autumn Himalayan Climbing Update 4 – Bad Weather, Summits Soon

My last update spoke of the legendary excellent autumn weather but predictably, teams are now experiencing heavy snow that has any thoughts of summit pushes on hold … for a few days.

Most teams have spent multiple nights high above their base camps and feel ready to make their summit pushes when the conditions allow. Also a new First Ascent attempt was announced by Bill Burke and a new route on Manalsu is underway.

But before I do an update on the various mountains,  some extremely sad news to report as the Sherpa and Spanish climbing communities both lost members this week. Apparently a landslide off the steep hillsides that surround the trek to Manaslu gave way. This area was hit very hard by the spring 2015 earthquake. The Nepali Times reported:

The deceased Nepalis have been identified as 30-year-old Tsering Sherpa, 35-year-old Dorje Lama of Kathmandu and 32-year-old Ranjana Basnet of Okhaldhunga. The name and nationality of the foreigner who died along with the three Nepalis are yet to be confirmed, according to Gorkha’s Chief District Officer Narayan Prasad Bhatta.

Dorjee Lama Sherpa was well-known throughout Nepal as he was the President of the Nepal National Mountain Guide Association (NNMGA). My sincere condolences to all their friends and families.

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: Cho Oyu was hit with heavy snow the past few days causing many teams to stay put in base camp or even return quickly from their high camp rotations.

Ben Jones of Alpine Ascents gives us a good idea of what is happening. They are now back in base camp waiting out the weather. Lapka Rita, mentioned in Ben’s update, was with me on K2 in 2014  an amazingly strong and kind person:

Yesterday was a hard day getting to Camp 2. We actually made great time at a slow but consistent pace. Slow is a relative term at these altitudes. We also have the added benefit of at least a foot or more of new snow in the last few days. For the most part the trail was broken by many Sherpa and some climbers ahead of us, but it was windy so most of the trail was filling back in as we climbed. Lakpa Rita Sherpa and our three other Sherpa’s (Kami, Ang Nuru, and Nima Tenzing) were working hard carrying loads and breaking trail. As the day went on and the conditions deteriorated, and when most other Sherpa’s had decided to turn around, Lakpa Rita Sherpa was there once again to lead the way and to show the safe way up slopes that were being loaded with snow. Lakpa Rita is one of the strongest people I have ever seen in the mountains and always a pleasure working with him. Once I arrived to Camp 2 with our climbers Lakpa had plenty of hot water waiting for us. Exhausted he still had a smile on his face, really the only thing you can do after a long tiring day in the mountains at altitude.

Ben posted this picture on his Facebook page:

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 including a 60 member Chinese team. This is astounding in that in the year ever, 2011, Manaslu saw 140 total summits. Since 1956, Manaslu has had 980 total summits.

UPDATE:  Teams are reporting they have completed their acclimatization rotations during the previous period of good weather. Now they are holding tight as this current front passes by, but leaving a fair amount of snow up high. Look for summit pushes starting a few days.

Meanwhile, Russell Brice is not very happy with the performance of other teams on manaslu this year per this update in his recent newsletter:

There are many teams here who have no Sherpas and are attempting to climb independently, but I see very few of these climbers actually contributing to any work on the route that we are all using. Actually I see that many of these teams do not have any communications (radios or satellite phones) they have no weather forecasting, and very little medical equipment. Of course they are all climbing Manaslu without Sherpa assistance, and no oxygen. But I notice that they do not hesitate to come asking us for weather forecasts, medical assistance from my Doctor, to use our satellite communications and even our heaters. They also all come to us complaining about the rope fixing.

New Route on Manaslu

Alberto Zerain & Mariano Galván are attempting a new route on Manaslu. According to Desnivel, “it is a line that ascends a spur on the left of the direct route of Urubko and Samoilov” They have completed their acclimatization and are ready for their summit push, weather permitting.

Dhaulagiri

From early repots Altitude Junkies reamins 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 that conditions continue to be excellent but no updates since the last front moved thru:

The Sherpas tried to fix the ropes up to Camp 3, but due to such a dry season, there are several large crevasses which have opened up. There is little snow and the glacier is melting. We have 6 ladders coming from Kathmandu and our porters will have to bring them up from Marpha.

Shishapangma

Shish is the world’s lowest 8000 meter peak at 8027 meters or 26,335 feet. It is also the only 8000er totally within Tibet. It is one of the 8000ers with a checkered history of people claiming the summit but only reaching the fore-summit. The last bit is across a sharp ridge that is avi prone so some people call it good at the fore-summit.

RMI‘s team is making progress but was also hit by the heavy weather:

the winds brought us back to Shishapangma Base Camp. We had an incredibly rough night at Camp 1. The storm that unleashed upon finishing our well accomplished tasks above Camp 1 the previous day, was so fierce, that continued this morning with even more determination to make us cut our rotation one day short. After fighting the winds securing our camp, and managing to make breakfast, it was clear we weren’t going to get a break. We descended towards Base Camp fully bundled in our warm equipment, knowing though that our well spent time up there is going to pay dividends soon.

Everest

There are no reported teams attempting Everest from Nepal this second half of 2016 but there is one climber on the north side. As previously reported, Kilian Jornet, attempting a speed climb via the Horton or Hornbein Couloir ended his effort citing deep snow on the North Face.

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 but notes deep snow on the north side of Everest.

This is his sixth autumn (post-monsoon), no O’s, climbing alone, attempt on Everest. His previous efforts 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.

Update: He has already gone to Advanced Base Camp at 5800 meters. Currently he is at Lho La (7,300m) to acclimatize. Deep snow is reported on Everest thus making is alone attempt even more difficult.

First Ascent Attempts

Burke Khang

Bill Burke, the oldest American to summit Everest and live, announced this past week that he is returning to attempt a first ascent of a peak named after hm by the Nepal Government. Burke Khang is in the Gokyo Valley at 6,942 meters (22,775 feet). He attempted it last year but found the summit blocked by opposing cornices. I wrote an long article about their attempt last year.

He will be supported by Asian Trekking and joined by David Liano. Bill posted on his blog:

When our climbing team returned to Kathmandu, we met with Elizabeth Hawley, the beloved and fabled keeper of the Himalaya Database. Ms. Hawley and her colleagues keep track of every Himalaya expedition that originates in Kathmandu. After delivering our report, she asked the obvious question: “Are you coming back to complete Burke-Khang?” Before I could answer, she remarked, “of course, you have to finish.” Apparently, she was reading my mind as there was no way I was giving up after just one attempt.

Next month, I will return to Nepal to complete my first ascent of Burke-Khang.

One of the first persons I called in organizing the 2016 expedition was my good friend, David Liano. David is a 36-year old self-described “mountaineer, pilot and sailor” who lives in Mexico. I met David while climbing Vinson Massif in Antarctica in 2006. David has been climbing mountains for 23 years and has summitted Mt. Everest 6 times. David and I teamed up in 2010 and 2011 to attempt an unprecedented “double summit” of Mt. Everest, meaning a summit of the mountain from both the South (Nepal) and North (Tibet) sides in the same season. In 2013, David accomplished this goal and entered the record books. He has participated in more adventures than most of us could experience in 5 lifetimes.

Tenzing and Hillary Peaks

Canadian Elia Saikaly and Pasang Kaji Sherpa are attempting a first ascent on two recently opened points along the ridge between Cho Oyu and Gyachung Kang.  They were previously called Ngozumba I and III but renamed Tenzing Peak (7,916 m) and Hillary Peak (7,681 m) and opened for climbing.

Update: They continue with their effort.Saikaly is filming the attempt for an 5 part series that is showing online.

No K2 winter Attempt

K2 remains the only 8000er not to be summited in winter. A much anticipated attempt was to have taken place this 2016/17 winter but was postponed according to this article in Taternik:

Polish national winter expedition to K2 has been transferred to 2017/18, due to too short a time to prepare logistics in the next winter season. Next year’s trip will be organized under the patronage of Mr. Witold bubble – Minister of Sport and Tourism. The expedition is sponsored by two state-owned companies – formal issues are at the moment being finalized. Ministry of Sport and Tourism also largely provide financial support for the project

Poland is one of the few countries that still sponsors state funded climbs.

Best of luck to all this autumn season.

Climb On!
Alan
Memories are Everything