Himalaya 2009 climbing season, Karakoram and Himalaya wrap-up /20/ – Week in Review.

The last wave of climbers topped-out Everest last Saturday – as the weather window closed and conditions rapidly turned for the worse. Descending climbers performed several rescues on both sides of the mountain in a sudden storm. Three climbers were lost – among them 3-time ExWeb award winner Sergei Samoilov; Denis Urubko’s free-spirited and courageous [...]

Himalaya 2009 climbing season, Karakoram and Himalaya wrap-up /16/ – Week in Review.

Celebrations and terror both took place on Manaslu last week. Closing April 2009; high Himalayas have already claimed the lives of three mountaineers. There was triumph at the North Pole, with both full length teams, one unsupported and one guided/supported, breaking a number of records. ExWeb ran an interview with Simone Moro, Henk de Velde [...]

Himalaya 2009 climbing season, Karakoram and Himalaya wrap-up /13/ – Week in Review.

They won an ExWeb award for their great 2006 Himalayan Trilogy; last week “The Peters’” Himalayan saga was tragically ended when Piotr Morawski perished in a crevasse on Dhaulagiri. In other news: the first climbing permits have reportedly been granted for Everest north side, Annapurna normal route sports a dangerous serac; and a big avalanche [...]

Himalaya 2009 climbing season, Karakoram and Himalaya wrap-up /12/ – Week in Review.

Posted on April 6, 2009 Himalaya is filling up with hopeful mountaineers. It was a different story a few months ago, with only four 8000-er winter attempts in Himalaya and Karakoram combined. Two teams truly stuck it out, and last week ExWeb checked in with both for debrief interviews. In other news; as rare as [...]

Himalaya 2009 climbing season, Karakoram and Himalaya wrap-up /11/ – Week in Review.

Posted on March 30, 2009 Only to reach the foot of their mountains; international climbers are dodging strikes and unrest in several areas of Nepal. Some, facing house-odds worse than a Monte Carlo casino, are still gambling on China’s whimsical politics. While waiting for the actual climbs to kick off; last week ExWeb ran a [...]