Himalaya 2011: Lhotse Ski Descent Video Dispatch 5

The fifth, and final, video dispatch of the North Face Lhotse Ski Expedition that went down in the Himalaya this spring has been released. This video starts with the team at Camp 3 and then follows them up the mountain to C4, where the route up Everest and Lhotse diverges at last. Unfortunately, while in Camp 4, one of the team members takes ill, and the plans for the expedition change. Watch the video below to see how everything played out.

Himalaya 2011: Spring Season By The Numbers

Earlier today, ExWeb posted an excellent re-cap of the 2011 Spring Himalaya climbing season, breaking down all the stats and records, while putting it all into perspective for us. They have the scoop on the highs (pun intended!) and lows of another very busy spring in the mountains.

Amongst the stats that may be of interest is the fact that there were, according to ExWeb's count, roughly 680 summits in the Himalaya this year. Of those, about 500 took place on Everest alone. Remember, this is in a year that was said to be quieter than normal. That is a much higher number than what I had been led to believe, but the folks over at Explorers Web are bit more tapped in on those kinds of numbers, so I'm inclined to believe them. The remaining 180 summits were spread out across a variety of peaks, but of the 8000 meter mountains, nine saw successful summits, including Everest, Kangchenjunga, Lhotse, Makalu, Cho Oyu, Dhaulagiri, Manaslu, Annapurna, and Shisha Pangma.

Most of the post is made up of a list of "firsts," which include the first summits on a variety of peaks by climbers from specific nationalities, as well as age records for the youngest and oldest to scale some of these mountains as well.

Finally, the post wraps things up on a solemn note with a run down of the climbers who lost their lives in the Himalaya this spring. That list is always too long, no matter the number on it, and is a sobering reminder of the dangers we all face when going to high altitude.

Himalaya 2011: Edurne Pasaban Shares Details On Lhotse Rescue

In the numerous Himalaya climbing updates I've posted over the past few months, I've made mention a couple of times of the rescue of some Spanish climbers on Lhotse following a harrowing descent of that mountain. One of the climbers who aided in that rescue was Edurne Pasaban, who has shared more details of the incident with the National Geographic Adventure Blog.

Edurne, who is one of the top mountaineers in the world, had gone to the Himalaya to climb Everest once again, this time without oxygen. But the weather wasn't cooperating, and high winds and cold temps were making that attempt very challenging. The window for a successful summit narrows greatly when you're going up with out the O's. Pasaban, and her team, elected to back off from their summit bid and wait for a better opportunity, which ended up never appearing.

While down in Base Camp, the word came in that there was trouble on Lhotse, and some climbers had run into trouble while making their way back down from their own summit bid. It turns out, they were Spanish climbers who happened to be friends with Edurne, who hails from the Basque region herself. Without hesitation, she joined the rescue team that was being organized, and went back up the mountain to help out her friends and countrymen.

It took another two days before the rescue was fully completed, and the tale of what happened is a dramatic one. For those who haven't already read the story, I recommend giving it a look, as it is not only a story of the challenges of the mountains, but also the camaraderie that comes along with the "Brotherhood of the Rope."

By the way, this is a reprint from a dispatch that was sent to Edurne's blog a few weeks back, but it may have slipped under the radar when it was originally published. After all, back then there were a ton of updates coming from the region as climbers all scrambled for their chance to stand on top of Everest and the other big peaks.

Himalaya 2011: Lhotse Ski Descent Video Dispatch 4

The 2011 spring climbing season in the Himalaya may be over, but we're still getting all kinds of news and dispatches from the region. One of the best I've seen is the video below that comes our way courtesy of the North Face Lhotse Ski Expedition, a team that climbed and made a ski descent of that mountain.

In this video, we catch the team moving up the Lhotse Face and making their first turns on the mountain. It also shows the rigors of making a high alpine expedition, with team members losing their lunch, working hard to catch a breath, and suffering in the weather. There is lots of great footage to be seen here, and well worth a look for fans of high altitude climbing.

Thanks to The Goat for sharing this one. Much appreciated!

Himalaya 2011: Lhotse Ski Descent Video Dispatch 3

Have you ever wondered what life is like in Base Camp during one of these big Himalayan expeditions? You can get a sense of it in the video below, which follows the North Face Lhotse Ski team as they go about their daily lives in BC while waiting for an opportunity to climb the mountain, and ultimately make a descent on skis. Watching this video will either have you better prepared for this type of expedition experience or have you swear it off altogether. Enjoy!



The North Face®: Lhotse Ski Expedition Dispatch THREE from Camp 4 Collective on Vimeo.

Himalaya 2011: News From All Over

The 2011 Himalayan climbing season is starting to wind down for another year, but there is still plenty of things happening on peaks throughout the region. With so many expeditions taking place at this time of the year, it is a real challenge to keep up with all the activity, so apologies in advance if I've neglected someone or failed to mention an expedition.

We'll start once again on Everest today, which is where the bulk of coverage has been on the South Side, but the teams approaching from the North are finally getting their chance. As reported yesterday, the 7 Summits Club  topped out not long after the ropes to the top were fixed and apparently the Asian-Trekking squad was also there at about the same time. It is unclear which team reached the summit first from the North Side, but in the greater scheme of things, it doesn't really matter. Both teams enjoyed summit success, and the North Side is open for business. Most other teams are looking for summit bids late this week, and there is no news on when Ueli Steck and Don Bowie will make their attem32pt. My guess is that they'll go for it before the crowds, but it depends on how they feel and what the weather dictates.

On the South Side there are still a few teams making their summit attempts as well, including the Jagged Globe team, who are on the move today. Edurne Pasaban and her team are hoping to head back up later this week as well. They turned back at Camp 4 over the weekend due to illness on the squad and windy conditions, which can be tough to endure when climbing without oxygen. The Spanish climber, the only woman officially recognized for climbing all fourteen 8000-meter peaks, also took part in a rescue on Lhotse of fellow countrymen who ran into trouble while descending that peak.

Speaking of summitting without oxygen, ExWeb is also reporting that a monk by the name of Bhakta Kumar Rai spent 32 hours on the summit of Everest, meditating for 27 of those hours. He was on oxygen for just 11 of those hours as well. Impressive feats all around, especially when you consider most people only spend a few minutes on top.

There is sad news to report this morning from Cho Oyu, where a number of sources are saying that Dutch climber Ronald Naar has died. Apparently he had given up on his summit bid due to bad weather, and on the descent he was feeling ill. He later collapsed in Camp 3. Naar had previously conquered the Seven Summits, as well as K2, and also enjoyed polar exploration too. This was to have been his last expedition.

There was also alarming news from Kangchenjunga as well, where Alex Gavan reported a dicey situation involving a Serbian climber named Dragan. Apparently, he was suffering from both HACE and HAPE, and had to be evacuated from the mountain via helicopter. No news on his condition as of yet, but it sounds like a very serious situation. Keep your fingers crossed!

Finally, on Lhotse, the previously mentioned Spanish team that was in trouble over the weekend included Manolo "Lolo" Gonzalez, who had to be evacuated from the mountain following a harrowing descent in bad weather. Lolo, and the rest of his squad, reached the summit, but conditions made for a slow descent, which left them exposed at altitude for far too long. Gonzalez ended up spending the night alone on the mountain until he was discovered by another group of climbers the following day.

Ryan Waters and his teammates also topped out on the mountain, as did Zsolt Eross, who claimed his ninth 8000-meter peak. What made this one special however, is that Eross suffered a climbing accident in 2010, which required that a leg be amputated. He earned this summit with an artificial limb. Congrats to Zsolt and the rest of the Lhotse summitteers. 


More news to come in the next few days I'm sure. There is still a lot happening, despite the end of the season looming. Lets hope there aren't any more causalities or serious accidents. 

Himalaya 2011: News From Lhotse

Everest gets much of the attention in terms of Himalayan climbs, but its neighbor Lhotse is quite a challenge as well. Standing 8516 meters (27,940 ft) in height, it is the fourth highest mountain in the world and shares a large portion of the same route as the mountain in whose shadow it always sits. But plenty of climbers are on that peak this year as well, and there has been a notable summit to report.

Michael Horst has been climbing with the Alpine Ascents team this spring, and according to the team's blog, he accomplished an impressive feat over the weekend. Horst topped out on Everest on Sunday, and then less then 24-hours later, he also bagged the summit of Lhotse as well. The Alpine Ascents blog says that they think he may be the first climber to achieve this double-summit without first descending to Base Camp to rest. Instead, he returned to Camp 4, rested there, then went right back up into the thin air. Pretty impressive, and definitely worth a hearty congratulations.

Meanwhile, the North Face Lhotse Ski Expedition team has sent back their second video dispatch, which you can check out below. The team is currently still on the mountain, and are preparing to go for their summit bid, which will be followed by a ski descent. In the video, you see them arriving in the Khumbu and trekking up to camp, where they begin their expedition in earnest. There are plenty of great shots of the region and it really gives you a great sense of what it is like to be there. Lots of memories ofr me on this one!


The North Face®: Lhotse Ski Expedition Dispatch Two from Camp 4 Collective on Vimeo.

Himalaya 2011: Teams Jockey For Position On Everest's South Side

As predicted last week, the teams on the South Side of Everest are working to get themselves into position for summit bids later this week. With the ropes fixed to the summit, and the acclimatization rotations complete, everything now hinges on the weather. Team leaders currently have their eyes on the sky and are intently watching the forecast to try to judge the best time to make their summit bids. High winds have been buffeting the mountain the past few days, but it looks like they are calming down now, right on schedule for the mid-month push.

The IMG team has sent their first climbers up the mountain, with the lead squad resting in Camp 2 today and planning on heading up to Camp 3 tomorrow. They'll likely spend the night there as well, and if the weather window looks good, they could begin the final push on Thursday with an eye on topping out on Friday. The other IMG climbers will go up in stages, staggered a day or two behind. That includes Alan Arnette, who returned to BC from a Camp 3 acclimatization rotation yesterday. He'll most likely rest in Base Camp for a few days before starting his climb, with an eye on standing on the summit sometime next week.

The Peak Freaks are one day ahead on their schedule, as they are expected in Camp 3 today, moving to C4 tomorrow and a possible summit bid on Thursday. By all accounts, the team is doing well, and all the members of the team are healthy, save one, who is headed back down the mountain due to stomach issues.

The Himex squad are in their traditional wait-out-the-rush mode, save one of their climbers. David Tait, who has summitted the mountain on three previous occasions, is already on the move, heading up to Camp 2 today. He is planning on being on the summit by dawn on Friday, provided his health and the weather cooperate.

So there you have it. It looks like things are moving right on schedule at the moment. Teams are jockeying for position and looking to take advantage of the current good weather conditions. If the weather holds, I suspect we'll see a steady stream of summits over the course of the next week or so. The past few years has given the climbers a fairly narrow window to reach the top, and then once that window was closed, the season was rather abruptly over. Perhaps that won't happen this year, but it has been an odd season on Everest in terms of weather.

One other note, the IMG update also said that due to the high winds, the rope fixing up Lhotse. That work is now scheduled to be finished on Friday of this week, allowing the climbers (and skiers!) to make their final push on Everest's neighbor as well. I'm sure that there will be some Lhotse Teams in Camp 4 that will be ready to pounce on the opportunity.

Stay tuned! It'll definitely be a busy week on the Big Hill.

Himalaya 2011: Skiing A New Line On Lhotse

I caught this video this morning while reading Backcountry.com's the Goat Blog. It is the first dispatch from a team of skiers and climbers from the Camp 4 Collective who have traveled to Nepal to climb, and ski, Lhotse, the fourth highest mountain on Earth. The video serves as an introduction to the three men and their expedition, and shows some of their early days in Kathmandu, one of the most colorful and chaotic cities in the world.

By now, the team is surely in Everest Base Camp and preparing to go up the Lhotse Face. Expect more dispatches in the near future and read their updates on the Vertical Carnival Blog. With the route now open on both Everest and Lhotse, they're no doubt waiting for the right weather as well.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again, these people who climb and then ski an 8000 meter peak are nuts!




FINAL TNF Lhotse Ski Expedition Dispatch ONE 5.4.11 from Camp 4 Collective on Vimeo.

Himalaya 2011: Annapurna Summit, Aborted Attempt On Lhotse

Earlier today I posted an update on conditions around the Himalaya, particularly on Everest, with weather being the main focus. As I mentioned in that note, the region seems to be colder, windier, and and snowier than normal this time of year. But that isn't stopping some of the climbers, as we have word today of a successful summit on Annapurna and a failed bid on Lhotse.

ExWeb has the details on both stories, with the biggest news being that Italian mountaineer Abele Blanc has topped out on Annapurna. Details are a bit sparse, but for Abele this is the final 8000 meter peak on the list, which he finally conquered after six attempts. ExWeb notes that he even lost his best friend on the mountain back in 2005.

Standing 8091 meters (26,545 ft) in height, Annapurna is the 10th highest mountain in the world. That said, it is considered by many to be the hardest of the 8000-meter peaks to summit, and has highest fatality rate of any of those mountains, including K2.

Congrats to Abele for standing on top at last! Well done!

The other news item of note is that Czech climber Radek Jaroš had climbed to Camp 3 on Everest and was attempting a summit push on Lhotse, but elected to retreat due to heavy snow high on the Lhotse Face. As most of you know, the Everest and Lhotse share the same route for much of their climb, diverging at Camp 4, and with the news that the Sherpas have fixed the ropes up to the Yellow Band, located at about 28,000 feet on Everest, Jaroš has hoped to make a summit bid. The weather has thwarted that attempt however, and he is already headed back to BC.

Outside Gives Us 10 Things To Watch On Everest This Year

The Outside Blog has an interesting list up today of 10 things to watch on Everest this season, featuring a brief run down of some of the fun, and crazy stories from the annual circus that surrounds the world's tallest mountain.

Amongst the items to make the list are Alan Arnette's Memories Are Everything expedition, in which he is climbing to raise funds for the Cure Alzheimer's Fund. Alan is a frequent contributor to the Outside Blog and I have been following his dispatches from the mountain closely as well. Other climbs of note include Edurne Pasaban's no-oxygen climb on the South Side and Nick Rice's attempt to do the same on the North.

A couple of the items on the list aren't actually on Everest, but its neighbor Lhotse instead. Spanish climber  Carlos Soria Fontan is attempting that peak at the age of 72 as his on going effort to climb all 14 of the world's  8000 meter peaks. Similarly, another team of climbers will attempt Lhotse and then ski down the West Face.

At the moment, most of the teams on the mountain are building their high camps and acclimatizing. Some have spent a night or two at Camp 2, and most are waiting for the Sherpa teams to fix the ropes up to C3, C4, and eventually the summit. This is all standard procedure on the mountain, and everything is on schedule for an expected mid-May summit window, weather permitting of course.

Himalaya 2011: More From Kathmandu

As I mentioned yesterday, the 2011 Himalaya season is starting to ramp up quickly with climbers and guides arriving in Kathmandu and putting the final touches on their preparations for the climbs ahead. One of those climbers is Alan Arnette, who will no doubt be posting regular updates throughout his expedition to climb Everest as part of his Seven Summits for Alzheimer's campaign. Alan posted another update from Kathmandu today, offering more insights into what is happening there and what we can expect in the weeks ahead.

Aside from setting the scene about how noisy and chaotic Kathmandu can be this time of year, or any time of year for that matter, Alan says that the weather in the region has improved, which means flights will resume to Lukla today. That's important for the climbers heading to the Khumbu region, in particular those going to Everest, Lhotse, Ama Dablam, and other peaks in that area. The IMG team that Alan is climbing with is scheduled to leave for Lukla on Thursday, when they'll also begin their trek to Base Camp. Other teams were already hoping to get out of KTM yesterday, so expected a bottleneck of travelers over the next few days, as everyone struggles to get out on the trail.

Alan also noted that he bumped into Russell Brice, owner of Himalayan Experience, better known as Himex, in the lobby of his hotel, and also had lunch with Phil Crampton of the Altitude Junkies. Both indicated that the number of climbers on Everest could be down as much as 25% this year thanks to the ongoing issues with the global economy and a rise in prices to climb the mountain. Back in 2009, there were more than 500 people who reached the summit of Everest, but it seems that this year we won't even come close to those kinds of numbers. That's probably a good thing, as it will reduce the crowds on Summit Day and may make for a safer climb in general.

Over the next week or so, most of the teams will be consumed with getting out of Kathmandu and making the trek to Base Camp. While that trek is a walk in the park compared to what lies ahead for them, it is still an important part of the acclimatization process that will prepare them to go higher on the mountain. It is also quite a great hike with some amazing views. On the North Side of Everest, in Tibet, the climbers will actually drive to BC. It isn't the same experience, and they deal with the acclimatization a bit differently, but there will be teams headed that direction soon too.

Sherpa To Attempt Everest and Lhotse Within 24 Hours

The Spring Himalayan Season is only days from getting underway, and already things are starting to get interesting. As is usual, Everest will be at the center of some major expeditions and big ambitions, but none bigger than that of Pemba Dorjee Sherpa, who will attempt to summit Everest and Lhotse within 24 hours of one another.

According to this story at MyRepublica.com, Pemba will set out from Kathmandu on April 1st and begin the trek to Everest Base Camp. From there, he'll undergo the typical acclimatization process, and once he is ready, he'll attempt his Himalayan double header. The plan is to go to the summit of Everest, located at 8848 meters (29,029 feet) first, then return to Camp 4 for a brief rest, before taking on Lhotse, which is 8516 meters (27,940 feet) in height. If successful, he will become the first climber to knock off two 8000-meter peaks in a 24 hour period.

For the uninitiated, Everest and Lhotse share most of the same route, but when climbers reach Camp 4, located at about 26,000 feet, the route diverges. Everest climbers on the Nepali side of the mountain take a left and continue on up to that summit, while the much smaller number of climbers take a right and continue on to the top of Lhotse, which is the fourth highest mountain in the world behind Everest, K2, and Kangchenjunga.

While this climb will be a significant challenge for Pemba, he has a good idea of what to expect. Not only has he climbed Everest ten times in the past, he has set a speed record for doing so. Back in 2004, he made the climb in just eight hours and ten minutes. If anyone can pull this off, it'll be him.

Meanwhile, the same article above says two other Sherpas, Mingma Gyalzen and Phurba Tenzing, hope to set a completely different record by staying on the summit of Everest for 24-hours straight. They intend to stay at that altitude without the use of supplemental oxygen as well.

Finally, Nawang Phuchi Sherpa hopes to become the first woman to climb Everest twice in a single season, which is a pretty impressive feat as well.

Hold on tight folks. The fun really gets going in April. Can't wait!