Himalaya Fall 2017: Lhotse Expedition Officially Over, Olympic Judoka Climbs Ama Dablam

Last week, just prior to going on Thanksgiving break here in the States, I shared word that Korean climber  Sung Taek Hong, along with his Spanish climbing partner Jorge Egocheaga had abandoned their attempts to summit the South Face of Lhotse. This information came by way of Lakpa Sherpa, who was managing the team's Base Camp logistics and support staff. But, as of that time, we hadn't heard anything officially from Hong himself. Over the weekend, he finally broke his silence and did indeed confirm the expedition was over.

On Saturday, Hong revealed that he had given the climb one more go, but was turned back due to high winds and extremely cold temperatures. According to The Himalayan Times, the Korean climber returned to Kathmandu over the weekend and shared some details of the climb, including setting out on November 20 for a summit bid, reaching as high as Camp 4, spending a night at that point, and then turning back the following day.

This is Hong's fifth attempt at this route, which has only been successfully completed once before. Russian mountaineers Serguey Bershov and Vladimir Karataev were able to make the ascent along the South Face back in 1990, but it has yet to be repeated again.

Hong says he will now return home and evaluate the expedition before deciding if he will return next year. He calls this climb his "lifelong dream," and seems as though he isn't ready to give up on it just yet. Still, only time will tell if he is ready to return to give it another go in the future.

Meanwhile, The Himalayan Times is also reporting that Austrian climber Sabrina Filzmoser has successfully climbed Ama Dablam, spending just six days on the mountain. She completed the ascent on November 23, topping out alongside Mingma David Sherpa. The pair started the climb in Lukla on November 19, and were back off the mountain by this past weekend.


Filzmoser is a top Judoka, having competed for years in judo tournaments and competitions around the world. In fact, she has won bronze medals at the European championship on two occasions, finished 7th in the 2012 Olympic Games, and is currently the reigning silver medalist in Europe as well.

According to the Times, she has also participated in a program called "Judo for Peace" in Nepal, demonstrating her sport to young Nepali children and visiting training centers throughout the country.  While in the Himalaya, she has also climbed the 6189-meter (20,305 ft) Island Peak back in 2013 and the 8163-meter (26,781 ft) Manaslu last year.

As mentioned previously, the climbing season is all but over for the Himalaya this fall. There are likely a few more stories like this one that will emerge before it is completely wrapped up, but for the most part the season is over. We'll now look ahead to the winter and a busy spring season in 2018 instead.

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Himalaya Fall 2017: Lhotse South Face Expedition Ends Without Summit

It appears that the 2017 fall climbing season in the Himalaya may finally be over. The last major expedition to an 8000-meter peak is reportedly finished with Korean climber Sung Taek Hong, along with his Spanish partner Jorge Egocheaga, finally calling it quits on Lhotse. The duo have been struggling with tough conditions on that mountain for weeks now, and while we yet to get an official confirmation, it seems in the end the challenge was too great. 

According to adventure sports blogger Stefan Nestler, Lakpa Sherpa – who manages the support team for the expedition – made the announcement on Instagram. That post doesn't share a lot of details, but it indicates that the climbers were unable to reach the summit of Lhotse and have now returned back to Base Camp safely. If that's true, they will now proceed home as it was already announced that the current summit bid would be their last after a previous attempt fell short as well. 

Conditions on Lhotse have been challenging all season long, and the South Face route that Hong and Egocheaga were attempting has only been successfully climbed once before. That combination of challenges made success a long shot from the outset, and yet they pressed forward nonetheless. Heavy snow was a constant obstacle, often measuring waist deep along the trail. High winds made things difficult as well, at one point sweeping tents and gear off the mountain at Camp 2 and 3. To make matters worse, avalanches were common as well, adding another treacherous element to the climb. 

For Hong, this would have been his fifth attempt at the South Face route with no success so far. He and the Spaniard did manage to reach 8250 meters (27,066 ft) on their previous summit bid, which is within striking distance of the summit, but were turned back by foul weather. Whether or not the Korean returns for a sixth attempt remains to be seen, but he has been extremely persistent in his pursuit of this particular route. 

With the Lhotse expedition now wrapped up, there are only a handful of teams remaining in the Himalaya. Those climbers are focused on smaller, lesser known peaks, although there is some potential for interesting news. We'll continue to follow the scene there and report anything of importance, but for the most part the season is pretty much over now. Winter arrives early in the high mountains of Nepal, and most climbers have already beat a hasty retreat. A few will find there way back for a winter expedition here or there, but for the most part the Himalaya will now grow quiet until the spring. And as we all know, the spring is a very busy time indeed. 

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Himalaya Fall 2017: An Update From Lhotse Base Camp

With the autumn climbing season starting to wind down in the Himalaya, one of the few remaining expeditions is on Lhotse, where South Korean climber Sung Taek Hong and Spanidard Jorge Egocheaga Rodriguez are attempting the incredibly difficult South Face of Lhotse. Last week, we had an update on their progress courtesy of a report from The Himalayan Times, but now Hong himself has provided more information on what has been happening, while giving us a sneak peek at what is to come as well.

In a dispatch posted to the expedition's website, Hong tells us that everyone is currently back in Base Camp, resting up after a tough push up the mountain. That acclimatization rotation allowed the team to fully stock Camp 3 with supplies and equipment, but also gave them the opportunity to establish Camp 4 as well. But unfortunately, as we learned from The Himalayan Times, two of the Sherpas supporting the Hong and Rodriguez were injured on the descent and had to be airlifted back to Kathmandu. In the dispatch we learn that the two men are doing fine now and that their injuries aren't especially serious however.

The injuries to the Sherpas were the result of a rockslide on the mountain, which have been occurring with increasing frequency at the lower altitudes, while avalanches has become more frequent higher up. This has forced the team to climb at night, when the colder temperatures helps to freeze everything in place and providing more stable conditions.

Hong says that the push up to C3 and 4 was delayed for about five days due to inclement weather. High winds and heavy snow hit Lhotse over the past week, keeping everyone stuck in BC for a time. Once those conditions passed, the climbers were able to resume their efforts, and now have their high camp set at 8250 meters (27,066 ft). That should put them in a position to summit soon, although a schedule hasn't been completely established yet.

According to the dispatch, the team hopes to top out around the end of the month, which is a little over a week away at this point. Of course, they'll need a good weather window, and at the moment the forecast is looking promising. If good conditions do arrive as expected, Hong and Rodriguez are likely to leave Base Camp near the end of the week, most likely Thursday or Friday. This will allow them to get into position to summit before October is done.

We'll continue to follow their progress closely and share updates as they become available.

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Himalaya Spring 2017: First Summits of Lhotse, South African Climber Detained

We'll start the day with yet another update on the current climbing scene in the Himalaya, where things are now quickly coming to a head. On Everest, the teams are now eyeing a weekend summit push, but elsewhere there is plenty to report as well.

We'll start on Lhotse, the fourth highest mountain on the planet and the closest neighbor to Everest. Yesterday, a team of Sherpa's completed fixing ropes to the summit of the mountain, becoming the first people to stand on top of that peak in three years. According to The Himalayan Times, that group consisted of Tshering Pemba Sherpa, Temba Bhote, Phurba Wangdi Sherpa, and Jangbu Sherpa, along with a few others, were amongst those who installed the lines and made the push to the top. They've now cleared the way for others to follow, with about 100 climbers expected to make the attempt in the days ahead.

As with Everest, it didn't take long for another climber to summit Lhotse once the lines were in place. Also reaching the top of the mountain were Indian climber Debasish Biswas, John Snorri Sigursson of Iceland and Cian O Brolchain from Ireland, as well as Tsering Pemba Sherpa and Ang Chhiring Sherpa all summited. An unnamed female climber from New Zealand was also part of the summit push.

Meanwhile, The Times is also reporting that back in Kathmandu, officials have arrested Ryan Sean Davy, the South African mountaineer who attempted to climb Everest without a permit. Davy has admitted to climbing as high as 7315 meters (24,000 ft) on the South Side of the mountain before he was discovered. At that time, he was escorted off the mountain and his passport was confiscated by Nepal's Department of Tourism. He was told to report to the DoT to retrieve said passport, and when he did so yesterday evening he was arrested. The cost of a permit to climb Everest is $11,000. No word on how long Davy will be held or what fines he'll need to pay.


Speaking of Everest, it seems that the teams there are now readying for a weekend summit push as expected. The Mountain Professionals have officially announced their plans to depart Base Camp for Camp 2 tomorrow, which would put them on the summit on Sunday, provided everything goes as planned.

The weather report indicates that conditions continue to be in flux, and the weather window could be a tenuous one. Still, some teams are willing to jump at the opportunity to get out in front of the crowds, and the conditions are expected to be good on Saturday and Sunday. Hopefully the forecast will hold long enough for the climbers to get up and down safely.

With Mountain Professionals showing their hand, others are likely to follow. It usually only takes one team to get things started, and the others will launch their bids as well. That means we can expect a busy weekend on the tallest mountain on the planet, and if the weather holds, we will likely see a string of summits heading into next week.

Good luck to everyone preparing to head out. Get up and down safely.

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Himalaya Spring 2015: Nepal Extends 2014 Climbing Permits for Everest

With the start of the 2015 spring climbing season in the Himalaya fast approaching, we continue to receive a string of important news stories ahead of the arrival of climbing teams. The latest announcement from the Nepali government is that they will now officially honor all of the climbing permits from 2014. You may recall that the climbing season on Everest and Lhotse was cancelled in the wake of a tragic avalanche that claimed the lives of 16 Sherpas there. Since then there has been a great deal of confusion over just how and when the teams that were on the mountain last year could return.

In this latest announcement, the Ministry of Tourism made it clear that they would honor 442 permits issued last year for climbers on Everest, Lhotse, and Nuptse. The individual climbers are free to return anytime between now and the spring of 2019, although they must do so with the commercial guide service that they had originally planned to climb with in 2014. Any mountaineers heading to Everest will be forced to pay an additional $1000 which reflects the change in pricing that went into effect this year.

Government officials had previously announced that they would recognize permits from the canceled 2014 season, but had stipulated that all the teams must return together. That meant that if some members of a squad were unable to return as part of the group they would forfeit their permit and be forced to purchase another one. This recent ruling allows individuals to come back at any time.


This announcement isn't without some issues however. Since climbers must return to Nepal with the guide service they had previously signed on with, this ruling could leave some out in the cold. For instance, the Peak Freaks and High Adventure Expeditions have already canceled their climbs for this year, and possibly 2016 as well, while other high profile squads – including Alpenglow Expeditions and Amical Alpin – have transferred their operations to the North Side of the mountain in Tibet. Unless these companies change their operations, their clients from last year may never get an opportunity to use their permits.

Additionally, with the 2015 spring climbing season about to start, more than a few climbers from last year have already signed up to return to the Himalaya. Those individuals will likely have already payed for their impending expeditions, which means they'll probably have to cut through a lot of bureaucratic red tape to try to get their money back from last year. Considering how the government in Nepal operates, those climbers shouldn't hold their breath on ever seeing that money again.

Still, this is good news for the climbers who haven't signed up to return just yet. It has taken months to get to this point, despite the fact that everyone knew this was the right decision all along, but at least there is some hope the mountaineers who had their dreams dashed last season. This isn't the most convenient way to handle the situation, but it is the best that can be done for now.

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Alan Arnette Officially Announces Lhotse Expedition, Shares Gear For Everest

Back in early January, Alan Arnette announced his intention to become just the second American to climb all 14 of the world's 8000 meter peaks. Having already successfully topped out on Everest, Manaslu, and K2, he will now set his sights on the remaining 11 mountains starting with Lhotse this spring. The initiative is part of Alan's ongoing efforts to raise awareness and funds to fight Alzheimer's, an affliction that he has a very personal connection with having lost his mother to the disease a few years back. To date, his efforts have reached more than 50 million people, and he had raised $250,000 for the Cure Alzheimer's Fund. With Project 8000, he hopes to raise those numbers to 100 million and $1 million respectively.

This spring Alan will travel to Nepal where he'll be attempting to summit Lhotse, the 8516 meter (27,940 ft) neighbor to Everest. In fact, the two mountains are so close that they share much of the same route to the top, as mountaineers go up the Lhotse Face before diverting in separate directions. Much of the climb will be very familiar to Alan, who has spent plenty of time on Everest in the past. This should make his climb a bit easier, as he won't be facing a completely new experience while scaling this Himalayan giant.

Alan will depart the U.S. on March 30 and soon there after he'll begin blogging about his adventure both from the trail, and Everest Base Camp. Throughout the spring, we'll be able to get some very candid and personal dispatches from the climb, which should make for a very enjoyable experience for those that follow along. Alan writes with an engaging style that makes it fun to follow his efforts, and I'm sure he'll keep readers posted about any and all developments on the mountain.

Speaking of Everest, we're now just a month away from climbers setting out for Kathmandu, and in the days ahead they will be frantically packing all of their gear and preparing for the challenge ahead. Just what equipment they bring with them is crucial to their comfort on the mountain, and eventual success on a summit bid in late May or early June. With that in mind, Alan has also written a very interesting blog post about the gear that he takes with him on his expeditions. The story includes his selections for warm sleeping bags, boots, gloves, packs, and more. If you've ever wondered about what gear is best for an Everest climb, than you'll certainly want to give this article a read. He also shared the video below, which is a couple of years old, but also gives us some insights into the gear situation for climbing in the Himalaya.

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Himalaya 2014: An Update on Cleo Weidlich

There as been a lot of reports, both on this blog and elsewhere, about American climber Cleo Weidlich's attempt to summit Lhotse this spring without permission from the Nepali government. The stories have talked about how she flew to Camp 2 in a helicopter, and defied the closure of the South Side, to make an attempt on the mountain, and while there hasn't been much news of her climb, there has been a lot of speculation in the mountaineering world as to what she was up to. This weekend, we finally got a definitive update from Cleo herself, and from the sounds of things, she wasn't trying to be the "rebel climber" that some of us labeled her as. 

While summit bids were taking place on Everest this weekend, including the successful climb by Jing Wang on the South Side, the news came out that Cleo managed to climb a bit above Camp 3 before turning back. She then reportedly took the chopper off the mountain, and was already on her way back to Kathmandu, when she began to learn about all of the speculation that was taking place about her expedition. Having been isolated on the mountain for weeks now, it seems that all of the chatter about her climb even caught her by surprise.

In an update to her Facebook account, Cleo posted the following:

Dear Friends, 

A lot has happened since I stopped by. I came down to Lukla today and was shocked at all the speculations regarding my Mt. Lhotse climb this season. Firstly, I’d like to assure all my fellow climbers around the world who are pursuing all of the 14 X 8000m+ that I could not, in good consciousness, claim a summit when I took a heli to C2 after the tension that took place in late April and a heli out today. That would be claiming a whole mountain when, in fact, I’d only have climbed half of it. 

I would like to let all my climbing mates around the world know that I respect everyone’s effort and I’ll continue to pursue the 14 X 8000m+ peaks by fair means as I have thus far. BC-summit-BC 

I did a lot of filming and photo shooting of the glaciars and hanging Seracs and will present to the ministry this week to illustrate the seriousness of global warming on Mt. Everest. 

Again, I apologize to all whom I might have offended by fliying to C2. I never intended to claim this summit. 

Cleo

Reading this tells me that Cleo understands why the mountaineering community was a bit up in arms over her climb, and why some would call things into question when she started her expedition at Camp 2. But, as an experienced mountaineer, who has lots of experience on 8000 meter peaks, she also respects climbing by "fair means," meaning she doesn't want a tainted summit either. It's good to hear directly from her what she is thinking and feeling, and to know that she got off the mountain safely.

This has obviously been a big story on the South Side this spring, and it was worth bringing everyone up to date on. It is good to know that she is off the mountain safely, and wants to continue pursuing her ambitions in a proper manner. Hopefully she'll get the chance to do just that in the near future.

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Himalaya Fall 2013: A Few Expeditions Still In The Field

Heavy snow, generally poor weather and a waning climbing season in the Himalaya have brought an end to most of the expeditions this fall. Most of the big mountains have been abandoned now with the majority of teams now long gone. But there are a few smaller climbs still taking place in Nepal, where not everyone has completed their adventures just yet.

Yesterday I posted an update from Chad Kellogg and David Gottlieb who are attempting to make the first ascent of Lunag-Ri, the tallest unclimbed peak in Nepal. If all goes as planned, they'll launch their bid later this week. It won't be an easy climb however, as they report heavy snow now on the mountain with more than 4 feet (1.2 meters) falling in the past week alone.

Over on Lhotse, the last of the 8000-meter peaks to see action this fall, we're still waiting on word from the Korean team. The last update indicated that they were headed up to Camp 2 on that mountain, but the amount of snow that was on the Western Cwm this season, even before the arrival of Cyclone Phailin, was daunting. There is no word on whether or not they are still attempting to summit or are planning on heading home.

ExWeb has shared a couple of other expeditions that are still ongoing as well. For instance, a team of French climbers arrived in country last week and are en route to Saipal now. Their travel has been delayed more than once due to poor weather, but they should arrive in Base Camp soon. Located in extreme Northwest Nepal, Saipal is a seldom climbed peak with an altitude of 7031 meters (23,067 ft).

Ama Dablam is also seeing some late season action. The popular climbing peak is 6856 meters (22,493 ft) in height and is often seen as a good tune-up for other climbs in the Himalaya. Himex has a team there now and a Pakistani group led by Shaheen Baig is also on the mountain. Aussie climber Chris Jensen Burke is also hoping to wrap up a busy year in the Himalaya with one final climb on Ama Dablam too.

While these few remaining expeditions aren't as big and sexy as some of the attempts on the 8000 meter peaks, they are still solid challenges, especially when you factor in the late season weather. It should be interesting to see how much success these teams find in the next week or so. These smaller mountains don't take nearly as long to climb and I suspect most of these remaining expeditions will wrap up by the first week of November.

Stay tuned for more updates.

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Himalaya Fall 2013: Italians Call It Quits On Lhotse,

One of the teams that we have been following closely this season in the Himalaya have been the Italian squad of Edmond Joyeusaz and Federico Colli. The two men have been attempting to climb Lhotse and make a ski descent of the mountain. The expedition has been a major struggle from the beginning however with bad weather, inexperienced Sherpas and illness all conspiring against them. Those challenges have all taken their toll over the past few weeks and now as their permit nears its expiration date Ed and Fede have decided to call it quits and head home.

The latest update to the team's blog gives a bit of an indication of what they have been dealing with in recent days. It seems that heavy snows continue to fall on the slopes of Everest, Nuptse and Lhotse, creating extremely tough and hazardous conditions. It has been so bad there this fall that the Italians were never even able to reach Camp 2. In fact, they report that the Korean team that they are sharing the mountain with still have not established C2 after more than two weeks on the mountain. That doesn't bode well for their expedition to summit Lhotse either, although they'll continue to give it a go.

In an attempt to salvage a bit of the expedition, Federico decided that he had to put his skis on at least once. He also knew that he had to climb up to Camp 1 to retrieve their tent and other supplies there. So, he scrambled up the mountain and with the help of a couple of Sherpas, was able to collect what gear they had stashed there. Once the work was complete, he donned his skis and proceeded back to Base Camp, crossing the dangerous Khumbu Icefall in the process. This was the first Italian ski descent of the icefall and only the second ever. The first being made by Davo Karnicar, who is also the first man to ski Everest from summit to BC.

The blog post with the details of the ski descent was posted today but it is dated October 10, which means it is nearly a week old already. My guess is that at this point, the Italians are making their way back down the Khumbu Valley and are now returning to Kathmandu for their flights home. Judging from what was wrote, it seems they are a bit dejected by not achieving their goals, but considering the conditions they have been dealing with almost from the beginning, the deck was most definitely stacked against them. There was simply too much snow and too many other obstacles to overcome.

The fall season is winding down quickly now. There are still a few major expeditions on the mountains but it appears that nearly everything will be wrapped up by November 1, if not sooner. Stay tuned for more.

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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!

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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.

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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.

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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.

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