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(23.01.2007)
 Ak-Su Winter Expedition

22.01.07. Oleg Khvostenko's night call: the ABC is set at 3700. We decided not to dig a cave and only pitched a tent. This night Belyaev, Loginov, Rodikov, Arkhipov and Dmitrienko stay there. The others descended to BC and tomorrow will haul the rest gear. Vladimir and Evgeny are completely ready to start Chaplinsky's route tomorrow.
Weather id good, there is not much snow the temperature is negative 10 in base camp. Everybody is in good mood and health.  The guys shan't be long with start.
Nikolay Zakharov's comment: Well, it’s really hard for the guys to get all the gear at about one kilometer of altitude changes by their own efforts.  Last time we took the helicopter. But the now the harder work the better acclimatization they will get. And,   right down the line, they will dig a cave at ABC.

22.01.07. Oleg Khvostenko’s morning call: Yesterday we did not get the needed point. Today will set off for the second time.

20.01.07. Oleg Khvostenko’s call: at last we arrived and set BC at 2900. Tomorrow will set off to lift up the gear under the wall and set ABC.  Some guys will stay in BC to make it more comfortable. Weather is good.

Source: stolby.ru

(22.01.2007)

Jenny Lavarda and Markus Bendler win in Valle di Daone Italy -Ice Climbing World Cup 2007

Jenny Lavarda from Italy and Markus Bendler from Austria have won the first stage of the Ice Climbing World Cup in Valle di Daone, Italy.
 In doing so they were also crowned Ice Climbing World Bouldering Champions. Lavarda (ITA) beat Petra Muller (CH) and Maria Shabalina (RUS), second and third respectively, while Bendler (AUT) beat Simon Wandeler (CH) and Herbert Klammer (ITA).

Source: www.daoneicemaster.it

(22.01.2007)
Simone Moro:From Broad peak winter expedition....

20.01.07
Today finally action day! Exactly as the forecast of Karl Gabl predicted, we get a sunny day.
E started to climb and transport all our equipment on the mountain in order to establish our future high camps. Our packs were heavy because we had a lot of equipment, mat, stove pot, sleeping bags, tends, climbing equipment and personal equipment. We started at 10:45 am because we spent some time to prepare all the things and also to enjoy the sun…
At the beginning we made trail in the fresh snow and than we stated to climb on icy slopes. Around 1 hour below C1 we stopped and left our packs, fixing them at 1 ice crew .
In fact were 2:00 p.m and we decided to come back to BC before the darkness. NO fix rope we found and used, only alpine style, and also the descent took us time and concentration. In fact the slope are very steep and is forbidden to slip…
The Temperature this morning was -30 degree and during the day arrived till -19 degree. Tomorrow if the weather will remain good (as predict) we will return on the mountain and continue our effort to transport higher all the equipment. For sure also tomorrow the descent will be delicate and not easy.

19.01.2007
Also today as yesterday we get a bad weather day to spend here in base camp. The weather forecast also today had been exact and this morning we had light snow, wind and low visibility. In any case we are in good mod and we have also fantasy to find something to do to spend our time. That’s why at -22° degrees I decided to wash my hairs and shave, so I will be ready to start tomorrow and climb fast in case of good weather.

18.01.2007
The bad weather already came back. Exactly as the forecast we had from our “guru” Karl Gabl in Innsbruck, we wake up with strong wind also in base camp and cloudy sky. It should be the same also tomorrow but Saturday (if the weather forecast will be exact) we should have good conditions for 2 days. Today I and Shaheen went again across the Glacier following the route I found yesterday in the glacier and ice towers, and we marked it better with flags and stone towers. Approaching the Broad Peak face we came back to BC due the very strong wind. It had been a way to maintain our physical conditions to be ready to “run” during the blue sky days. All our team is in good shape and in good mood. We are also surprised how well are working or new Canon High Definition videocameras and photograph machine in spite of the extreme cold and hard conditions. If I have to identify the best product we have here, it’s for sure the HV10 High Definition videocamera. It never had problems of cold, condensation, battery duration and really it take a supreme quality of mages. I hope it will continue to work so well also with -40°/-50° degrees.

17.01.2007
Finally we get the first day of good weather with blue sky. All around us we have magnificent mountains. Today it had been also the first “action” day. In fact I started at 9 a.m to look for a safe way to cross the glacier we have between us and the mountain, Broad Peak. I spent only 2 hours to find and mark with flags all the way to the base of the face. At lunch time I was back in base camp, very happy for the nice day and the good job. Today I had been alone to work because Shaheen was sick. He was coughing during last night and I advice him to remain here to keep warm.
The weather forecast said that the next 2 days will be bad weather but in case it will be wrong we will start to climb along the 1957 Buhl/Diemberger route.

16.01.2007
Third day in Base camp. The weather is still bad and we can’t see the sun. For that reason the temperature is extremely cold also during the day. This morning at 8:30 we get -30° degrees. In the upper part of the mountain the wind is still strong and we can hear the noise here in BC. Yesterday we worked to fix better and arrange some comforts in the kitchen tend and in my tend, from where I’m writing you. Tomorrow I and Shaheen will start for a fast climb till C1 to see how are the condition of the mountain and also to test our physical condition. We will come back for the night because we are not yet fully acclimatized due the helicopter flight who transported us from 2000 meters from Skardu till 5000 in 1 hour…..

15.01.2007
Finally we arrived at the Base camp!! Yesterday we took the army helicopter and we arrived here at Broad Peak base camp nearly 5000 meters of altitude. We nearly gift up after 10 days waiting in Skardu and honestly we were quite worry about the future of the expedition. But yesterday in a cloudy day we get the surprise. The Helicopter transported all our equipment and us till BC. The temperature yesterday was -25 in the afternoon and -30 in the night. There is very few snow and the conditions of the mountain looks good but we can hear the strong wind in high altitude till basecamp...

All photos (number: 3)

(20.01.2007)
Date update: 22.01.2007
Valle di Daone Italy - Ice Climbing World Cup 2007

Daone + Ice Master: a meeting (and a bet) which repeats itself From Friday 19 January to Sunday 21 January the most famous international ice climbing competition in the world, the Ice Master World Cup, will take place in Italy's Valle di Daone. The competition is renowned not only because it now celebrates its sixth edition, but also thanks to what it has given to modern ice climbing. And it's no chance therefore that the UIAA has chosen Daone to "kick off" the international world cup circuit which, after the Daone debut, travels to Switzerland's Saas Fee and Romania's Bustemi.

The competition 2007

Once again two competitions are scheduled in Daone, the Difficulty and the Speed, both of which are valid for important World Cup points. Furthermore, the athletes will contend for the Ice Boulder World Championship title. This will be a sort of competition within the competion which takes place in the Difficulty Final on two special routes set specifically for bouldering (read short and extremely difficult). Talking of Ice Boulder, it is worth remembering that the first experiences of bouldering (famous in rock climbing) with ice axes and crampons were carried out here in Valle di Daone.

And those who can still remember the ice mushroom created specifically for bouldering will have to change perspective (and

angle) and imagine a horizontal roof... put in other words, the joy and pain of all ice climbers.

The competition structure

The new technique for 2007 (Daone traditionally always experiments with something new) are the special holds, created by Palstic Rock, which will allow for dry tooling up... granite - the very same that can be found in the valley. This, we believe, will make going tougher for the athletes, putting technique rather than brute force in the forefront. Maurizio Gallo - the inventor and driving force behind all frozen Ice Master structures - is convinced this will be the case.

With regards to the "torrid" temperatures experienced during this winter-come-spring, Gallo admits that conditions aren't the easiest to "fabricate" the ice. Nevertheless the ice masters have

(incredibly) managed to paste an ice layer onto the structure which is now ready for use. In Daone they're ready, regardless of the outside temperature, for a great competition! A competition in which the work of the route setters will prove to be fundamental, and once again the team is comprised of the "veterans" Daone Attilio Munari, Marco and Massimo da Pozzo, joined by Loris Manzana and Helmut Rauchenker.

Athletes

Never before has Daone seemed so international, and this is due not only to the 5 Japanese ice climbers (2 women and 3 men) who registered as soon as registration was made possible. The 85 male athletes and 23 female athletes represent 15 nations... including Scotland, France, Spain, Germany, Sweden, Croatia, Switzerland, Slovenia, Russia, Czech republic, Bulgaria, Ukraine, Austria and obviously Italy and the athletes mentioned previously from the land of the rising sun... But the number is bound to rise. It has to be said that, just like every year, the best of the best will compete.

And here, it pains to say, our thoughts go to Harry Berger who is remembered by all in Daone. Here in the valley is was always a great key play, both for what he managed to achieve in the competition (an undisputed champion) and as a man... It's difficult to imagine an Ice Master without him.

Not only competition but also Ice Meeting As usual the Pareti di Cristallo committee views ice climbing as a resource and a "vocation" of the Valle di Daone, often remembered for it's a thousand waterfalls. And so this 2007 edition renews itself with the Montura International Ice Meeting Pareti di Cristallo from

19 to 28 January. Once again this is an opportunity for experts and ice climbing novices to meet in the valley to climb the routes and learn the techniques together with the Friends of Arco mountain guides. More than a hundred people participated in the meet last year and, building on this success, the meet has been extended for the entire week.

Countdown

The competition starts tomorrow, and as usual the race is on for the climax, for the world ice climbing competition. The volunteers of the "Comitato Pareti di Cristallo" will continue ceaselessly to "create"

ice and the athletes will now begin to sharpen their axes. In the meantime though there are some who are thinking hard about how to render the athletes' lives just that bit (metaphorically) harder...

because a spectacular competition can only be achieved via difficult routes... and the Daone Ice Master has always been synonymous with sporting spectacle, powered by "true" ice climbing warriors.

(19.01.2007)
Date update: 22.02.2007
Cristian Brenna and Herve Barmasse: on a way to Cerro Piergiorgio.

Next week a valdotain climber Herve Barmasse starts to Argentina to try his luck on Cerro Piergiorgio Northwest face, Patagonia, Fitz Roy region.

Last year Barmasse and his friend (and organizer of the expedition Luca Maspes) already made an attempt to climb Gringos Locos route, but were lucky to be alive after a serious collapse.

This time he plans Casimiro Ferrari route.

Cristian Brenna, Giovanni Onagro, Matteo Bernasconi and Dante Barlascina will keep him company.

Source: www.kairn.com

(17.01.2007)
Simone Moro has reached at last up to BC under Broad peak.

Simone Moro has reached at last up to base camp under Broad Peak settled at about 5000m.

"Last evening the temperature was negative 25Ñ and at night negative 30Ñ. There is not much snow, but the mountain condition - at first sight - is quite good, nevertheless, we can hear the howls of the wind bellowing above even here in BC.

Simone Moro. Broad peak. D-day tomorrow?

All photos (number: 2)

(17.01.2007)
Polish Nanga Parbat Expedition Winter 2006-2007: "We leave Nanga Parbat. The Mountain and weather conditions validate our decision"

 Polish Nanga Parbat expedition's team led by none other than great climber Krzysztof Wielicki decided to bail the heroic winter attempt of Nanga Parbat, 8125m, the 9th highest mountain in the world.
"We leave Nanga Parbat. The Mountain and weather condition validate our decision".

Details:

Camp III is settled at 6800m in the middle of the rocky ridge along the long Schell Route, above the infamous Rupal face January 11.
Camp II is settled at 6150m.
Temperatures in Base Camp is about negative 30°C while the ice cave at Camp II proved somewhat warmer, about negative 25°C! As always the strong winds make the greatest difficulties forcing the team to wile the time in the camps playing bridge and preference.
Progess is slow but stable, their moods are high.

Himountain Nanga Parbat Winter Expedition 2006-2007 team:

Krzysztof Wielicki: has summited all 14 8000m peaks, including 1st winter ascent of Everest, Lhotse and Kangchenjunga.

Jan Szulc: expedition leader of 1st winter asctent of Shisha Pangma, and K2 winter attempt

Jacek Berbeka: has summited 4 8000m peaks

Artur Hajzer: has summited 4 8000m peaks, including 1st winter ascent of Annapurna

Jacek Jawien: a member in K2 and Shisha Pagma winter expeditions.

Przemyslaw Lozinski: first Himalayan giant experience

Krzysztof Tarasewicz: has summited 3 8000m peaks

Dariusz Zaluski: has summited 4 8000m peaks, including winter attempts on K2, Makalu, Nanga Parbat and Shisha Pagma.

Robert Szymczak: Himalayan doctor

Tommy Heinrich (Australia): has summited Everest photographer

Ghulam Rasool (Pakistan): has summited Gasherbrum II twice

Hassan Sadpara (Pakistan): has summited all 5 8000ers in Pakistan, including K2 without oxygen.

Nanga Parbat (8125m)
Himalaya, Kashmir - Pakistan.

Nanga Parbat was first climbed on 3 July 1953 by the Austrian Hermann Buhl (member of the Austrian/German expedition led by Herrligkoffer).
This was the third 8000m peak to be climbed and Buhl astounded the mountaineering world with his daring solo ascent.

The mountains not climbed in winter:
Nanga Parbat,
K2, Makalu,
Broad Peak,
GI and GII.

Source: www.himountain.eu, www.planetmountain.com


Photo: Anna Piunova, Mountain.RU
(17.01.2007)
Jorg Verhoeven: two 8b + on on-sight

Jorg Verhoeven, wiling away the winter in Spain, was not slow to take advantage of warm climate and on-sighted a pair of 8b + : "Falconetti" and "L-mens", both in Montsant area.

Jorg is a little bit confused about Spanish grading system - more than mild - he managed to flash Ingravids sherpa, 8c, and did CES ultima ola, 8c +second go.

(17.01.2007)
The body of Charlie Fowler was found

On 27 December the body of Charlie Fowler that had been reported missing since early December was found at 5300m on the slopes of Mount Genyen, Sichuan, China.

Fowler, who was climbing in China together with Christine Boskoff, seems to be engulfed in the avalanche. Christine has not found yet, but experts do not lose hope.

Fowler's body was transported to the Lengu monastery before being flown home, while the search for Christine has been suspended due to the bad weather and probably will be start again in spring.

Christine Boskoff and Charlie Fowler were two of the strongest American mountaineers. After the Scott Fisher's tragic death in the storm on Everest 1996 Boskoff took over Mountain Madness. Fowler, a UIAGM Mountain Guide who worked for M.M., was an experienced guide and a excellent photographer and journalist.

Source: www.planetmountain.com

(17.01.2007)
Ak-Su 2007: Aim, Training, Teams, Routes.

Aim.Why is Ak-Su again? First, because Ak-Su exists. Second, we always consider climbers' wishes making choice of ascent. This winter we had three variants: Ushba, Elbrus region, Caucasus, Russia, but in connection with recent escalation of political conflict with Georgia we postponed this ascent for the future peak 4810 in Pamir, or Ak-Su. The majority voted for Ak-Su. From 9 climbers of sports structure only Evgeny Dmitrienko was on the summit.

But in fact the Ak-Su North face is challenge and affected, I know that in my own.

Training. The team has trained seriously - as usual climbed a lot. This year there were added more endurance exercises - every week cross on mountain area. And before departure we took part in a traditional Christmas Competition: in individual climbing, climbing on "khitrushka"s (The Krasnoyarians call "khitrushka" a bouldering problem) and mountain marathon.

Teams. One two-man team: Evgeny Dmitrienko- Vladimir Arkhipov. Evgeny dreams to climb the wall solo or in a two-man team in winter for a long time and Vladimir Arhipov is the most reliable partner. To tell the truth, Vladimir managed to shout the first: "I will climb with Evgeny!"

And the traditional team of six climbers led by Oleg Khvostenko: mainly young, but already experienced in winter wall climbing guys are under his command.

Evgeny Belyaev (1983), Igor Loginov (1985), Alexey Kommissarov (1984) three together summited Erydag via Efimov's route last winter Boris Rodikov (1981) led during Matterhorn ascent in winter and peak 4810 climb in summer 2005 Vladimir Gun'ko (1983) was the leader on the wall of Pogrebetsky's peak in summer in Denis Prokof'ev's (1974) bag peaks Krasnoyarsky Krai and Tsarsky Throne in Kodar.

Routes will be chosen in situ after expecting the condition of the wall. Preliminary Evgeny Dmitrienko - Vladimir Arkhipov look narrowly Moshnikov's route and the sextet- Odintsov - Ruchkin's line. The main purpose - to climb the hard beautiful routes in good style and fast enough for winter season.

N.Zakharov, the coach

(17.01.2007)
Simone Moro. Broad peak. D-day tomorrow?

Simone Moro has to kick heels in Pakistan for 17 days because of different delays and protractions and, at last, hopes to get aboard the helicopter and arrive in base camp under Broad Peak.

"Such a long wait could easily kill ambition and motivation - but not mine. Winter ends March 21, and I'm ready to wait and play my cards till that date."

Nevertheless, life in Skardu is not the most comfortable: "There is no water in the houses, no water in the only hotel opened this season (where I stay) ... They give me 10 liters of boiled water each morning to last me through the day. Power blackouts are frequent, as everybody in the city use electric heathers, and there is not enough power for them all. I have to charge all my tech com batteries in the night and other off peak times."

 Simone Moro, 38, North Face team, in his bag: Everest (three times), Broad Peak, Cho Oyu, Shisha Pangma (winter), Lhotse (twice) and five "7-thousanders", first winter climb of Marble Wall 6400 m, Tien Shan, a 24-hour climb on Fitz Roy's West Face , Patagonia.

On January, 14, 2005 Simone and Piotr Morawski summited Shisha Pangma after a fast 5-hour high-speed climb in storm winds. It was his fifth winter climb: in 1993 he successfully climbed on Aconcagua and Cerro Mirador (new route in alpine style), in December, 1997 - the tragic attempt on Annapurna when Anatoly Bukreev died, and in 2001 in a two-man team with Denis Urubko - on Marble Wall, Tien Shan.

None of the Pakistan's "8-thousanders" (K2, Nanga Parbat, Broad Peak, Gasherbrum I and II) have been summited in winter. While in Nepal, only Makalu remains still unclimbed in winter. This year, Pakistan's government has reduced the winter climbing fee to a nominal 5%.

Source: www.k2climb.net


Dave Macleod, Fugue E9 6c
© Glen Croe
(15.01.2007)
8b + trad from Dave MacLeod

Dave MacLeod has climbed one more not trivial trad route Blind Vision 8b + or E10 7b in Frogatt Edge.The last April Dave opened Rhapsody and suggested 8c + (or E11, his film is of the same name), that is the world record in trad-climbing.

List of the hardest trad routes climbed for today is attached below.

 A Little Peculiar a.k.a. Elegy Direct 8c / E6 7b Paul Higginson
Bellavista 8c Alex Huber
Blind Vision 8b + / E10 7b Adrian Berry
Cobra crack, 8c / + Sonnie Trotter
Welcome to the Cruel World 8b + / E9 7a Dave Birkett
Dihedron 8b + Randy Leavitt
Dihedral Wall 8b + Tommy Caldwell
Elder Statesman 8c? / HXS 7B Steve McClure
Fathers Day 8b + Alan Moore
Greenspit 8b + Didier Berthod
Is not always Pasqua 8b + / E9 7a Mauro Calibani
Lost Horizons 8b + Rob Candilera
Magic Line 8c Ron Kauk
No Way Jose 8b/8b + Jose Pereya
Puss pa morfar, 8b / + Magnus Lindstedt
Rhapsody 8c + / E11 7a Dave McLeod
South Face of Washington Column 8b + Matt Wilder
The Great Arete 8c + / E? 7b Steve Dunning
The Nose 8b + Lynn Hill
The Dragon 8b + Patrick Turner
Zebree 8b + Jeff Beaulieu

Zodiac 8b/8b + Huberbaum

Source: www.8a.nu


www.planetmountain.com
(15.01.2007)
Valle di Daone Ice Master runs on January, 19-21

 The traditional Ice Master - most famous international ice climbing world competition assembling the strongest athletes of ice-climbing runs on January, 19-21 in Valle di Daone.

On the programme: lead, speed and bouldering.

In parallel, Montura International Ice Meeting Pareti di Cristallo takes place on January, 19-28.

All photos (number: 6)

Source: www.planetmountain.com

(15.01.2007)
The 16th Piolet d'or celebrates the Himalayas in true alpine style

The ceremony of the 16th Piolet d'or will take place on January 26th in Grenoble, in the Alpes-Congrès Hall, at 8 pm, and will celebrate five great mountaineering achievements which took place in 2006. True to the spirit of the great expeditions of the history of mountaineering, all were carried out in pure alpine style, on unexplored itineraries of major Himalayan mountains.

Pavle Kozjek (Slovenia), is nominated for his solo opening of a new itinerary up the south-western face of the Cho Oyu (8210 m, Nepal), in less than fifteen hours.

Ian Parnell and Tim Emmett (United Kingdom), for opening a new itinerary up the south-eastern pillar of the Kedarnath Dome (6 830m, India).

Marko Prezelj and Boris Lorencic (Slovenia), for the first ascent of the north-western pillar of the Chomo Lhari (7 326 m, Tibet).

Denis Urubko and Serguey Samoilov (Kazakhstan), for opening the north-eastern face of the Manaslu (8 163m, Nepal).

Igor Chaplinsky, Andrey Rodiontsev and Orest Verbitsky (Ukraine), for the first ascent of the northern ridge of the Shingu Charpa (5600m Pakistan).

Invited in Grenoble by the French monthly Montagnes Magazine, the five teams will present their respective achievements to the public before the jury awards the Piolet d'or to the team whose expedition best embodies the values of modern mountaineering: calculated risk taking, high technical performance, economy of means, respect of the human and natural environment.

Presided by the Russian Yuri Koshelenko (Piolet d'or 2003), this year's international jury will be composed of the Swiss mountaineer Michel Piola, of the Americans Steve House and Vince Anderson (Piolet d'Or 2005), of Christian Trommsdorff (France), and of the journalists Im Duck Yong (Korea), founder of the Asian Piolet d'or, Vinicio Stefanello (Italy) and the editorial staff of Montagnes Magazine (France).

This year, the Piolet d'or further broadens its audience, with a televised retransmission. This great moment of the mountaineering calendar will celebrate, once again, the spirit of companionship and solidarity, and the beauty of an exceptional mountaineering achievement, in front of a community of climbers from all nations, free from political and institutional considerations.


Contacts

Press release available on request from Montagnes Magazine :
Tel : 33 - 476 705 411 or e-mail : francois@montagnes-magazine.com

Promotion, organisation :
Sarah Vernier  33 - 675 378 216

(15.01.2007)
Ak-Su-2007. The Krasnoyarians are going to make attack in two teams: a two-man one and a traditional "sextet"

Ak-Su-2007. This time there are two Krasnoyarian teams: E.Dmitrienko and V.Arkhipov will climb in a two-man team and O.Hvostenko, E.Belyaev, V.Gunko, I.Loginov, D.Prokof'ev, B.Rodikov - in a traditional "sextet".
The routes they will choose in situ after expecting the condition of the wall. It seems to be something hard - (and as is well known there in not any easy route to the Ak-Su summit!), but not new.
V.Balezin and a helper A.Komissarov have joined the guys.

We wish good weather, success and the victory be their!

Source: www.stolby.ru


Lhotse South face, 8516m.
Line of the Japanese attempt, December 2006
(10.01.2007)
Lhotse South face. Almost successful winter attempt

Lhotse South face. Almost successful winter attempt A Japanese team of six climbers at an active participation of the members of Korean expedition and sherpas has climbed Lhotse South face. They gave up the attempt and descended in only 40 meter distance up to the summit.

The expedition started in September. Having àacclimatized on Shishapangma during the September and October (no summit) the team set up base camp on the Lhotse glacier at the foot of the wall at 5250 meters on November 12 together with a Korean expedition intent on the same route.

Camp I, at 5900m was settled on November, 18, camp II, at 7100m - on December, 1.

The first summit push by the Japanese-Korean team undertaken on December 24 failed due to a storm wind (70êì/hour) and heavy snowing.

On Christmas Day Tanabe, Takahiro Yamaguchi and Sherpa Pemba Chorten, reached Camp III at 8000 meters.

On December 27 they reached the summit ridge (8475 meters) at about 15:30 but realized they could not safely gain the 8516-meter summit and they had to give up their attempt and descend camp III. At 16:17 exhausted by their efforts continued to descend.

In spite of the fact that the Nepalese calendar winter begins on December, 1 and comes to an end on February, 15, the winter climbing season can be counted from December, 21 till March, 20, that is why Tanabe's summit attempt would not consider as a winter climb.

For today the only line Lhotse South face recognized to have been climbed on is the Soviet Direttissima opened by a National team of the USSR in 1990.

The only climber reached the Lhotse Main summit in winter is Krzysztof Wielicki soloed the classical route on the West face on December 31, 1988.

(9.01.2007)
Birmingham Mountain Film Festival runs on January, 25-27 On January, 25 Birmingham Mountain Film Festival will start in Birmingham of course :-) .

On the programme:

Andy Kirkpatrick: talking and showing the unique big wall demos Dave MacLeod: "E11", the awarded film-winner (Moscow public had an opportunity to estimate it due to Alexander Orlov's heroic conduct) Best of Kendal Film Festival 2006


Page of the expedition
(9.01.2007)
Date update: 19.01.2007
The team is forced to bail. The guys come back.

Georgy Kozlov reports on January, 8 2007:
"On January, 6 in view of weather deterioration and generated snowfall the hard decision - to start descent - after the team has climbed almost one kilometer part of the route was accepted. Descent of 17 rappels took 12 hours. All the guys are safe and sound."

(8.01.2007)
Date update: 9.01.2007
The Pou brothers reach the summit of Fitz Roy and the 6th stage of their proyect

Last saturday at 4h30PM, Iker and Eneko reached the summit of Fitz Roy with argentinian climber Fernando Irrazabal.
They climbed the “Supercanaleta” (1.800m, 6c, 90º, M6). With this ascent, they complete the 6th stage of their proyect "7 big walls, 7 continents".

Pou Brothers website : www.pouanaiak.com

Related links :

Pou brothers

The Pou brothers for Patagonia in January 2006

Trango Nameless Tower debrief: Pou Brothers variation on ‘almost free’ Eternal Flame

SERVICE PRESSE http://www.kairn.com

Source: www.barrabes.com


Page of the expedition
(8.01.2007)
Date update: 19.01.2007
Demchenko Club Expedition: Shkhelda Winter 2007.

Georgy Kozlov reports on January, 5 2007:
"The team has climbed 6 pitches more.  We spend the night in the middle of the left part of a snow-ice slope.  This time the place is more convenient - we have dug a one-and-a-half-meter field in snow. Weather worsened - it's zero visibility.
Our greetings".

Georgy Kozlov reports on January, 4 2007:
Demchenko Club Expedition: Shkhelda Winter 2007: "The site of 7 pitches on the first rocky bastion is climbed."
On January, 4 there was the first day of working on the route. The site of 7 pitches on the first rocky bastion is climbed. It took us a lot of time to dig a place under the tent. So, we had to sleep being seated".


Abramchuk Julia
Photo: Anna Piunova
(8.01.2007)
National team candidates for UIAA Climbing European Boulder Championship - Birmingham (GBR), 16-18.03.2007

The structure is authorized by Russian rock-climbing federation Board.

MEN:
1. Rakhmetov Salavat (World champion), Moscow - Ufa
2. Sharafutdinov Dmitry, Ekaterinburg
3. Gelmanov Rustam, Moscow
4. Kozlov Vasily, Krasnoyarsk
5. Chernikov Mikhail, Voronezh
6. Pekarev Mikhail, Moscow
7. Terent'ev Sergey (reserve), Krasnoyarsk

WOMEN:
1. Bibik Olga (Europe champion ), Krasnoyarsk
2. Abramchuk Julia, SPb
3. Tarasova Tatyana, SPb-Toliatti
4. Alekseeva Ksenia, SPb
5. Chereshneva Yana, Moscow
6. Gallyamova Anna, Ekaterinburg
7. Balakireva Aleksandra (reserve), Moscow

(5.01.2007)
Patagonia expedition race

From the far south of the world, the PATAGONIA EXPEDITION RACE Organization wishes you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, may it be full of great adventures and unforgettable experiences - those that define our character and the way we face life. We will keep on working in order to grant you the opportunity of living unique yet intense experiences in the midst of magical and impressive nature, far away from civilization.

Athletes from France, Spain, United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina and Chile have already confirmed their participation in the next edition of PATAGONIA EXPEDITION RACE, starting next February 11th 2007…  Registration is still open to apply for the final slots you must follow the instructions described in:
www.patagoniaexpeditionrace.com/in/07inscripcion.htm

With only three previous editions, PATAGONIA EXPEDITION RACE has already positioned itself as one of the most followed events in the world today it is in second place amongst the top 100 most important adventure races according to the popularity ranking presented by the Alexa Website (Amazon), one of the top notch statistics websites on the Internet.

(5.01.2007)
New speed record on Aconcagua : 7h52min from Horcones to the summit!

Spanish asturian climber Jorge Egocheaga did the 87kms and 4159m Up and down in 14h5min 54sec. The old record was nearly one hour more.

The 44kms and 4159m of the way up were done in only 7h 52min.

Source: www.barrabes.com & www.Kairn.com

(5.01.2007)
Kalymnos roc trip video

For the new year and to keep our climbing motivation high on a snowy day The New Petzl roc trip video of Kalymnos is now online at www.petzl.com enjoy and spread the word to your friends also on google video look for http://video.google.fr/videosearch?q=annot an underground video made by Phillipe Ribiére (éditing and music) during a team trip in Annot, in case you're looking for a house there...

See you all out there

Laurent de la Fouchardiere


Page of the expedition
(2.01.2007)
Date update: 19.01.2007
Demchenko Club Expedition: Shkhelda Winter 2007. The first news: "The Wall is mindbending the line of the route is impressive".

"On December 26 the team arrived in Dzhantugan mountaineering camp (1800 m). A blizzard and a snowfall met the guys. The bus reached only up to "Elbrus" Control Training Center (2050 m).

Further they took another seat at UAZ vehicle - Russian 4X4. On December, 27 the guys got up to the monument at 2930 m, and could see the Wall and the planned route. It was cold. The Wall is mindbending the line of the route is challenge impressive.
Greetings to everyone! ".

Source: Georgy Kozlov

(28.12.2006)
GHM retire from Piolet d'Or 2007

Since 1990, Le Groupe de Haute Montagne s the most significant ascent of the year in the world of elite alpinism. An expert board chooses between the alpinists nomitated and s the winner of the  « Piolet d’Or », the most covered award in mountain climbing.

The Piolet d'Or has been awarded from the beginning by the joint efforts of the GHM, Guy Chaumereuil and Montagne Magazine, co-founders of the prize and each of them responsible for his specific area of expertise in the event .
Guy Chaumereuil is acting as a general consultant, the G.H.M. acts as the alpinism body of reference and moral caution and Montagne Magazine, with its human and financials resources, is in charge of communication and event organisation.

After several years of co-management, the last ones with increasing relational dificulties, the GHM realized that, despite all the conciliatory skills of Guy Chaumereuil, the necessary respect and confidence needed for the award of the Piolet d'Or are now impossible with Mountain Magazine. Upon reaching these conclusions, the GHM decided not to contribute to the 2007 award.

Montagne Magazine said that this withdrawal doesn’t matter and that the Piolet d’Or 2007 will take place as usual.

G.H.M. sincerely regrets that the 2006 performance, as valid as the ones from the precedent years, cannot get the benefit of its official recognition.  Nominees know the respect and credit given them by the GHM.
They also know  the lasting work of the GHM, a work bridging generations, for the credibility of an evolving ethic, an ethic that respects  traditions and the memory of things done. G.H.M. strongly wishes to promote alpinism and its realizations but not if it means blending styles and games. The only valuable recognition is the one from alpinists to alpinists. They must jealously preserve their total liberty of choice and action.  By retiring from the Piolet d’Or 2007,  le Groupe de Haute Montagne only wants to defend these principles with a strong determination.

Source: www.kairn.com

(27.12.2006)
Merry Christmas Western and Orthodox and Happy New Year! Especially for those who are not going to have a challenge trip :-)

Here have come the good-for-nothing days of attentive cards, bustling for gifts (to wives, husbands, former, present, he, she, children of different beds, parents from both sides, just friends or girlfriends), a frozen scanty fairly priced wood beauty-tree, glare, ornaments, teenagers with petards at the front door, ice-rink, tangerines, drinks, not to be drunk at the wheel, bad celebratory company, dreams, acquaintances, lantern snow... but everything seemed to have a good start... picturesque stories about your old days made you to be a bit awkward and surprised, but you get used to that, aspirin for your head, salads, and sad thoughts that your life is passing by.

And thai is why you have not taken care about the tickets to the fine distant corners. Demchenko club- to Caucasus, Kostrov's family - to Thailand, Orlov & C- to Sinai, Dobrinsky, of course, - to America and even Gustav is going to the Crimea.

We would like to wish Merry Christmas Western and Orthodox and Happy New Year to everybody but especially for forced to sit home :-)

We always keep in touch with you :-) , go round us,

Ever yours,

Mountain.RU

(21.12.2006)

Die Hard IV. 4th Red Bull Romaniacs, 17th – 21st June 2007

Details...

(21.12.2006)
World Champion Harald Berger died during iceclimbing

  World Champion in ice climbing Harald Berger died under the fall of ice mass in Austria yesterday during his training of ice climbing.
 Climbing.de reports that about 150 tons of ice buryed him. The accident happened on Wednesday 20th Dec 2006 at 14.15. It was an ice cave near Hintersee, Flachgau, Austria.
At the fatal moment Hari Berger was bouldering about 3 m above the ground. Probably the shocks by the ice tools iniciated the fall of the whole cave. It is also possible that it was only the bad luck.
Even urgent assistence of fire brigade, mountian rescuers and police could not help him under the 20 - 30 metres blocks.
In the same moment there were other three climbers training with Hary in the cave. They had good luck and escaped without injury.

Austrian Harald Berger (34 years old) was known mainly as the elite ice climber. He was the tripled World Champion. In its climbig diary one can find plenty of hard ascents in domestic Berchstesgaden Alps, Ratikon or for example this year?s expedition to Madagaskar, where together with Czech elite climbers Tomas Sobotka and Ondra Benes and his Austrian climbing partner Floe Scheimpflug climbed first ascent Shortcut 7c+. He wisited with them also Czech traditional climbing sandstone area in Labe walley.

Source: climbing.de, czechclimbing.com


Photo: Anna Piunova, Mountain.RU
(20.12.2006)

Martina Cufar: Bitka s stalaktiti, 8b + á second go

 Martina Cufar repeated the 55-meter route Bitka s stalaktiti (Battle with stalactites), 8b +, paved in a cave at Osp, Slovenia.

 The route is rather "fresh" and goes via a series of fragile tufas. It was bolted and first climbed by Matej Sova and Klemen Becan.

 Martina needed two attempts to succeed and then commented that the style of the route was closer to climbing in Kalymnos,  the Greek island,  than in the neighboring area Misja Pec.
Martina decided not to take part in "competitive" rock-climbing in 2007 after she has given 14 years of her life up to that. For these years she has entered 260 various competitions, 32 times she got on the podium, 6 times she won "Rock Masters", three times - World Cup, nine times - National Championships, and became the second in the European Championship 2002 and the first in  World Champion 2001.

(25.02.2005)
Today, on 25 February Piolet d'Or (Golden Ice Axe) yearly award will be presented in Grenoble, France.

All nominees are assembled. In some minutes the hanging committee opens representation of the projects - the most important alpine achievements over the past year.

In the evening just past midnight (Moscow time) the Winners will be announced.

Check out on the Mountain.RU: NOMINEES PIOLET D'OR 2004

(17.02.2005)
Expedition of Russian Adventure Team Alpindustria - Cerro Torre (Patagonia)-2005
Leonid Kozlov and Alexander Lastochkin reports:
16.02.2005
Hi, everybody!
Now it's 5 am on local time. We had to cease efforts to ascend Fitz Roy because of an objective danger of the route: a huge ice-fall hangs over the couloir and it's constantly under ice bombardment. We decided to change our plans and to climb Saint Exupery peak (2558m). We are going to start, summit and descend this day. The weather forecast is good for the first half of the day, but for the second is bad. We will try to work faster. Wish us good luck.
Cheerie-bye!

(16.02.2005)
Expedition of Russian Adventure Team Alpindustria - Cerro Torre (Patagonia)-2005
Leonid Kozlov and Alexander Lastochkin reports:
Hi, everybody.
Yesterday we descended in Chalten and in the very nick of time - got right into a global climbing party. The party was terrific and we had a great time. As always, Russian songs headed the bill. Alexander's singing already became a legend in Chalten. People recognize him in the street and almost nearly ask for an autograph.

Our climb was rather uneasy - the route appeared very long and difficult. We had to haul a lot of gear as the route includes practically all elements: difficult rock-climbing, AID-climbing, ice and snow climbing. We did our best and showed a good result - for the first day we climbed the ice-fall, made 11 pitches up to the Col and 18 pitches after it and stop to spend the night sitting on a small ledge under the traverse. It was cold but according to the Patagonian measures rather tolerable as it could be much worse. Since the morning we quickly traversed and met a great company of British climbers descending to base camp after four day-climbing the route. They were impressed very much at our technique and speed of climb, and later, on the party they invited us to arrive in UÊ on annual international forum. In the same place we met Slovenian familiar girls Tanya and Monica that had luck this time: they found courage to return after a week-old failure and summited after a three-day climb.

After the traverse we made four pitches more. The sun was already shining with all his might. It was the 4-th day of ideal sun weather. We prayed on good weather and we had it. However it brought us the main problem. Under the sun's rays the summit ice mushroom, hanging above a vertical headwall, began to thaw and crumble. When we got under it, the collapse of ice-blocks drew to a head. Every pitch more and more ice fell from above. Making the 4-th pitch we had to shelter from the ice bombardment with our backpacks for some minutes and to take advantage of a 30-second break to climb some meters more. It became too dangerous. And we decided that living is high and bailed being overpowered by nature. And it was not for nothing. Traversing back and being already in safe place we saw a great ice collapse falling on our route and sweeping away everything on the way. Really, we realized that the danger was over.

Slovene girls descended this dangerous dihedral before us, but they were not such lucky - Monica was rather seriously injured and fractured rib. But all the same, they were very pleased indeed.

For the same reason this day Dean Potter did not manage to summit Torre Egger, Thomas Huber bailed too, the Austrians Toni and Marcus stop climbing Cerro Torre via Maestri -Egger route. Too good weather appeared good-for-nothing for climb in Patagonia.

Now we are reviving in Chalten and plan to leave on Fitz Roy to climb the American route. This time the weather is bad, but according weather forecast we will have a weather window on Monday. And on Monday we will leave Polish camp site at the foot of Fitz Roy. We have no enough time, in a week we have to leave back. So if they do not prove the weather window, we will not climb at all. It will not be easy to get under the route: we have to go through rather dangerous place - a couloir between Fitz Roy and Poincenot with hanging above huge ice seracs. We will try to work quickly.

Wish us of good luck.
Leonid, Alexander, Olga.

(11.02.2005)
Expedition of Russian Adventure Team Alpindustria - Cerro Torre (Patagonia)-2005
Leonid Kozlov and Alexander Lastochkin reports:
10.02.2005
Hi! Having climbed the Mountain for two days we had to descend yesterday. We were too close to summit but got into a violent icefall right under the summit mushroom. Thank Heaven we are safe and sound but it was too dangerous there and decided to stop climbing and descend. Now we have a rest. We'll inform you about our further plans.
That's all on for today. Take care.

(7.02.2005)
Expedition of Russian Adventure Team Alpindustria - Cerro Torre (Patagonia)-2005
Leonid Kozlov and Alexander Lastochkin reports:
08.02.2005
Hi everybody!
Yesterday we descended to El Chalten. Three days ago we hired horses and moved our base camp (150 kg!) in Camp-Bridwell. Campamento Bridwell at Lago Torre is a very cosy camping area embowered in trees. A stunning view at Cerro Torre massif opens from there. There are a lot of aspiring Cerro Torre climbers and trekkers living there now. Weather was wonderful. However toward evening surprisingly beautiful clouds of fantastic colors and shapes reminding UFOs appeared in the sky. It's the typical sign of an impending storm.

At night there was a nasty turn in the weather indeed, however the next day it improved again and we moved forward to Norwegian-camp at the foot of Cerro Torre. Having humped our heavy backpacks (about 40kg each) we made good time crossing 10 km onto a huge glacier, moraines and loose talus for 11 hours. Well, later we were requited for our uneasy trek.

Dean PotterA good company consisting of Dean Potter and his wife, Thomas Huber, climbers from Austria and Slovenia met us at Norwegos (Norwegian camp). Dean, his wife Stephanie and Thomas told that the Austrians first and they after them were going to start at midnight. And Dean really wanted to b.a.s.e.-jump from Cerro Torre summit.

Tomas HuberTowards evening a Slovene two-woman team returned from ascent to the base camp. Monica and Tanya on hearsay were the first female team summited Fitzroy. They were very pleased and cheerful as they returned safe and sound. The day before (right when we were admiring clouds in Bridwell) they got into a violent storm. They did not have even waterproof gloves and their descent was rather difficult. In spite of the fact that they did not climb the last 4 pitches up to the top and bailed their mood was wonderful. Really everybody here are enamoured of climbing in itself. It does not matter if you manage to summit or not.

Having spent the white night under stones at Norwegos we moved further. Under the plan we had to climb towards the Col where to spend the night. But on our way we were informed on a satellite phone about bad weather forecast for the nearest 3 days. It seemed to be the truth because since the morning the summit was tightened with dark clouds with lightning flashed in. Thus everywhere except for Cerro Torre the weather was good. Fitzroy (just in 3 km) was absolutely clear of cloud. We dropped the backpacks and went further with light baggage - to get limbered up and look at the route condition. On our way we met the Slovenes who bailed their climb due to the bad weather and then Dean Potter and Thomas Huber. They did not want to ask for trouble too climbing through bad weather. Thomas appeared a very pleasant guy, smiling and thanking a lot when we suggested them to throw off the rope for rappelling.

Austrians & SashaThe ice-fall leading to the rocks under the Col was strongly softened under the bright sun. Getting over a bergschrund, we had to climb a hanging wall covered with softened granulated snows. Tools did not hold in general, even when having been hammered on the shaft, they went further deep under pressing. We moved trying to find slices of firm ice, in size of a coin. Probably, the summit ice mush-room is in the same condition. But, as people speak "it's possible".

As the result we climbed halfway up to the col. Rocks were wet with ice sites in places and we climbed in crampons. When small avalanches began to collapse we gave up and descended right up to Bridwell-camp.

Cerro Torre at dawnNow we are in Chalten attached ourselves to an excellent company: Leo Houlding and Kevin Thaw, Thomas Huber singing his songs to a guitar, Dean, cheerful guys from Slovenia and a lot of others. Yesterday we had a good party in our camping singing Russian songs on happy three voices to a guitar too.

Leo and Kevin just summited Fitzroy, Cazarotto route (North ridge). They had expected to climb the route for one day (under the description it's difficultly no more than 6b, and the guys are the real experienced climbers of 8-graded lines). However the route appeared very complex. They had to spend 2 cold nights on the wall without sleeping bags and a stove, meal and water. They were heated putting on backpacks on a head. After they descended Leo was sleeping for two days and then was drinking nonstop one day more. Now he is as sober as a judge, and they'll leave tomorrow for the next climb: this time it is El Mocho turn.

Dean and Stephanie yesterday descended to Bridwell and tomorrow are going to Norwegos. They want to try to summit Cerro Torre all the same. We'll leave tomorrow too. We decided to try to start directly from Norwegos in alpine style not to bivy at the Col. It would be hard. All the route includes about 40 pitches. We'll start at night on Monday. We have a good forecast on Monday - Tuesday, but on Wednesday the weather will start to spoil.

We'd like to hug tight all of you,
Alexander, Leonid, Olga.

(7.02.2005)
Expedition of Russian Adventure Team Alpindustria - Cerro Torre (Patagonia)-2005
Leonid Kozlov and Alexander Lastochkin reports:
03.02.2005
Hi, everybody. Today we finally climbed up to Norwegian camp site. It took us rather much time.
People say that there is a bad weather forecast for the day after tomorrow and we do not know really what to do. We need two days to try for the summit.

Tomorrow we will climb hardly upper and spend the night on a shoulder's bergschrund there. Thomas Huber and Dean Potter plan to start climbing in 2 hours and ascend all the night, i.e. tomorrow to reach the top and then Dean Potter wants to make a b.a.s.e.-jump right from the summit.

(3.02.2005)
Expedition of Russian Adventure Team Alpindustria - Cerro Torre (Patagonia)-2005
Leonid Kozlov and Alexander Lastochkin reports:
01.02.2005
Our greetings to everybody! Yesterday we reached Base Camp and homed in it. We found a lot of people there. Thomas Huber told us about his brother Alex Huber that had to left home because had wounded his eye (at least the story runs that). Weather has been standing magnificent for three days, and it hurts us that we arrived so late. We are afraid, that good weather will not hold for some days more and we will not have time to ascend. Tomorrow we are going to climb up to Norwegian camp site and , the day after tomorrow we plan to get the Col and if the weather is good we will make a summit push the next day.

That is all there is to it for today.

(1.02.2005)
Expedition of Russian Adventure Team Alpindustria - Cerro Torre (Patagonia)-2005
29.01.
We flied almost lost-free. Only two backpacks with our belongings, sleeping bags, etc. and a tent were lost en route. But as people say money makes the mare go and we are going to buy needed gear in El Calafate where we will take off tomorrow.

And in Buenos Aires the real summer holds. They are dancing tango in the streets, beggars and paperboys are passing to and fro. The day is sweaty. Tomorrow we take off for El Calafate.

We'd like to hold you in our arms.
Alxander, Leonid, Olga.

30.01.
Things are shaking down rapidly. They found Olga's backpack and delivered it. In an hour our plane departs to El Calafate. Our greetings to everybody.

Today we arrived from Buenos Aires in El Calafate. Cerro Torre and Fitzroy were visible from the plane. The sky is grotesque here. Low torn clouds, absolutely flat, bear heavily on your mind.

As expected we bought all needed things in El Calafate. You can't pick and choose here because practically all the things sold there are made by one local company...

There was only one terrible tent and we had to buy it unconscious of how to use it. But there was no other alternative. And we bought a cool newest down sleeping bag in weight of 700g.

Tomorrow at 7 a.m. we leave in Chalten by bus. This journey will take us for 5 hours.

Alxander, Leonid, Olga.

 

 Ines PapertHarald Berger

(31.01.2005)
Harald Berger and Ines Papert are the World and European Ice Boulder Champions

In the Super Final in Valle di Daone the Austrian and German beat Herbert Klammer from Italy and Natalia Koulikova from Russia.

Simon Wandeler from Switzerland and Jenny Lavarda from Italy placed third.

For full news reports and a great photo gallery by Giulio Malfer, please visit: http://www.daoneicemaster.it/

 

 

www.planetmountain.com

(31.01.2005)
Kodar-2005
30.01.05.

The team successfully summited on January 29!
On January 29 the guys woke up early in the morning (4 a.m.) and started their summit bid. After they climbed the summit bastion and narrow rocky ridge, all the team reached the Kodar's summit at 9.00. Temperature was negative 43, but weather was breathless. That day all of them safe and sound descended to the base camp toward evening.

Such fast ascent's ending appeared unexpected for a lot of fans. We were adjusted for waiting for good news for some days. As it turned out during communication Kodar-Krasnoyarsk Nikolay omitted mention of the bottom 4-5 pitches of an abrupt snow-ice couloir they had climbed. Thus, all the route is really of 22 pitches, extent of its wall part - 17 pitches.

All the plans have been completely accomplished. The team prepares for returning. Term of return depends on helicopter's availability in Taksimo and good weather.

We congratulate and wait for the winners!

(26.01.2005)
Kodar-2005
26.01.05.
We have already climbed a half of the route. We abide by the schedule. On January 24 we made 3 pitches, it's a record for the present time. Yesterday we made only one pitch. Today two-man team of Dmitrienko and Tsyganov is next in turn to fix the rope on the route. In total, since 19 of January we made 13 pitches - it's approximately a half of the route. Yesterday the team in its full complement took off and now is making themselves at home in a tent settled in a small rocky niche that was found in the area of 12-th pitch.

We decided not to take off the fixed rope for extreme descent in case of bad weather. Today is negative 34, but a thermometer has already registered -38 and-40 degrees centigrade. The wall is very cold and all ice-covered due to its exposition: within all the day any stream of sun does not reach its slopes. Large monolithic blocks, corners, chimneys are characteristic parameters of wall's terrain structure. It's hard to organize a safe belay. We use sky-hooks to climb very firm granite plates, but it's really difficult. Steepness is up to 80 degrees in places, but the top part of the route seems more abrupt on the average.

Everything is lovely in the base camp. The warmed tent Rock Pillars is worth its keep. When it's made up the fire in it we have about +20 inside. Under the wall we dug a good cave for 6 people. The area is very interesting, wild: there is not any local habitation, hunting shelters or man's traces. Loginov and Sikilinda climbed a beautiful winter 5B-graded route on the next (left) mountain spending 2 days for fixing the rope and one day for the summit push. The other free members of our expedition climbed less complex routes 1B- and 2A-graded.

We keep shootings a film about our expedition. In spite of the fact that the camera is frequently freezing, we have already shot an hour and a half. Misha Vershinin actively works. Now it's full of the moon, and Mike is shooting even in the moonlight. Unfortunately, there is no opportunity to send photos. And we can only receive SMS-messages but not send them.

Keep in touch with us!

24.01.05.
For two days the guys made two complex pitches more. For two days the guys made two complex pitches more. In total 9 pitches are climbed. Firm granite, cold, ice-covered rocks. Today Prokof'ev and Belyanin are working. They have to find a convenient site for the first hanging camp. Temperature is negative 30.

(26.01.2005)
New world champions in ice-climbing. January, 21-22, The 2nd World Championships for Difficulty- and Speed Ice Climbing and the 1st Swiss Ice Climbing Masters in Difficulty and Speed, Saas-Fee, Switzerland.

In ice-climbing organizers do not want to peddle cups: if they carry out something it will be a championship. The results of World Championship-2005 were summed up: Austrian Hari Berger and Petra Muller from Switzerland won Difficulty and Evgeny Kryvosheytsev from Ukraine and Natalia Kulikova from Russia were the first in speed.

Results

Difficulty. Men

1 BERGER Hari (Austria)
2 ANTHAMATTEN Simon (Switzerland)
3 LEICHTFRIED Albert (Austria)

4 BENDLER Markus (Austria)
5 ANTHAMATTEN Samuel (Switzerland)
6 WANDELER Simon (Switzerland)
7 KRYVOSHEYTSEV Evgeny (Ukraine)
8 ODERMATT Urs (Switzerland)

Difficulty. Women

1 MULLER Petra (Switzerland)
2 PAPERT Ines (Germany)
3 MAUREAU Stephanie (France)

4 BUCHMANN Kirsten (Germany)
5 TORRETTA Anna (Italy)
6 EYER Alexandra (Switzerland)
7 FILIPPOVA Maryam (Russia)
8 SHABALINA Maria (Russia)

Speed. Men

1 KRYVOSHEYTSEV Evgeny (Ukraine)
2 FAYZULLIN Igor (Russia)
3 CHVED Nikolai (Russia)

4 HOFER Lars (Switzerland)

Speed. Women

1 KOULIKOVA Natalia Russia
2 OLEINIKOVA Joulia Russia
3 TORRETTA Anna Italy

Photo: Hari Berger. Author: Giulio Malfer,
www.planetmountain.com

(24.01.2005)
On Saturday January, 22, Sergey Borisov was killed in an automobile accident in Ekaterinburg. I do not know, what I can add any more. Suddenly I realized that I have nothing to say if it happens to my friends... because it is not right..

Sergey Borisov

Master of Sport of International Grade
For a long time he was the captain of Sport Club of Army of Ural military region.
He became four times champion of USSR, twice champion of Russia, numerous prize-winner of different national championships.

The last climber who was called as "The best climber of the USSR" (1990 and 1991) just before USSR's disintegration.

1990 - won the USSR championship in a technical class (Fanskie mountain) having ascended 8 summits for 13 days (six 5B-graded routes and two 6À).

1991 - the USSR championship, a rocky class, Karavshin gorge of the Turkestansky ridge. The team of Alexander Klenov, Sergey Borisov, Michael Bruk, Igor Bugachevsky, Michael Donskikh, Alexander Solodovnikov summited peaks "Slesova", "Asan" and won "the gold".

1991 - the USSR championship, a technical class, Aksu gorge of the Turkestansky ridge. The team of Sergey Borisov, Alexander Klenov, Michael Brook, Michael Donskikh, Alexander Kolesov, Alexander Limarenko summited Admiralteets, Iskander, A.Blok and won "the gold".

2002 - Everest via Northern col.

2004 - Jannu North Face, summiter

(24.01.2005)
Kodar-2005

22.01.05
Everything is turning out well. We dug a cave and sorted out the problem of fire wood. Three two-man teams (Prokofiev-Belyaev, Dmitrienko-Tsyganov, Tsygankov - Cherezov) worked alternating on the route for 3 days and made 7 pitches. It became warmer a little, -20, snowfalls. The Wall is ice- and snow-covered.

21.01.05
It's snowing, temperature is -20. 5 pitches are made.

19.01.05
Kodar-2005. Nikolay Zakharov called: We continue to make our base camp more comfortable. There is a lot of snow. We clear away the beaten track to the wall. It's -35. Our greetings to everybody!

(24.01.2005)
Simone Moro. Shisha Pangma. First wimter ascent
20.01
Till the end this expedition was very hard…
After the summit and the attempt form Jacek and Darek, they braked for the horrible wind and temperature (more than - 40 degree) it begins to snow and it bad weather continue. We decided to try to go to Nyalam, the first village, where we did start our trek one month ago. There we will take the jeeps to Kathmandu.

The day before we start our descent adventure we lost our Kitchenboy Chiring, who went to ABC to take down the last things….. In the evening he didn’t come back to BC and we was very worry…. All together we went out in the darkness and the storm, looking for him. We thought about the worst, because the temperature was very low and it had snow a lot. Luckily Chiring organised by himself one bivac 2 ours far from BC, when he understood the difficulty of the situation. But we pasted a very bad night….

The they after we Chiring arrived in BC and we all were very happy to see him. But one other dramatic adventure was starting. At 12:30 we started from BC at 5200 meters to Nyalam at 3750 and 25 km far. Nobody from us thought, that only after some ours we would find storm, - 30 degree, fog and snow sometimes till our waist!!! We needed 14 ours without stop, fighting with the elements and in the darkness, before we arrived with totally cold in Nyalam. My small finger is black and all the other fingers I have only partially sensibility. The others are only tired from the exhausting work and some small frostbite in the face (also I have….). More than one time we finished in the icy water from the river, because he was covert by thin ice and snow, that broken when we passed over. Other times the snow was so deep and powdery near to impossible to go on. At 3:30 Peking time Piotr and I reached the place where we slept when we did go up. The others came a little later and at last Jan after some ours. I think our looks were not so nice, because the people observed us long…..

The day after we droved by the jeep to Zangmu, the boarder to Nepal. There we take showers and sauna for 3 ours non-stop!!!

Today we arrived at Kathmandu. On more shower and now we are preparing to go out from our Hotel and I want to eat a big beef and make party for be back to the normality.

P.S. Today, the 20th of January the CTMA certificated our summit with the sentence “first winter Summit” as the first winter summit from Shisha Pangma, maked by Simone Moro ITA and Piotr Morawski POL at the 14th of Januray

 

Svetlana Boldykova(24.01.2005)
From January 15-23, 2005 the 2005 Snowboard World Championships took place in Whistler, Canada.
On January 18 Russians sportsmen showed good results: at Women's Parallel Giant Slalom (PGS - Olympic discipline) Svetlana Boldykova became the second, Ekaterina Tudigescheva - the forth and at Men's Parallel Giant Slalom Denis Salagaev was the ninth.

On January 19 at Parallel Slalom Denis became only 13th and Svetlana - 12th. The world championship is carried out twice a year.

And against rather sad results of Russian skiers in technical sports (slalom, giant slalom) success of our snowboarding team is impressing.

 

 

(24.01.2005)
Ines Papert breaks record in Ouary Ice Park, USA
Igor Ivashura, CYKHAX ENT, Munich, informs:
This girl just went and did that left behind all the monsters of ice-climbing and showed the best result among men and women on the tenth annual "Ouary Ice Festival" (USA)!!!

Ines Papert won Difficulty event with the best time 19:53 and thousand spectators could enjoy her sending the most complicated mixed line in the artificial ice canyon. She was the unique women made TOP - really that was not a sensation, but that fact that her time was the best by the end of the competitions went through like a packet of salts! A cool Canadian athlete Will Gadd yielded this fragile German girl almost for two minutes, and Harry Berger from Austria - much more than that. It is fair to say that Will Gadd sent a final line without "Heelhooks" manner and that took much more time to send. Well, this result and sending the route of "Vertical Limit" are confirmed Ines's high class and unconditional leadership among all the masters of frozen water.

The tenth annual festival "Events in Ouary" (Salt Lake City, Utha) became unqualified success of its Organizers, some thousand spectators were obvious confirmation to that. The conditions for ice-climbing in Ouary canyon were simply phenomenally good. And slide shows and a fashion parade of exclusive sports mark "Arc'teryx" completed even without that interesting evening programs.

Ines's result is really unique.

The Chief of Black Diamond European branch said: "Ines is very cool. I do not know any woman in athletic sports in which a girl could become better, than the best man!"

Total report

Men
1 22:47 WILL GADD
2 23:10 HARRY BERGER
3 14:10 SEAN ISAAC
4 21:20 ROB OWENS
5 20:20 ALJAZ ANDERJLE
6 14:13 JARED OGDEN
7 18:52 SEAN HUISMAN
8 15:45 RICH PURNELL
9 10:40 DALE REMSBERG
10 17:59 SONNIE TROTTER
11 13:28 VINCE ANDERSON
12 12:19 LOUIS JULIENNE ROY
13 16:42 ADAM STACK
14 6:50 RYAN NELSON
Women
1 19:53 INES PAPERT ALL ALL
2 14:05 KIRSTEN BUCHMANN
3 20:10 AUDREY GARIEPY
4 16:14 ANNA TORRETTA
5 13:53 SUE NOTT
6 14:54 KRISTIE AREND
7 10:15 ISABELLE SANTOIRE
8 11:35 SHELLY HUISMAN
9 8:50 ABBY WATKINS

Photo - www.bergsteigen.at

(21.01.2005)
Georgian Mountain, Adventure and Extreme Film Festival N I A M O R I
In January-March 2005, in Georgia (former Soviet Union) Tbilisi will host the second annual Mountain Film Festival “Niamori”
Details

 

(19.01.2005)
Kodar-2005
18.01.05 Zakharov called from base camp:
16.01 The bad weather was.
17.01 We finally got to the area of ascent. The gorge is so narrow that the helicopter could not find any convenient site to land and we were dropped in deep snow from a hovering helicopter.

The Wall justifies our expectations: impressive, severe, tempting. It's very abrupt and has altitude difference not less than 1000m. We set a camp in 3 kilometers from the Wall. Woodland is insignificant there.

Today the part of our team went downwards the gorge for preparation of fire wood for the stove, and the others went to break trail to Wall's foot. Yesterday the temperature in Taksimo was negative 40, but in the gorge it is a little bit warmer.

Our greetings to everyone who is a fan of us!

14.01.2005 Our Expedition started.

Check out on the Mountain.RU: Kodar range, Czarsky Tron (Czar's Throne, 2500) New Route, 6B, 1000 meters SW wall

(18.01.2005)
Simone Moro. Shisha Pangma. First wimter ascent
18.01
Bad weather. Since 3 days is snowing and obviously the yak can not start from Nyalam and come to base camp to take all our equipment and transport to the village that is 25 km from here. In the meantime we celebrate the success play cart, or chess, reading books and also waiting boring for the sun....

Portfolio

 

(17.01.2005)
"Russian Pumori Team" Expedition
15.01
Vladimir Belousov informs:
Yesterday, 14.01, we left C2 at 6100 heading to C3 at 6500 and somewhere at 6300 were rested against a crevasse of about one kilometer long and failed to get over it. Usually it is tight, but now looks freshly open. And as we were going in Alpine style... Plus other problems: Pavel was ill, all of us were tired a bit. Therefore we decided to descend.

One of these days the guys come back, but I want to be late a little and stay here to take a walk. Our greetings to all of you.

(14.01.2005)
Simone Moro. Shisha Pangma
14.01
Summit!
Simone Moro and Piotr Morawski summited today at 13.15. We followed the Yugoslavian route on the south face of Shisha Pangma.
Yesterday we fixed ropes to the col, set up the Camp II, and today we decided for a summit push. The wind was strong, reaching 30-35 m/s. After 5 hours of fast climbing we summited.

This is first winter ascent on Shisha Pangma in history (callendar winter started 21st December) and we can truly say that in typical winter conditions (strong wind, no snow, a lot of ice). Now only six 8000 meters peaks are waiting for its first winter ascents...


13.01
Simone and Piotr reached the col and put up Camp 2 on 7400!
Today morning we took the tent (heavy but we wanted C2 to be comfortable), sleeping bags and food. We climbed very fast because we wanted to reach the col. On 7300 we started also to fix. Most of today climbing was on the rocky part, not difficult, but dangerous (moving stones and not solid rock). When we reached the col it was already in shadow, and it was extremely cold. During setting up the tent we observed that a part of the ridge is little protected from this terrible, strong and freezing wind. A big part of the ridge is of course not protected, but... So we decided to try summit tomorrow! Cross fingers!...

Simone and Piotr

(14.01.2005)
Petites Jorasses. First free climbing "Omega" route Britons Nick Bullock and Stuart MacAleese became the third team climbed historical Patrick "Gab" Gabarrou's and Ferran Latorre's route "Omega" on Petites Jorasses (Mt. Blanc), (700m, VI/5+,A3).

It is worthwhile to say that Nick and Stuart sent the route clean, i.e. free climbed. Nick already tried the route last year but fell and broke his anklebone, and this year he returned there with MacAleese to have luck again on 13-pitch mixed route. All the route took them four days, from which two full days they were climbing.

http://desnivel.com/

 

(14.01.2005)
Ice-climbing. Jenny Lavarda and Hannes Pfeifhofer are the champions of Italy
The second stage of the Italian Ice-climbing championship "ITALIAN ALPINE CUP" finished at the last weekend in Val Passiria .
At men having got over all the grandees and merited runners as Bubu Mauro Bole and Herbert Klammer Hannes Pfeifhofer, a 18-year climber, unexpectedly won the gold.
Jenny Lavarda, having switched off from rock-climbing on ice in this winter season, took part at such events for the first time and won by a head. Silvia Cian is the second and Monica Gemelli- the third.

http://www.planetmountain.com/

 

 

(14.01.2005)
GRANDES JORASSES. Linceul (4208m). Winter solo
Ferran Martínez is the Spanish climber soloed the "great classics" of GRANDES JORASSES: Linceul. Some days later his climb was repeated by other Spanish climber Eloi Callado.

http://desnivel.com/

 

 

(14.01.2005)
The fifth summit under the project "Caucasus Five thousand-Mountains in Winter" has been climbed
Sergey Shchepachkov informs:

On January, 9, 2005 a team of climbers (Ivan Artemov, Ivan Alentsev, Victor Afanasyev, Andrey Bukin, and Oleg Bibin) summited Mt. Kazbek (5033m) within the framework of the project "Caucasus Five thousand-Mountains in Winter".
Weather during the ascent held ideal. I got cold and had to stop climbing and left the team during the summit push. Proshchenko Maxim and Grishnjachy Leonid had to abandon the team too. The route line went from Northern Ossetia side, through Genaldonskoe gorge via Pastukhova route.

(14.01.2005)
"Russian Pumori Team" Expedition
12.01
Vladimir Belousov reports:
12.01 we climbed up to 6100, fixed the rest ropes and today we have a rest after very exhausting working day. The weather is excellent, it's rather warm and seems tremendously improved then last year.

 

 

(13.01.2005)
Simone Moro. Shisha Pangma
12.01
All the night the wind shook the tents and it was difficult to sleep. Also the mountain was very loud, showing what the hell is going up. In the morning we wait for the sun and then we crowed from our sleepingbags.
Today the sky was with no clouds, but cold wind was stopping us, especially on plateau. Now we are sitting in the tent of Camp 1 and prepare for tomorrow: very important and also exhausting day. We wish the wind let us through the col...

Simone and Piotr

(12.01.2005)
Simone Moro. Shisha Pangma
11.01
Going up! The next attack to the mountain has just begun. We're sitting (Simone and Piotr) already in ABC (5600). After a few days rest Darek and Jacek are also going up.

The wind is still blowing with terrible force. But we'd like to reach the col (about 7300) and hope to set up Camp 2 behind the col. Today, during the way to the ABC we were watching a wind smoke on the summit ridge, and we didn't want even to think what was up there...

Also the south wall of Shisha has totally changed character comparing to that 2 weeks ago: instead of snow we could see big fields of pure ice!

(11.01.2005)
"Russian Pumori Team" Expedition
10.01
Vladimir Belousov reports:
Three days ago we had started to climb aiming to settle the Camp I at 6100 but managed to fix the rope only somewhere up to 6000. We saw that we would not have any difficulties on the route further but with night coming on we had to descend and rest. Tomorrow we plan to start climbing again: to reach 6100m the day after tomorrow and to make the summit push at 14.01. The normal weather holds.

 

(11.01.2005)
Simone Moro. Shisha Pangma
10.01
First day of the week and, as the weather forecast said, will be the same all the rest of the week: windy!!. The wind continue to be strong and for the next weekend Karl Gabl from Innsbruck said that the speed could arrive also to 180 km/h!!!! "be patient" said Karl, but for us is difficult to be...

We are in a good physical condition and motivation is high... In any case we will follow his advise and Piotr and I will go tomorrow "only" to try to finish to fix all the route till the ridge at 7300 and fix C2. Than we will be back in base camp waiting for good news from Karl and his perfect forecast.

09.01
Wind, wind, strong wind. Today the force of the wind is extremely high. We decided to reinforce with ropes and big stones the kitchen tend and dining tend. The store tend brake this morning for the strong wind. The birds already brake many tends (also in C1) looking for food so we don't want to have other damages to our equipment. At 10 am we get contact with Darek and Jacek that still were in C1.

Yesterday they get a really hard job and difficult conditions and this morning was difficult to take decision to left the sleeping bags and start for the descent to ABC and BC. Jan also started to come down from ABC to BC and this evening we will be all together here at 5200 meter of Base Camp. Tomorrow we will take decision and strategies for the next important week....

08.01
Another day of extreme cold and strong wind, but Darek and Jacek did a great job. They carried 400 meters of rope till 7200 and fix 100 of those. It had been not enough to reach the ridge but it is closer and closer.... Now Darek and Jacek "sleep" in C1 and tomorrow they probably came down to ABC or BC to take a good rest. I and Piotr continue to eat and get rest to be ready after a few days to set C2 and maybe make already a first summit attempt....

Yesterday we finished to repair one of the 3 tends we get in ABC that had been seriously broken from the big hungry birds. The birds were looking for food and brake all the tends, without find any food (we left especially in a plastic drum). Maybe the damage is a revenge....?

07.01
Yesterday we get a terrible cold and difficult day but at the end we reached 7200 m. Piotr and I dreamed to stand up of the ridge but we finished the fix rope at 50/100 m of altitude to the ridge. We have to set 200/300 m rope still. We would like to observe the last 700 meters of difference between the col and the summit. In our plan after rest, we want to fix a tend on the col at 7350 meter and spend night to acclimatise well and also using that point as the starting point for the summit. Today Piotr and I came back to Base camp and we will remain 3 days to get a full rest. Yesterday we get -40° degree and strong wind and we need time to find again the energies to work. Darek and Jacek today carried up 400 meters rope till C1.

Tomorrow they will try to carry higher.... Cross the finger for us.... The next 1/2 weeks will be extremely important for the climb.
FOTO: Cold in the tend

05.01
The winter now is here completely...
Wind was attacking us all the day. On the morning temperature was about -30 degree Celsius in the ABC at 5600 m.

Darek and Jacek were working all the day above the C1 (6550 m). They probably reached 6800 m, foot of the last few hundreds meters of couloir.
Today Simone and Piotr carried equipment to C1, also the tent for Camp 2, which should stand on the col.

Our route occured longer than we expected and with ropes we already have up, it will be difficult to reach the col. But we will do our best.

04.01
The good weather returned. After 4 days of storm and cold, today we saw again the sun. It had been a cold night but the morning sun get us the possibility to continue to work on the mountain. Unfortunately with the sun is arrived also the strong wind in high altitude and in the next weekend the speed will be over 40 m/sec (160 km/h). Today Darek and Jacek went to ABC and tomorrow they will reach the tend we set at 6600 m. They will spend night and the day after will try to climb higher. Piotr and I will follow them tomorrow and for the week end we dream to reach the end of the face ad set the tend on the ridge at 7200 m. The problem will be the wind... but we will try to do our best to resist. Yesterday we get the first technical problem.

Our generator stopped to work and "get frostbite". Piotr and Jan today made a surgery operation and they obtain to get 12 volt power from it. Together my solar pannel we should continue to give enough energy to our camp...

01.01.2005
Is arrived also here at base camp the midnight but nobody was in the dining tend waiting for it. We was too tired and was to cold and we decided to go in our warm sleeping bags and sleep deeply. Also today the weather is bad with wind and snow and it should be the same also for the next 2 days.

Karl Gabl (our Austrian Guru for the weahter forecast) said to be patient and to call him Monday in Innsbruck. We will have our next weather forecast and we hope to have good news...

We wish again a nice 2005 full of smiling moments...

31.12
After 4 days climbing along the Jugoslavian route on Shisha Pangma, we came back to Base Camp. Storm and bad weather obliged us to turn back. I and Piotr spent nigh at 6550 and today we planned to go near 7000 meters but this was impossible. So from 6550 we came directly back to 5200 meters of base camp (log way....)

Last night the wind and the cold had been a good test for our capacities. The bad weather should persist for the next 3/4 days and we will take a good rest and "charge our motivations and determination". Tonight we will celebrate the new year and we wish to all of you a 2005 in health and without any polemic...

Have a nice 2005!! and I hope you will continue to follow the adventures from me and my friends also in 2005.

On the way to C1(31.12.2004)
Simone Moro. Shisha Pangma
30.12
We (Simone and Piotr) started today early. In our rucksacks we had ropes, climbing equipment, tent, sleeping bags, food and all what is necessary for setting a camp. The wind came and the weather is changing. After a few hours we reached the point which Darek and Jacek left depot in. We took also those things and heavy loaded we came under the big serac, below huge crevasse where we found a good place for our Camp I. The altitude is about 6550.

Tomorrow we'd like to work higher. Now the weather is quite good, a lot of clouds, sometimes sun and the wind is shaking our tent, but not blowing us out from the wall.

Ciao, Simone

(27.12.2004)
Simone Moro. Shisha Pangma
24.12
Finally we reached base camp of the south face of Shisha pangma. We trek 2 days together with our carovan of 32 yaks and yesterday afternoon we arrived here at 5250 meters.

Today we worked to fix all the tends of base camp and fix them with ropes and big stones to avoid that wind brake them during next storms. Tonight we will celebrate our Christmas and Jan prepared a nice Christmas tree in the dining tend. Tomorrow we probably go to ABC and back to BC, to carry some equipment.

We wish all of you our greetings and Marry Christmas!!!

base camp

Simone, Jan, Darek, Piotr, Jacek

(22.12.2004)
Simone Moro. Shisha Pangma
22.12
Today we finaly start from Nyalam. Yesterday we hardly discuss with the yak drivers and Laison officier about the weight that each yak can carry and price of the extra yak we have to take. The yak drivers said that each yak can carry 40 kg. but the truth is that 60 kg is the normal weight agreed since ever with them and TMA. In this way we discussed for some hours and at the end we agreed that we will take and pay 10 extra yaks and other 5 extra will be paid from TMA. Totally we started this morning wiht 32 yaks to transport our 1606 kg of equipment, gas, kerosene, food and all necessary to remain for 2 month at B.C and on high camps. The weather is still good even the temperature went down in compare of one week before.
Ciao Simone and all team

21.12
I left my computer and modem behind in the bin. Instead, I'm writing with Piotr's PC because he's come up on the roof of the hostel where we're staying in order to send messages. We're sentries up here…

We arrived in Nyalam today. We left yesterday because today there was supposed to be a strike with numerous blockades on the street from Kathmandu to the border. Unfortunately, although we left yesterday we still had problems half an hour before Kodhari (on the border of Nepal and China). A military street blockade with a barbed wire and machine gunners lined up forced us to wait until the next day to continue. We were able to sleep in a small private house and eat in a hut for the Nepalese.
The block was due to an armed clash with Maoists a few hours prior to our arrival, which had killed 11 people! This morning we left and passed the "Friendship Bridge," crossing into Tibet. We met Dawa, the liason officer and Nawang, who was the liason officer for JC Lafaille. He told us that the French alpinist had arrived in Tibet on the 11th of November.

A few days ago, before returning to Nepal, he gave Lafaille the certificate which proves his climb to the peak at 14:00 on December 11th, but he did not write "WINTER EXPEDITION" even though the Frenchman insisted he write it because he didn't consider it a winter climb. Nawang says that he has 10 years of expedition experience in all 4 seasons and Lafaille's climb was not to be registered with the TMA as a "WINTER EXPEDITION" but as "LATE AUTUMN." Anyone can contact Nawang at the TMA in order to confirm this.

The French alpinist got his Chinese Visa extended because he only intended to stay 30 days and as he entered Tibet and started the expedition before December 1st, he acted with the normal autumn permission. With all this news and clarification, added to the scientific one of the world season calendar which says that winter starts the 21st of December, we must consider that Shisha Pangma has never been conquered in winter. Now it's up to us to see if this climb is possible…
Bye, Simone

Translation by Jonathan Etes

(17.12.2004)
German TOP-climbers Robert Jasper and Stefan Glowacz did not sustained the most severe gale-force wind and bailed their first ascent Murallon, North face, (Patagonia).

Having stayed for some days in only 150 meters up to the summit waiting for the weather window, the guys began their sad descent.

www.robert-jasper.de

(15.12.2004)
Simone Moro. Shisha Pangma.
Our trekking to go back to Kathmandu began today. Now we are in Deboche at 3700 meters and tomorrow some of us will go to Lukla and 1 or 2 members will spend other 2 days going down. Tomorrow we will meet Jan Szulc that should be in Namche as he arrived 1 week later than us in Nepal.

Today we navigated in internet to see how is going with the news about the JC Lafaille climb on Shisha. With huge surprise we saw the photo of the "new line" of JC, because we discovered that 50% of that route is our route of last winter (green line)!!!!! We have photos and film of that line we made last December and January (till the point where the route cross the number 5 and 6). We didn't considered that part as new because the aim of the Spanish route we climbed was to follow the big coloir from the base of the wall to the summit, and our line had been only the physiological variant in order to the ice and weather conditions. In any case we sent many photos already one years ago to my web site and the most important world web site and our line and story should be well known.

In any case we would like to congratulate JC Lafaille for the good climb and the success. Really! We also would like to congratulate him for the tactics.....
We really don't want to make any discussion and polemics. The world is already full of wars and problems and we believe that should be stupid to increase the "bordel" with extra stupid discussion.

Simone, Darek, Piotr

(14.12.2004)
On 12 December Jean-Christophe Lafaille returned to the base camp after his challenge summit (on December 11) Shishapangma.

It is the first successful ascent on Shishapangma (8047m) done solo and without supplementary oxygen.

The information is provided by Katia Lafaille, France, www.jclafaille.com

 

 

 

(7.12.2004)
International calendar for ice-climbing competitions, 2005 season

 

 

 

 

MRAZEK Tomas
CHABOT Alexandre
PETRENKO Maxim
 EITER Angela
SARKANY Muriel
SHALAHINA Olha

(24.11.2004)
World Cup 2004 Top-10

Men
1. MRAZEK Tomas CZE 560.00
2. CHABOT Alexandre FRA 516.00
3. CRESPI Flavio ITA 333.00
4. PETRENKO Maxim UKR 322.00

5. USOBIAGA Patxi ESP 317.00
6. POUVREAU Gérome FRA 291.00
7. MILLET Sylvain FRA 268.00
8. FUSELIER Mickael FRA 249.00
9. VERHOEVEN Jorg NED 248.00
10. PUIGBLANQUE Ramón Julián ESP 240.00

Women
1. EITER Angela AUT 535.00
2. SARKANY Muriel BEL 525.00
3. EYER Alexandra SUI 364.00

4. GROS Natalija SLO 364.00
5. CIAVALDINI Caroline FRA 356.00
6. SCHÖPF Bettina AUT 345.00
7. LAVARDA Jenny ITA 299.00
8. VIDMAR Maja SLO 287.00
9. CUFAR Martina SLO 286.00
10. SHALAHINA Olha UKR 245.00

(22.11.2004)
World Cup. Latest Stage. Kranj, SLO

Men
1. Tomas Mrazek (CZE)
2. Evgueni Ovtchinnikov (RUS)
3. Jorg Verhoeven (NED)

Women
1. Angela Eiter (AUT)
2. Natalija Gros (SLO)
3-4. Maja Vidmar (SLO)
3-4. Sandrine Levet (FRA)

(16.11.2004)
Simone Moro. Shisha Winter
Everything is working well here in preparing the expedition. Monday will flight to Kathmandu our cargo with equipment and food we will use during the 2month expedition. I and my friends planned to go in Khumbu valley for a trekking to Everest base camp and easy climbs for acclimatisation in the areas.

After that we will start by road to Kodhari- Zangmu and Nyalam and from that village we will trek till the Shisha Pangma south face base camp.

Only at base camp we will decide the route we will attempt. We want to see directly the snow condition of the face and the weather forecast we will have from Innsbruck from my personal friend Karl Gabl.

Herewith I'm sending you the postcard I prepared for our expedition. I dind't received yet the cable but I took free all next week to realize all the procedure and training with iPAQ and Contact 3.0. Keep in touch

About expedition

(15.11.2004)
UIAA Worldcup Difficulty Event Brno (CZE) 2004. Results.
The Winners - Flavio CRESPI, Italy, and Alexandra EYER, Switzerland. At men Tomas MRAZEK, CZE, and Alexandre CHABOT, France, are the second and the third accordingly. And at women the Russian Olga SHALAGINA (!!!) is the second and Maja VIDMAR, Slovenia is the third.

See all the results http://www.digitalrock.de

 

(11.11.2004)
Fred Rouhling opens his new line Mandallaz drive, 9à
Fred Rouhling has just declared about his successful redpoint of the new project in d'Allonzier la Caille - Mandallaz drive, 9à.
In 1993 only lazy did not mock Fred when he declared the first French 9à, Hugh line. However in 2001, 8 (!) years later, the category was confirmed by Italian climber Alessandro Lamberti.
1995 "Practically everyone in this world had to doubt of his judiciousness" - It is about Fred Rouhling and his challenging Akira, 9b. Do you really think the world delightfully looked into his eyes?
1997 l'Autre Cote du Ciel (The other side of the sky), the second 9à, sent by Fred. Then everything went without any autographs....
3d "9a" of Fred was Fred Nicole's "bain de sang"
2004 Mandallaz drive, 9à. Who would doubt... Go, Fred! :)

http://kairn.com

(11.11.2004)
INTERNATIONAL CALENDAR FOR SKI MOUNTAINEERING COMPETITIONS 2004- 2005 SEASON

(9.11.2004)
Stephen Koch and Mark Newcomb braved thin ice and a midday storm to snag a new ice line on the North Face of the Grand Teton
On October 5, the two climbed six new pitches, totaling about 1,000 feet of thin ice and mixed climbing. The new route, which is unnamed, started just left of the classic North Face route and ended at the Hossack-McGowan Couloir, which they followed to the East Ridge and eventually reached the summit.
The crux was found on the second pitch, where unprotectable ice forced Koch into a soaking-wet, “womb-like feature” behind the ice until he could bust through and pull a roof to easier ground. He spent the next belay wringing out his clothes and pouring water out of his boots. A sudden storm then dumped buckets of graupel, which cascaded down the face in “one of the most spectacular sights I have witnessed in the mountains,” Koch said. When the storm stopped, they continued upward through four more good pitches of ice, including a winding WI 5 pitch that Koch called the nicest ice pitch he has ever done on a mountain route.

http://climbing.com

(4.11.2004)
Rating of rock-climbers - the world leaders. Bouldering. Speed. Difficulty
In bouldering and speed the sportmen have been already put in their places, "all sweets" are given away, in difficulty there are two events more ahead...

UIAA Climbing-Worldcup 2004

Bouldering

Women
1. Sandrine Levet, France
2. Olga Bibik, Russia
3. Julia Abramchuk, Russia

Men
1. Daniel Dulac, France
2. Kilian Fischhuber, Austria
3. Jerome Meyer, France

Speed

Women
1. Tatyana Ruyga, Russia
2. Anna Saulevich, Russia
3. HENDRAWATI Agung Ethi, INA

Men
1. Sergey Sinitsyn, Russia
2. Eugeny Vaytsekhovsky, Russia
3. Alexander Peshehonov, Russia

Difficulty. The current rating

Women
1. Muriel Sarkany, Belgium
2. Angela Eiter, Austria
3. Bettina Schopf, Austria

Men
1. Tomas Mrazek, Czechia
2. Alexandre Chabot, France
3. Gerome Pouvreau, France

All results http://digitalrock.de

(2.11.2004)
Rock Climbing. World Cup in Valence, France. Difficulty.
The winners

Men
1. CHABOT Alexandre FRA
2. Bindhammer Christian Germany
3. MRAZEK Tomas CZE
4. FUSELIER Micha FRA
5. AUCLAIR Fran FRA
Women
1. Muriel Sarkany Belgium
2. Caroline Ciavaldini FRA
2. CUFAR Martina SLO
4. Jenny Lavarda ITA
5. Angela Eiter AUT

The leaders of Big Cup Mrazek and Sarkany. Chabot and Eiter are the second.

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