December 2004 news

22 December, 2004 Shisha Pangma Winter:

• DEC, 21 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....
• DEC, 22 Today we finaly start from Nyalam. Yesterday we hardly discuss with the yak drivers and Liason 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.
  Bye, Simone. Translation by Jonathan Etes

14 December, 2004 Shisha Pangma Winter:

• DEC.,10: Today we spent time to reach the Lobuche Peak shoulder at 5700meters to increase our acclimatisation. We get wonderful view and the weather remained good also today. From the point we reached we had a incredible view on Cho Oyu, Pumori, Everest, Nuptse, Makalu, Baruntse, Ama Dablam and many others peaks. Tonight we will remain at 5000 meters in Lobuche and tomorrow we will trek to Chukhung at 4700 meters, 2 hours from Island Peak Base Camp. Also today we took a lot of photos because it was impossible to resist at the magnificent view...
• DEC., 11: In another sunny day we arrived in Chukhung 4750 m starting from Lobuche 4950 m and passing throw Dingboche at 4400 m. Tomorrow we (I, Camos and one client called Massimo) will go to Island Peak BC and in the afternoon we will go to C1 to spend the night. The day after we hope to reach the 6182 meters of the summit. Two polish member of our group will start tomorrow morning at 5:00 a.m. to go directly to the summit and on the way back they will spent the night with us at C1 to make same acclimatisation program than us. Today we get the news that the information we get at the beginning of expedition about someone, and French, that undeclared could be at Shisha base camp was true. The French climber JC Lafaille is going alone to the summit of Shisha in these hours. We wish him to get success without any problems. He will take at home a nice and important climb at late autumn and close the games with Shisha. JC like me climbed central summit and not main during the previous expedition.
  We also hope to reach the summit and realize the first winter climb of the mountain in the next weeks. As established from the world seasons calendar we will respect the time and we will start our trekking to Shisha the 21st December (first day of the calendar winter).
  Simone and all team, Dec 11
• DEC 13: Yesterday and today we get two positive days. All the team summited Island Peak. WE get incredible view from the top. THe weathercondition last 12-15 days were really good and warm. WE stand without gloves at the summit. Tomorrow we will start descent to Deboche., and then will move to Kathmandu. In these days we begin to discuss our strategies to use in our winter Shisha climb. Ciao. Simone and the team.
• DEC 14: the team is going to Kathmandu. They met Jan Zsulk in Namche. Guys saw the news about the JC Lafaille climb on Shisha: "With huge surprise and a big laugh 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
  
  

  Max, Camos & Simone

  On the top

  Simone at the top

10 December, 2004 Shisha Pangma Winter: Today we are in Lobuche. The view on Nuptse, Pumori, Lingtrena and Khumbutse is extremely beautiful. We get blu sky and nice temperature also today and we hope it will continue also in the next days. Tomorrow we would like to go to 5600-5700 meters on the ridge of Lobuche Peak and than to traverse to Khala Pattar.
Also today we took many photos and some of them we are sending herewith.
Today I and Tassi Bruno "Camos" received a very good news... Our climb of 4th may 2004 on Khali Himal 7066 m throw a new route on the north-west face won the URSS championship in the category Hi- Altitude Technical. Denis Urubko had been our third partner in that climb and he get us the news.... We are really so happy and in Kathmandu we will make party!!

8 December, 2004 Shisha Pangma Winter: Second day spent in Dingboche and around the village. The weather still continue to be very good and our acclimatisation period continue in the best conditions. Today the 3 polish friends reached 5000 meters climbing a hill above Dingboche. I, Camos and Max went to Chuchhkung to get lunch and take picture of Island Peak and an unnamed and unclimbed peak in that area. The local people gave on name of that mountain Kank Lemo but on the map there is only the elevation 6202. We are sending you the photo of the south side of that mountain. Could be interesting to climb the west face we also saw today....
Tomorrow we will go to Lobuche and the day after to Khala Pattar at 5500 meters. We hope to charge the batteries of our computer tomorrow so we will continue to send reports...
Ciao from all the team. Simone. 8 Dec

7 December, 2004 Shisha Pangma Winter: Also in this fourth day of trekking the sun is shinng in the blu sky. Our fotocamera and videocamera don’t stop to work because the view is so nice even I had been in this valley more than 20 times...
Yesterday we spend our second day in Nanche making an escursion to Thame and back. We went there to see some mountains to choose as future climbing project and 2 of them had been the fvourit.. We send herewith their photos.... Now we are in Deboche at the famous “Ama Dablam Garden Lodge” at 3750 m. Tomorrow we will trek to Dingboche at 4410 meters and we will remain 2 days there to get better acclimatisation. So follow us and very soon we will start to send you also some video.... if we will find to charge our batteries
Simone & the team, December,6

6 December, 2004 Shisha Pangma Winter: Ciao!! After 2 days of preparing all equipmen in Kathmandu we started
to our acclimatisation period in the Khumbu valley. We will spend 2 weeks here reaching Khala Pattar 5550 m and Island Peak nearly 6200 m. Arrived in Napal we heard about one climber that alon is attempting Shisha in these days. Nobody knows who is he and he gave order to the persons he met here to say nothing obout him... we get information that he could be French but is no confirmed news.
In any case winter begins the 21 december and we will start our expedition to Shisha only after that date. Now we are in Namche Bazar and we will spend 2 days here trekking tomorrow to Thame and back. The weather is wonderful and all the team feel good. We hope everything will continue like that..... Simone & C., December,4.

1 December, 2004 " EXPLORERS FESTIVAL ", Lodz (Poland), on November, 17-22.

Valery Babanov: The sixth Festival of films, slide show, books and magazines, and everything
that deals with Adventure and Explorers. The Festival gatheres a lot of interesting people. This time VIP guests were Doug Scott from England and Thomas Huber from Germany. Rejnhold Messner was at Festival in 2001. This year I was invited, to show slides and to tell about my ascentions.

It's not a close way from Canada to Poland for me. But, nevertheless... My slide show has been planned to November, 20, for the evening. The same day Doug Scott acted . Thomas Huber acted in the early afternoon. We did not manage to meet, unfortunately. That's a pity that I was only 1,5 days there at all.

My performance proceeded 1,5 hours, and has gathered about 700-800 people. The hall has been overflown. Many people sat simply on the floor and in passes.

I spoke in Russian, and Agate translated into Polish. After I have finished the performance, people have risen and applauded me costing very long! Certainly, it was extraordinary pleasant.

Then - an official part of the Festival. Rewarding. As a rool, within the framework of festival, 1-2 persons are awarded for their achievements connected to subjects of festival " Adventure and Explorers ".

Doug Scott and me were awarded this time by EXPLORER. It was pleasant to receive a nice prize, and, certainly, the recognition of all I have made and I continue to do.

An inscription on the Diploma:

The diploma and the award
On November, 21 2004.
THE AWARD
EXPLORER
2004

Mr Valery Babanov, Russia

Is awarded for long-term presence at the world of high mountains, for his achievements in highest-grade climbs, which strengthen our conviction that the person and his belief in human's opportunities allows us to come closer once again to a limit, which we are constantly aspire to reach.

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