Himalaya Expedition org

Himalayan Triptych Reactivated - Gasherbrum II:

Second G down for the Peters!!

Jul 06, 2008
(K2Climb.net) This morning the “dos Pedros” bagged G2, the second milestone in their ambitious Gasherbrum traverse. Currently holding in a blizzard at 7,400 meters, they plan for GIII as soon as conditions improve.

Hamor & Morawski summit Gasherbrum II – GIII next!

”Peter Hamor and Piotr Morawski reached the summit of Gasherbrum II, in alpine style, on July 6th, 2008 at 9.15 am local time,” Peter’s wife Maria reported. “They got there at the same time as the blizzard….The climbers are currently back in Camp 4 (7 400m), where they’ve decided to wait. In case the weather gets better, they will try G III.”

* previous story :

- Himalayan Triptych Reactivated: Gasherbrum traverse part 2. Tryptyk reaktywacja : Gasherbrum travers cz.2. /Version english and polish/

- Himalayan Triptych Reactivated: Gasherbrum traverse part 1. Tryptyk reaktywacja : Gasherbrum travers cz.1. /Version english and polish/

- Himalayan Triptych Reactivated - 2008 season part 2# and 3#: Gasherbrum and Broad Peak traverses. Tryptyk Reaktywacja. /Version english and polish/

Tryptyk Reaktywacja. Trawers Gasherbrumów - Relacje z wyprawy.

Trawers Gasherbrumów i Broad Peaku: Piotr i Peter zdobyli szczyt Gasherbrum II (8035 m)!!

Piotr Morawski i Peter Hamor 6 lipca o godz. 9,15 czasu lokalnego zdobyli Gasherbrum II (8035 m), wspinając się na wierzchołek w stylu alpejskim normalną drogą.

Tak o wejściu pisze Piotrek Morawski: “Mimo prognozy pogody wyszliśmy do góry. Ze względu na wiatr i nadciągające chmury poszliśmy na drogę normalną, o 9:15 byliśmy na wierzchołku G2, już we mgle i opadach śniegu. Już jesteśmy z powrotem w c4, jutro odpoczynek.”

Himalaiści są w trakcie trawersowania masywu Gasherbrumów - został im jeszcze G III.

Piotr Morawski zdobywa kolejny szczyt - serdeczne gratulacje dla ZDOBYWCY !! za jego wysiłek i niezłomną wolę pokonywania przeciwności losu i kaprysów pogody.

To bez wątpienia wielki wyczyn polskiego himalaisty młodego pokolenia, wszak zdobył dwa ośmiotysięczniki w ciągu dwóch tygodni wspinania się w trudnych warunkach pogodowych i wyczerpującym stylu wspinaczkowym - w stylu alpejskim.

** więcej o wyprawie niebawem.

** Źródła: - www.peterhamor.sk - http://www.mounteverest.net/ - http://www.piotrmorawski.com/

Himalayan Triptych Reactivated - G1 down for dos Pedros!.

Jun 25, 2008
Gasherbrums traverse - Himalayan Trilogy Reactivation, 2008 climbing season.

(K2Climb.net) Peter Hamor and Piotr Morawski reached the summit of Gasherbrum I (8 068m) today at 1.30 pm local time, in alpine style.

G1 down!

A few hours ago, Peter Hamor and Piotr Morawski sms’d the great news to Piotr Pustelnik, “the top of G1 reached about 2 pm.”

Olga Morawska fills in the details:

“Peter Hamor and Piotr Morawski reached the summit of Gasherbrum I (8 068m) today at 1.30 pm local time. They succeeded in traversing Gasherbrum I in alpine style, after ten days on the mountain, struggling in deep fresh snow with 20 kg heavy backpacks.”

“Peter and Piotr reached the summit of GI in alpine style, by Spanish route, which merges to American route. They even had a good weather on the top today. According to the information from Peter Hamor, both of them have traversed the summit and are descending to Gasherbrum La Col.”

* previous story :

- Himalayan Triptych Reactivated: Gasherbrum traverse part 1. Tryptyk reaktywacja : Gasherbrum travers cz.1. /Version english and polish/

- Himalayan Triptych Reactivated - 2008 season part 2# and 3#: Gasherbrum and Broad Peak traverses. Tryptyk Reaktywacja. /Version english and polish/

Tryptyk Reaktywacja - sezon wspinaczkowy 2008.

Trawers Gasherbrum - Relacje z wyprawy.

Trawers Gasherbrumów i Broad Peaku: Piotr i Peter zdobyli szczyt Gasherbrum I
Olga Morawska
25 czerwca 2008

“Peter Hamor i Piotr Morawski zdobyli szczyt Gasherbrum I (8 068m) dziś o 13.30 lokalnego czasu. Z sukcesem dokonali trawersu Gasherbrum I, zdobywając szczyt w stylu alpejskim, pokonując w dolnej części tzw. drogę hiszpańską (prawa grań południowo-zachodniej ściany), a wyżej — drogą pierwszych zdobywców (Amerykanie w 1958 r.).”

“25 czerwca 2008 r. Piotr Morawski i Peter Hamor stanęli na szczycie Gasherbrum I. Weszli na wierzchołek po 10 dniach wspinaczki. Nie mieli szczęścia do pogody, poza pierwszym dniem i dniem ataku, cały czas padał śnieg.

W trakcie wspinaczki złapali kilka nieplanowanych biwaków (liczyli, że pogoda będzie jednak bardziej łaskawa), przekopali tony śniegu, przed atakiem spali jakieś 200 - 300 metrów pod szczytem, a wszystko to zrobili z ciężkimi plecakami - w stylu alpejskim!

Sms od Piotrka : “Dziś o świcie byliśmy na szczycie Gasherbrum I. Przetrawersowaliśmy górę od drogi hiszpańskiej - w części południowo-zachodniej ściany, do drogi normalnej, w stylu alpejskim. 10 dni ze złą pogodą i ciężkimi plecakami. Teraz śpimy na 6900 na drodze normalnej. Góra jest kompletnie pusta. Jesteśmy tu sami. Czujemy się dobrze, choć zmęczeni.”

Pogoda jest dobra. Teraz alpiniści kontynuują swój projekt przetrawersowania masywu Gasherbrumów od GI do GIII i znajdują się w drodze na przełęcz Gasherbrum La.

* więcej o wyprawie niebawem.

** Źródła: - www.peterhamor.sk - http://www.mounteverest.net/ - http://www.piotrmorawski.com/

** zapraszam na relacje z innych wypraw polskich himalaistów.

ExplorersWeb Week in Review.

10 expeditions to K2; 50 total to 8000+; about 25 to the spires & lower peaks - the 2008 Karakoram season is unreal and the list of expeditions is up.

Last week also offered a number of interesting post-Everest stories, while Correne brought with her extensive news updates from Greenland and the Oceans ran an interview with Erden Eruc.

Karakoram action is ON Eyes are on the Himalayan Triptych Reactivated. There is the long traverse of the three Gasherbrum peaks that has never been completed in full before. Peter Hamor and Piotr Morawski will attempt it via the American route from Gasherbrum I side and descend from the pass between GII and GIII. Then Piotr Pustelnik will join up for a Broad Peaks’ traverse - first done in 1984 by Kurtyka and Kukuczka who started from K2 BC, climbed across the two Broad Peaks and descended from the main Broad Peak via the normal route. The Himalayan Triptych however will try a ridge from the top of BP going down towards Concordia that has never been done in full. With this ridge, they would accomplish a complete traverse of Broad Peak’s points.

Fast moves on K2, Gerlinde’s no-go, and other latest On K2’s SSE Spur, Norit climbers are already closing in on C3. The climbers describe the route as more technical than the Abruzzi. Health issues from Lhotse forced Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner to skip her K2 attempt this summer; Nick Rice reported three worthy replacements joining his French-led K2 team: Christian Tromsdorff, Yannick Graziani, and Patrick Wagnon.

Slovaks “Dodo” Kopold and Vlado Plulík are in Gasherbrums’ BC ready to climb GI and GII for starters - then moving to Broad and finally K2. Another hat-trick (both Gasherbrums and Broad Peak) is scheduled to kick off June 15 by Russian/Canadian Valery Babanov. The G4 Spanish team is in place as well; and it seems the flights to Skardu are running, reported Field Touring.

And it’s up! 2008 list of Karakoram expeditions published 10 expeditions to K2; 50 total to 8000+; about 25 to the spires & lower peaks - the 2008 Karakoram season is unreal. Ten years back only the most hardcore mountaineers went to Pakistan - not anymore; with the recent events in China and Nepal; all of a sudden Pakistan seems the hub of safety and order. An unusual large number of Americans are coming to Pakistan this season; and just about all the big names in the international climbing elite are enroute; some without even a breath of rest from recent ascents in Nepal Himalaya.

Everest and Himalaya Season’s end Chronicle Brazilian writer and chronicler Rodrigo Granzotto Peron compiled an amazing season’s end report from the past Everest and Himalaya season. Check in for all the latest names on the 14, 8000ers quest, new routes and difficult repetitions, the national firsts/oldest/ womens/repeaters/etc records, and the absolute numbers of all Himalaya summits this season.

The Everest Free-Tibet banner affair: Benegas unanswered questions If you search ExWeb for keyword “Benegas” you’ll find nothing but good stories about Willie and Damian. Recently though, the brothers threatened ExWeb with lawsuits and articles in US climbing mags for even mentioning (!) the “banner affair” involving young American climber Brant Holland who was expelled from Everest. In answer to their threats; ExWeb offered an interview but the brothers refused - stating they were unhappy with the questions.

“It’s one thing to not protest violations of human rights,” ExWeb concluded the story. “That’s each and everyone’s personal choice. But when Americans start to report fellow Americans to communist dictators in order to secure business; when refugee children are called prostitutes by international commercial guides; when the only guide reporting murders of innocent people is expelled by the commercial fraternity; and when media is bullied by the same commercial forces - we have a different ball game entirely.”

M&I memorial week special: Gareth Thomas rethinking Mallory and Irvine The Mallory and Irvine saga continues to mesmerize its researchers. Gareth Thomas from Westminster compiled another theory about the two Everest pioneers in February this year. Early March political events on Everest north side stole the show however, and Gareth’s story was put on a back burner. Last Sunday came the 8th June memorial day, and ExWeb ended the memorial week with - at last - Gareth’s story.

ExWeb’s post-Greenland debrief interview with Correne Erasmus-Coetzer: “Greenland is different in several ways” One of the unique facts about ExWeb is that most of the journalists and contributors own extensive, personal experience on the subjects they cover. Just back from her Greenland expedition; The Poles.com editor Correne Erasmus-Coetzer provided insight in the difference between the main polar areas. The altitude gain, the type of snow, humidity, temperatures - and the skiing community.

Greenland updates Back at the keyboard at last; Correne provided updates on the other teams on the “green ice,” such as Finns Pete Mäkelä and Pete Vourenmaa, whose S-N kite-assisted expedition stretches about 2700 km. The guys are doing well; reflecting on the importance of experience in Arctic climates: “In this weather ten yeras ago, we probably would have spent half of our days in the tent, waiting for better conditions.”
The two Brits, Alex Hibbert and George Bullard, have crossed the Icecap. This is only halfway in their 2250 km expedition. They have now turned around and are on their way back to their nearest and seventh depot.

Another message to the people of Tibet - from Greenland! When it comes to geographical spread; explorers from all over the world sure beat the Chinese torch relay! Free Tibet messages have now been displayed at the North Pole, the summit of Mount Everest, and latest - on Greenland! The gang behind the message are Tom Alkin (on camera), Ida Bruusgaard (Norway/England), Sam Nichols (England), Correne Erasmus-Coetzer (South Africa) and Jayne Puttman (Australia). Tomato and curried veggie flavour cuppa soup served for the snow-coloring, reported Correne.

Mars Ocean Odyssey update: From Biosphere 3 - with Love After 417 days on the ocean without touching land; Reid’s Mars Odyssey ship is turning into a Biosphere 3 of sorts. “In spite of the cold, salty, damp weather, the garden and the sprouts are doing fine,” he reports. “I eat big sprout salads twice a day. I can’t go in the galley without rubbing and touching them and having the ivy pluck the mitten cap off my head.” Just salads, tough? “I have an imaginary world where I see everyone and interreact,” says another dispatch from Reid.

ExWeb’s interview with Erden Eruc, “adjustment will take a while” Imagine yourself alone with the sea for almost a year; locked up in a tiny rowing boat and nothing else. Following his 310 day Pacific record row; Erden arrived to a hero’s welcome in Santos where ExWeb caught up with him for an interview.

Read these stories - and more! - at ExplorersWeb.com

I Recommend …

International Mountain Guides - http://www.mountainguides.com/index.shtml

About International Mountain Guides :

International Mountain Guides directors Phil Ershler, George Dunn, Eric Simonson and Paul Baugher organize and lead climbing, trekking and mountaineering expeditions around the world, from the classic climbs of the Alps and Andes to the 8,000m peaks of the Himalayas. We continue to be one of the most respected and active guiding companies in the world. Since 1986 we have conducted hundreds of expeditions to destinations around the globe, and the fact that most of our customers climb with us again and again tells us we’re doing things right!

These springs : 31 Summits on IMG’s 2008 Everest Expedition. Dave Hahn Summits Everest for Record 10th Time.

Everest South Side Summit Climb with International Mountain Guides.

IMG’s Everest programs are recognized worldwide as simply outstanding, with a reputation for our highly professional staff of leaders, climbers and Sherpas, first-rate logistics and our resulting safety and success record on the mountain. Since 1991 we have conducted over forty 8000-meter expeditions and have seen over 300 climbers reach the summit of these peaks, including 179 on Everest.

For 2009 we are proud to announce an exciting array of Everest options with the IMG All-Stars, under the direction of legendary climber and expedition leader Eric Simonson. We offer something for everyone… from treks to summit climbs, and we have designed our programs to be truly unique and special.

.. more : - http://www.mountainguides.com/everest-south.shtml

Himalayan Trilogy once again, Himalayan Triptych Reactivated - 2008 climbing season.

Gasherbrum and Broad Peak traverses.

/Jun 09, 2008/ “The three-week rest that we took after the first part of the Himalayan Triptych Reactivated has come to an end,” reported Piotr Morawski last week. “We summitted Ama Dablam and then climbed on the Czech route on the NW face of Annapurna, which was one of the most beautiful expeditions I’d ever participated in. A mere 150 metres and a bit of luck was all we lacked to reach the top…”

“Still, it’s time to go back to our project, with parts two and three in one go. Peter Hamor and I are setting off to traverse the three Gasherbrum peaks: starting with GI (8068), via GII (8035) to GIII (7952), a long traverse that has never been completed in full before. We will ascend via the American route from Gasherbrum I side and descend from the pass between GII and GIII.”

“Then Piotr Pustelnik will join us for a Broad Peak’s traverse. Such climb that was first done in 1984 by Kurtyka and Kukuczka. They started from K2 Base Camp, climbed across the two Broad Peaks and descended from the main Broad Peak via the normal route. However, from the top of BP there is a beautiful ridge going down towards Concordia that has never been done in full and which we would like to climb to accomplish a complete traverse of Broad Peak’s points.”

Piotr’s mate Peter Hamor reported yesterday from Paiju - the climbers shall be on their way to Urdukas today.

* see part # 1mBank Annapurna West Face Expedition :

- Himalayan Trilogy once again, part 4 - Annapurna West Face. Tryptyk Reaktywacja, cz. 4: mBank Annapurna West Face Expedition. /Version english and polish/

- Himalayan Trilogy once again, “Himalayan Triptych Reactivated” part 3 : mBank Annapurna West Face Expedition - Burza nad Annapurną!

- Himalayan Trilogy once again, part 2 - Annapurna West Face. Tryptyk Reaktywacja, cz. 2: mBank Annapurna West Face Expedition. /Version english and polish/

- Himalayan Trilogy once again, part 1 - Annapurna West Face. Tryptyk Reaktywacja, cz. 1: mBank Annapurna West Face Expedition. /Version english and polish/

Himalayan Trilogy once again, Tryptyk Reaktywacja 2008.

TRYPTYK REAKTYWACJA - część II i III

Minęły trzy tygodnie odpoczynku, które mieliśmy po zakończeniu pierwszej części Tryptyku Reaktywacji. Weszliśmy na Ama Dablam w ramach aklimatyzacji, zrobiliśmy drogę czeską na zachodniej ścianie Annapurny, jedno z najpiękniejszych przedsięwzięć, w których miałem okazję brać udział. Zabrakło 150metrów i łutu szczęścia by znaleźć się na szczycie…
Czas zatem już wracać do Tryptyku Reaktywacji. Tym razem dwie części naraz. Aklimatyzację już mamy. Można od razu zacząć akcję górską…

część druga i trzecia:

trawers Gasherbrumów I,II,III
trawers Broad Peaku

Najpierw idziemy we dwóch z Peterem Hamoremna grań Gasherbrumów od GI (8068m) poprzez GII (8035m) do GIII (7952m). Rozpoczynamy drogą amerykańską od strony Gasherbruma I, a schodzimy z głębokiej przełęczy pomiędzy GII, a GIII. Trawers ten w całości nie został nigdy pokonany. Następnie ma dołączyć Piotr Pustelnik i udajemy się już we trzech na grań Broad Peaku, która została pokonana przez Kurtykę i Kukuczkę. Zaczęli oni od strony bazy pod K2, a zeszli z wierzchołka drogą normalną (przechodząc przez dwa pozostałe wierzchołki Broad Peaku). Z samego szczytu jest jeszcze piękna grań schodząca w stronę Concordii, której jeszcze nikt w całości nie przeszedł. Chcielibyśmy ją pokonać kończąc tym samym pełny trawers Broad Peaku.

Gasherbrum I (8068 mnpm) zwany również Hidden Peak, kiedyś określany jako K5, został pierwszy raz zdobyty 5 lipca1958 roku przez Andrew Kauffmana i Peterea Schoeninga z USA. 23 lipca1983 roku jako pierwsi Polacy na szczycie stanęli Kurtyka i Kukuczka pokonując południowo-zachodnią ścianę w stylu alpejskim. Z wierzchołka grań północna przechodzi przez przełęcz Gasherbrum i dochodzi do Gasherbruma II.

Gasherbrum II (8035 mnpm), czyli K4 na starych mapach, pierwszy raz został zdobyty przez Austriaków w 1956roku. Na jego szczycie do tej pory stanęło ponad 40 Polaków.Większość wejść odbywa się drogą normalną. Ostatni w naszych planach pierwszej grani, czyli Gasherbrum III (7952 mnpm) nie jest górą zbyt popularną, może dlatego że nie ma 8000 metrów. Po raz pierwszy zdobyty został przez Polaków w 1975 roku.

Broad Peak (8047 mnpm) to trzeci ośmiotysięcznik znajdujący się w masywie Gasherbum. W ramach Tryptyku Himalajskiego w2006 roku 8 lipca na wierzchołku stanął Piotr Pustelnik i Peter Hamor,dzień później Piotr Morawski. Początkowym planem wtedy było zrobienie nowej drogi na grani, którą w tym roku mamy zamiar zakończyć trawers.

Zatem roboty sporo, czasu też pod dostatkiem.Trawersy na tych wysokościach są dużym wysiłkiem dla organizmu ze względu na wiele dni na dużej wysokości. Poprzednie lata (chociażby wschodnia grań Annapurny) oraz ten sezon przygotowały nas dobrze zarówno do wysiłku na dużej wysokości, jak i do szybkiego wspinania i poruszania się w trudnym terenie. Oby tylko pogoda dopisała, za co trzymajcie kciuki! Burza na Annapurnie pokazała nam, że niewiele od nas potrafi zależeć, nawet jeśli jesteśmy prawie pewnisukcesu.

Wyprawa wyrusza 1 czerwca z Warszawy. Czerwiec przewidywany jest na trawers Gasherbrumów. Pod koniec czerwca przylatuje Piotr Pustelnik i rozpoczynamy drugą część projektu na Broad Peaku. Powrót planowany jest na koniec lipca.

Jesteśmy wdzięczni sponsorom, bezktórych wyprawa nie odbyłaby się. Chciałbym też złożyćszczególne podziękowania dla firmy Alpinus,która aktywnie pomogła w zwalczaniu piętrzących siękłopotów i usunęła wiele kłód spod nóg oraz firmie Kelvin za pomoc w ostatnim momencie.

od lewej:
Piotr Pustelnik - jest zdobywcą 13 ośmiotysięczników, brałudział w wielu wyprawach w Himalaje, Karakorum i góryświata, wspina się w górach wysokich od 1985 roku
Piotr Morawski –zdobywca 4 ośmiotysięczników,jako pierwszy człowiek zdobył Shisha Pangma zimą, jego domeną są rzadkouczęszczane drogi, jak zimowe, czy powtórzenia rzadko robionychdróg.
Peter Hamor – zdobywca 5 ośmiotysięczników,najlepszy słowacki himalaista, zdobywca Korony Ziemi, ma na koncie 2 wejścia na szczyty ośmiotysięczne jako pierwszy Słowak.

** Źródła: - http://www.piotrmorawski.com/- http://himalman.wordpress.com/

**** zapraszam na relacje z innych wypraw polskich himalaistów.

I Recommend …

MountEverest.net - http://www.mounteverest.net/

ExplorersWeb Week in Review.

The past two weeks presented explorers with a roller coaster of emotions. Heroism, courage, compassion, indifference, tragedies and triumphs were all displayed one on top of the other.

Only war can match the simple and direct lessons in human nature offered by the Himalayan giants in times like these.

May 19 the time had come: “For Everest climbers, summit day is the Super Bowl, the World Cup, the Olympic marathon….the 7th game of the world series between the Sox and Cubbies,” wrote Tim Warren. “There are over 400 climbers on the mountain waiting for one day of good weather, and double that number in Sherpa’s,” reported Aussie mother and daughter Cheryl and Nikki Bart.

Peak Freaks, Project Himalaya, Mountain Madness and Altitude Junkies with their joint teams of Sherpas fixed the route to the south summit; on the following day a second team of Sherpas fixed the route to the summit with climbers tucking in behind them. 14×8000er summiteer Silvio “Gnaro” Mondinelli with mates Michele Enzio and Marco Confortola had already reached South Col, working for over three hours without supplementary O2 to set up a weather station.

May 20 - Everest breaking news: Sherpas on the summit! Project-Himalaya team leader Jamie McGuinness reported the news from South Col over sat-phone: Namgyal Sherpa, with Jamie’s Project-Himalaya team, and Pemgya Sherpa, with Arun Treks summited Everest at 3:25 pm. Theirs was the first Everest summits attained this season from the south side.

May 20 - Climbers are standing on top of Mount Everest American Mountain Madness reached Everest summit at about 6:40 a.m. Shortly after, Peak Freaks reached the top, some members flying a Tibetan banner. Project-Himalaya Jamie McGuinness called ExWeb from the top, reporting plenty of climbers there or enroute.

Apa Sherpa and other Everest records The current Everest summit record status is (courtesy Rodrigo Granzotto Peron):
Apa 18
Chuwang Nima 15
Lhakpa Gelu 13
Phurba Tashi 13
Big Dorje 13
Mingma Tshering 13
Chuldim Ang Dorje 12
Nga Temba 12
Nima Gombu 12

76-year-old Min Bahadur Sherchan from Nepal became the oldest person to summit Mount Everest.
Next up was Yuichiro Miura (75) - true to his strategy of using “emergency camp 5″ above the Balcony.

Western Guides records:

10th summit for Dave Hahn (IMG)
8th summit for Willie Benegas (Mountain Madness)
8th summit for Vernon Tejas (Alpine Ascents)
5th summit for Dave Morton (Alpine Ascents)

The first Saudi Arabian on the top of the World is Farouq Saad Hamad Al-Zuman. Australian Cheryl Bart and her daughter Nicole “Nikki” Bart are the first mother-and-daughter to summit Big E together. All in all, hundreds of summits were reported this remarkable Everest year.

BC: Dancing the night away

“Last night /May 28, 2008 / we wound things up in style as we danced the night away at altitude, stopping every now and again to re-catch our breath,” reported Mike and Laurel. “This morning, some relaxed in the sun while others scrambled to pack the rest of their gear.”

IMG’s Eric Simonson reported yesterday. “Dave, Nicky and Greg Messner, Tucker, Jangbu, and the Sherpas are celebrating tonight at Base Camp. Tomorrow we have 80 yaks coming to BC to start moving the gear down the valley.”

The team also reported about Everest waste management. “Before we can get back our $8000 garbage deposit, we must send burnable garbage to the incinerator in Namche, recyclable bottles and cans to Kathmandu, human waste to Gorak Shep (where it is buried in the soil,) and the oxygen cylinders must be exported to USA - we must show the airway bill to prove that they were removed from Nepal,” Eric wrote.

Along this season, IMG put 31 people on the summit. “This is our second best year on Everest,” the team reported.

Lhotse: To summit - together

Ralf, Gerlinde and David departed BC May 24, hoping to top out on May 27. Ralf’s bronchitis from Makalu proved too persistent, forcing retreat to C4 on the 27th. Wind and deep cold turned back Gerlinde and David at around 8,150 meters the next day. “Gerlinde was also hoping that we could summit Lhotse together, and her motivation weakened after I had to stay behind,” Ralf reported. “We will be back.”

“It was not as cold and windy as on Dhaulagiri, but we had lost weight and our toes were more sensitive after exposure to Dhaulagiri’s freezing temperatures. That fact, together with my wish to step on Lhotse’s summit together with Ralf, made us decide to turn around right below the summit couloir.”

“Lhotse is a wonderful mountain… I shall return, and maybe three will be the charm,” concluded Kaltenbrunner.

Catalan climbers Xavi Aimar and And Xavi Arias topped out as well but dropped their original plans to attempt Everest without bottled oxygen. “Restrictions on the mountain haven’t allowed us to acclimatize enough to consider a summit push without O2.” Arias said. Also Brazilian Rodrigo Raineri decided to use O2 for his summit.

Rumors bounced around the walls of the crowded peak. For once though, information came out quickly, calming emotions. Jamie McGuinness left a voice report from South Col. Peak Freak’s reported that member Sultan collapsed just below the south summit. Tim and two Sherpas were roping him down all night; Farouq later joined in helping too. At about 4:30am they had to abandon him, leaving him in a sleeping bag after fueling him up. An Indian team then found him around 6am and started working on him. Both Sultan and a Korean climber who had continued the ascent in spite of running out of oxygen were initially reported dead, but could be revived. Rescue teams were sent up for both. Jamie kept handing out his own oxygen to various climbers, who had given theirs to other teams.

“There are a lot of messed up people here,” Andrew Brash confirmed from the South Col. “People on their way down had told me 4 deaths yesterday - obviously an alarming thing to hear. Garnering the information though, it seems there was one death yesterday, that of one climbing without O2. Some others certainly had epics.” Mountain Madness assisted in a rescue of Carlos Pauner who turned around 200 meters shy from Lhotse summit. Carlos’ mate Javier Perez went up from BC to C2, in order to help. One Everest climber’s pupils completely dilated covering his iris’s, making his eyes appear black. Fellow climbers placed his feet back onto the South Summit and down until he regained partial sight. One of the Sherpas who supported the 76-year old Nepali reportedly froze all his fingers.

Lincoln Hall rescuer Andrew Brash got his Everest summit at last. Phil Crampton now runs his own outfit, Altitude Junkies,” Jamie wrote. “Previously he used to work for Dan Mazur and while he has summitted Everest a few times, he has missed out on more summits due to dramatic rescues high on Everest. This year he managed to summit on the 21st with one of his team but a day later still make a dramatic rescue of Ryan Waters, a fellow guide, who developed pulmonary edema. Most of Ryan’s team succeeded, including Ryan but he became seriously ill on the way down.” Later American Mike Browder, leader-in-training with SummitClimb, got in trouble on Everest’s higher slopes. With virtually no one else left on the mountain, his expedition team sent five Sherpas to help him down from the South Summit.

Swiss Everest fatality confirmed Swiss mountain guide Uwe Gianni Goltz died May 21 shortly before Camp IV (7.900) after summitting Everest without oxygen. Jamie McGuinness and Uwe’s Sherpa Mingma put the mountaineer (climbing with the Kobler outfit) on oxygen and accompanied him down. Uwe had already taken 4mg dexamethazone on the summit; at the South Summit Jamie gave him 4mg more. Unfortunately, Goltz suffered Cerebral Edema and died of exhaustion on the last easier section to the South Col. The climber had already scaled five 8000ers and attempted two more.

Courage on Everest - a gesture for Tibet at last Asked to define courage, children most often say it is risking your life. On maturing, people will say that courage is doing the right thing when the wrong thing seems to produce better results. This, plus “looking past your personal goals and dedicating your life for the betterment of mankind,” has been voted top reply on Yahoo answers to the question “what is courage.” In the mountains, few climbers own the full spectrum; but they do exist. Inaki Ochoa dared to speak out against the Chinese Olympics in spite of having Himalayan mountains left to climb. A young American climber was expelled from Everest after a commercial guide handed his Free Tibet banner to authorities in camp. French Dominique Gilbert finally, flagged a Free Tibet t-shirt on the summit of Everest at last.

Lhotse: Summits and a rescue A large number of climbers summited Lhotse including Asian Trekking’s Dawa Steven, who - after some rest in C2 - later also summited Everest together with fellow mates from the eco Everest team. A rock slide hit some Lhotse tents in C4; Francisco Borja was hit in the leg and had to be helped all the way down by his mates, who needed the entire night to bring him safely back to BC. A Korean climber was reported to have summited Lhotse already on May 17, later seen dumping gear in a crevasse.

May 19 on Makalu - xx number of climbers reached the top? Portuguese climber Joao García, and a French team along with expedition Sherpas, two Italian climbers, a British Navy team, Catalan climbers Blanca Ardanaz and Jordi Servosa were only some of the mountaineers who reportedly summited Makalu around May 20th. However, climbers’ reports were contradicting. Joao reported only one French climber and a Sherpa with him on the summit, and later Australian Andrew Lock and Hector. (This marked Lock’s 8000er number 13, with only Shishapangma left). The Andalusian expedition led by Lolo Gonzales who aborted due to bad weather reported that the English expedition had turned back before the summit crest and the French expedition was almost blown off the peak. Andrew Lock reported Ted Atkins and Radek Jaros made it but neither Hector nor Neil were able to join him on true summit. Summit pictures and debriefs by Liz Hawley should clear up the confusion for correct summit records.

Makalu: Bittersweet summit - Pasang lost Pasang Gurung, a high altitude porter with the French team, fell sick (probably with HACE) and died while high up on the mountain. “Pasang, 37, passed away while sleeping in C4, at 2:00 am on May 20,” the team reported. “He was waiting for four French climbers and five Sherpas to return from their summit bid.” Pasang, the team said, had been training and learning at Chamonix’s ENSA climbing school, in order to become a mountain guide. Makalu was his first 8000er.

Brazilian team back together in KTM: Waldemar’s debrief Following several chopper incidents on arrival (one filmed by Niclevicz and posted on extremos.com.br), Irivan Gustavo Burda and Waldemar Niclevicz became the first two Brazilians to summit Makalu. Team mate Ecuadorian Santiago Quintero had a narrow escape after topping out without O2, not due to his previously frostbitten toes but HACE possibly acquired by a too fast ascent. In his debrief, Rodrigo underlined that Argentinean Hernán Wilke had a fundamental role in the rescue of Quintero, coordinating the efforts of the Sherpas sent by Waldemar and the assistance of many other climbers. The return to KTM ended just as tumultuous as was the team’s arrival on the peak. An hour and a half into the flight dark clouds mounted in the flight path and a bumpy ride ensued with the chopper brushing razor edge Himalayan ridges while getting hammered by heavy rain. Midway a stop was forced, where soldiers monitored the refueling, until the climbers were dropped in KTM airport at last.

Piotr Morawski’s North-West Face of Annapurna debrief “We finish the ridge and arrive at the summit pyramid: only about 150 metres left! An arm’s length it seems! But the wind is so strong that it’s difficult to stand up and there’s a dark, menacing bank of clouds scudding towards us. Like in cheap films: the climbers are near the summit but a storm is approaching. Sadly, it’s not just a film: what happens afterwards is a complete malignity…” Check out Morawski’s Anna debrief at ExWeb!

Annapurna IV: No-go Bad weather forced the American ski team back down on Annapurna IV. “Wow, it makes me a little sad to write that..somehow putting it into words and making it public makes it seem so final. We have tried really hard. Oh well, that’s what we do best!” said Ben Clark. ”So on to the positive- yes we have gotten some great climbing in and skied totally unskied terrain. Awesome!”

Annapurna newsflash: Iñaki Ochoa in trouble?

May 20, the first report came that Iñaki Ocha de Olza was ill in a high camp on Annapurna’s south side, after turning around 100 meters shy from the main summit due to frostbite and running out of rope. Iñaki and Horia climbed down to 7400m, where they stopped for the night – they had been climbing for 16 hours non-stop. Iñaki called home, explaining, “We had run out of rope to fix, and there was still a delicate section on the way to the summit, we turned around, but the Russian stayed up.” Iñaki seemed to be all right when he called home, but half an hour later he began to vomit and cough, and went near unconscious. Horia called doctors over sat phone and administered high altitude emergency drugs.

Stranded and seriously ill in Annapurna’s C4, a few days later Iñaki Ochoa’s situation became critical. He could eat and drink but not walk or speak. Climbers were rushing to his aid, ready to risk their lives on the south face of the world’s deadliest mountain. Ueli Steck reached Iñaki in camp 4, after two days climbing in bad weather. He released Horia, who - after his prolonged stay on altitude - descended to C3 where Ueli’s mate Simon waited with Alexey Bolotov.

Literally running up next was Denis Urubko, just back from Makalu summit. Russian Serguey Bogomolov came back up with frostbites he had suffered on the wall only two weeks earlier. Don Bowie volunteered to help as well, in spite of leaving the team earlier due to differences between the climbers. Romanians Alex Gavan, still recovering from the summit of Makalu and his mate Mihnea Radulescu, as well as Polish MD Robert Szymczak, just back from Dhaulagiri summit formed rescue team number 3. Maxut Zhumayev, fresh from Manaslu summit, also offered to help but the chopper had already left. Artur Hajzer provided route details and Javier G. Corripio special weather reports. Climbers’ friends and home teams, mountaineering websites, team sponsors and Inaki’s family all