Well, really not a lot to report – I know what you’re thinking – that I would never be a journalist for an outdoor magazine with this as my opening line. Maybe this headline should have read “Amazing News from Early Himalayan Climbs – No News!” lol 🙂
Actually there is some news plus two new expeditions to announce.
Cho Oyu
The world’s sixth highest peak at 26,907’/8201m is always popular attracting hundreds of climbers each autumn season. It is the most summited, after Everest, of all the 8000 meter mountains with 3,331 summits thru 2014 according to the Himalayan Database.
UPDATE: Many teams have now reached Advanced Base Camp, which some call the highest altitude of any 8000 meter base camp at 18,500 feet. Adventure Consultants reports in including wifi available at ABC:
Everyone made it through their first night at ABC in good shape. Whew! Â We awoke to swirling mist and filtered sun revealing and obscuring magnificent scenery. Our camp is peaceful and set in a sheltered reclusive moraine bowl. By late morning it was snowing. A good day for reading and letting one’s body gain equilibrium for the hard toil ahead. Folks were happy to be connected on wifi.
It is way too early to determine what the snow conditions are like above 7000 meters. The climbers are starting their first rotations to C1 this week. As I reported earlier, the usual suspects of Adventure Consultants, Alpine Ascents (AAI), Asian Trekking, IMG , SummitClimb are all there.
Manaslu
Similar to Cho Oyu, Manaslu is regarded as attainable and in recent years has seen a dramatic increase in traffic. Seven Summits Treks, the now dominate Nepali owned and based guide service, posted they have 130 members and Sherpas for the 2016 season. This is astounding in that in the year ever, 2011, Manaslu saw 140 total summits. Since 1956, Manaslu has had 980 total summits.
UPDATE: Russel Brice, Himalayan Experience reports heavy rain at base camp which is somewhat normal for this 8000er:
I write from a very wet rainy Manaslu Base Camp, so what is new. This is our 9th trip to Manaslu and we have always apart from last year managed to fly into Samagon on the program date of 29 Aug. Maybe this is too early but I still feel that we need to be right on the heels of the monsoon so as we are ready for the very short weather envelope for the summit.
This year we all managed to fly by helicopter to Samagon where we had 4 days with very little rain as we did our normal acclimatisation treks. Samagon continues to see so much new house construction, so I suspect that the economy there is doing OK, although I am surprised as we still need to send our loads over the Larkya Pass from the adjacent Marvangdi valley rather than coming straight up the Budh Kandaki water shed.
I really see that this difficult trail needs to be reopened after last year’s earthquake in order to support the local inhabitants who have invested in lodges so as to support trekkers who do the Manaslu Circuit trek. I understand that it is taking time to rebuild this trail in the lower Kandaki which is not surprising considering the steepness of the mountain slopes on either side of the river.
Dhaulagiri
From early repots Altitude Junkies appears to be the only team on this 8000er this autumn season. At 26,794’/8167m, Dhaulagiri was considered to be a hard peak to climb but nowadays is considered as in the lower half of the 8000er list. The normal route has some short technical sections and some avalanche danger, but overall it’s a quite straight forward climb. 469 climbers have reached the summit thru 2014.
UPDATE: Phil Crampton reports the team has finally reached base camp after multiple delays and rain but the weather is good now
The team reached base camp on September 8. The all important Puja ceremony will be held on Monday, September 12. After that, the work will begin and the rope fixing will start. The plan will be to create a new route to Camp 1, due to the dry snow conditions. We are still the only team here.
Of note, they will not have satellite access with their BGAN modem as the mountain blocks direct line of sight.
Everest
There are no reported teams attempting Everest from Nepal this second half of 2016 but two climbers are on the north side.
Kilian Jornet
As I previously reported, Spanish speed climber Kilian Jornet will attempt to set a speed record by climbing from the Rongbuk Monastery (Tibet) to the summit in a single push. He expects to take around 20 hours to summit and about 35 hours to descend. Kilian and his three partners are already in Tibet.
UPDATE: He has been in the base camp area now for a couple of weeks continuing to acclimatize before his attempt. He reported recently:
Hi all! we continue with the acclimatization. There’s a lot of snow, but everything is ok!
Nobukazu Kuriki
As I posted a few weeks ago, Japanese climber, Nobukazu Kuriki, is climbing from the north side. He is now at base camp. He posted recently:
This morning’s advanced base strong wrapped in gas out for visibility, I’m afraid of heights adaptation to leave after it is changed to tomorrow. Still monsoon new year.
This is his sixth autumn (post-monsoon), no O’s, climbing alone, attempt on Everest. His previous try have been met with drama and injury. He has lost nine fingers on Everest in 2012 during a thwarted attempt on the West Ridge of Everest. In 2015, he reached a bit above the South Col before deep snow forced him to stop.
Climbing alone is his “style” of climbing. He has climbs of McKinley (2004), Aconcagua, Elbrus, Kilimanjaro all in 2005 and Carstensz Pyramid in 2006. Plus these 8000m climbs: Cho Oyu (2007), Manaslu (2008), and Dhaulagiri (2009). He attempted Annapurna last spring without a summit due to weather.
These are the two new expeditions recently announced:
autumn Broad Peak Attempt.
Altitude Pakistan reports that  Oscar Cadiach will (re)attempt Broad Peak in Sep-Oct, hoping for better conditions than summer. On Oscar’s Facebook page they noted:
As far as the Himalayas Expedition autumn are rare in karakoram climbers this time of year, there are less pretty. Conditions at this time of the karakoram should cause us to be cold and dry. This is due to the fact that, before the snow – make up during the warmer days of summer, while another heavy snow conditions are expected, and the beginning of March and April.
Lhotse South Face
For the fourth time, Sung-Taek Hong, will lead his Korean team in an attempt up the extremely avalanche prone South Face of Lhotse, the world’s 4th highest peak. In 2015 they reached 8200 meters before snow conditions stopped them.
Best of luck to all this autumn season.
Climb On!
Alan
Memories are Everything
