Himalaya 2014: Waiting for a Weather Window

It has been a week or so since I posted a general update from the Himalaya. During that time, not much has changed, as most of the teams have been simply waiting for a weather window to open. As the middle of May fast approaches, most of the climbers are now acclimated, and are just biding their time for the right opportunity to come. Over the past week, high winds and snow have been common across the entire region, but that is about to change, signaling the start of summit pushes on several mountains.

We'll start on the North Side of Everest, where roughly 100 climbers are waiting for their opportunity to go up the hill. Rope fixing is complete up to Camp 3, located at 8300 meters (27,230 ft), but high winds are preventing anyone from going any higher at the moment. Until the Sherpa team from the Chinese-Tibet Mountaineering Association can complete the job of installing the ropes, no one will be able to summit. But a weather window is approaching, and most teams are now expecting their summit pushes to begin next week. Expect possible summits on May 21. Until then, the teams are resting in Base Camp.

Over on the South Side, there continue to be reports of guerrilla climbers who are defying the closure of the mountain to make their own attempts on the summit. As previously mentioned, they include American Cleo Weidlich and Chinese mountaineer Jing Wang, both of whom have reportedly chartered a helicopter to fly them to Camp 2, thus avoiding the dangerous Khumbu Icefall. Rumor has it, these two women may not be alone on the mountain. At least not for long. There are some indications that others may try to join them at Camp 2, using the same helicopter. These stories only help to perpetuate what has already been a strange season on Everest. What happens from here will certainly be interesting to watch unfold, and will make a great story for sure.


Elsewhere, Mike Horn and Fred Roux are prepping for their summit bid on Makalu. They've been waiting for a good window for some time as well, and it looks like it'll come late this week. They hope to begin their push on Friday, and summit over the weekend. They had been planning on an alpine style ascent, but considering the delays, and the general schedule at this point, it appears they'll be moving up with the rest of the teams on the mountain. They will climb without the use of supplemental oxygen, or Sherpa support however.

Aussie climber Chris Jensen Burke is also on Makalu, and she reported in from ABC yesterday. She says that her team is ready to go as well, but high winds are keeping them grounded for now. They are eyeing a summit bid this weekend as well however, with the current schedule having the push set to begin on May 14 or 15, with everyone topping out on May 17 or 18. She indicated that rope fixing is nearly complete, and while there are some challenging sections that will need to be overcome along the way, she is feeling confident as she prepares to head up.

Jumping over to Cho Oyu, Mike and Matt Moniz are in a holding pattern as well. The weather has been poor there too, and it looks like it'll only get worse next week. They are now eyeing a narrow weather window which will arrive over the weekend. The winds are expected to die down on the summit on May 17, which may give them the opportunity they need to dash to the top, and get back down. Hopefully they'll be able to achieve their objective in that time frame.

Denis Urubko has posted an update from Kangchenjunga, where he and his team are attempting a new route along the North Ride. After acclimatizing for some time on the standard route, they are now preparing to begin the real work they came to the Himalaya for. The first pair of climber moved up to Camp 1 yesterday, and should push ahead to Camp 3 today. That will put them at 7500 meters (24,606 ft), with some tricky rock faces to overcome. Denis reports that high winds have been an issue there as well, and that they'll need to die down before they can make their true push to the top. As is usual with this team, they are climbing in alpine style, without Sherpa support, and without oxygen.

Finally, a quick note on Annapurna. You haven't heard me mention it much this season, but there were a couple of summit attempts on the mountain a few weeks back. But conditions were once again far too dangerous, and all climbers were turned back before they could reach the top. Those expeditions then picked up their gear and left Base Camp, determining that Annapurna was simply too dangerous to climb this spring. This is the second year in a row without any successful summits on this mountain during the spring. Last year, there were several summits during the fall, so we'll have to wait to see if success can be found there once again.

That's all for now. More soon.

Himalaya 2014: The Season Continues Away From Everest

With the South Side of Everest shut down, the news from the Himalaya will be a bit more sporadic and quiet as compared to other years. But now that the shock of the events that occurred on the Big Hill has started to wear off, everyone is getting back to work on the various 8000 meter peaks across the region. The season is still progressing, and there is much to report, even if it doesn't involve the tallest mountain in the world.

On Makalu, a summit push is underway. Mike Horn and Fred Roux set out from ABC yesterday, and hope to make camp at 7500 meters (24,606 ft) today. Once there, they plan to rest for a day, before continuing up to 8000 meters (26,246 ft) on Thursday. If they reach that point, they'll rest again, then make an attempt on the summit this weekend. Stay tuned for progress reports.

Also on Makalu is Chris Jensen Burke, the Australian climber who is tuning up for K2 this summer. Her most recent dispatch was from Advanced Base Camp last week, where she and her team were waiting for the weather to clear. They had just completed their Puja ceremony, and were preparing for their first rotations up the mountain as they began to acclimatize. She also touched on how the tragedy on Everest had impacted the Sherpas on her team as well.


Jumping over to Cho Oyu, Matt and Mike Moniz have been acclimatizing above Camp 1, where they are making solid progress. Daily storms have been hitting the mountain in the afternoon, but otherwise the acclimatization process has been going as smooth as possible. Their initial plan was to top out on Cho Oyu, located in Tibet, then move back across the border for an attempt on Everest and Lhotse. Obviously those plans are now changed after the shift in climate on the South Side.

Over on Kangchenjunga, the team of Denis Urubko, Alex Txikon and Adam Bielecki have started acclimatizing for their attempt at a new route along the North Face. Once fully prepared, they'll attempt an alpine style accent, without the use of oxygen or Sherpa support. The 8586 meter (28,169 ft) mountain is the third tallest in the world, and a considerable challenge along standard routes. Attempting a new route is one of the boldest climbs we'll see this spring.

ExWeb has posted brief updates from several Himalayan peaks, including Annapurna. They report that Norwegian climber Tore Sunde-Rasmussen came within 1000 meters (3280 ft) of the summit, before turning back this past weekend. He has now left the mountain and is on his way back home. Conditions are said to be difficult and dangerous again on Annapurna this spring, which is a notoriously difficult climb under the best of conditions. Last year, it was so bad that no one reached the summit during the spring season at all.

Also, Horia Colibasanu and Peter Hamor are currently back in BC following an acclimatization rotation on Shishapangma last weekend. They'll make a push up to Camp 3 in the next few days, weather permitting. They had intended to use Shisha as a warm-up for Everest, which they had hoped to do sans bottled oxygen. Now, they'll hope for a summit here, before going home.

That's a rundown of some of the things happening in the Himalaya at the moment. Watch for more updates in the days ahead.

2014 Piolets d'Or Winners Announced

This past weekend, the 2014 winners for the Piolets d'Or were announced. Often referred to as the "Oscars of Mountaineering" the awards are given out annually to the climbers that pull off the most inspiring and pioneering climbs from the previous year. A jury of accomplished mountaineers judge the nominees based on a number of criteria, not the least of which is respect for the sport and the ability to push it in new directions. The award itself is appropriately enough, a golden ice axe.

There were three winners this year including Canadians Raphael Slawinski and Ian Welsted for their impressive first ascent of K6 West, a 7040 meter (23,097 ft) peak located in the Karakoram. The duo went up a new route along the Northwest Face that was both highly technical and physically demanding. The third award went to Swiss climber Ueli Steck, for his solo summit of Annapurna, in which he went from Advanced Base Camp to the top, and back, in a mere 28 hours. That expedition was amongst the most audacious that the mountaineering community has seen in recent years, and even the amazing Steck admitted that it pushed him to his vary limits.

Ueli's win was not without some controversy. As I reported last week, there are some who feel that he hasn't provided sufficient proof of an actual summit, since there are no photos (he lost his camera in an avalanche on the ascent), nor GPS data to back up his claims. Ueli's teammates say they did see him less than 200 meters below the summit however, and even the Sherpas on the expedition back up his claims. The jury for the Piolets d'Or ignored that controversy however, and wisely awarded Steck the prize.

Congratulations to the winners. All three men are very deserving of this honor.

Controversy Over Ueli Steck's Annapurna Solo Summit?

One of the biggest and boldest climbs of 2013 was Ueli Steck's amazing solo ascent of Annapurna, the 8091 meter (26,545 ft) Himalayan peak that is considered to be amongst the toughest climbs in the world. Ueli had set out to climb the mountain with Don Bowie last fall, but when Bowie fell sick, the Swiss climber was left to go it alone. Showing off the skill, strength, and speed that have made him famous, Ueli was able to launch his summit bid from Advanced Base Camp, then push on to the summit, and back, in just 28 hours. It was certainly quite the display of mountaineering prowess, that has now earned him a nomination for the prestigious Piolets d'Or, the awards for the best climbs from the previous year. But now, a bit of controversy has sprung up surrounding his nomination which is casting some doubt on the veracity of Steck's claims.

The crux of the argument is that Ueli has no proof of his summit of Annapurna. He has said all along that he was caught in a small avalanche on the way to the summit, and lost one of his gloves and his camera in the process. As a result, there are no summit photos to back up his claims. He also says that his altimeter broke during the ascent and that he didn't use a GPS to track his progress. All of this means that there is no solid evidence to substantiate his claims of having gone to the top, which in turn has now led to some to say he should not have been nominated for the Piolet d'Or at all.

In Ueli's defense, his teammates on that expedition, including two Sherpas who were support in his efforts, say that they saw Ueli just 200 meters below the summit that evening, with his headlamp moving steadily upwards. They fully believe he accomplished what he said he did, and don't question his accomplishment at all. Miss Elizabeth Hawley was also satisfied with his summit report, as were French climbers Stéphane Benoist and Yannick Graziani, who made a similar ascent a couple of weeks after Steck.


For his part, Ueli says that he doesn't particularly care what others think, he climbs for himself and the joy of the sport. He is quoted as saying recently “What happened is partly my fault. I am not someone who likes to brag because climbing brings nothing to humanity," indicating that while he doesn't have any evidence to support his claims, he also doesn't have any incentive to lie about either. Want further proof? An article questioning his summit has been posted on his own official website.

I am not surprised that this controversy has reared its head at this time. I predicted last fall that there could be some backlash against Ueli over the lack of summit photos, and that prediction has proven to be true. Steck fully acknowledges the lack of evidence, and doesn't seem to be especially bothered by those that are questioning him. Personally, I'm of a mind to believe what he says, as I don't see what he has to gain by making a false summit claim. He is already one of the best known climbers on the planet, and is past exploits have been well documented or witnessed by other climbers. The fact that Ueli's teammates believe that he reached the summit of Annapurna says a lot as well.

Controversy has long been a part of mountaineering, and it remains so even in the 21st century. Whether or not Steck deserves to win the Pilots d'Or isn't up to me to say, but I do think he has at least earned the benefit of the doubt in regards to his accomplishments.

Meanwhile, Ueli isn't letting these questions slow him down. This past weekend he climbed three classic routes in the Alps in a single massive push. He and Michi Wohlleben topped out on "Cassin" at the Cima West, "Comici" at the Grande Cime and "Innerkofler" in succession, and during the winter no less. The man known as the "Swiss Machine" continues to impress.

Video: TravelSmith Travel Tips #11 - Power While Traveling

In the past, one of the more troubling issues we had while traveling was keeping our gadgets and gear charged with power while in remote places. That isn't nearly as difficult as it once was, thanks to some great technological innovations over the past few years. This week, our friend Richard Bangs is back to share some tips on how to stay powered up while traveling, something he learned a bit about while spending time in Annapurna Base Camp with Ed Viesturs.

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Video: Annapurna's South Face With Ueli Steck

The most daring and impressive climb of last year, at least in my mind, was Ueli Steck's solo summit of Annapurna. The video below comes our way thanks to Mountain Hardwear and it is a two minute recap of that climb, plus a look back on the other defining moment of 2013 for Ueli – the conflict on Everest. It was a turbulent year to say the least, filled with difficult challenges and incredible triumphs.

Ueli Steck | South Face of Annapurna from Mountain Hardwear on Vimeo.

Video: Trekking To Annapurna Base Camp

The trek to Annapurna Base Camp has long been seen as one of the best hikes in the world. Wandering through the Himalaya in Nepal, the trail takes backpackers through remote mountain villages, over high passes, and through scenic valleys, before eventually arriving at the base of the 8091 meter (26,545 ft) peak. It is a spectacular, breathtaking walk that rewards trekkers in many ways. The video below gives us a glimpse of what that hike is like.

Annapurna Base Camp from Patrick Watkins on Vimeo.

Video: Ueli Steck Talks Solo Annapurna Summit

For my money, Ueli Steck's solo summit of Annapurna earlier this fall is the most audacious climb of the year. The 28-hour round trip journey could probably only be completed by a handful of mountaineers at best. In the video below, Ueli is interviewed by Hervé Barmasse about the climb, where his motivations come from , how he prepares for such an expedition and more. As always, "the Swiss Machine" is as interesting and engaging as ever.

Video: Ueli Steck Talks Annapurna (and Everest!) With EpicTV (Part 3)

The third part of Ueli Steck's interview with EpicTV was posted earlier this week, bringing an end to this very interesting and engaging series. In this latest episode he touches on Annapurna a bit but it is more focused on Everest and the experience he had there this past spring when his team had a violent clash with Sherpas. As always, it is interesting to get Ueli's take on the mountaineering world and he offers good insights once again. If you missed the firs two parts of the interview you can watch them here and here.

Reinhold Messner On The State Of Mountaineering Today

Reinhold Messner is arguably the greatest mountaineer of all time. His resume is practically unmatched and his list of achievements is well known. So when the 69-year old alpine legend has something to say, you can bet that the mountaineering community will listen. Recently, Stefan Nestler caught up with Messner in Cologne, where he was able to ask him some interesting questions. The result was a brief, but quite revealing, interview on a host of subjects.

In the article Messner talks about the aftermath of the massacre in Nanga Parbat Base Camp this past summer and its impact for future expeditions to that mountain. He also touched on Nepal's plans to set up a government outpost in Everest BC to keep an eye on the teams there each spring. He even weighs in on Ueli Steck's recent solo summit of Annapurna, calling it "typically Ueli Steck."

While the interview isn't particularly long, there is a lot of information to be gleaned from it. Messner even addresses some questions regarding Ueli's lack of evidence for a successful summit on Annapurna. As you may recall, he dropped his camera on the way to the top and doesn't carry a GPS with him, so there is no real evidence to support his claims of a solo summit. But, considering this is Ueli Steck we're talking about, most everyone accepts that he managed to top out, including Messner. Apparently there are some rivals back in Switzerland that have been raising doubts about the climb. It should be noted that Ueli's teammates on Annapurna claimed that they could see his footsteps leading to the summit when they surveyed the mountain through a spotting scope in ABC.

Tip of the hat goes out to Stefan for this excellent interview that covers so much ground. Really interesting stuff out of Messner as usual.

Video: Ueli Steck Talks Annapurna With EpicTV (Part 2)

Recently our friends at EpicTV caught up with Ueli Steck and had a chance to sit down with him to talk about his amazing solo summit of Annapurna. Last week part 1 of the video interview was released and today we get part 2. This time out we get to hear Ueli, who is for my money the best alpinist in the world today, talk about how easy it is to solo big mountains. I imagine this is the same way that Michael Jordan thought it was easy to score points in a basketball game. It just comes so naturally to them that they don't even consider that us mere mortals have a hard time comprehending how they can accomplish the things they do.

Video: Ueli Steck Talks Annapurna With EpicTV

There is no question that Ueli Steck's solo ascent of Annapurna is the boldest climb of the year. News of his amazing feat has captivated the mountaineering community for the past few weeks as we've all waited to hear more about the expedition. Now that he is back home, Ueli sat down with the folks from EpicTV for an interview to discuss his latest adventure in the Himalaya. Part 1 of that interview can be found below, where you'll learn – amongst other things – that Steck feels a bit "empty" following his return from Annapurna.

Himalaya Fall 2013: French Climbers Evacuated From Annapurna

Last Friday ExWeb broke the news that a team of French climbers had successfully climbed Annapurna along the very difficult South Face. As we all know, any summit of Annapurna is always an impressive one, but this one was especially so thanks to the heavy snows that have fallen in the Himalaya following Cyclone Phailin making landfall a few weeks back. At the time, we knew very few details of the climb other than that Yannick Graziani and Stephane Benoist were able to top out after spending  a week on the mountain. We were also waiting for news on their successful descent, which still hadn't happened the last time we had an update.

Yesterday, ExWeb reported that Yannick and Stephane actually had to be evacuated from Annapurna after suffering frostbite on the descent. The details still remain scant but it appears that they struggled on the way back down but were able to reach Base Camp. Once there, it was determined that they would need medical attention and the duo were flown back to Kathmandu, where they are reportedly being treated now.

ExWeb speculates that the injuries weren't particularly serious, although it is sometimes difficult to tell with frostbite, particularly early on. Hopefully Yannick and Stephane won't be losing any digits and they'll be back in the mountain soon. Considering how dangerous Annapurna can be, they should feel fortunate they got away with just a little frostbite.

They are due to return to France sometime in the next couple of days.

Himalaya Fall 2013: More Summits On Annapurna!

It seems I've been a little quick to write off the fall climbing season in the Himalaya. The arrival of Cyclone Phailin a couple of weeks back brought copious amounts of snow to the region and effectively put an end to several expeditions on the big mountains. But apparently not everyone gave up their climbs when the heavy snows arrived as ExWeb is reporting that there has been a pair of successful summits on Annapurna and once again they came from the difficult South Face.

According to the story, climbers Yannick Graziani and Stephane Benoist topped out yesterday morning local time after spending approximately a week on their summit push. The duo arrived in Nepal in late September and spent some time acclimatizing on smaller peaks nearby before heading over to Annapurna Base Camp. They arrived on the mountain late last week and almost immediately launched their attempt. They had expected to make the push in four days time, but it ended up taking them the entire week instead, although they were finally able to reach the top yesterday.

There is no word yet on whether or not they have gotten back down safely and we all know that is a big question mark on Annapurna. The mountain is known for being very difficult and prone to avalanches. Considering the amount of snow that has been dumped on the Himalaya recently, lets keep our fingers crossed that Yannick and Stephane get back to Base Camp safely.

This was the second attempt on Annapurna for this team. They made a previous go at climbing the mountain back in the fall of 2010. That attempt was thwarted by bad weather and excessive snow on the upper slopes of the mountain.

This is of course the second time this fall that climbers have successfully negotiated the South Face of Annapurna. Swiss climber Ueli Steck made his epic solo summit, in just 28-hours no less - a few weeks back along the same route. Conditions were a bit different then however as Ueli's summit took place before the arrival the cyclone.

Congratulations to the French climbers on a successful expedition. Well done! Now get home safe.

Video: Annapurna The Hard Way

Over the past week or so, we've all been astounded by the news and details of Ueli Steck's solo summit of Annapurna along the South Face. You've no doubt heard me and others use a host of superlatives in an attempt to convey just how impressive this climb is. But to truly get a sense of what Ueli accomplished you'll want to watch the video below. It is a 55-minute long documentary from 1970 that tells the tale of the first ascent of the mountain along this route. The team that accomplished this feat is filled with climbing legends from the U.K., including Sir Chris Bonington, Dougal Haston, Don Whilians and more. The film is a real slice of mountaineering history and well worth your time if you have an  hour to kill. It'll give you an appreciation of what this team accomplished and provide more insight into what Ueli faced as well.

Video: Ueli Steck On Annapurna

Hot off of his success on Annapurna comes this video that gives us a brief glimpse of Ueli Steck climbing that mountain. The video was put together by Don Bowie, Ueli's partner on this expedition, and considering the two men are still trekking back to Pokhara, I'm impressed with what we've got here. It shows us the line that Ueli took to the summit and gives us a sense of what conditions were there there as well. Amazing stuff. Hopefully we'll get a longer edit once the boys have returned home.

Ueli Steck - Annapurna South Face - Quick Edit from Nepal from Fenom Creative Group on Vimeo.

Himalaya Fall 2013: Details On Ueli Steck's Solo Summit Of Annapurna

Since we received news of Ueli Steck's solo summit of Annapurna late last week the mountaineering community has been abuzz with anticipation as we all have waited for more details of the climb. The 8091 meter (26,545 meter) peak is one of the toughest and deadliest mountains in the world and it seemed unfathomable that someone could climb it alone and in alpine style. But now, as Ueli and his partner Don Bowie make their way back to the village of Pokhara, the story of the climb is finally being told, and it is just as epic as we have all imagined.

Details of the climb have been posted on both Ueli's website and on ExWeb. It seems that Ueli, Don and a few companions who were along to photograph the expedition set out last Wednesday, October 9. The weather was reportedly decent although high winds made things difficult. When they reached the Bergschrund, Don decided that the face was too difficult and demanding to ascend without ropes, so it was at that point that Ueli moved on alone. He would go light and fast, as is his nature, the rest of the way to the top.

As he went up, Ueli indicated that the high winds were blowing snow much of the way, but his climb to 6600 meters (21,653 ft) was relatively easy. He had hoped to camp there for a time so he could rest, eat and escape the winds for a bit, but he couldn't find a place to make camp. Discouraged, he descended about 100 meters where he discovered a crevasse where he could put up his tent. It made the perfect shelter and he soon sat down to eat and drink as much as he could.

After the sun went down, the winds dropped off and the weather conditions improved greatly. Knowing that this was his chance, Ueli made a dash for the summit, moving quickly and easily up the face. At one point he stopped to take photographs of the headwall but ended up losing his camera and one of his down gloves. For the rest of the climb he would alternate his one remaining glove between his two hands in an effort to keep them both warm.

Things got harder as the Swiss climber neared the summit. The altitude made breathing more difficult and the final push along the summit ridge brought a lot of tension. Ueli says he just kept telling himself "Just fight, just fight," over and over in an effort to will himself up the hill. It worked and he arrived at the summit at night, with a relatively calm wind and a billion stars shining overhead.

But the summit was just the halfway point and he knew he had to get down safely as well. Steck spent less than five minutes on the summit and turned back towards Advanced Base Camp as quickly as he could. The descent went well however and he sent a message to Don once he was safely in Camp 2. Ueli would later descend to ABC with his friends coming up to greet him with food and water and assist him down.

All told, the round trip journey took just 28 hours to complete along one of the most difficult and demanding routes in the Himalaya. Ueli used the infamous Lafaille Route, which was first pioneered back in 1992 by Jean-Christophe Lafaille and Pierre Beghin. Neither of those men were successful on that route and Beghin perished on the descend. Lafaille himself was thought dead too for a time but did manage to get himself off the mountain after suffering a four day ordeal on the descent.

It is difficult to convey just how impressive Ueli's climb truly is. Annapurna is an incredibly difficult and dangerous mountain and yet Ueli treated it like it was one of the Alps in his backyard. If there was any question that he is the best high altitude mountaineer in the world today, it was probably answered with this amazing 28-hour, solo and alpine style ascent.

Reading Ueli's account of the climb I was a bit concerned with the fact that he had lost his camera. Without summit photos the entire climb could be called into question and considering the magnitude of what was accomplished, rightly so. But Steck's three companions say that they were able to watch him go up through a 1000mm spotting scope and followed his every move. After he climbed to the summit in darkness, they team was able to spot tracks leading to the summit the following the morning. The account of the three witnesses should be enough to put to rest any dispute over whether or not he was successful in his summit bid. Elizabeth Hawley may have the final decision in that matter however and considering Ueli's sterling reputation, I suspect he'll be fine.

Congratulations to Ueli on another impressive performance in the mountains. What a stunning way to return to the Himalaya after the events that took place their in the spring. Hopefully we can put that situation behind us now, and Ueli will feel comfortable enough to continue climbing in the big mountains moving forward.

Himalaya Fall 2013: The End Is In Sight

The 2013 fall Himalayan climbing season is rapidly coming to a close now. Most of the teams have wrapped up their expeditions and are now on their way back to Kathmandu as deteriorating weather conditions have spread across the region and effectively shut down most of the summits. But a few high profile expeditions are still taking place even as the end of the season looms ever closer.

Just how bad are the conditions on the big mountains at the moment? From the sound of things, it has gotten incredibly bad at times. For instance, ExWeb is reporting that when Italian climber Danilo Callegari attempted a summit of Shishapangma last week and was turned back before he could reach the top. On the descent he managed to survive a fall into a crevasse and was nearly swept off the mountain not by one avalanche but three. On top of that, he had to survive for three very long days without food as well as he finally made his way back to Base Camp just happy to be alive.

Perhaps the most high profile expedition of them to take place this fall was Ueli Steck and Don Bowie's Annapurna attempt.  As we all know by now, Ueli made a solo summit of the mountain along the South Face late last week but aside from that few details are known. We should get more information soon however as the two men left Base Camp on Friday and started their trek back to Pokhara. It'll take a few days before they arrive there at which time we hope to know more about this amazing effort on the part of the "Swiss Machine." When the news of the climb broke last week I had thought the duo might stay on Annapurna and attempt another summit, after all their permit runs for another month. But it seems they were content with their efforts and are now more than ready to head home.


Over on Lhotse, the Italian and Korean teams are still holding tight and waiting for an opportunity to move up the mountain. Conditions above Camp 2 continue to be bad and the outlook is not good for either team to summit this season. With the weather taking a turn for the worse, there doesn't appear to be any windows to the summit coming anytime soon. But both squads continue to hold out hope even as the clock ticks. The Italian's in particular must feel the pressure as they have just two weeks left on their permit, which has already been extended once this year.

Finally, there has been no word from Chad Kellogg and David Gottlieb yet from Base Camp on Lunag-Ri. We do know that they reached Namche Bazaar last week and were expected in BC yesterday. Hopefully they are setting up shop and getting settled into their campsite before they begin the climb itself. You may recall that their objective is to summit the highest unclimbed peak in Nepal, which stands at 6895 meters (22,621 ft). After acclimatizing on a trek for the past two weeks, I'm sure they are more than eager to take a crack at that mountain.

That's it for today. As I mentioned, things are starting to get very quiet now. Soon there will only be a couple of expeditions to cover as fall season nears the inevitable end.

Himalaya Fall 2013: News From Annapurna And Lunag-Ri, Summit Bids Over On Manaslu

We have more news from the Himalaya today as a couple of teams we've been waiting to hear from check in at last. But before we get to those high profile climbs there is also an update from Manaslu where it seems a busy and active season is about to come to an end.

Earlier in the week we knew that a several teams were attempting to summit Manaslu as a window of good weather was expected to appear over the past few days. It turns out the weather did not improve as forecasts indicated and as a result, the teams moving up the mountain had a much tougher time than expected. A dispatch from Adventure Peaks has all the details, but in a nutshell the climber were ascending in thigh-deep snow only to find that Camps 2 and 3 were completely destroyed by heavy snows and high winds. The effort they put in just to rebuild those camps was very taxing and at one point the Sherpas were forced to spend the night in a tent without sleeping bags because their bags had been buried under fresh powder.

Despite those challenges however the team still considered moving higher. But when they left C3 they discovered that the fixed ropes had been buried in snow and ice as well and were unusable. That was the final straw for the expedition with all climbers turning back and descending to Camp 2 safely. With conditions this bad so late in the season, it seems that the Adventure Peaks team will definitely head home and it is likely that others will too. It appears that the end of the season has arrived at last on Manaslu.

Elsewhere however the climbs continue. There have been no further updates from Annapurna, where yesterday we learned that Ueli Steck topped out solo on the mountain's South Face. That is an incredible climb and the entire mountaineering world is waiting to hear more details. At the moment, we believe that Ueli is back in Base Camp with his partner  Don Bowie, but what their next move is remains to be seen. Their permit runs through November 15, so it is possible they will attempt to go up again provided Don is feeling strong and ready to try to reach the top too. For now, we'll all have to wait for more information.
Chad Kellogg and David Gottlieb have checked in from their Lunag-Ri expedition at last. Over the past two weeks they have been acclimatizing by trekking through the Rolwaling Valley and into the Khumbu. Along the way they took their time to let their bodies adjust to the altitude while David fought off an infection that was causing him to have a nasty toothache. They've now made their way into Namche Bazaar where they will spend a day or two resting before proceeding up to Lunag-Ri Base Camp. They expect to arrive there tomorrow where they'll begin their climb at last.

That's pretty much the news for today. There are still some major climbs taking place on Lhotse of course but there hasn't been any updates while the teams there wait for improved weather. Time is starting to run short for the Italian squad, whose permits has been extended to Oct. 27, but the Koreans are still getting themselves established. With any luck, we'll hear more on their progress soon too.

Himalaya Fall 2013: Ueli Steck Makes Solo Summit Of Annapurna!

We haven't had a lot of updates from Ueli Steck and Don Bowie on their current expedition to Annapurna in Nepal. But it appears that the Swiss Machine has found success during the fall season after missing out on the summit two previous attempts. Details remain light at the moment but it appears that Ueli made a solo summit of the South Face of the mountain yesterday in what sounds like a remarkable climb.

News of this successful summit comes our way courtesy of Planet Mountain. Apparently Steck sent a brief text message yesterday proclaiming his victory on Annapurna. That message simply said: "Summit, alone, South Face." Planet Mountain is also reporting that Ueli hs already back in Base Camp after what must have been an amazing effort.

We'll have to wait for the full story once Ueli and Don have a better Internet connection as I am sure there is much to tell. Climbing Annapurna is never an easy feat and it is widely considered to be one of the toughest mountains in the world to summit. It also has the highest death-to-summit rate of any of the 8000-meter peaks. A solo summit on this mountain is an impressive accomplishment for sure.

At some point I'll probably stop being so surprised and amazed at Steck's accomplishments, but I'm not really sure when that will happen. For my money, he is the best high-altitute alpinist in the world today and he continues to change our perceptions of what can be accomplished in the mountains. I'm so glad to see that he's back in the Himalaya and doing what he does best. Considering the events that took place this past spring on Everest, I wasn't sure if he'd ever go back to Nepal.

We'll have to wait to see if he and Don will attempt another summit together or if they'll now wrap up the expedition. Their climbing permit is good through November 15, so there is a chance that they'll stay on the mountain for more climbing. On the other hand, most mountaineers will tell you not to push your luck on Annapurna, so they may move on.

Congratulations to Ueli on a job well done!