Winter 2013 news

28 February, 2013 Feb, 26 Denis Urubko visited Saint Petersburg with the lecture about gear and food in high-altitude mountaineering. He was a guest of Tramontana outlet. ( photo)

28 February, 2013 Ms. Chhurim Sherpa was awarded Guinness World Record Certificate. In May of 2011, at the age of 27, she became the first woman to successfully climb Mt.Everest two times in a single climbing season. She had reached the summit on May 12 and a week later on May 19 of 2011.

27 February, 2013 Karakorum winter. Amin Brakk. Eugeny Dmitrienko wrote: we fixed 9 pitches, made deposit,
returned to BC and were going to climb in alpine style further. But at night before our start the huge avalanche burried on the wall all our gas, food and the most part of the gear... So, we're forced to abort the expedition"Inshallah! May be, we'll be lucky next time..." All are going home.

25 February, 2013 Cerro Fortaleza. Russian team aborted the new route climb: Serguey Dashkevich had broken the leg, fallen on the upper part of the route. He's in hospital in Punto Arenas, after the successful surgery. The team is going home.

18 February, 2013 Karakorum winter. Broad peak. info from Feb, 17: Adam Bielecki and Artur Malek failed to pass a crack at 7,820 and returned to C3. They are going to spend a night 17th/18th February in C3. Maciej Berbeka and Tomasz Kowalski, who have been approaching today from camp 2, have passed camp 3 and put up an assault tent at 7,400 m, in which they are going to spend a night.
The bivouac site is in the site that Amin and Shaheen reached on 16th February and where they left a deposit. Amin and Shaheen returned to the base camp still on 16th February. On 18th February Maciej Berbeka and Tomasz Kowalski are going to attempt the summit, starting from the bivouac at 7,400 m - the altitude is still quite low, but goof weather forecasts give the team a greater chance to succeed.

info from Feb, 16: Adam Bielecki and Artur Malek have reached C3. Maciej Berbeka, Tomasz Kowalski and Karim ascended to C2. Weather during Feb, 16 has been extremely bad. Adam and Artur plan for Feb.17 to set camp 4, so that they may set off towards the peak today. Crossing fingers!!! (sourse: http://polishwinterhimalaism.pl)

15 February, 2013 Karakorum winter. Amin Brakk. The team decided to climb the new route 50 left from SolSolet. The first duo (Grachev and Glen) began today to work on the wall.

13 February, 2013 Karakorum winter. Nanga Parbat. Diamir Face. Daniele Nardi and Elizabeth Revol expedition is over too. Daniele needs treat frostbite.

13 February, 2013 Karakorum winter. Amin Brakk. Russians set BC at 4400 yesterday and begin today to work on the route.

12 February, 2013 Karakorum winter. Nanga Parbat. Diamir Face. American-Hungarian expedition is over. Daniele and Elizabeth spent two nights at 6000, then descended to BC. waiting weather improving.

10 February, 2013 Karakorum winter. Broad peak. On 8th February Maciej Berbeka, Adam Bielecki, Tomasz Kowalski and Artur Malek after one day of climbing from camp 2 reached 7,000 m, where among the ruins of the so-called "Korean camp" they established camp 3 and were going to spend a night there. Shaheen Baig retreated to the base camp. Krzysztof Wielicki, Karim Hayyat and Amin Ullah reached camp 2. Having deposited the load, Amin Ullah went down to the base camp. Krzysztof and Karim sleep in the camp. Source: http://polishwinterhimalaism.pl/

9 February, 2013 Karakorum winter. Nanga Parbat. Rupal Face. Tomasz Mackiewicz climbed to 7400 and then descended to BC. The expedition is over.

8 February, 2013 Karakorum winter. Nanga Parbat. Rupal Face. Polish climber Tomasz Mackiewicz reached 7147 m, he's alone, spent there the windy and cold night. Now he's above the Mazeno pass, and going to climb up. His mate Marek descended.

8 February, 2013 Karakorum winter. Russian team for Amin Brakk, SolSolet route. Expedition started Feb, 7. Today they are in Islamabad, preparing to tly to Skardu. The team: Serguey Grachev (leader), Alexander Shabunin, Eugeny Dmitrienko and Andrew Glen.

8 February, 2013 Everest: two new routes in alpine style. There'll be the hot spring on Everest: not only Denis Urubko and Alexey Bolotov are foing for the new route in alpine style. Gleb Sokolv and Alexander Kirikov also hope to climb bold and excellent line on Everest, on Kanchung Face. The duo will climb East Face (see photo with red line ) They were going last spring, but couldn.t find money enough... Trained a lot during the year, and now are ready to start the expedition in March. The acclimatization they plan together with 7 summits team on Changse (7550 m), then will move to Kanchung face.

8 February, 2013 Big Walls - Russian routes. The new stage of the project begins in Patagonia. The team led by Mikhail Davy are going to Сerro Fortaleza East Face in Torres del Paine park. Guys hope to climb the new route.

4 February, 2013 Fitz Roy (Patagonia). Slovenes Luka Krajnc and Tadej Kriselj climbed a new line on Cerro Fitz Roy's Pilar Goretta. Their line starts just left of Hudiceva Zajeda (Diedro del Diablo), joining this for one pitch before busting right, climbing 800 and some meters of new ground to join Renato Casarotto's 1979 route one pitch below the summit of the pillar and continuing along this route to the summit. They climbed the route alpine style, with no jumars, placing no bolts and leaving no gear in place. They bivouacked three times in the ascent and once in the descent. They encountered difficulties to 6c+ and A2. The name of the route, The Real Kekec, refers to a Slovenian fictional character created by writer Josip Vandot in the early 20th century. Kekec is a brave and clever shepherd boy in the highlands of the Karavanke and Julian Alps. He is Slovene cultural icon, subject of many stories, songs and movies. Sourse: PATAClimb.com

3 February, 2013 Karakorum winter. The Hungarian-American team on Diamir Face of Nanga Parbat set C2. THen they are down to Chilas for few days rest due to the bad weather forecast and will return to BC for second round of their adventure. Daniele Nardi and Elizabeth Revol also set C2 (6400) on Diamir Face of Nanga Parbat, now they are resting at base camp until the weather inprove. The Polish duo, Tomek and Marek on Rupal Face of Nanga Parbat set C2 at 6100 m. The last expedition arriving to Pakistan was Liala Peak Spanish Expedition. After filming in Skardu and Sadpara Village they move to Hushe and make their base camp at Dalsangpa. Now they are progressing well and set C1 and working for C2, before they will make their summit push. Info: Jasmine Tours Pakistan

19 January, 2013 Nanga Parbat Winter- Italian expeditin. Jan, 14 trio: Daniele, Elizabeth and Ali started to acclimatization push. They reached C1 at 4930 m, set the tent and spent the night there.

18 January, 2013 Broad peak Winter. A nine member strong Polish mountaineering expedition lead by the famous Polish veteran mountaineer Krzysztof Wielicki left Skardu on Thursday 17th January for their attempt to make the first winter ascent of 8,047 metre high Broad Peak in the Baltoro region. Krzysztof Wielicki, who is now 62 years old, was the fifth mountaineer to climb all 14 peaks rising above 8,000 metres between 1980 and 1996. The Expedition also includes
young and strong mountaineers Adam Bielecki and Janusz Golab who created history by making the first winter ascent of Gasherbrum I (8,068 metres) on 8th March 2012. From Pakistan side the Expedition is being accompanied by famous professional mountaineerand member Alpine Club of Pakistan Mr Shaheen Baig who hails from Shimshal, Hunza,
Gilgit Baltistan. Mr Baig has climb of three peaks rising above 8,000 metres including K2 to his credit and has taken part in several winter expeditions to Gasherbrum II and other peaks.

President Alpine Club of Pakistan, Lt Col (Retd) Manzoor Hussain in a message to the expedition has wished them success and safe return after their ardous adventure. It may be noted that during winter the Karakoram high peaks experience severe cold conditions with strong winds to the range of upto 100 kms an hour with temperatures dropping to 70 degrees below freezing. It may be recalled that first winter ascent of Gasherbrum II (8,035 metre) was made by an international team lead by Simone Moro and that of Gasherbrum I (8,068 metres) was made in March 2012 by a Polish Expedition led by Artur Hajzer. (info:
Karrar Haidri, Member Executive Council Alpine Club of Pakistan)

11 January, 2013 Nanga Parbat Winter- Italian expeditin. Two days ago italians Daniele Nardi and video operator Federico Fantini arrived to BC at 4200 on Diamir Face, set the tents, the table and the kitchen. That it was -13C in the tent. In Islamabad guys met Elisabeth Revol, the French climber with whom they shared so far the journey toward the base camp.

8 January, 2013 Nanga Parbat Winter. Jan, 7 the climbers ascended to 4900 m, where did the depo with the gear for C1. then descended to BC. They hope to find the way to C2 to overcome Kinshofer couloir, which is too avalanche dangerous.

5 January, 2013 Nanga Parbat Winter. The Hungarian - American team (Zoltan Robert, Ian Overton and David Klein) are enroute to the BC.

5 January, 2013 Broad peak Winter. POlish team led by Wielicki, going to BC. They plan to reach BC to Jan, 21.THe main loads are already in BC (carried by porters in Fall), and 20 porters will go via Baltoro togather with climbers. ome years ago it was difficult to find the porters fot thw winter way through the Baltoro glacier, but now thehr're the team, ready for such job. The beginning of the work on the route is planning to Janm 23. The team members: Krzysztof Wielicki (leader), Maciej Berbeka, Adam Bielecki, Tomasz Kowalski, Artur Malek