Friday, April 4, 2008
Himalaya Update: More From Ueli, Other Himalayan Peaks
Ueli Steck continues his acclimatization process in Nepal, as he and climbing partner Simon Anthamatten prepare for their attempt on Annapurna. According to their most recent update over at the Hardwear Sessions Blog, Ueli and Simon have left Kathmandu for Lukla, and actually arrived in Namche Bazar yesterday. They'll spend a day their acclimatizing before heading out for Tengkampoche, a 6500m peak they'll use as a warm up to Annapurna.
Meanwhile, the other Himalayan peaks are starting to heat up as well and ExWeb has an update on all the activity. It seems Simon and Ueli won't have Annapurna all to themselves, as Piotr Pustelnik and his team are acclimatizing on Ama Dablam, and hoping to summit in the next few days, before making their run on the mountain. Don Bowie is already on the Annapuran, preparing for the climb, while Inaki Ochoa and Radek Jaro will be joining them soon.
On the Dhaulagiri West Face, one team has already been to 5000m in their acclimatization process, while others are reporting that heavy snow in the area has made it extremely difficult to reach Base Camp.
ExWeb also reports that teams are gearing up for Makalu and Manaslu as the Spring Season in the Himalaya officially gets underway. Look for more updates and reports in the days ahead, as teams begin establishing high camps and fixed lines. These reports are a good reminder that Everest isn't the only place with action this time of year.