The Rest of Everest Episodes 111 & 112: Closing The Annapurna IV Expedition

Still catching up on all kinds of things after being away for two weeks, and one of the things that I'm working on is getting caught up on two episodes of The Rest of Everest that were released while I was away. When I last left off, Ben and Josh were high on Annapurna IV, the 24,688 foot mountain that they've been attempting to climb and then ski back down for the past number of episodes.

Episode 111 is entitled Onward and Downward, and it mainly focuses on the team returning to base camp and packing up their gear in preparation to leave. At the end of the expedition, there is a bit of a subdued feeling, as it is now time to go home, but without a successful summit under their belt. With the gear packed up and ready to go, Ben, Josh, and Tim return to the Annapurna Circuit for the long hike out.

Episode 112 is the last of the Annapurna IV episodes, aptly titled The End of the Annapurna IV Expedition, shows the guys returning to Pokara, where they decide to have some fun before they have to head home. So, they rent some motorcycles and scooters and hit the road.

Both of these episodes show the second half of the Annapurna circuit and have lots of great footage from that beautiful area. The High Himalaya are on full display and the scenery is, as you'd expected from the Rest of Everest, spectacular. Both of these episodes are fitting ends to the Annapurna IV series, with so much great stuff packed in each. And up next, we can expect episodes focusing on the Ski The Himalayas Expedition, which was just completed this past spring. Coming soon!

Tweet

The Rest of Everest Episode 110: The Slog

Mid-week always brings us a new episode of The Rest of Everest, which continues this week with an in depth look at the Annapurna IV climb and ski descent. Podcast creator Jon Miller is once again joined by mountaineers Ben Clark and Josh Butson.

Episode 110 is called "The Slog", and it deals with Ben and Josh going down the mountain, back to Base Camp, after giving up on their summit bid last week, when they were trapped inside the tent, waiting for the weather to change. While down climbing the mountain, they talk a bit about their disappointment in having to retreat, while still knowing that it wast he safe move none the less. The episode also gives us more insight into a part of climbing that we seldom see in the form of the descent. Most films are dedicated to getting to the top, but as usual, the Rest of Everest shows every aspect of a climb.

This episode also does a great job of really showing the conditions that climbers deal with on these big mountain. I often write about climbers dealing with deep snow at altitude, but this episode of the podcast really puts that in perspective, with plenty of the white stuff on display, both higher on the mountain, and on the descent, which made for a major challenge for Ben and Josh. You'll also have a better understanding of the title of this episode as well!

As usual, grab the episode directly from the ROE website or from iTunes.

Tweet

The Rest of Everest Episode 109: 2 Steps Up, 5000 Steps Down!

The Rest of Everest is back on track with regular episodes coming our way. Last week we jumped back into the Annapurna IV climb, where Ben Clark and Josh Butson are continuing their attempt to summit the mountain, and then make the first ski descent on their return to Base Camp.

This week, we're up to Episode 109: 2 Steps Up, 5000 Steps Back Down, where we get to spend a fair amount of time in the tent with the climbers, as they discuss their approach to going up Annapurna IV and share their experiences getting to high camp, and within striking distance of the summit. The plan at this point was to rest up in the tent and go for Camp 3 the following day, but weather extended the stay in the tent at C2.

The episode shows an aspect of mountaineering that you don't often see. The days of waiting for a weather window, and preparing to take advantage of any opportunity you can get. Fortunately, the next day dawns clear and bright, and it looks like next episode will have the boys on the move again.

Get the latest episode from the website here, or from iTunes here.

Tweet

The Rest of Everest Episode 108: Returning to Annapurna IV

After a bit of a hiatus, and following a couple of teaser episodes, the Rest of Everest has returned to our regularly scheduled programming by rejoining the Annapurna IV team as they continue up the mountain. Climbers Ben Clark and Josh Butson once again join podcast creator Jon Miller to discuss their attempt on the summit of Annapurna IV, as well as their plans to make the first ski descent of that mountain.

When last we heard from the boys, they were in the middle of a summit bid, climbing up to Camp 2 on the mountain, and that's exactly where we begin Episode 108, entitled "Not Good, Not Bad". Ben and Josh are in camp and discussing the challenges of the climb, which obviously include high altitude and challenging approaches, but in this case, there was a great deal of snow as well, which is seen quite clearly as the episode goes along.

As usual with the Rest of Everest, we get some amazing views of the Himalaya from a perspective that only high altitude mountaineers ever get to see. Armchair mountaineers will also enjoy watching Ben melt snow for water and other scenes of the climbers going about the business of living at altitude on the mountain. We all can appreciate the shots of them climbing with ice axes through a section that would normally have a fixed line, but in this case, none exists. You'll have to tune in for yourself to discover what the "screaming barfies" actually are.

As always, you can find the podcast on the website by clicking here or subscribe to it directly in iTunes. Great to have the show back!

Tweet

The Rest of Everest Episode 107: Going Up, And Blowing Up

It may be old news to fans of The Rest of Everest, but since I was trying to catch up on episodes last week, I completely missed a new one that snuck out under my nose. In my defense, I thought the show might be taking a brief hiatus while climbers Ben Clark and Josh Butson snuck off to Ski The Himalayas and podcast creator Jon Miller prepared to trek to Everest BC.

Turns out Episode 107: Going Up, And Blowing Up, was recorded before the boys flew off to Kathmandu. Ah... the wonders of modern technology. Who knew?

Anyway, in this episode, Ben and Josh, set off to make another attempt on the summit of Annapurna IV. The plan is to go up in alpine style, and as this episode opens, they are back in Camp 1, and reflecting on their climb to that point and how much they are looking forward to continuing up the mountain. As usual, Ben and Josh offer some great insights into what it takes to climb in the Himalaya.

Soon, they're back on the trail and making their way to where they'll eventually establish an intermediary camp before reaching C2. Along the way, we get some great footage of the climbers working the route, skis strapped to their back. Soon they are at their next campsite, and we get to watch the process of creating the camp, this time greatly accelerated. We also see Josh wrestling with his "self inflating" Thermarest sleeping matt. I'm not positive, but I think the matt won. Back in the tent, they reflect again on their ongoing climb. Approaching the summit in alpine style is different than on most Himalayan peaks, and it is fun to watch that process unfold.

At the end of this episode, it is announced that the show will be gong on hiatus for a bit now, while everyone involved with the show will be off on their spring adventures. Stay tuned for new episodes soon.

Tweet

Catching Up with The Rest of Everest

it's no secret that I'm a big fan of The Rest of Everest, the video podcast that does such an excellent job of showing us the ins and outs of climbing in the Himalaya. While I was out of the country, there were two episodes released, and I'm just now catching up. For some of you, this is no doubt old news, but I wanted to share some thoughts none the less.

The first episode is entitled Cowboys But Not Indians, and has Jon Miller, Josh Butson, and Ben Clark once again talking about their attempt on Annapurna IV, which they also hope to make the first ski descent on as well. In this episode, the team actually returns to base camp after their first attempt at an alpine ascent on the mountain. The first climb was good for acclimatization, and making a recon of the conditions higher up, but in the end, they were forced to head back down to regroup and dry out their gear, before making another go.

The team admits that they had a rough first day of their climb, and if you saw the previous episode you know that TIm Clarke, the third member of the team, has decided to give up on his attempt to summit, and will let Ben and Josh go on without him. The team discusses this change and how they will now approach the climb. With the Austrian team they had been sharing BC with gone, they'll have the mountain entirely to themselves.

While the boys are back in BC, they do get some amazingly beautiful shots of the mountain and once again do a good job of capturing the feel of life in base camp. The video gets even more interesting when they also capture a debris cloud that was kicked up from an earthquake in China that has flown hundreds of miles just to dump on their camp.

The second episode that was awaiting me upon my return from the Amazon was an audio only bonus episode that offers some details on Ben and Josh's Spring 2009 expedition. The episode was recorded as Rest of Everest creator Jon Miller was driving Ben to the airport as he was heading out for Nepal, where the team will be attempting to climb and ski down Baruntse, a 23,688 foot mountain located in Eastern Nepal, between Everest and Makalu.

The old Annapurna IV website is undergoing a transformation now to reflect this new expedition, and it is becoming the "Ski the Himalayas" site. In this episode, Josh talks about how much he enjoys climbing and skiing in that mountain range, and that he intends to continue to focus on those ski descents in the near future. He also talks about his approach to climbing in the HImalaya, having knocked off Everest at the age of 23, and now pursuing lesser known peaks not on the 8000m list.

Obviously we'll be hearing more about this expedition in future episodes of the Rest of Everest, and I'll be following it from the website as updates come in over the coming weeks. For now, the show will go on hiatus, while Josh and Ben head off to Nepal to take care of business, and Jon will soon follow with his Everest Trek 2009 project.

Good luck guys! We're pulling for you!

Tweet

The Rest of Everest Episode 105: The Best F****** Cheerleader

It's Wednesday! A new episode of The Rest of Everest showed up in my podcast queue this morning on iTunes, right on schedule. This is Episode 105, interestingly titled "The Best F****** Cheerleader". :)

When we left off last week, the climbers, Ben Clark, Josh Butson, and Tim Clarke had started the climb on Annapurna IV, and had established their first camp. This week we open with the team still at C1, with Tim discussing how he physically feels after a day at altitude. The brief conversation gives some insight into what mountaineers feel while in the midst of their climb.

From there the team returns to the climb, moving further up the mountain where they find increasingly deeper snow, It isn't long before the boys take a bit of a break, and Tim begins to reassess his roll as part of the team. After a bit of soul searching, he decides that he'll be more comfortable staying in base camp, and letting Ben and Josh go for the summit. Their continued discussion about the situation, the effects of altitude, and the approach to climbing should prove interesting for armchair mountaineers who probably haven't witnessed this kind of conversation before. Tim is very frank about how he feels, but like any smart climber, he knows when to go back down.

Watch the full episode here or grab it in iTunes here.

Tweet

The Rest of Everest Episode 104: A Room With A View

The latest episode of The Rest of Everest is out, and now available for all of us to enjoy, continuing our virtual expedition up Annapurna IV with climbers Ben Clark, Josh Butson, and Tim Clarke, who hope to not only summit the 24,688 foot peak, but also make the first ski descent of the mountain as well.

In this episode, labeled A Room With A View, we really start getting down to business in the Himalaya. The past few weeks have had the guys stuck in base camp, where they made the most of their time preparing their gear and mentally getting ready for the climb as well, but this week kicks off with the team already working their way up the mountain, as the climb gets underway in earnest.

Once again, there are some great shots of the mountain, and the video of the team working an incredibly steep portion will give you an idea of how challenging it is to climb in the Himalaya. They plan to go up in alpine style, which means they'll be climbing with all of their gear on their backs, rather than siege style that is common on the big peaks, which makes it all the more impressive as you watch them go up.

One of the more interesting aspects of this episode is that we get to watch the team establish their first camp on the mountain. That's not something that we get to see often, and the process begins by digging a snow ledge to set up their tents, and then making the area as comfortable of a campsite as possible. When done, you kick back and enjoy the view, and in this case, it's quite a view.

Checkout this episode directly from the Rest of Everest website by clicking here or grab it from iTunes here.

Tweet

The Rest of Everest Episode 103: A River Runs Through It

Another excellent new episode of The Rest of Everest with Josh Butson and Ben Clark joining Jon Miller to continue telling us all about their adventures on Annapurna IV, where they hope to not only summit, but also make the first descent on skis as well.

When the video opens, we join the guys, along with the third member of the third member of their team, Tim Clarke, in base camp. This episode is called A River Runs Through It, and we soon learn why, as a series of small trenches dug through BC and into the main tent itself, allowed for the free flowing of water thanks to the spring melt off, to make it's way down the mountain.

We continue to get a look at life in base camp for the team, as they prepare their gear for their assault on the mountain and share their thoughts on the climb ahead. The team is in good spirits as they discuss the challenges of high altitude climbing, with Ben talking about getting in the right frame of mind and having his body move and breathe on the mountain.

THe last six or seven minutes of the episode gives us great shots of the mountain and shows the team as they set off for their first acclimatization climb on Annaurna IV. It also gives us our first look at how they use their skis to help them climb as they "skin up" the slopes through deep snow. The video of the mountain itself looks great, and we can now expect to get into the meat of the climb.

Next week we'll get to see the process of establishing high camps on the mountain, which should be very interesting for those of us who follow these big climbs.

Tweet

The Rest of Everest Episode 102: Sweet Dreams

Wednesday brings us another new episode of The Rest of Everest, as we continue our adventure on Annapurna IV, a 24,688 foot peak that was the target of climbers Ben Clark, Josh Butson, and Tim Clarke last year.

In Episode 102: Sweet Dreams, we start things off with the boys sharing some of the very odd dreams that they've been experiencing while in base camp, including a reoccurring one from Ben that haunts him on every expedition he has been on.

From there we get some great footage of the team organizing their gear, with a good look at everything they have to take with them. Remember, on this trip, the intention is to not only reach the summit, but also make a first descent on skis as well, which makes for even more gear. Very educational for those wondering what it takes to get to the top of a big Himalayan peak.

Much of the footage is from in and around base camp once again, but there is some great footage of the mountain, including an avalanche crushing down the side and a glimpse of some other climbers higher up on the slopes. The episode ends with Ben getting philosophical about climbing and adventure. :)

Watch the full video at the Rest of Everest website or grab it directly from iTunes.

Tweet

The Rest of Everest Episode 101: Typically Himalayan

The adventure on Annapurna IV continues this week with another new episode of The Rest of Everest, with climbers Ben Clark and Josh Butson once again joining show producer and host Jon Miller.

In Episode 101: Typically Himalayan, the guys are now a bit more settled into base camp, and have explored the mountain some as well, hiking and skiing the immediate slopes. Early in the episode the team is stuck in their tent, thanks to the lovely Himalayan weather, and they have a chance to reflect some on the climb ahead, and the thoughts that are in their head while they wait for their opportunity to go up the mountain.

Later in the episode, Ben calls home to get a weather report from his father, where he learns that the weather patterns should shift some in the days ahead, but for now they'll have to wait for the jet stream to move. The team will need a five day weather window to make an attempt at the summit, but before they can do that, they'll need to acclimatize some as well. The plan is to make the climb in alpine style.

This weeks video gives us a lot of images from base camp with some shots of the mountain behind it, while the team sits and waits, something that is common in the Himalaya while they wait for their attempt. While it's not the most action packed thing to watch, it is part of the experience, as anyone who saw the 2003 Everest expedition will remember.

Tweet

The Rest of Everest Episode 100: Earn The Turn

Fans of the Rest of Everest got a little extra content earlier this week in the form of a bonus episode in which Rest of Everest regulars Ben Clark and Josh Butson make a ski journey from Ophir To Telluride in Colorado through the San Juan Mountains. It's a fairly short, but very cool video of the duo, joined by another climber, named John Miller, not to be confused with ROE creator Jon Miller, as they explore the beautiful landscapes of Colorado. If you already subscribe to the show in iTunes, the episode will of course automatically download for you.

This weeks regular episode is entitled Earn The Turn and it opens with the team now in base camp, and Annapurna IV looming over head. The guys get their first really good look at the 24,688 foot mountain, which of course looks gorgeous on the video.

Ben, Josh, and Tim soon settle in to BC, and start examining their equipment. Much to their delight, they find that all four sets of their skis arrived in one piece and undamaged. With all the snow right out their backdoor, and some good lines already scouted, the team is anxious to head out and and test their gear on the mountain as well as begin the acclimatization process.

Before long, the team is dropping off a thick cornice, and zipping down the mountain, completing the first descent of a run in the Himalaya. All on video. The guys look like school kids playing on a snow day, completely enjoying their chance to finally get to ski Annapurna IV after months of planning, and days of travel to get there.

More to come next week!

Tweet

The Rest of Everest Episode 99: Up... To The Bottom

With the latest episode of The Rest of Everest, the trek to base camp on Annapurna IV comes to an end with the team arriving at the bottom of the mountain after wandering the Annapurna Circuit over the course of the last few episodes.

In Episode 99: Up... To The Bottom, climbers Ben Clark and Josh Butson continue to tell the story of their adventure to Jon Miller, creator of the Rest of Everest podcast. This episode kicks off with the team already in the shadow of Annapurna IV and finishing off the last portions of the trek. Early video shots give you a great perspective of just how large everything is in the Himalaya and it's hard to not be awed by the scale of the mountains there.

Upon arrival to base camp, the porters go to work helping to set up what will become home for the next several weeks for the climbers. BC is located at 15,500 feet, and the 24,000 summit looms over the place. While base camp is set up, the guys relax, take in the scenery, and checkout the challenge ahead. This episode ends with the team still getting settled and preparing to go from approach mode to climbing.

Check out the full video here or grab it directly in iTunes by clicking here.

On a side note, I want to send my congratulations on to Jon Miller for his 100th episode. While this one is labeled number 99, the show actually began at Episode 0, making this truly the 100th episode of the podcast. That's an impressive milestone to pass, especially with a show of this high quality and great production values. So, congrats Jon! Here's to a hundred more!

Tweet

The Rest of Everest Episode 98: Approaching The End of the Approach

Our journey to the base camp of Annapurna IV continues in the latest episode of The Rest of Everest this week, as Jon Miller returns once again, with climbers Ben Clark and Josh Butson filling us in on all the details.

The title of the episode is Approaching The End of the Approach, which pretty much tells us what we can expect, as the team finally gets some great views of their mountain and they near the location of base camp.

The episode opens with an explanation of the various Annapurna peaks, which are numbered based on their altitude, with Annapurna proper taller than Annapurna II or III for instance. From there, we're back on the trail, weaving in and out of the now familiar Nepali villages, and through the beautiful scenery which seems to be the hallmark of the country's landscapes along the Annapurna circuit.

Near the end of the video, the team is just a day or so out from BC and the shots of the mountain are something special. Even on the screen you can tell that it is massive and beautiful. The snow capped peaks are definitely worth the wait, and a tease of what is yet to come as the team attempts to climb the mountain itself.

As always, you can find the latest episode on the Rest of Everest website or you can subscribe to it directly from iTunes.

Tweet

The Rest of Everest Episode 97: Hearts Racing, Hearts Aching

Wednesday brings us another new episode The Rest of Everest as we continue our approach to Annapurna IV, which we're tolda t the beginning of the episode is a 65 mile trek just to reach base camp.

We're up to Episode 97, which is entitled Hearts Racing, Hearts Aching. The show is once again hosted by Ben Clark, Josh Butson, and Rest of Everest producer Jon Miller. Ben and Josh were both on the expedition to Annapurna IV, and they continue to give great commentary and context to the video we see.

As the trek to BC continues, we get more amazing shots of the Nepali countryside, including a really great rope bridge across a beautiful looking canyon. Other shots show us the quaint villages that can be found on the Annapurna Circuit, as well as our first glimpses of the big mountains that we'll be seeing a lot more of in the weeks ahead.

One interesting tidbit that the guys mention at one point in the video is that climbing Annapurna IV actually has more vertical gain than climbing Everest itself. The team started at about 2000 feet, and Annapurna IV tops out at 24,688 feet, while on Everest's North Side, the climb begins at about 17,000 in BC and goes up to the 29,035 foot summit. It really puts the efforts of the climbers into perspective.

As always, you can download the latest episode from the Rest of Everest website or it can be found in the iTunes Store. If you're new to the podcast, go back and start at the beginning, and get the most complete view of an Everest expedition ever. Really great stuff.

Tweet

The Rest of Everest Episode 96: The Road (At Least Currently) Less Traveled

I can't tell you how happy I am to have my regular Wednesday routine back. Not only has Lost returned to ABC, but I'm once again getting regular episodes of The Rest of Everest, my favorite video podcast. This week's episode continues following the Annapurna IV expedition that saw climbers Ben Clark, Josh Butson, and Tim Clarke set off to climb and ski a remote peak in Nepal.

Ben and Josh both join Rest of Everest creator Jon Miller once again this week, as they continue their trek to the mountain. That trek follows the Annapurna Circuit, widely considered to be one of the greatest treks in the world. The recent addition of a road to the area has changed that, and at the time of the filming of this video, the inhabitants were still preparing for those changes. While discussing the road with the locals, we get a glimpse of exactly how it's going to change things for the area, and not necessarily in a positive way.

As this episode progresses, the scene shifts to the road being built in a very slow, fashion, without the use of modern tools and technology. It's fascinating to watch the work being done, while some of the most stunning scenery in the world can be seen in the background, including thick jungles, incredible water falls, and of course, mountain peaks.

Part of the adventure on these big climbs is the trek to the mountain itself, and the approach to Annapurna IV continues this week and next. Enjoy the scenery along the trek and a glimpse into a new region of Nepal that we haven't seen on the show before.

Tweet

The Rest of Everest Episode 95: Beyond Everest

The Rest of Everest kicks of a whole new era with the episode released earlier today, as the show returns to it's mountaineering roots, shifting it's focus away from Everest and toward Annapurna IV, a 24,688 foot mountain located in western Nepal.

The show reunites podcast creator Jon Miller with climber Ben Clark, who were together on Everest back in 2004 on the expedition that was the genesis of the podcast to begin with. Jon and Ben are joined by Josh Butson, who along with Ben and a third climber named Tim Clarke, attempted to climb Annapurna IV last year.

In this first episode, we see the climbers' approach to the remote mountain, with video footage starting in the Hong Kong airport, than quickly switching to scenes in Nepal, a country that has become very familiar to fans of the show that have seen all the episodes. There are some great shots from the countryside that catch the culture of the region quite nicely.

At one point in the video you also see workers building a new road through the Annapurna area. This road is changing the face of the region, and altering one of the greatest treks in the world forever. Ben mentions that if you want to do the Annapurna Circuit, you should do it soon, as it will be a different experience from here forward. This is something I wrote about recently over at Gadling as well.

You can download the first episode in the Annapurna IV series directly by clicking here or you can find it iTunes by clicking here.

It's great to have my favorite podcast back! Thanks Jon! :)

Tweet

The Rest of Everest Returns!!

After a four month hiatus, The Rest of Everest video podcast is returning. A few days back a short introduction to what is being called the "third season" of the Rest of Everest was posted online and made available through iTunes.

In this introduction, RoE creator Jon Miller informs us that the show is going back to it's mountaineering routes in the episodes ahead, starting off by taking a look at the Annapurna IV expedition that went down last spring. We get a brief glimpse of that climb in this video, with a tease of what's to come, as show regular Ben Clark returns to share his experiences once again, along with climbing partners Josh Butson and Tim Clarke.

The new episodes promise to be very interesting as we get an up close look at high altitude mountaineering once again, although the Annapurna IV climb was conducted in alpine style rather than the traditional siege style that you typically see in the Himalaya. That should make for some fascinating episodes ahead, and it all starts next week, so fans of the podcast should get ready.

Jon hasn't been resting on his laurels during this down time either, as he prepares for Everest 2009 Trek, in which he and photographer Chris Marquardt, of Tips From the Top Floor fame, will lead a team of ten lucky trekkers up to Everest Base Camp, conducting a photography/videography workshop along the way. The trek was so popular that when they opened it up for reservations, it sold out in under a minute, and he hints that there may possibly be more treks to come in the future as well.

As a big fan of the show, I can't wait for the new episodes to begin. Welcome back Jon! :)

Tweet

Himalaya Update: News From Annapurna

Monday brings a post weekend update from the Himalaya, courtesy of ExWeb with most of the news coming from Annapurna, with a few notes from elsewhere as well.

First, the unfortunate news that Jean Troillet's Annapurna Team has called it a day, and will now head home. The weather conditions never allowed for a proper attempt at the summit, as it continues to be incredibly unstable at high altitude thanks to all of the snow that has hit the mountain in recent weeks. Troillet says they may not be done with the mountain just yet though, but I can only assume that he means to return sometime in 2009.

Meanwhile, Dodo Kopold is climbing with Peter Masek and Martin Minarik on Annapurna's north side, where they have climbed up to 6300 meters and established Camp 2, but not without great effort. The team reports that seracs above 5200 meters has made it very tough going. So tough in fact, that fixing lines has been impossible, and they've had to climb up and over most of the seracs they have encountered so far. Worse yet, they say that there are still more to come before they can make their attempt on the summit itself, and high winds have made the climb a challenge.

A similar story is told from the Croatian team on Annapurna, who have managed to work their way as high as 7200 meters en route to Annapurna II, but before the could proceed on to Annapurna IV, they were turned back by high winds as well. They are now waiting for a weather window to open to allow them to go for that summit, after establishing C4 at 7200 meters as well. They report that things are quite unstable though, with many avalanches and blowing snow.

A couple of other quick notes from the region. ExWeb notes that the Peak Freaks Team has established Camp 2 on Pumori, the 7161 meter peak they are climbing in lieu of Shisha Pangma. Also, Adrian Ballinger is reporting from Ama Dablam, where he is climbing with AlpenGlow Expeditions, that conditions on the mountain are quite nasty. In fact, there hasn't been a single summit on Ama Dablam this season, with no one going above C2. Sounds like they have their work cut out for them!

Tweet

Karakorum and Himalaya Update: Bad Weather Everywhere!

Explorers Web has another update from this weekend's activities in the Karakorum and Himalaya. It seems it's bad weather all around causing issues in the mountains and delaying climbs across the entire region.

In Pakistan, the lone remaining expedition is the Free Dream Team, who continues to struggle on Trango Towers. The last update from their blog is entitled "Last Chance" which pretty much says it all. The window in the Karakorum has all but closed, and yet this team continues on, despite the bad weather. According to the blog however, they are giving it one more go, no matter what the weather. Since we haven't had an update since Friday, my guess is that they are still plugging away on Nameless Tower, hoping to summit at last. More when finally get an update.

Jumping over to the Himalaya, the Fall Season has kicked into full gear now, but bad weather is not helping the teams. The Altitude Junkies are reporting that conditions on Manaslu are not great following a major storm there. In fact, their tents at C1 collapsed under heavy snow and were buried, along with about 60 others. The team estimates that more than 4 feet of snow has fallen in just two days time, making the arduous task of breaking trail, that much more challenging. That said, the teams seem to have come up with a plan for fixing the ropes and despite the weather conditions, they are proceeding with the acclimatization process.

On Cho Oyu a similar story is told, with high winds blasting the mountain over the weekend, destroying tents and forcing teams to descend to ABC. Members of the IMG Team were expecting to move up to C2 and C3 Saturday and Sunday, but conditions were bad enough that they elected to stay put and wait out the storm as well. Sherpas from various teams had to go to C1 to take down tents there and make repairs to the camps that were already in place. The Summit Climb Team estimates the winds were in excess of 100 miles per hour, and their tents were damaged enough that they had to have more sent in to replace them.

The American Dare To Dream Team have made it to base camp on Annapurna IV, but the conditions have been less than ideal there as well. White out conditions on the mountain have made it impossible for them to climb any higher for now, although the weather is expected to break in a day or two. Another team on the South Face of Annapurna has also been confined to BC thanks to the nasty conditions there.

Finally, a team on Baruntse, a 7,220 meter peak in eastern Nepal, is reportedly set to make their summit bid. Today is a rest day, and the plan is to go up tomorrow, but they're also keeping an eye on the weather. Snow has hit that region as well, which may alter their plans. Guided by Alpine Ascents the team hopes to go to C1 tomorrow, followed by C2 on Wednesday, making the final summit bid later in the day. Good luck team!

Tweet