Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Himalaya Fall 2009: Over For Edurne, Miss Oh Ready To Go!
Posted By:
2Machupicchu on: 10/14/2009 In: Ama Dablam, Annapurna, Himalaya, Mountaineering, Nepal, Pumori, Shisha Pangma, Tibet
More updates from the Himalaya today with some news on the two ladies who have been vying for their place in history on the 8000 meter peaks.
We'll start on Shisha Pangma, where Edurne Pasaban has announced that her expedition is over and that the team is heading home. She reports that weather forecasts are not good, and that they don't look to improve any time soon, so rather than extend the climbing permit, she'll leave the mountain without a summit for the fourth time. Edurne is one of the top female mountaineers who has been working very hard the past few years to become the first woman to summit all 14 8000 meter peaks. She currently stands at 12, with Shisha frustrating her once again.
Meanwhile, over on Annapurna, Korean climber Oh Eun-Sun is about to take another crack at that mountain. Miss Oh has 13 of the eight-thousanders down, and is hoping to claim the title as first woman to summit them all. The only thing that stands in her way is Annapurna and all of it's very substantial challenges. She hopes to begin another push in the next few days, as a weather window seems imminent.
Pumori continues to be a busy mountain, with teams arriving late in the season to give the 23,494 foot mountain a go. The Peak Freaks have announced that they arrived in BC safely yesterday, and are enjoying a rest today, while they organize camp and take a look at the challenges in front of them.
The Climb With Us team is en route to Pumori as well, and have arrived in Namche where they will spend a day acclimatizing. You can read about their progress and the expedition so far on the latest dispatch from team leader Jamie Clarke, which can be found here.
Other teams are closing in on Ama Dablam, with the IMG team having crossed through Namche a few days back and continuing their trek to BC, while the Field Touring Alpine squad has gathered in Kathmandu and are preparing to depart for the Khumbu region in the next few days.
More to come soon I'm sure. Keep an eye on Annapurna for word on the Korean team and Miss Oh's chance to make history.