furst ascents on the Sputh face of Batian (Mount Kenya), Comanche Ridge (Grand Canyon) and others.

    Source: Tanya Ivanova, Bulgaria

    (10.04.2020)
    The white sun of Pytorana

    Ivan Temerev:

    “From 8 to 18 April 2019 in the north of the Krasnoyarsk region was most likely the first international ice-climbing expedition in the history of mountaineering on the Putorana Plateau - in search of frozen waterfalls.”

    Film author: Svetlana Antimonova
    Installation: Andrey Ivanov
    Video shots - all members of the expedition.
    (c) Ivan Temerev, Vlad Golub, Fyodor Kopytov.

    Movie with English sub:

    [video id=1108C913DFF77584CA474434F559E250]

    (20.02.2020)
    Everest 2020. Alex Txicon back to EBC

    18.02.2020:

    We're writing to report we have uploaded a sort video on an audio file we received today from Everest BC. It's a radio conversation between Sergio Perez in BC and Alex Txikon from Camp 2, detailing the progress made today and the options he is taking into consideration on a critical moment. While the audio is unfortunately in Spanish only, the core of it explains that the climb to Camp 3 has proven highly risky, due to stones constantly falling from Lhotse's SO face. Alex is currently trying to find a suitable itinerary to avoid the most exposed sections, so today they have moved about 1km to the left of the normal route, crossed the bergschrund by a different pass and reached nearly 7,000m.

    Ñîîáùåíèå:

    [video id=5D92EBEF0573A231DFDEF344C799A38D]

    19.02.2020:

    Back to EBC (5235 m.). Conditions were extrmely tough and we had been up there for five days already. We'll tell you more as soon as we've got some rest.

  • Alex Txikon. Everest. The mountain will have the last word
  • Alex Txikon: «Everest can hit us really hard»
  • Everest. Alex Txikon: «We’ll go step by step»
  • Everest. Alex Txikon: «We’re in Camp 2»
  • Summit team expected in BC today
  • Ama Dablam. We're gonna stay here for the night
  • C2 reached on winter Ama Dablam – disabled trekkers succeed on Kala Pattar
  • Expedition team settles down in Base Camp: Climbing action ahead
  • Alex Txikon flies to Nepal today
  • Oceans, roads and old friends sharing new projects
    •

    Source: Alex Txicon

    (18.02.2020)
    Alex Txikon. Everest. The mountain will have the last word

    If I am not wrong, today is Sunday, Feb16. We’ve been working really hard for the last three days. On Feb14 we set off and fixed again the route through the Khumbu Icefall, in a 9 hour-long, tough but rewarding working day. Back in BC, we only had a few hours of rest before leaving again at 2.15am on Feb15. Pechhumbe, Geljen Lama, Nurbu, Oscar and I departed towards camp 2 in a beautiful, starred night. We managed a brisk pace despite feeling rather sleepy, slightly nervous and definitely overloaded with gear in our backpacks. The waning moon cast a magical light upon the Khumbu valley I couldn’t stop taking pictures everywhere, feeling privileged to be there. Here is the recount of that day and night:

    At passing by Camp 1 we take some more supplies to carry up. Oscar marches full-throttle, smiling and powerful: he’s a very strong guy. However, barely 1 km before reaching Camp 2, his pace changes radically. He stops coordinating, starts feeling bad, in pain… I realize he is surely suffering from AMS, possibly HACE. We must make decisions: you’re always telling yourself to be tough and brave, to go down by your own means no matter how bad you feel. But the fact is, tackling the Icefall in his state could be lethal. I check with Sergio and Diego in BC and share thoughts: I cannot imagine Oscar rappelling down among seracs and crevasses right then. We place our bets on waiting and calling for a chopper rescue on the following morning, trusting Oscar will be strong enough as to endure the night. The other option is getting him in a hazardous terrain, risking an open-air bivouac in the dead of winter. It’s too risky. So, we wait. And we are so worried. I start repeating myself: “please, oh please, let it by just a scare, please, just a bloody scare…”

    I am carrying my backpack and his… Then I remember that song called “espadrille’s soles” (about those fleeing Spain through the mountains after the Civil War)… Sure, the situation is totally different, those times were really had and surrendering meant death – and , after all, we’re here because we want to… But it helps anyway, to keep me motivated and struggling to get to the tents. Once finally there, I call Dr. Antonio Cid in Spain, a friend of Oscar’s, who reports detailed instructions for me to treat Oscar. Luckily, at a certain moment his strong body starts reacting. Oscar is a professional firefighter, and that counts! He’s performed great through all the stages of the expedition, giving it all, but these things happen and, when they happen at altitude, they’re always serious. At times, Oscar forgets what’s going on with him, he is confused. I barely sleep, I just watch him and get increasingly worried… It’s psychologically very hard, but somehow we stand it until, at 7.40am, the chopper appears at Camp 2 and, in a blink of an eye, takes Oscar away, like in a Hollywood movie.

    I know Oscar will return to life in minutes, as they go down. Shortly afterwards the team reports on the radio that Oscar is safe at hospital in Kathmandu. We start breathing again.

    Without giving it a second though, Pechhumbe, Nurbu, Tenzen Lama and I gear up and set off again, upwards. It’s not yet windy, but bitter cold. Up the valley, we get engulfed by Lhotse’s shadow, until we get to the bergschrund. With numb fingers, lack of sleep and dehydrated, we start fixing the route to Camp 3, but stones keep falling on our heads from the barren west face of Lhotse. We resist, try different places, but in the end, we decide we cannot go on under such risky conditions. Above us, at 8,000m, the wind is blowing harder and harder. We return to Camp 2. We are doing fine here, given the circumstances, so here we will endure. As we did yesterday and as we will do tomorrow, with efficiency and a cold head. Honestly, strategy is essential and we’re pretty good at it., although, in the end, the mountain and not us will have the final Word.

    Photo: Diego Martinez @DiegoMartinezPh

  • Alex Txikon: «Everest can hit us really hard»
  • Everest. Alex Txikon: «We’ll go step by step»
  • Everest. Alex Txikon: «We’re in Camp 2»
  • Summit team expected in BC today
  • Ama Dablam. We're gonna stay here for the night
  • C2 reached on winter Ama Dablam – disabled trekkers succeed on Kala Pattar
  • Expedition team settles down in Base Camp: Climbing action ahead
  • Alex Txikon flies to Nepal today
  • Oceans, roads and old friends sharing new projects
    •

    Source: Alex Txicon

    (11.02.2020)
    Everest. Alex Txikon: «We’ll go step by step»

    We returned from Camp 2 on February 7 in very tough conditions and with a bittersweet feeling: we left a deposit but otherwise were unable to reach Camp 3. Not much we can do about it, though – the mountain rules here.

    These three last days we’ve rested, received some visiting friends and, finally, today we’ve enjoyed the first windless day in Base Camp. We’ve even prayed for further Good luck at the chorten. Today, we are planning and gearing up for the next push up the mountain. We’ll set off, weather permitting, on Feb12 or Feb13 towards the Lhotse wall, where we will pitch Camp 3.

    Hopefully, we will then continue fixing the route to the South Col, aiming to set up Camp 4 at 8,000m. Once we achieve that, we will be prepared for a summit push. We are optimistic and trust we will have the chance we’re all dreaming of. Besides, this year is the 40th anniversary of Everest’s first winter ascent by Polish climbers Krzysztof Wielicki y Leszek Cichy, which motivate us even more. My intuition tells me that, perhaps, the day could come between Feb 25 and Feb 29… but we’ll see. We’ll go step by step.

  • Everest. Alex Txikon: «We’re in Camp 2»
  • Summit team expected in BC today
  • Ama Dablam. We're gonna stay here for the night
  • C2 reached on winter Ama Dablam – disabled trekkers succeed on Kala Pattar
  • Expedition team settles down in Base Camp: Climbing action ahead
  • Alex Txikon flies to Nepal today
  • Oceans, roads and old friends sharing new projects
    •

    Source: Alex Txicon

    (8.02.2020)
    First Winter Snow Leopards. Mission Complete

    Sergey Seliverstov, Michael Danichkin and Alexey Usatykh accomplished the mission Winter Snow Leopard.
    During the winters 2016-2020 they climbed five Central Asian giants (all former Soviet peaks over 7000 meters)
    Lenin Pik, 7134m, Pamir
    Khan Tengri, 7010m, Tian-Shan
    Pik Pobeda, 7439m, Tian-Shan
    Korzhenevskaya Pik, 7106m, Pamir
    Pik Kommunisma, 7495m, Pamir

    (5.02.2020)
    Date update: 6.02.2020
    Everest. Alex Txikon: «We’re in Camp 2»

    Alex Txikon

    We’re in Camp 2 ar 6457! It was tough, the wind hit us hard hile we climbed with 23kg. load each. Mingma the Ice Doc. Turned around at Nuptse’s side while Pechhumbe, Norbu, Tenzen Lama, Oscar and I pushed, jumping crevasses, toward the Valley of Silence.

    It’s crazy, there’s only five of us – half than on my previous attempts on winter Everest! We struggle for every meter we gain. Yet, we don’t lose hope for a summit chance. For now though, let’s see if we are able to keep fixing the route to C3 tomorrow.

    [video id=937A7E7F14F0DF6C64CFEB27A6040EEA]

  • Summit team expected in BC today
  • Ama Dablam. We're gonna stay here for the night
  • C2 reached on winter Ama Dablam – disabled trekkers succeed on Kala Pattar
  • Expedition team settles down in Base Camp: Climbing action ahead
  • Alex Txikon flies to Nepal today
  • Oceans, roads and old friends sharing new projects
    •

    Source: Alex Txicon

    (25.01.2020)
    Summit team expected in BC today

    Alex Txikon, Jonatan Garca, Pasang Sherpa, Cheppal Sherpa y Kalden Sherpa descienden a buen ritmo tras haber hecho cima en el Ama Dablam hoy a las 10:15am, hora local. Su objetivo es regresar al Campo base antes de que caiga la noche. De hecho, dos horas y media despues de llegar a la cumbre, ya han pasado el Campo 3 del que partieron esta maana y se encuentran a la altura del Campo 2.

    Tambien se confirma que todos los demas miembros del equipo estn en el Campo Base, desde donde han podido contemplar como el equipo de cumbre fijaba las secciones superiores de la ruta, al parecer en condiciones bastante duras, y llegaba a cumbre.

    Photos: Ignacio de Zuloaga

    Alex Txikon, Jonatan Garcia, Pasang Sherpa, Cheppal Sherpa and Kalden Sherpa are on their way back to base Camp, where they are expected today. Abseiling at a good pace, two hours and a half after reaching the summit (today at 10:15am, local time) the team has passed by camp 3, from where they set off earlier today, and are approaching Camp 2. It is also confirmed that the rest of the team is safely awaiting in Base Camp.

    Photos: Ignacio de Zuloaga

  • Ama Dablam. We're gonna stay here for the night
  • C2 reached on winter Ama Dablam – disabled trekkers succeed on Kala Pattar
  • Expedition team settles down in Base Camp: Climbing action ahead
  • Alex Txikon flies to Nepal today
  • Oceans, roads and old friends sharing new projects
    •

    Source: Alex Txicon

    (24.01.2020)
    Ama Dablam. We're gonna stay here for the night

    Alex Txikon, together with Jonatan Garcia, Cheppal Sherpa (and presumably Pasang Sherpa and Kalden Sherpa too) are on their way to Camp 3 on winter Ama Dablam, in spite of high winds. Forecasts announce winds might decrease though the day and, should it be the case and conditions permitting, the climbers might consider continuing further up to the summit. However, at noon, Nepal time, the wind was still blowing hard and the team will likely stay for the night in Camp 3. Conditions are expected to improve tomorrow, making a potentially good summit day. Two other groups of team members are also on their way up aiming for C2 and C1.

    UPD from Alex Txikon:

    "C3. We're gonna stay here for the night. It's still windy"

  • C2 reached on winter Ama Dablam – disabled trekkers succeed on Kala Pattar
  • Expedition team settles down in Base Camp: Climbing action ahead
  • Alex Txikon flies to Nepal today
  • Oceans, roads and old friends sharing new projects
    •

    Source: Alex Txicon

    (23.01.2020)
    C2 reached on winter Ama Dablam – disabled trekkers succeed on Kala Pattar

    There’s good news from both groups comprising Alex Txikon’s Road to Himalayas expedition. Firstly, there's great news from Amiab's trekking group. The three disabled your mountaineers and their coaches have made it to the targeted 5,100m at Gorak Shep and, moreover, they've climbed up to Kala Pattar, at 5,300m overlooking the Everest-Lhotse-Nuptse group. It's been a very emotional moment, but mainy the boys are overwhelmed with you, in good health and sky-high spirits, according to Ignacio de Zuloaga, who finally decided to join them on their final stage. “They are so delighted and motivated that they actually wanted to keep going up Pumori,” Ignacio said.

    Meanwhile on Ama Dablam, Alex Txikon, Joanatan Garca, Flix Criado and Cheppal Sherpa finally set off from base Camp yesterday in spite of high winds which, nearly 100km/h as Alex reported, which at times literally pushed them off balance. The climbers also found out, upon arrival in C1, that wind had brew off three tents and some equipment. "It was a tough night," Txikon reckoned. However, the team intends to spend tonight in C1 as well. Early in the morning today, Alex and Cheppal Sherpa went up loaded with two rolls of rope each and fixed the route to Camp2. According to reports, Joanatan remained in Camp 1 and Flix intended to return to Case Camp today.

    Find attached three photos shot and sent by Alex himself while while fixing the route with Cheppal. Further information will be updated on Alex's social media. Also, Alex's progress can be tracked live on RaceTracker on the climber's website.

    Photo by Alex Txikon

  • Expedition team settles down in Base Camp: Climbing action ahead
  • Alex Txikon flies to Nepal today
  • Oceans, roads and old friends sharing new projects
    •

    Source: Alex Txikon

    (21.01.2020)
    Expedition team settles down in Base Camp: Climbing action ahead

    Alex Txikon, together with a large team, reached Base Camp at the feet of Ama Dablam (6,848m) on Jan16 and now prepare to start the climb, weather permitting, next Wednesday. The climbers and a trekking group reached Base camp at 4,600m, safe and healthy, after enjoying six days of trekking in great weather. Contrary to Alex’s previous winter expeditions up the Khumbu valley, they have found the trail covered in snow from Namche Bazaar, at approximately 3.400m.

    It’s worth noting the remarkable performance of Jess, Jos and Alejandro, the three young disabled trekkers belonging to Amiab association. Together with four coaches, they are currently staying in base camp but soon will depart towards Gorak Shep, at 5,100m, which they expect to rearch on Jan 23.

    The snow-covered terrain has allowed Alex and the team to put into practice one of the lessons learnt last winter on K2. “In just four hours, we’ve built an igloo for the night,” Alex announced. “They are not so easy to build, but I’d say we’re kind of experts by now.”

    Last year, the team found out that Igloos provided a comfortable shelter in Winter Himalayan base camps, with a stable temperature inside, better isolation from the wind and noise and, subsequently, a healthy rest which improved their physical condition to tackle the climb ahead conditions. “While some of our climbing mates shivered as the night fell, we enjoyed a constant -2C inside the igloo.”

    Otherwise, Base Camp is perfectly installed and organized thanks to Katmandu-based 7 Summit Treks, the expedition outfitter in charge of the expedition’s logistics.

    As for climbing plans, the team is celebrating the Puya ceremony on Monday, Jan 20. “Funny enough, on Jan 20 two years ago we stood on the Summit of Pumori,” Alex recalled. The climb this time will have to wait at least until Wednesday though, due to forecast announcing a turn for the worse in weather conditions on Tuesday. “We’ve got plenty of time to climb this impressive peak. Some team members have already scouted the route up to Camp 1 and the mountain is in excellent conditions,” Txikon said. All going well, the entire team would set off towards Camp 1 for the night on Wednesday, “and then further up,” they just said. However, according to the expedition leader’s calculations, the climb should be completed by the end of January.

    While most team members are new to Ama Dablam, the current climb is a long hoped-for reencounter for Ramon Portilla, a Pioneer of Spain’s high-altitude climbing, who attempted Ama Dablam 23 years ago (back then he turned around 100 meters shy from the top) and who has joined the expedition last-minute. “Ramon didn’t believe me when I told him that, sometimes, one may trek up the Khumbu valley in winter with just a t-shirt on,” Alex said.” Now he does, and he is also starting to believe that this time he is going to make it to the summit of Ama Dablam. Definitely, he can count of the whole team here to support him.”

    The expedition leader remarks the positive atmosphere within the team, despite the large number of members: Oscar Cardo and Jonatan Garcia (also going for Everest right after Ama Dablam), Ramon Portilla, Felix Criado, Sergio Perez, Francisco Miguel Fernandez, Alejandro Albacete, David Javega, Jesus Morales, Jose Manuel Zapata and Francisco Hurtado, plus Nepalese Pasang Sherpa and Chhepal Sherpa. “Climbing in such a great atmosphere is so rewarding,” Txikon claimed. “I just hope we will enjoy every single day ahead as much as we have done since we first met in Kathmandu ten days ago.”

  • Alex Txikon flies to Nepal today
  • Oceans, roads and old friends sharing new projects
    •

    Source: Alex Txicon

    (10.01.2020)
    Alex Txikon flies to Nepal today

    Alex Txikon has barely been at home for 48 hours upon returning from a climbing and sailing trip in the Antarctic Peninsula. Today, he’s flying to Nepal for the second leg of his Road to Himalayas expedition: climbing winter Ama Dablam and Everest.

    In Katmandu, Txikon will meet the rest of the Ama Dablam climbing team: Fellow Spaniards Oscar Cardo and Jonatan Garcia - who will then attempt Everest as well, Ramon Portilla, Sergio Perez, Francisco Miguel Fernandez, Alejandro Albacete, David Javega, Jess Morales, Jose Manuel Zapata and Francisco Hurtado and Nepalese climbers Pasang Sherpa and Chhepal Sherpa. Felix Criado e Inigo Gutierrez, who departed Spain by car on a 13,000 km-long road trip, have already entered Nepal and should reach Kathmandu today, just on time to join the expedition. The team expects to fly to Lukla on Jan 12 and reach Ama Dablam base Camp by Jan 16.

    On the approaching trek, the climbing team will be accompanied by Juan Alejandro Martinez, Jose Urbano and Jess Bermdez, three disabled mountaineers who, together with four coaches and photographer Alvaro Sanz, will then continue up the Khumbu valley to Everest Base Camp, located at 5,300m.

    As for Txikon’s recent expedition to the Antarctic Peninsula, where the team climbed two new routes, further information will follow soon. Meanwhile, information and pictures are currently being posted on Alex’ social media in the “Antarctic Diaries” series.

  • Oceans, roads and old friends sharing new projects
    •

    (20.12.2019)
    Oceans, roads and old friends sharing new projects

    Despite rough sea at the Drake Pasage, Alex Txikon is happy to announce Ramon Portilla as a new member on the upcoming expedition to Winter Ama Dablam. Meanwhile, Felix Criado and Inigo Gutierrez reached Turkey today on their 13,000km-long trip from Spain to Nepal.

    Ramon Portilla

    After two days exploring wind-swept beaches and watching penguin colonies at the Falkland Islands, Alex Txikon and his team set off from Port Stanley on Tuesday, on board a sailing yacht, 60 feet of length, heading South. Captain Ezequiel Sundblad sails on wind-force only whenever possible, keeping an average speed of six knots and progressing surrounded by dolphins, albatross and the dark, 4oC ocean waters.

    Through the first two days out at sea, winds kept unusually calm and the sea was mostly flat. Conditions turned for the worse today though, as the crew sail along Cape Horn and entered the Drake Passage, which spans to the Southern Shetland Islands and it is known after its frequent, violent storms. On a short report today, the team admitted they were already suffering from the first symptoms of seasickness.

    New additions for Winter Ama Dablam

    Meanwhile in Spain, Ramon Portilla confimed yesterday he would be joining Txikon’s team for winter Ama Dablam. Portilla, confirmaba ayer que ha decidido unirse al equipo de Alex en su ascensin al Ama Dablam invernal. Portilla is a reference for Spain’s alpinism since the 1970’s, and a pioneering specialist of the Spanish TV “Al Filo de lo Imposible” documentaries, which revealed mountaineering and adventure sports to a whole generation. He has summited four 8000ers and attempted three more, but his main goal through the years has been looking for and climbing his own personal list of the “most beautiful mountains the world”. Not surprisingly, he couldn’t let go the chance to return to the impressive Ama dablam, 23 years aftet he firstly tried to reach its summit.

    Txikon has also shared his excitement about having portilla in the team, texting via satellite-phone from the Southern Pacific. “I am specially pleased to have Ramon in the team,” he reported. “He is a great guy and we’re going to learn so much about the mountains and about life with him at our side – we’re going to enjoy every moment.” Txikon ensured he invited Ramn right when he called to ask about the expedition and mentioned that, on his previous attempt, he had turned around just 100 metres shy of Ama Dablam’s summit. Portilla had discarded the idea of a comeback to Ama Dablam due to the crowds flocking to the mountain during the regular climbing season, but when he heard that Alex and his team were going for in in winter, he made up his mind. “I just couldn’t resist” Postilla explained.

    Ama Dablam climbing team also includes Oscar Cardo and Jonatan Garcia (who then will go for Everest together with Txikon), Sergio Perez, Francisco Miguel Fernandez, Alejandro Albacete, David Javega, Jesus Morales, Jose Manuel Zapata and Francisco Hurtado, in addition to Nepalese climbers Pasang Sherpa and Chhepal Sherpa, as well as Felix Criado and igo Gutirrez, currently on their way to Neppal on a 13,000km-log road trip. According to the geolocation porvided live by RaceTracker (which can be folloed on Alex Txikon’s website) they expected to cross from Bulgaria into Turkey today. The entire team will meet up in Kathmandu on January 9th 2020.

    (10.12.2019)
    Yukiguni. Snow Country

    Through the tunnel, into the vast area of snow. There is a place not far from Tokyo. An area of unique snow culture. For a snowboarder it is a place of joy that allows to leave tracks on top of the white surface that storms coming from Japan sea create. This place is Snow Country also known as Yukiguni.

    Antti explains: “I have a strong connection to Minamiuonuma. Local guide and city councelor Takumi Nagai is a dear friend and he has been such a big help and a great riding buddy for years. This year Takumi wanted us to come and create an edit on his home turf. It was easy to say yes to that invitation. It was definitely one of the most challenging yet rewarding filming trips in Japan for us. In Minamiuonuma it snows more than any other place I’ve ever been and the snow has this rare moist texture. It feels heavy at times and since we make a lot of follow cams and other moving camera angles this created many challenges. In the end though, it was exactly what created the unique vibe in this film. If you want to ride great powder and no crowds in Japan, then this is the place!

    In Yukiguni, it’s all about riding deepest powder in Minamiuonuma, Japan. A place that has not been discovered by many foreigners yet.

    [video id=4B0FD191FFDF949E57322A4B2BBD8F11]

  • Directed, Filmed and edited by Iisakki Kennila
    •

    (22.07.2019)
    Gasherbrum VII. Rescue. Photo

    Today at 0500 hrs on 22 Jul 2019, Army aviation pilots in a daring mission rescued two foreigners from Gasherbrum base camp located at 19600 ft. The casualties were from Russia and Italy respectively.

    Fol casualties were unable to be recover on the first day due to wind and temperature condition but pilot rescued them on second day because of the critical condition of the foreigners.

    Source: Faheem Akhtar, ISPR

    (25.06.2019)

    Camp 3 (6742mt.)
    Deathzone Freeride. Nanga Parbat. Back to base camp

    Cala Cimenti:

    «The night was long at the 6600 m of camp 3, the second night. It has snow all night long and we where a little afraid about the avalanche danger, but anyway that morning we where happy to have completed the four nights acclimatation period and finally to go back to base camp. We waited for the sun come and relaxing started to go down. Everything was good, the weather was good and we where descending as an harmonious team.

    Vitaly also used drone twice and second time he went close to loose it. So in the first part of the afternoon we already descended and filmed by drone the Kinshofer wall and Vitaly started to go further in front of us in order to reach the middle camp earlier to make some shooting more. I was fifty meters upon him and Anton Pugovlin fifty meters upon me fixing some ropes. At that moment I heard a big noise and, watching down, I saw a big amount of white material falling down on Vitaly.

    I screamed on him to take care but the noise was so big and he already knew, so I saw him to make a run worthy of a snow leopard like he is and spalm on the rock like a sole. Finally all the raw material passed on his head beating him only with white dust.

    After few minutes another little avalanche tried to take him without success. I reached him at the middle camp and he was happy to be alive but happier to not to have lost the drone. So from that point we started to ski and enjoyed a great ski descend on the glacier and finally the chips at the base camp.»

  • News from Vitaly Lazo (in Russian)
    •

    Source: Cala Cimenti

    (17.05.2019)

    First ascent - Apocalypse North
    (photo by Miha Zupin)
    Five new routes and three first ascents by Slovenians Svoljsak and Zupin in Alaska

    In March and April 2019 Slovenian alpinists Janez Svoljsak and Miha Zupin established five new routes and made three first ascents above Revelation glacier, Alaska.

    First ascents:
    21. 3. Four Horsemen East (2600m): East ridge, M6/M4, 50°-70°, A1, 600m, 7h. FA of unclimbed mountain
    27. 3. Golgotha: Father, Ai5, 50°-70°, 900m, 6h
    30. 3. Wailing Wall (2450m): Secret, Ai6/Ai4+, 750m, 7.5h. FA of unclimbed mountain
    1. 4. Apocalypse North (2750m): Slovenian route, Ai4+ R, M6, 50°-80°, 1300m, 8.5h. FA of unclimbed mountain
    5. 4. Seraph (2650m): The Last Supper for snow strugglers, M7/M4-5, 50°-80°, 700m, 7h

  • For more information and photos, please check the expedition report, written by Janez Svoljsak
    •

    (14.05.2019)
    Tuyuk-Su map

    Few years ago I drew a map of Tuyuk-Su area. From that, I annually roll up updates. Usually, I update Russian version first, so if you are comfortable with it check out Tuyuk-Su map in Russian. There are some minor differences from the English version.

    Feel free to use it for your trips and non-commercial projects.

  • Download PDF
    •

    If you have any questions on routes or area in general, write me at kirill@steelinside.com or on a Facebook.

    Read on Mountain.RU:

    Baintha Brakk WII 6540m, NE Buttress, attempt

    Two new routes on the north face of Ordzhonikidze, 4410 m

    Source: Kirill Belotserkovskiy, Alma-Ata

    (6.05.2019)
    Pakistan international paragliding cup 2019

    About:
    • The event will contain more than 35 nations throughout the world. Adventure Tourism of Pakistan will be on high elevation by orchestrating this event.
    • Pakistan's wonderful and one of a kind rocky geography draws in paragliding fans from around the globe, where they can appreciate dreamlike pictures of rich green fields, valleys, frigid slants and ice sheets.
    • The sky for paragliding is boundless with high dissipated mists and various pinnacles extending from 6000 - 8000 meters

  • Download PDF
    •

    (3.04.2019)

    Marcin Tomaszewski/climber/The Wall of Shadows - Sciana Cieni/wspinanie.pl
    Jannu 2019. Dima Golovchenko, Eliza Kubarska and Sergey Nilov

    Dima Golovchenko, Eliza Kubarska and Sergey Nilov's meeting on Yamatary glacier after 18-days epic journey on Jannu

    We should again thanks the Polish climbers for taking the lead in coordination/communication, and all Polish climbing community for support.
    We have a lot to learn from you.

    Profound thanks go to plucky Eliza and Marcin.
    After all you were a big reason why our extremely lucky Sergey and Dima climbed down safe.

    (15.03.2019)
    Alexander Gukov. Latok I. Impossible is not Forever
    (english subtitles)

    [video id=7D6ABC04DD2FB10800AFCEBE45F8F78B]

    Read on Mountain.RU:

    Latok I. Saving Chief Mate Gukov. Part I

    Latok I. Saving Chief Mate Gukov. Part II

    Latok I. Saving Chief Mate Gukov. Part III

    (20.11.2017)
    Yuri Koshelenko and Alexey Lonchinskiy completed the first ascent of Phungi, 6538m, Nepal

    54y.o. Yuri Koshelenko and 35 y.o. Alexey Lonchinskiy completed the first ascent of Phungi, 6538m, located west of Manaslu in Nepal.

    The Russians established the camp at 5000m and then climbed the peak alpine style by 1,500-meter-high Southeast Face, it took them three days.

    On 28 October at 4:30pm they reached the summit and descended via West ridge (two more days).

    Yuri Koshelenko is one of the Russian most accomplished climbers with a big list of notable first ascents. Yuri and Valery Babanov were awarded the Piolets d’Or in 2003 for FA of Nuptse East via Southeast Pillar.

    Alexey Lonchinskiy is a part of Russian new generation of climbers that is popping up. He was awarded the Piolets d’Or for the FA of the Southwest Face of Thamserku with Alexander Gukov.

    (2.11.2015)
    Date update: 3.11.2015
    First Ascent of Talung, 7439m, Nepal

    Ukrainian duo Michail Fomin and Nikita Balabanov made the first ascent of Mt.Talung, 7439m, Nepal via north-northwest buttress.

    The route held the attention of Marek Holecek and Zdenek Hruby in 2013 but NW buttress remained unclimbed instead Marek and Zdenek climbed North Face and were nominated for PDO in 2014.

    Alpine style, 6 days in total, denivele 1700m, M6, AI6, A3

    (17.06.2015)
    Approach & Attack New Zealand Section

    While shooting for Approach & Attack movie Antti and crew spent two summers filming in the Southern Alps of New Zealand. In this edit Antti and Will give insight to riding in the NZ backcountry and ride some beautiful lines and natural kickers.

    Antti can't wait to get back: "To celebrate promising start of the winter our crew decided to release New Zealand section from the movie Approach & Attack. This is one of my favorite parts in the film. Riding with Will Jackways is always a pleasure. I can't wait go back to kiwi land & hopefully get to ride more stuff like this!"

    [video id=7E15FEB4029908337F48113696395CE7]

    Full version Approach & Attack
    (11.06.2015)
    Mountain sports
    Situation review & diagnosis

    Press release
    (6.07.2011)
    Valery Rozov. Mont Blanc Base Jump

    Today, 6.07.2011, at 7am local time Valery Rozov made first ever base jump from Mont Blanc (Italy side).

    (19.05.2011)
    Shark Tooth / 1555m
    East Greenland, region Renland

    The first ascent to the top Shark Tooth / 1555m / The North-West ridge from 05/02/2011 to 05/05/2011

    Alexander Ruchkin and Mikhail Mikhaylov
    The height of the ABC / Edward Bailey Gletscher / - 40m
    The height of the glacier Sharks Teeth Glacier 640 m

    Vertical wall, 915 m
    6A, 1200m, A2, 6C,
    The route length of 1200 m

    From ABC 02/05/2011
    Top 05.05.2011 at 18.30.
    Descend to ABC 05/06/2011

    News source: Alexander Ruchkin

    (18.10.2010)
    The John Harlin direttissima route with Heckmair exit climbed freestyle for the first time

    Robert Jasper and climbing partner Roger Schaeli reach another milestone on the north face of the Eiger.
    Extreme mountaineer Robert Jasper (42) - considered one of the best alpinists in the world - together with his rope partner, the Swiss professional mountaineer Roger Schaeli (31), has forged another breakthrough on the north face of the Eiger.
    From 20th – 23rd September Jasper and Schaeli climbed the world-famous John Harlin direttissima route with Heckmair exit in redpoint freestyle for the first time. The 1800m high route, known as the John Harlin direttissima on the north face of the Eiger, is one of the most challenging in the world, with rock and ice presenting real technical difficulties.

    (Mixed M8- /rock 7a E5 redpoint). The pitons left behind 44 years ago by the first climbers were very dubious. After the Eiger Japan direttissima (1st free ascent, Jasper/Schaeli, 2009), the “free Harlin route” is the second major “line” in modern freestyle climbing through the north face (pitons now just serving as security, no longer aiding progress). But it is so dangerous that climbing it in the summer was out of the question. Then again, in the winter it is too cold, which is why these two professional mountain climbers chose autumn. “It was a balance between what is just tenable and the risks on the wall,” said Jasper. “I made my first attempt at this route in the winter as early as 20 years ago I had to turn back on my own. After three further attempts I had gained the experience I needed. You have to know what is important here.

    When I climbed the north face of the Eiger whilst making the IMAX film with John Harlin III (the son of John Harlin II who fell to his death in 1966 on his first ascent when his rope broke) I was really affected by his family tragedy.”

    “Climbing this legendary route, I could not stop my thoughts from turning to that drama. As I lead climbed the very length of rope where John Harlin had his fatal fall in 1966, thoughts of my family and the risks of the mountain flitted through my mind, which was really tough. That route was the most emotional climb of my whole life!”

    After three days on the wall, at around half past eight in the evening, partners Jasper and Schaeli reached the summit of the 3970m high Eiger in true Alpine style. Elated but utterly drained, they set up their third bivouac a few metres below the summit on the knife-edge ridge. The next morning, an abseil down the 700m high south wall brought them back down to civilization.

    Source: Robert Jasper

    [1-30] [31-60] [61-90] [91-120] [121-150] [151-180] [181-210] [211-240] [241-270] [271-300] [301-330] [331-360] [361-390] [391-420] [421-450] [451-480] [481-510] [511-540] [541-570] [571-600] [601-630] [631-660] [661-690] [691-720] [721-750] [751-780] [781-810] [811-840] [841-870] [871-900] [901-930] [931-960] [961-990] [991-1020] [1021-1050] [1051-1080] [1081-1083] Äàëåå

    (25.02.2005)
    Today, on 25 February Piolet d'Or (Golden Ice Axe) yearly award will be presented in Grenoble, France.

    All nominees are assembled. In some minutes the hanging committee opens representation of the projects - the most important alpine achievements over the past year.

    In the evening just past midnight (Moscow time) the Winners will be announced.

    Check out on the Mountain.RU: NOMINEES PIOLET D'OR 2004

    (17.02.2005)
    Expedition of Russian Adventure Team Alpindustria - Cerro Torre (Patagonia)-2005
    Leonid Kozlov and Alexander Lastochkin reports:
     16.02.2005
    Hi, everybody!
    Now it's 5 am on local time. We had to cease efforts to ascend Fitz Roy because of an objective danger of the route: a huge ice-fall hangs over the couloir and it's constantly under ice bombardment. We decided to change our plans and to climb Saint Exupery peak (2558m). We are going to start, summit and descend this day. The weather forecast is good for the first half of the day, but for the second is bad. We will try to work faster. Wish us good luck.
    Cheerie-bye!

    (16.02.2005)
    Expedition of Russian Adventure Team Alpindustria - Cerro Torre (Patagonia)-2005
    Leonid Kozlov and Alexander Lastochkin reports:
     Hi, everybody.
    Yesterday we descended in Chalten and in the very nick of time - got right into a global climbing party. The party was terrific and we had a great time. As always, Russian songs headed the bill. Alexander's singing already became a legend in Chalten. People recognize him in the street and almost nearly ask for an autograph.

    Our climb was rather uneasy - the route appeared very long and difficult. We had to haul a lot of gear as the route includes practically all elements: difficult rock-climbing, AID-climbing, ice and snow climbing. We did our best and showed a good result - for the first day we climbed the ice-fall, made 11 pitches up to the Col and 18 pitches after it and stop to spend the night sitting on a small ledge under the traverse. It was cold but according to the Patagonian measures rather tolerable as it could be much worse. Since the morning we quickly traversed and met a great company of British climbers descending to base camp after four day-climbing the route. They were impressed very much at our technique and speed of climb, and later, on the party they invited us to arrive in UÊ on annual international forum. In the same place we met Slovenian familiar girls Tanya and Monica that had luck this time: they found courage to return after a week-old failure and summited after a three-day climb.

    After the traverse we made four pitches more. The sun was already shining with all his might. It was the 4-th day of ideal sun weather. We prayed on good weather and we had it. However it brought us the main problem. Under the sun's rays the summit ice mushroom, hanging above a vertical headwall, began to thaw and crumble. When we got under it, the collapse of ice-blocks drew to a head. Every pitch more and more ice fell from above. Making the 4-th pitch we had to shelter from the ice bombardment with our backpacks for some minutes and to take advantage of a 30-second break to climb some meters more. It became too dangerous. And we decided that living is high and bailed being overpowered by nature. And it was not for nothing. Traversing back and being already in safe place we saw a great ice collapse falling on our route and sweeping away everything on the way. Really, we realized that the danger was over.

    Slovene girls descended this dangerous dihedral before us, but they were not such lucky - Monica was rather seriously injured and fractured rib. But all the same, they were very pleased indeed.

    For the same reason this day Dean Potter did not manage to summit Torre Egger, Thomas Huber bailed too, the Austrians Toni and Marcus stop climbing Cerro Torre via Maestri -Egger route. Too good weather appeared good-for-nothing for climb in Patagonia.

    Now we are reviving in Chalten and plan to leave on Fitz Roy to climb the American route. This time the weather is bad, but according weather forecast we will have a weather window on Monday. And on Monday we will leave Polish camp site at the foot of Fitz Roy. We have no enough time, in a week we have to leave back. So if they do not prove the weather window, we will not climb at all. It will not be easy to get under the route: we have to go through rather dangerous place - a couloir between Fitz Roy and Poincenot with hanging above huge ice seracs. We will try to work quickly.

    Wish us of good luck.
    Leonid, Alexander, Olga.

    (11.02.2005)
    Expedition of Russian Adventure Team Alpindustria - Cerro Torre (Patagonia)-2005
    Leonid Kozlov and Alexander Lastochkin reports:
     10.02.2005
    Hi! Having climbed the Mountain for two days we had to descend yesterday. We were too close to summit but got into a violent icefall right under the summit mushroom. Thank Heaven we are safe and sound but it was too dangerous there and decided to stop climbing and descend. Now we have a rest. We'll inform you about our further plans.
    That's all on for today. Take care.

    (7.02.2005)
    Expedition of Russian Adventure Team Alpindustria - Cerro Torre (Patagonia)-2005
    Leonid Kozlov and Alexander Lastochkin reports:
     08.02.2005
    Hi everybody!
    Yesterday we descended to El Chalten. Three days ago we hired horses and moved our base camp (150 kg!) in Camp-Bridwell. Campamento Bridwell at Lago Torre is a very cosy camping area embowered in trees. A stunning view at Cerro Torre massif opens from there. There are a lot of aspiring Cerro Torre climbers and trekkers living there now. Weather was wonderful. However toward evening surprisingly beautiful clouds of fantastic colors and shapes reminding UFOs appeared in the sky. It's the typical sign of an impending storm.

    At night there was a nasty turn in the weather indeed, however the next day it improved again and we moved forward to Norwegian-camp at the foot of Cerro Torre. Having humped our heavy backpacks (about 40kg each) we made good time crossing 10 km onto a huge glacier, moraines and loose talus for 11 hours. Well, later we were requited for our uneasy trek.

    Dean PotterA good company consisting of Dean Potter and his wife, Thomas Huber, climbers from Austria and Slovenia met us at Norwegos (Norwegian camp). Dean, his wife Stephanie and Thomas told that the Austrians first and they after them were going to start at midnight. And Dean really wanted to b.a.s.e.-jump from Cerro Torre summit.

    Tomas HuberTowards evening a Slovene two-woman team returned from ascent to the base camp. Monica and Tanya on hearsay were the first female team summited Fitzroy. They were very pleased and cheerful as they returned safe and sound. The day before (right when we were admiring clouds in Bridwell) they got into a violent storm. They did not have even waterproof gloves and their descent was rather difficult. In spite of the fact that they did not climb the last 4 pitches up to the top and bailed their mood was wonderful. Really everybody here are enamoured of climbing in itself. It does not matter if you manage to summit or not.

    Having spent the white night under stones at Norwegos we moved further. Under the plan we had to climb towards the Col where to spend the night. But on our way we were informed on a satellite phone about bad weather forecast for the nearest 3 days. It seemed to be the truth because since the morning the summit was tightened with dark clouds with lightning flashed in. Thus everywhere except for Cerro Torre the weather was good. Fitzroy (just in 3 km) was absolutely clear of cloud. We dropped the backpacks and went further with light baggage - to get limbered up and look at the route condition. On our way we met the Slovenes who bailed their climb due to the bad weather and then Dean Potter and Thomas Huber. They did not want to ask for trouble too climbing through bad weather. Thomas appeared a very pleasant guy, smiling and thanking a lot when we suggested them to throw off the rope for rappelling.

    Austrians & SashaThe ice-fall leading to the rocks under the Col was strongly softened under the bright sun. Getting over a bergschrund, we had to climb a hanging wall covered with softened granulated snows. Tools did not hold in general, even when having been hammered on the shaft, they went further deep under pressing. We moved trying to find slices of firm ice, in size of a coin. Probably, the summit ice mush-room is in the same condition. But, as people speak "it's possible".

    As the result we climbed halfway up to the col. Rocks were wet with ice sites in places and we climbed in crampons. When small avalanches began to collapse we gave up and descended right up to Bridwell-camp.

    Cerro Torre at dawnNow we are in Chalten attached ourselves to an excellent company: Leo Houlding and Kevin Thaw, Thomas Huber singing his songs to a guitar, Dean, cheerful guys from Slovenia and a lot of others. Yesterday we had a good party in our camping singing Russian songs on happy three voices to a guitar too.

    Leo and Kevin just summited Fitzroy, Cazarotto route (North ridge). They had expected to climb the route for one day (under the description it's difficultly no more than 6b, and the guys are the real experienced climbers of 8-graded lines). However the route appeared very complex. They had to spend 2 cold nights on the wall without sleeping bags and a stove, meal and water. They were heated putting on backpacks on a head. After they descended Leo was sleeping for two days and then was drinking nonstop one day more. Now he is as sober as a judge, and they'll leave tomorrow for the next climb: this time it is El Mocho turn.

    Dean and Stephanie yesterday descended to Bridwell and tomorrow are going to Norwegos. They want to try to summit Cerro Torre all the same. We'll leave tomorrow too. We decided to try to start directly from Norwegos in alpine style not to bivy at the Col. It would be hard. All the route includes about 40 pitches. We'll start at night on Monday. We have a good forecast on Monday - Tuesday, but on Wednesday the weather will start to spoil.

    We'd like to hug tight all of you,
    Alexander, Leonid, Olga.

    (7.02.2005)
    Expedition of Russian Adventure Team Alpindustria - Cerro Torre (Patagonia)-2005
    Leonid Kozlov and Alexander Lastochkin reports:
     03.02.2005
    Hi, everybody. Today we finally climbed up to Norwegian camp site. It took us rather much time.
    People say that there is a bad weather forecast for the day after tomorrow and we do not know really what to do. We need two days to try for the summit.

    Tomorrow we will climb hardly upper and spend the night on a shoulder's bergschrund there. Thomas Huber and Dean Potter plan to start climbing in 2 hours and ascend all the night, i.e. tomorrow to reach the top and then Dean Potter wants to make a b.a.s.e.-jump right from the summit.

    (3.02.2005)
    Expedition of Russian Adventure Team Alpindustria - Cerro Torre (Patagonia)-2005
    Leonid Kozlov and Alexander Lastochkin reports:
     01.02.2005
    Our greetings to everybody! Yesterday we reached Base Camp and homed in it. We found a lot of people there. Thomas Huber told us about his brother Alex Huber that had to left home because had wounded his eye (at least the story runs that). Weather has been standing magnificent for three days, and it hurts us that we arrived so late. We are afraid, that good weather will not hold for some days more and we will not have time to ascend. Tomorrow we are going to climb up to Norwegian camp site and , the day after tomorrow we plan to get the Col and if the weather is good we will make a summit push the next day.

    That is all there is to it for today.

    (1.02.2005)
    Expedition of Russian Adventure Team Alpindustria - Cerro Torre (Patagonia)-2005
    29.01.
    We flied almost lost-free. Only two backpacks with our belongings, sleeping bags, etc. and a tent were lost en route. But as people say money makes the mare go and we are going to buy needed gear in El Calafate where we will take off tomorrow.

    And in Buenos Aires the real summer holds. They are dancing tango in the streets, beggars and paperboys are passing to and fro. The day is sweaty. Tomorrow we take off for El Calafate.

    We'd like to hold you in our arms.
    Alxander, Leonid, Olga.

    30.01.
    Things are shaking down rapidly. They found Olga's backpack and delivered it. In an hour our plane departs to El Calafate. Our greetings to everybody.

    Today we arrived from Buenos Aires in El Calafate. Cerro Torre and Fitzroy were visible from the plane. The sky is grotesque here. Low torn clouds, absolutely flat, bear heavily on your mind.

    As expected we bought all needed things in El Calafate. You can't pick and choose here because practically all the things sold there are made by one local company...

    There was only one terrible tent and we had to buy it unconscious of how to use it. But there was no other alternative. And we bought a cool newest down sleeping bag in weight of 700g.

    Tomorrow at 7 a.m. we leave in Chalten by bus. This journey will take us for 5 hours.

    Alxander, Leonid, Olga.

     

    Ines PapertHarald Berger

    (31.01.2005)
    Harald Berger and Ines Papert are the World and European Ice Boulder Champions

    In the Super Final in Valle di Daone the Austrian and German beat Herbert Klammer from Italy and Natalia Koulikova from Russia.

    Simon Wandeler from Switzerland and Jenny Lavarda from Italy placed third.

    For full news reports and a great photo gallery by Giulio Malfer, please visit: http://www.daoneicemaster.it/

     

     

    www.planetmountain.com

    (31.01.2005)
    Kodar-2005
    30.01.05.
    The team successfully summited on January 29!
    On January 29 the guys woke up early in the morning (4 a.m.) and started their summit bid. After they climbed the summit bastion and narrow rocky ridge, all the team reached the Kodar's summit at 9.00. Temperature was negative 43, but weather was breathless. That day all of them safe and sound descended to the base camp toward evening.

    Such fast ascent's ending appeared unexpected for a lot of fans. We were adjusted for waiting for good news for some days. As it turned out during communication Kodar-Krasnoyarsk Nikolay omitted mention of the bottom 4-5 pitches of an abrupt snow-ice couloir they had climbed. Thus, all the route is really of 22 pitches, extent of its wall part - 17 pitches.

    All the plans have been completely accomplished. The team prepares for returning. Term of return depends on helicopter's availability in Taksimo and good weather.

    We congratulate and wait for the winners!

    (26.01.2005)
    Kodar-2005
    26.01.05.
    We have already climbed a half of the route. We abide by the schedule. On January 24 we made 3 pitches, it's a record for the present time. Yesterday we made only one pitch. Today two-man team of Dmitrienko and Tsyganov is next in turn to fix the rope on the route. In total, since 19 of January we made 13 pitches - it's approximately a half of the route. Yesterday the team in its full complement took off and now is making themselves at home in a tent settled in a small rocky niche that was found in the area of 12-th pitch.

    We decided not to take off the fixed rope for extreme descent in case of bad weather. Today is negative 34, but a thermometer has already registered -38 and-40 degrees centigrade. The wall is very cold and all ice-covered due to its exposition: within all the day any stream of sun does not reach its slopes. Large monolithic blocks, corners, chimneys are characteristic parameters of wall's terrain structure. It's hard to organize a safe belay. We use sky-hooks to climb very firm granite plates, but it's really difficult. Steepness is up to 80 degrees in places, but the top part of the route seems more abrupt on the average.

    Everything is lovely in the base camp. The warmed tent Rock Pillars is worth its keep. When it's made up the fire in it we have about +20 inside. Under the wall we dug a good cave for 6 people. The area is very interesting, wild: there is not any local habitation, hunting shelters or man's traces. Loginov and Sikilinda climbed a beautiful winter 5B-graded route on the next (left) mountain spending 2 days for fixing the rope and one day for the summit push. The other free members of our expedition climbed less complex routes 1B- and 2A-graded.

    We keep shootings a film about our expedition. In spite of the fact that the camera is frequently freezing, we have already shot an hour and a half. Misha Vershinin actively works. Now it's full of the moon, and Mike is shooting even in the moonlight. Unfortunately, there is no opportunity to send photos. And we can only receive SMS-messages but not send them.

    Keep in touch with us!

    24.01.05.
    For two days the guys made two complex pitches more. For two days the guys made two complex pitches more. In total 9 pitches are climbed. Firm granite, cold, ice-covered rocks. Today Prokof'ev and Belyanin are working. They have to find a convenient site for the first hanging camp. Temperature is negative 30.

    (26.01.2005)
    New world champions in ice-climbing. January, 21-22, The 2nd World Championships for Difficulty- and Speed Ice Climbing and the 1st Swiss Ice Climbing Masters in Difficulty and Speed, Saas-Fee, Switzerland.

    In ice-climbing organizers do not want to peddle cups: if they carry out something it will be a championship. The results of World Championship-2005 were summed up: Austrian Hari Berger and Petra Muller from Switzerland won Difficulty and Evgeny Kryvosheytsev from Ukraine and Natalia Kulikova from Russia were the first in speed.

    Results

    Difficulty. Men

    1 BERGER Hari (Austria)
    2 ANTHAMATTEN Simon (Switzerland)
    3 LEICHTFRIED Albert (Austria)
    4 BENDLER Markus (Austria)
    5 ANTHAMATTEN Samuel (Switzerland)
    6 WANDELER Simon (Switzerland)
    7 KRYVOSHEYTSEV Evgeny (Ukraine)
    8 ODERMATT Urs (Switzerland)

    Difficulty. Women

    1 MULLER Petra (Switzerland)
    2 PAPERT Ines (Germany)
    3 MAUREAU Stephanie (France)
    4 BUCHMANN Kirsten (Germany)
    5 TORRETTA Anna (Italy)
    6 EYER Alexandra (Switzerland)
    7 FILIPPOVA Maryam (Russia)
    8 SHABALINA Maria (Russia)

    Speed. Men

    1 KRYVOSHEYTSEV Evgeny (Ukraine)
    2 FAYZULLIN Igor (Russia)
    3 CHVED Nikolai (Russia)
    4 HOFER Lars (Switzerland)

    Speed. Women

    1 KOULIKOVA Natalia Russia
    2 OLEINIKOVA Joulia Russia
    3 TORRETTA Anna Italy

    Photo: Hari Berger. Author: Giulio Malfer,
    www.planetmountain.com

    (24.01.2005)
    On Saturday January, 22, Sergey Borisov was killed in an automobile accident in Ekaterinburg. I do not know, what I can add any more. Suddenly I realized that I have nothing to say if it happens to my friends... because it is not right..

    Sergey Borisov

    Master of Sport of International Grade
    For a long time he was the captain of Sport Club of Army of Ural military region.
    He became four times champion of USSR, twice champion of Russia, numerous prize-winner of different national championships.

    The last climber who was called as "The best climber of the USSR" (1990 and 1991) just before USSR's disintegration.

    1990 - won the USSR championship in a technical class (Fanskie mountain) having ascended 8 summits for 13 days (six 5B-graded routes and two 6À).

    1991 - the USSR championship, a rocky class, Karavshin gorge of the Turkestansky ridge. The team of Alexander Klenov, Sergey Borisov, Michael Bruk, Igor Bugachevsky, Michael Donskikh, Alexander Solodovnikov summited peaks "Slesova", "Asan" and won "the gold".

    1991 - the USSR championship, a technical class, Aksu gorge of the Turkestansky ridge. The team of Sergey Borisov, Alexander Klenov, Michael Brook, Michael Donskikh, Alexander Kolesov, Alexander Limarenko summited Admiralteets, Iskander, A.Blok and won "the gold".

    2002 - Everest via Northern col.

    2004 - Jannu North Face, summiter

    (24.01.2005)
    Kodar-2005

    22.01.05
    Everything is turning out well. We dug a cave and sorted out the problem of fire wood. Three two-man teams (Prokofiev-Belyaev, Dmitrienko-Tsyganov, Tsygankov - Cherezov) worked alternating on the route for 3 days and made 7 pitches. It became warmer a little, -20, snowfalls. The Wall is ice- and snow-covered.

    21.01.05
    It's snowing, temperature is -20. 5 pitches are made.

    19.01.05
    Kodar-2005. Nikolay Zakharov called: We continue to make our base camp more comfortable. There is a lot of snow. We clear away the beaten track to the wall. It's -35. Our greetings to everybody!

    (24.01.2005)
    Simone Moro. Shisha Pangma. First wimter ascent
    20.01
    Till the end this expedition was very hard…
    After the summit and the attempt form Jacek and Darek, they braked for the horrible wind and temperature (more than - 40 degree) it begins to snow and it bad weather continue. We decided to try to go to Nyalam, the first village, where we did start our trek one month ago. There we will take the jeeps to Kathmandu.

    The day before we start our descent adventure we lost our Kitchenboy Chiring, who went to ABC to take down the last things….. In the evening he didn’t come back to BC and we was very worry…. All together we went out in the darkness and the storm, looking for him. We thought about the worst, because the temperature was very low and it had snow a lot. Luckily Chiring organised by himself one bivac 2 ours far from BC, when he understood the difficulty of the situation. But we pasted a very bad night….

    The they after we Chiring arrived in BC and we all were very happy to see him. But one other dramatic adventure was starting. At 12:30 we started from BC at 5200 meters to Nyalam at 3750 and 25 km far. Nobody from us thought, that only after some ours we would find storm, - 30 degree, fog and snow sometimes till our waist!!! We needed 14 ours without stop, fighting with the elements and in the darkness, before we arrived with totally cold in Nyalam. My small finger is black and all the other fingers I have only partially sensibility. The others are only tired from the exhausting work and some small frostbite in the face (also I have….). More than one time we finished in the icy water from the river, because he was covert by thin ice and snow, that broken when we passed over. Other times the snow was so deep and powdery near to impossible to go on. At 3:30 Peking time Piotr and I reached the place where we slept when we did go up. The others came a little later and at last Jan after some ours. I think our looks were not so nice, because the people observed us long…..

    The day after we droved by the jeep to Zangmu, the boarder to Nepal. There we take showers and sauna for 3 ours non-stop!!!

    Today we arrived at Kathmandu. On more shower and now we are preparing to go out from our Hotel and I want to eat a big beef and make party for be back to the normality.

    P.S. Today, the 20th of January the CTMA certificated our summit with the sentence “first winter Summit” as the first winter summit from Shisha Pangma, maked by Simone Moro ITA and Piotr Morawski POL at the 14th of Januray

     

    Svetlana Boldykova(24.01.2005)
    From January 15-23, 2005 the 2005 Snowboard World Championships took place in Whistler, Canada.
    On January 18 Russians sportsmen showed good results: at Women's Parallel Giant Slalom (PGS - Olympic discipline) Svetlana Boldykova became the second, Ekaterina Tudigescheva - the forth and at Men's Parallel Giant Slalom Denis Salagaev was the ninth.

    On January 19 at Parallel Slalom Denis became only 13th and Svetlana - 12th. The world championship is carried out twice a year.

    And against rather sad results of Russian skiers in technical sports (slalom, giant slalom) success of our snowboarding team is impressing.

     

     

    (24.01.2005)
    Ines Papert breaks record in Ouary Ice Park, USA
    Igor Ivashura, CYKHAX ENT, Munich, informs:
    This girl just went and did that left behind all the monsters of ice-climbing and showed the best result among men and women on the tenth annual "Ouary Ice Festival" (USA)!!!

    Ines Papert won Difficulty event with the best time 19:53 and thousand spectators could enjoy her sending the most complicated mixed line in the artificial ice canyon. She was the unique women made TOP - really that was not a sensation, but that fact that her time was the best by the end of the competitions went through like a packet of salts! A cool Canadian athlete Will Gadd yielded this fragile German girl almost for two minutes, and Harry Berger from Austria - much more than that. It is fair to say that Will Gadd sent a final line without "Heelhooks" manner and that took much more time to send. Well, this result and sending the route of "Vertical Limit" are confirmed Ines's high class and unconditional leadership among all the masters of frozen water.

    The tenth annual festival "Events in Ouary" (Salt Lake City, Utha) became unqualified success of its Organizers, some thousand spectators were obvious confirmation to that. The conditions for ice-climbing in Ouary canyon were simply phenomenally good. And slide shows and a fashion parade of exclusive sports mark "Arc'teryx" completed even without that interesting evening programs.

    Ines's result is really unique.

    The Chief of Black Diamond European branch said: "Ines is very cool. I do not know any woman in athletic sports in which a girl could become better, than the best man!"

    Total report

    Men
    1 22:47 WILL GADD
    2 23:10 HARRY BERGER
    3 14:10 SEAN ISAAC
    4 21:20 ROB OWENS
    5 20:20 ALJAZ ANDERJLE
    6 14:13 JARED OGDEN
    7 18:52 SEAN HUISMAN
    8 15:45 RICH PURNELL
    9 10:40 DALE REMSBERG
    10 17:59 SONNIE TROTTER
    11 13:28 VINCE ANDERSON
    12 12:19 LOUIS JULIENNE ROY
    13 16:42 ADAM STACK
    14 6:50 RYAN NELSON    		Women
    1 19:53 INES PAPERT ALL ALL
    2 14:05 KIRSTEN BUCHMANN
    3 20:10 AUDREY GARIEPY
    4 16:14 ANNA TORRETTA
    5 13:53 SUE NOTT
    6 14:54 KRISTIE AREND
    7 10:15 ISABELLE SANTOIRE
    8 11:35 SHELLY HUISMAN
    9 8:50 ABBY WATKINS

    Photo - www.bergsteigen.at

    (21.01.2005)
    Georgian Mountain, Adventure and Extreme Film Festival N I A M O R I
    In January-March 2005, in Georgia (former Soviet Union) Tbilisi will host the second annual Mountain Film Festival “Niamori”
    Details

     

    (19.01.2005)
    Kodar-2005
    18.01.05 Zakharov called from base camp:
    16.01 The bad weather was.
    17.01 We finally got to the area of ascent. The gorge is so narrow that the helicopter could not find any convenient site to land and we were dropped in deep snow from a hovering helicopter.

    The Wall justifies our expectations: impressive, severe, tempting. It's very abrupt and has altitude difference not less than 1000m. We set a camp in 3 kilometers from the Wall. Woodland is insignificant there.

    Today the part of our team went downwards the gorge for preparation of fire wood for the stove, and the others went to break trail to Wall's foot. Yesterday the temperature in Taksimo was negative 40, but in the gorge it is a little bit warmer.

    Our greetings to everyone who is a fan of us!

    14.01.2005 Our Expedition started.

    Check out on the Mountain.RU: Kodar range, Czarsky Tron (Czar's Throne, 2500) New Route, 6B, 1000 meters SW wall

    (18.01.2005)
    Simone Moro. Shisha Pangma. First wimter ascent
    18.01
    Bad weather. Since 3 days is snowing and obviously the yak can not start from Nyalam and come to base camp to take all our equipment and transport to the village that is 25 km from here. In the meantime we celebrate the success play cart, or chess, reading books and also waiting boring for the sun....

    Portfolio

     

    (17.01.2005)
    "Russian Pumori Team" Expedition
    15.01
    Vladimir Belousov informs:
    Yesterday, 14.01, we left C2 at 6100 heading to C3 at 6500 and somewhere at 6300 were rested against a crevasse of about one kilometer long and failed to get over it. Usually it is tight, but now looks freshly open. And as we were going in Alpine style... Plus other problems: Pavel was ill, all of us were tired a bit. Therefore we decided to descend.

    One of these days the guys come back, but I want to be late a little and stay here to take a walk. Our greetings to all of you.

    (14.01.2005)
    Simone Moro. Shisha Pangma
    14.01
    Summit!
    Simone Moro and Piotr Morawski summited today at 13.15. We followed the Yugoslavian route on the south face of Shisha Pangma.
    Yesterday we fixed ropes to the col, set up the Camp II, and today we decided for a summit push. The wind was strong, reaching 30-35 m/s. After 5 hours of fast climbing we summited.

    This is first winter ascent on Shisha Pangma in history (callendar winter started 21st December) and we can truly say that in typical winter conditions (strong wind, no snow, a lot of ice). Now only six 8000 meters peaks are waiting for its first winter ascents...


    13.01
    Simone and Piotr reached the col and put up Camp 2 on 7400!
    Today morning we took the tent (heavy but we wanted C2 to be comfortable), sleeping bags and food. We climbed very fast because we wanted to reach the col. On 7300 we started also to fix. Most of today climbing was on the rocky part, not difficult, but dangerous (moving stones and not solid rock). When we reached the col it was already in shadow, and it was extremely cold. During setting up the tent we observed that a part of the ridge is little protected from this terrible, strong and freezing wind. A big part of the ridge is of course not protected, but... So we decided to try summit tomorrow! Cross fingers!...

    Simone and Piotr

    (14.01.2005)
    Petites Jorasses. First free climbing "Omega" route Britons Nick Bullock and Stuart MacAleese became the third team climbed historical Patrick "Gab" Gabarrou's and Ferran Latorre's route "Omega" on Petites Jorasses (Mt. Blanc), (700m, VI/5+,A3).

    It is worthwhile to say that Nick and Stuart sent the route clean, i.e. free climbed. Nick already tried the route last year but fell and broke his anklebone, and this year he returned there with MacAleese to have luck again on 13-pitch mixed route. All the route took them four days, from which two full days they were climbing.

    http://desnivel.com/

     

    (14.01.2005)
    Ice-climbing. Jenny Lavarda and Hannes Pfeifhofer are the champions of Italy
    The second stage of the Italian Ice-climbing championship "ITALIAN ALPINE CUP" finished at the last weekend in Val Passiria .
    At men having got over all the grandees and merited runners as Bubu Mauro Bole and Herbert Klammer Hannes Pfeifhofer, a 18-year climber, unexpectedly won the gold.
    Jenny Lavarda, having switched off from rock-climbing on ice in this winter season, took part at such events for the first time and won by a head. Silvia Cian is the second and Monica Gemelli- the third.

    http://www.planetmountain.com/

     

     

    (14.01.2005)
    GRANDES JORASSES. Linceul (4208m). Winter solo
    Ferran Martínez is the Spanish climber soloed the "great classics" of GRANDES JORASSES: Linceul. Some days later his climb was repeated by other Spanish climber Eloi Callado.

    http://desnivel.com/

     

     

    (14.01.2005)
    The fifth summit under the project "Caucasus Five thousand-Mountains in Winter" has been climbed
    Sergey Shchepachkov informs:
    On January, 9, 2005 a team of climbers (Ivan Artemov, Ivan Alentsev, Victor Afanasyev, Andrey Bukin, and Oleg Bibin) summited Mt. Kazbek (5033m) within the framework of the project "Caucasus Five thousand-Mountains in Winter".
    Weather during the ascent held ideal. I got cold and had to stop climbing and left the team during the summit push. Proshchenko Maxim and Grishnjachy Leonid had to abandon the team too. The route line went from Northern Ossetia side, through Genaldonskoe gorge via Pastukhova route.

    (14.01.2005)
    "Russian Pumori Team" Expedition
    12.01
    Vladimir Belousov reports:
    12.01 we climbed up to 6100, fixed the rest ropes and today we have a rest after very exhausting working day. The weather is excellent, it's rather warm and seems tremendously improved then last year.

     

     

    (13.01.2005)
    Simone Moro. Shisha Pangma
    12.01
    All the night the wind shook the tents and it was difficult to sleep. Also the mountain was very loud, showing what the hell is going up. In the morning we wait for the sun and then we crowed from our sleepingbags.
    Today the sky was with no clouds, but cold wind was stopping us, especially on plateau. Now we are sitting in the tent of Camp 1 and prepare for tomorrow: very important and also exhausting day. We wish the wind let us through the col...

    Simone and Piotr

    (12.01.2005)
    Simone Moro. Shisha Pangma
    11.01
    Going up! The next attack to the mountain has just begun. We're sitting (Simone and Piotr) already in ABC (5600). After a few days rest Darek and Jacek are also going up.

    The wind is still blowing with terrible force. But we'd like to reach the col (about 7300) and hope to set up Camp 2 behind the col. Today, during the way to the ABC we were watching a wind smoke on the summit ridge, and we didn't want even to think what was up there...

    Also the south wall of Shisha has totally changed character comparing to that 2 weeks ago: instead of snow we could see big fields of pure ice!

    (11.01.2005)
    "Russian Pumori Team" Expedition
    10.01
    Vladimir Belousov reports:
    Three days ago we had started to climb aiming to settle the Camp I at 6100 but managed to fix the rope only somewhere up to 6000. We saw that we would not have any difficulties on the route further but with night coming on we had to descend and rest. Tomorrow we plan to start climbing again: to reach 6100m the day after tomorrow and to make the summit push at 14.01. The normal weather holds.

     

    (11.01.2005)
    Simone Moro. Shisha Pangma
    10.01
    First day of the week and, as the weather forecast said, will be the same all the rest of the week: windy!!. The wind continue to be strong and for the next weekend Karl Gabl from Innsbruck said that the speed could arrive also to 180 km/h!!!! "be patient" said Karl, but for us is difficult to be...

    We are in a good physical condition and motivation is high... In any case we will follow his advise and Piotr and I will go tomorrow "only" to try to finish to fix all the route till the ridge at 7300 and fix C2. Than we will be back in base camp waiting for good news from Karl and his perfect forecast.

    09.01
    Wind, wind, strong wind. Today the force of the wind is extremely high. We decided to reinforce with ropes and big stones the kitchen tend and dining tend. The store tend brake this morning for the strong wind. The birds already brake many tends (also in C1) looking for food so we don't want to have other damages to our equipment. At 10 am we get contact with Darek and Jacek that still were in C1.

    Yesterday they get a really hard job and difficult conditions and this morning was difficult to take decision to left the sleeping bags and start for the descent to ABC and BC. Jan also started to come down from ABC to BC and this evening we will be all together here at 5200 meter of Base Camp. Tomorrow we will take decision and strategies for the next important week....

    08.01
    Another day of extreme cold and strong wind, but Darek and Jacek did a great job. They carried 400 meters of rope till 7200 and fix 100 of those. It had been not enough to reach the ridge but it is closer and closer.... Now Darek and Jacek "sleep" in C1 and tomorrow they probably came down to ABC or BC to take a good rest. I and Piotr continue to eat and get rest to be ready after a few days to set C2 and maybe make already a first summit attempt....

    Yesterday we finished to repair one of the 3 tends we get in ABC that had been seriously broken from the big hungry birds. The birds were looking for food and brake all the tends, without find any food (we left especially in a plastic drum). Maybe the damage is a revenge....?

    07.01
    Yesterday we get a terrible cold and difficult day but at the end we reached 7200 m. Piotr and I dreamed to stand up of the ridge but we finished the fix rope at 50/100 m of altitude to the ridge. We have to set 200/300 m rope still. We would like to observe the last 700 meters of difference between the col and the summit. In our plan after rest, we want to fix a tend on the col at 7350 meter and spend night to acclimatise well and also using that point as the starting point for the summit. Today Piotr and I came back to Base camp and we will remain 3 days to get a full rest. Yesterday we get -40° degree and strong wind and we need time to find again the energies to work. Darek and Jacek today carried up 400 meters rope till C1.

    Tomorrow they will try to carry higher.... Cross the finger for us.... The next 1/2 weeks will be extremely important for the climb.
    FOTO: Cold in the tend

    05.01
    The winter now is here completely...
    Wind was attacking us all the day. On the morning temperature was about -30 degree Celsius in the ABC at 5600 m.

    Darek and Jacek were working all the day above the C1 (6550 m). They probably reached 6800 m, foot of the last few hundreds meters of couloir.
    Today Simone and Piotr carried equipment to C1, also the tent for Camp 2, which should stand on the col.

    Our route occured longer than we expected and with ropes we already have up, it will be difficult to reach the col. But we will do our best.

    04.01
    The good weather returned. After 4 days of storm and cold, today we saw again the sun. It had been a cold night but the morning sun get us the possibility to continue to work on the mountain. Unfortunately with the sun is arrived also the strong wind in high altitude and in the next weekend the speed will be over 40 m/sec (160 km/h). Today Darek and Jacek went to ABC and tomorrow they will reach the tend we set at 6600 m. They will spend night and the day after will try to climb higher. Piotr and I will follow them tomorrow and for the week end we dream to reach the end of the face ad set the tend on the ridge at 7200 m. The problem will be the wind... but we will try to do our best to resist. Yesterday we get the first technical problem.

    Our generator stopped to work and "get frostbite". Piotr and Jan today made a surgery operation and they obtain to get 12 volt power from it. Together my solar pannel we should continue to give enough energy to our camp...

    01.01.2005
    Is arrived also here at base camp the midnight but nobody was in the dining tend waiting for it. We was too tired and was to cold and we decided to go in our warm sleeping bags and sleep deeply. Also today the weather is bad with wind and snow and it should be the same also for the next 2 days.

    Karl Gabl (our Austrian Guru for the weahter forecast) said to be patient and to call him Monday in Innsbruck. We will have our next weather forecast and we hope to have good news...

    We wish again a nice 2005 full of smiling moments...

    31.12
    After 4 days climbing along the Jugoslavian route on Shisha Pangma, we came back to Base Camp. Storm and bad weather obliged us to turn back. I and Piotr spent nigh at 6550 and today we planned to go near 7000 meters but this was impossible. So from 6550 we came directly back to 5200 meters of base camp (log way....)

    Last night the wind and the cold had been a good test for our capacities. The bad weather should persist for the next 3/4 days and we will take a good rest and "charge our motivations and determination". Tonight we will celebrate the new year and we wish to all of you a 2005 in health and without any polemic...

    Have a nice 2005!! and I hope you will continue to follow the adventures from me and my friends also in 2005.

    On the way to C1(31.12.2004)
    Simone Moro. Shisha Pangma
    30.12
    We (Simone and Piotr) started today early. In our rucksacks we had ropes, climbing equipment, tent, sleeping bags, food and all what is necessary for setting a camp. The wind came and the weather is changing. After a few hours we reached the point which Darek and Jacek left depot in. We took also those things and heavy loaded we came under the big serac, below huge crevasse where we found a good place for our Camp I. The altitude is about 6550.

    Tomorrow we'd like to work higher. Now the weather is quite good, a lot of clouds, sometimes sun and the wind is shaking our tent, but not blowing us out from the wall.

    Ciao, Simone

    (27.12.2004)
    Simone Moro. Shisha Pangma
    24.12
    Finally we reached base camp of the south face of Shisha pangma. We trek 2 days together with our carovan of 32 yaks and yesterday afternoon we arrived here at 5250 meters.

    Today we worked to fix all the tends of base camp and fix them with ropes and big stones to avoid that wind brake them during next storms. Tonight we will celebrate our Christmas and Jan prepared a nice Christmas tree in the dining tend. Tomorrow we probably go to ABC and back to BC, to carry some equipment.

    We wish all of you our greetings and Marry Christmas!!!

    base camp

    Simone, Jan, Darek, Piotr, Jacek

    (22.12.2004)
    Simone Moro. Shisha Pangma
    22.12
    Today we finaly start from Nyalam. Yesterday we hardly discuss with the yak drivers and Laison officier about the weight that each yak can carry and price of the extra yak we have to take. The yak drivers said that each yak can carry 40 kg. but the truth is that 60 kg is the normal weight agreed since ever with them and TMA. In this way we discussed for some hours and at the end we agreed that we will take and pay 10 extra yaks and other 5 extra will be paid from TMA. Totally we started this morning wiht 32 yaks to transport our 1606 kg of equipment, gas, kerosene, food and all necessary to remain for 2 month at B.C and on high camps. The weather is still good even the temperature went down in compare of one week before.
    Ciao Simone and all team

    21.12
    I left my computer and modem behind in the bin. Instead, I'm writing with Piotr's PC because he's come up on the roof of the hostel where we're staying in order to send messages. We're sentries up here…

    We arrived in Nyalam today. We left yesterday because today there was supposed to be a strike with numerous blockades on the street from Kathmandu to the border. Unfortunately, although we left yesterday we still had problems half an hour before Kodhari (on the border of Nepal and China). A military street blockade with a barbed wire and machine gunners lined up forced us to wait until the next day to continue. We were able to sleep in a small private house and eat in a hut for the Nepalese.
    The block was due to an armed clash with Maoists a few hours prior to our arrival, which had killed 11 people! This morning we left and passed the "Friendship Bridge," crossing into Tibet. We met Dawa, the liason officer and Nawang, who was the liason officer for JC Lafaille. He told us that the French alpinist had arrived in Tibet on the 11th of November.

    A few days ago, before returning to Nepal, he gave Lafaille the certificate which proves his climb to the peak at 14:00 on December 11th, but he did not write "WINTER EXPEDITION" even though the Frenchman insisted he write it because he didn't consider it a winter climb. Nawang says that he has 10 years of expedition experience in all 4 seasons and Lafaille's climb was not to be registered with the TMA as a "WINTER EXPEDITION" but as "LATE AUTUMN." Anyone can contact Nawang at the TMA in order to confirm this.

    The French alpinist got his Chinese Visa extended because he only intended to stay 30 days and as he entered Tibet and started the expedition before December 1st, he acted with the normal autumn permission. With all this news and clarification, added to the scientific one of the world season calendar which says that winter starts the 21st of December, we must consider that Shisha Pangma has never been conquered in winter. Now it's up to us to see if this climb is possible…
    Bye, Simone

    Translation by Jonathan Etes

    (17.12.2004)
    German TOP-climbers Robert Jasper and Stefan Glowacz did not sustained the most severe gale-force wind and bailed their first ascent Murallon, North face, (Patagonia).

    Having stayed for some days in only 150 meters up to the summit waiting for the weather window, the guys began their sad descent.

    www.robert-jasper.de

    (15.12.2004)
    Simone Moro. Shisha Pangma.
    Our trekking to go back to Kathmandu began today. Now we are in Deboche at 3700 meters and tomorrow some of us will go to Lukla and 1 or 2 members will spend other 2 days going down. Tomorrow we will meet Jan Szulc that should be in Namche as he arrived 1 week later than us in Nepal.

    Today we navigated in internet to see how is going with the news about the JC Lafaille climb on Shisha. With huge surprise we saw the photo of the "new line" of JC, because we discovered that 50% of that route is our route of last winter (green line)!!!!! We have photos and film of that line we made last December and January (till the point where the route cross the number 5 and 6). We didn't considered that part as new because the aim of the Spanish route we climbed was to follow the big coloir from the base of the wall to the summit, and our line had been only the physiological variant in order to the ice and weather conditions. In any case we sent many photos already one years ago to my web site and the most important world web site and our line and story should be well known.

    In any case we would like to congratulate JC Lafaille for the good climb and the success. Really! We also would like to congratulate him for the tactics.....
    We really don't want to make any discussion and polemics. The world is already full of wars and problems and we believe that should be stupid to increase the "bordel" with extra stupid discussion.

    Simone, Darek, Piotr

    (14.12.2004)
    On 12 December Jean-Christophe Lafaille returned to the base camp after his challenge summit (on December 11) Shishapangma.

    It is the first successful ascent on Shishapangma (8047m) done solo and without supplementary oxygen.

    The information is provided by Katia Lafaille, France, www.jclafaille.com

     

     

     

    (7.12.2004)
    International calendar for ice-climbing competitions, 2005 season

     

     

     

     

    MRAZEK Tomas
    CHABOT Alexandre
    PETRENKO Maxim
    EITER Angela
    SARKANY Muriel
    SHALAHINA Olha

    (24.11.2004)
    World Cup 2004 Top-10

    Men
    1. MRAZEK Tomas CZE 560.00
    2. CHABOT Alexandre FRA 516.00
    3. CRESPI Flavio ITA 333.00
    4. PETRENKO Maxim UKR 322.00
    5. USOBIAGA Patxi ESP 317.00
    6. POUVREAU Gérome FRA 291.00
    7. MILLET Sylvain FRA 268.00
    8. FUSELIER Mickael FRA 249.00
    9. VERHOEVEN Jorg NED 248.00
    10. PUIGBLANQUE Ramón Julián ESP 240.00

    		Women
    1. EITER Angela AUT 535.00
    2. SARKANY Muriel BEL 525.00
    3. EYER Alexandra SUI 364.00
    4. GROS Natalija SLO 364.00
    5. CIAVALDINI Caroline FRA 356.00
    6. SCHÖPF Bettina AUT 345.00
    7. LAVARDA Jenny ITA 299.00
    8. VIDMAR Maja SLO 287.00
    9. CUFAR Martina SLO 286.00
    10. SHALAHINA Olha UKR 245.00

    (22.11.2004)
    World Cup. Latest Stage. Kranj, SLO

    Men
    1. Tomas Mrazek (CZE)
    2. Evgueni Ovtchinnikov (RUS)
    3. Jorg Verhoeven (NED)

    Women
    1. Angela Eiter (AUT)
    2. Natalija Gros (SLO)
    3-4. Maja Vidmar (SLO)
    3-4. Sandrine Levet (FRA)

    (16.11.2004)
    Simone Moro. Shisha Winter
    Everything is working well here in preparing the expedition. Monday will flight to Kathmandu our cargo with equipment and food we will use during the 2month expedition. I and my friends planned to go in Khumbu valley for a trekking to Everest base camp and easy climbs for acclimatisation in the areas.

    After that we will start by road to Kodhari- Zangmu and Nyalam and from that village we will trek till the Shisha Pangma south face base camp.

    Only at base camp we will decide the route we will attempt. We want to see directly the snow condition of the face and the weather forecast we will have from Innsbruck from my personal friend Karl Gabl.

    Herewith I'm sending you the postcard I prepared for our expedition. I dind't received yet the cable but I took free all next week to realize all the procedure and training with iPAQ and Contact 3.0. Keep in touch

    About expedition

    (15.11.2004)
    UIAA Worldcup Difficulty Event Brno (CZE) 2004. Results.
    The Winners - Flavio CRESPI, Italy, and Alexandra EYER, Switzerland. At men Tomas MRAZEK, CZE, and Alexandre CHABOT, France, are the second and the third accordingly. And at women the Russian Olga SHALAGINA (!!!) is the second and Maja VIDMAR, Slovenia is the third.

    See all the results http://www.digitalrock.de

     

    (11.11.2004)
    Fred Rouhling opens his new line Mandallaz drive, 9à
    Fred Rouhling has just declared about his successful redpoint of the new project in d'Allonzier la Caille - Mandallaz drive, 9à.
    In 1993 only lazy did not mock Fred when he declared the first French 9à, Hugh line. However in 2001, 8 (!) years later, the category was confirmed by Italian climber Alessandro Lamberti.
    1995 "Practically everyone in this world had to doubt of his judiciousness" - It is about Fred Rouhling and his challenging Akira, 9b. Do you really think the world delightfully looked into his eyes?
    1997 l'Autre Cote du Ciel (The other side of the sky), the second 9à, sent by Fred. Then everything went without any autographs....
    3d "9a" of Fred was Fred Nicole's "bain de sang"
    2004 Mandallaz drive, 9à. Who would doubt... Go, Fred! :)

    http://kairn.com

    (11.11.2004)
    INTERNATIONAL CALENDAR FOR SKI MOUNTAINEERING COMPETITIONS 2004- 2005 SEASON

    (9.11.2004)
    Stephen Koch and Mark Newcomb braved thin ice and a midday storm to snag a new ice line on the North Face of the Grand Teton
    On October 5, the two climbed six new pitches, totaling about 1,000 feet of thin ice and mixed climbing. The new route, which is unnamed, started just left of the classic North Face route and ended at the Hossack-McGowan Couloir, which they followed to the East Ridge and eventually reached the summit.
    The crux was found on the second pitch, where unprotectable ice forced Koch into a soaking-wet, “womb-like feature” behind the ice until he could bust through and pull a roof to easier ground. He spent the next belay wringing out his clothes and pouring water out of his boots. A sudden storm then dumped buckets of graupel, which cascaded down the face in “one of the most spectacular sights I have witnessed in the mountains,” Koch said. When the storm stopped, they continued upward through four more good pitches of ice, including a winding WI 5 pitch that Koch called the nicest ice pitch he has ever done on a mountain route.

    http://climbing.com

    (4.11.2004)
    Rating of rock-climbers - the world leaders. Bouldering. Speed. Difficulty
    In bouldering and speed the sportmen have been already put in their places, "all sweets" are given away, in difficulty there are two events more ahead...

    UIAA Climbing-Worldcup 2004

    Bouldering

    Women
    1. Sandrine Levet, France
    2. Olga Bibik, Russia
    3. Julia Abramchuk, Russia

    Men
    1. Daniel Dulac, France
    2. Kilian Fischhuber, Austria
    3. Jerome Meyer, France

    Speed

    Women
    1. Tatyana Ruyga, Russia
    2. Anna Saulevich, Russia
    3. HENDRAWATI Agung Ethi, INA

    Men
    1. Sergey Sinitsyn, Russia
    2. Eugeny Vaytsekhovsky, Russia
    3. Alexander Peshehonov, Russia

    Difficulty. The current rating

    Women
    1. Muriel Sarkany, Belgium
    2. Angela Eiter, Austria
    3. Bettina Schopf, Austria

    Men
    1. Tomas Mrazek, Czechia
    2. Alexandre Chabot, France
    3. Gerome Pouvreau, France

    All results http://digitalrock.de

    (2.11.2004)
    Rock Climbing. World Cup in Valence, France. Difficulty.
    The winners

    Men
    1. CHABOT Alexandre FRA
    2. Bindhammer Christian Germany
    3. MRAZEK Tomas CZE
    4. FUSELIER Micha FRA
    5. AUCLAIR Fran FRA     		Women
    1. Muriel Sarkany Belgium
    2. Caroline Ciavaldini FRA
    2. CUFAR Martina SLO
    4. Jenny Lavarda ITA
    5. Angela Eiter AUT

    The leaders of Big Cup Mrazek and Sarkany. Chabot and Eiter are the second.

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