Himalaya Spring 2009 Update: Kathmandu Crowded,

The word from Kathmandu is that the streets are teeming with visitors as climbers, trekkers, and other tourist pour into the area with the start of the spring season. Journalist Billi Bierling reports that the city has come alive in the past week. She is busy tracking down many of the expeditions who are currently in town so she can report back to Miss Hawley on their intentions. Of course, she's also busily preparing for her own expedition to the mountain, as she'll be tackling the South Side of Everest as part of the HiMex team.

Meanwhile, ExWeb has more news from the Himalaya for us today. They are reporting that Joao Garcia has arrived in base camp on Manaslu and is now settling in on the mountain. His team is the first to get there so far, and Joao reports that a major snow storm is hitting the area at the moment.

Valeri Babanov and Victor Afanasief are en route to Annapurna, but have run into a snag of their own. It seems that about 20 of their 30 porters abandoned ship and returned to Kathmandu, refusing to carry their gear higher than 3600m. The weather has not been great on Annapurna either, with snow and rain falling in the region, at the team believes that the porters didn't expect to work so hard for their pay. With few porters in the area, it seems that Valeri and Victor will have to hire some porters from a Korean team that is also on its way to the mountain. It could be another three days or so before they arrive however.

Finally, Edurne Pasaban is making her way to Kangchenjunga, where she'll make an attempt on one of the three remaining 8000m mountains she has yet to climb. She's locked in a competition between herself, Nives Meroi, and Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner to become the first woman to accomplish that feat. Nives is currently headed for Annapurna while Gerlinde has her sights set on Lhotse this spring. Yesterday ExWeb published a solid interview with Edurne on her expectations Kangchenjunga and going after the goal of grabbing all 14 of the big mountains.

Himalaya Spring 2009 Update: Issues in the Icefall, Summit Push on Manaslu

Time for a late week round up on what is happening in the Himalaya, where throughout the week we've been hearing that there are issues in the Khumbu Icefall near Everest. It was widely reported throughout the week that the route through the icefall, often called the most dangerous part of the mountain, had collapsed, preventing teams from making their way up to the high camps. The route was down for portions of three days in a row, but of course, it was repaired fairly quickly, Ice Doctors doing their usual bang-up job, and access was restored to the mountain once again. This is not an uncommon occurrence in the icefall, where the ice shifts constantly, and seracs collapse with regularity. It can obviously be quite dangerous, but the Docs are consummate professionals, and usually have things repaired ASAP.

For most of the teams, it was another acclimatization week on Everest, with many making their way up to C2 for the first time, where they generally spend the night, and sometimes all the next day as well. The process of getting your body use to that altitude is a slow one, so it is important to spend time there before returning once again to base camp. Alan Arnette conintues to update his Everest 2009 page with some great info of where everyone is at on the mountain, plus his own personal insights into what is going on.

ExWeb is also reporting that the Sherpas have fixed the lines as high as Camp 3, opening the door for the climbers to head on up to that point soon, and continue the acclimatization process. They are also reporting that the Kazakh team working the Lhotse-Everest Traverse, are already at 7300m as they make their alpine style go both summits.

The Himex Team has split into several groups, and are heading back to Lobuje Peak for another acclimatization climb according to Billi Bierling, who will be going for her second successful summit there. Of course, Russell Brice know what he is doing in get his clients ready for the big hill, but not all clients are treated the same, as David Tait, who has climbed with Brice in the past, will skip a second trip up Lobuje, and instead climb to C2 on Everest instead. David already has a successful North to South traverse to his name, and is quite experienced on the mountain.

Meanwhile, other teams are weighing in, with the Peak Freaks updating their blog to indicate that they have team members stretching from BC all the way up to C3 where the Sherpa are fixing ropes. IMG is in a similar position with climbers in BC, C1, and C2. They are also helping to coordinate with other teams on fixing the ropes, making sure everyone is contributing something to the cause. The Adventure Consultants are back in BC on the other hand, having already spent four nights on the mountain, including one night in both C1 and C3. The team is well ahead of the game when it comes to acclimatization and are feeling good at the moment.

On the North Side of Everest, things are still gearing up. The Summit Climb Team reached ABC this week, and there are several other teams strung out between base camp and advanced base camp, with an interim camp in between. ExWeb is also reporting that the Canadian team led by Manuel Pizarro have elected to go for a permit to climb from the Tibetan side of the mountain, rather than their planned South Col route. They are en route to North Base Camp, and hope to be there early next week.

Moving away from Everest and to some of the other peaks, it looks like it is go time on Manaslu, where teams are in the midst of a summit push at this very moment. There is reportedly a lot of snow on the mountain, and that is making things treacherous, but despite those conditions, teams hope to top out on Monday.

Meanwhile, over on Annapurna, the weather conditions are forcing teams to abandon the mountain altogether. There is a lot of snow on the upper slopes, and Annapurna is notoriously dangerous when it is prone to avalanches. Base camp is reportedly nearly empty already.

On Dhaulagiri, the Polish Tatra Rescuers Expedition has already made a run up to C3 and are currently back in base camp, resting, and waiting for a weather window to make a go at the summit. ExWeb also reports that sadly, Peter Hamor has returned to Kathmandu and is filling out reports on climbing partner and friend Piotr Morawski, who died on the mountain a few weeks back.

Finally, Ben Clark posts a dispatch on the Ski The Himalayas website with an update on their progress. He, along with friends Josh Butson and Jonathan Miller, have their hopes set on as summit, and ski descent of 23,390 foot Baruntse. The team is still two days away from BC, but it has already been quite an adventure, with plenty of rain and snow so far. Ben notes that yesterday alone they had to traverse three 14,000 foot passes, in whiteout conditions no less. The best part is that all of that hasn't dampened Ben's enthusiasm for the adventure at all, and just reading his words you can tell how excited he is to be back in the Himilaya. We should all be so lucky.

Himalaya Spring 2009 Update: Manaslu Summits Tomorrow?

It's been another busy couple of days in the Himalaya, where things continue to progress on mountains all over the region.

Probably the biggest news out of the Himalaya is that it looks like the summit of Manaslu could well be a busy place tomorrow, with potentially 20 people topping out. ExWeb is reporting that summit bids were turned back yesterday when climbers reached a 300 foot vertical ice wall at 7100m. The wall is described as very technical and demanding, requiring teams to put up new fixed ropes, which slowed down the progress. It was too late in the day yesterday for that to happen, so the ropes were installed today, and everyone will take their shot at the summit tomorrow. Good luck everyone! Climb safe!

ExWeb is also reporting that Joe Puryear and David Gottlieb have reached the summit of Lunag Ri, and have also safely returned to base cam, completely the first ascent of that mountain. The 6907m mountain was the highest unclimbed peak in the Himalaya that was also permissible to climb. There are other, taller, unclimbed mountains, but no permits are issued for them due to cultural or religious restrictions. Congrats to Joe and David for the for reaching the top and getting back down in one piece.

Switching focus over to the Big Show, Alan Arnette is reporting that weather conditions have changed on Everest, with high winds shifting to the area, blowing things all over the mountain. On his Everest 2009 page, Alan talks to Michael Fagin of EverestWeather.com, who tells us to expect the warmer than normal temperatures on Everest to continue into May, but that it is far too early to say if the mid-month weather window will open up as expected.

The Peak Freaks posted a new blog update, and they weigh in on the windstorm hitting the area. The whole team is currently back in BC, and there is a real fear that the high winds will blow C2 off the mountain. For now though, they'll have to sit and wait and see what happens. They also report that their weather sources are telling them to expect heavy precipitation beginning around the first of May.

Meanwhile, the IMG team, who updated their dispatches this morning, with the news that their Sherpa team is now up at C3, where they are caching supplies, including three more tents. They also note that winds have died down some today, making it a bit more comfortable on the mountain.

Finally, Ben Clark, Josh Butson, and Jonathan Miller, the team that has targeted the 23,390 foot Baruntse in their attempt to Ski The Himalayas reached base camp on Friday. Ben calls it the most spectacular BC he's been in since first coming to the Himalaya seven years earlier, with great views of Lhotse, Everest, and Makalu. Ben also reports that everyone is feeling great, and are ready to go, but that they are taking a little down time to rest and acclimatize before they start scouting the mountain. If all goes well, in a few weeks time, they'll be making their way up to the summit, and then making the first descent by skis as well. Sounds like fun!

Everest 2009: ExWeb Posts Expedition List

A month from now the already bustling streets of Kathmandu will become even more hectic, as teams of climbers from around the world descend on the city in preparation for their various climbs throughout the Himalaya. Most will be headed to Everest, where they'll be spending several weeks acclimatizing and eventually, if all goes according to plan, making an attempt on the summit.

As is typical for this time of year, Explorers Web has released their definitive list of Everest Expeditions for the Spring of 2009, as well as other peaks in the region that will be seeing some traffic as well. All told, there are more than 40 expeditions on the South Side of the mountain alone, while on the North, 8 optimistic teams hold out hope for access to the mountain from that side. Those plans all hinge on what happens in Tibet this month.

Some of the more interesting stories include David Liaño's attempt at a South-North-South double traverse, as well as American Bill Burke's attempt at a South to North traverse at the age of 67. Of course we also have the Sherpas attempting to stay on the summit for 24 hours straight, as well as a variety of attempts sans supplemental oxygen, and the news that I reported earlier today that Ed Viesturs will be returning for another go, climbing with Dave Hahn and Peter Whittaker.

Everest is never short on stories or drama. The mountain just attracts attention of course, but it isn't the only game in town when it comes to spring climbing in the Himalaya. The expedition list also has the scoop on the teams headed to Kangchenjunga, Annapurna, Makalu, Dhaulagiri, Manaslu, Lhotse, Shisha Pangma, and Cho Oyu. I also personally have a friend headed to Island Peak for a climb of his own, which I'm looking forward to following as well.

Only a few more weeks before things get really interesting. Looks to be another wild year in the Himalaya.

Himalaya Spring 2009 Update: Lhotse-Everest Traverse, Tibet To Reopen?

It was a busy weekend in Kathmandu, as the major teams are now arriving on the scene. Alan Arnette is reporting that the IMG Team has landed, while Billi Bierling reports that Himex is in Nepal as well. Billi will be climbing with Himex on the South Side of Everest this spring, and quite naturally, she was happy to see her team. Billi says that there are 28 clients on the climbing permit, along with 7 guides, 30 Sherpas, 10 base camp staff, a doctor, and two cooks. They're not staying long in the capital however, as they're leaving tomorrow for Lukla, where they'll begin the ten day trek to BC. Billi, being a native to Nepal, will follow them on the 8th of April.

In other news, Alan also reports on his Everest 2009 page that a Kazakh team has set off for Nepal with the intention of completing a Lhotse-Everest traverse. The plan will be to climb Lhotse, then proceed down the connecting ridge between it and Everest, cross over to the South Col route, summit the Big Hill, then go back down from there. It's never been done before, and who is leading the team? Well, none other than Maxut Zhumayev, and Vassily Pivtsov, two names well known in the HImalaya for their bold, and fast climbing. They'll be joined by Serguey Samoilv and Eugeny Shutov, two very strong and accomplished climbers in their own right.

Also, word has begun to leak out that China is preparing to re-open the borders of Tibet, allowing foreigners in once again. I've heard the date ranging from anywhere from the 1st of April to the 5th (Alan reports the 4th), but no matter what the date, it's good news for the teams that have been hoping to go to the North Side. It's still going to be pretty quiet up there, but it's good to see their patience possibly rewarded. It seems that March was quiet, as far as we can tell, in Tibet, which is helping to speed up the lifting of the travel bans.

More soon from the HImalaya I'm sure.

A View From The Summit of Everest

Check out this amazing panoramic photograph taken from summit of Everest found at Panoramas.dk. The stunning 360º photo rotates around giving us a great view in all directions from the top of the highest mountain on Earth, a view that few of us will ever have the opportunity to see in person.

I sat and watched this panoramic shot rotate around for quite awhile. It was fascinating to me to see just how far your view extends when you're at the top of the world on a clear day, and it was great to look back down the Khumbu Valley and see the ice falls far below. I also had no trouble identifying Everest's next door neighbor, Lhotse, but when I clicked on the "i" icon on the photo, it also identified Changtse, Makalu, and Nuptse as well. Also, you can score bonus points if you can spot the climber in the photo. You have to look pretty close, but he's there.

This is a perfect photo to start off your week with, and something to keep your mind occupied on a Monday morning, when you'd rather be outside yourself. Keep in mind, that at this very moment, there are hundreds of climbers in Kathmandu preparing to take on this mountain, and about six to eight weeks, this is the very view that they'll hopefully have the opportunity to experience.

Thanks to Richard for sending this my way!