Cho Oyu & Shishapangma Summit Bids Start

September 23, 2011

Caption: Satellite weather photo for September 23, 2011 (courtesy Gov of Nepal Meteorological Forecasting Division)

Ang Jangbu reports that the Korean team fixed above Camp 3 today and went on to reach the summit of Cho Oyu, so that is good news, the route is open to the top!Â Five IMG sherpas slept at Camp 1 last night and are carrying to Camp 3 today.Â Walter, Heidi, Alois and Karma Rita are moving to Camp 1 today and will be shooting for the summit on the 26^th.Â The rest of the IMG Cho Oyu team will move to Camp 1 tomorrow and will shoot to summit on the 27^th.

Mike Hamill, and the Shishapangma team, reports that they are also launching their summit bid, and are also shooting for the 26^th.Â So, weâ€™ll be watching the weather closely over the next few days.Â Our IMG weather forecaster Michael Fagin, of www.everestweather.com, reports that right now there is a strong low pressure to the south, down in India, that continues to pump some moisture (and snow) up into the Himalayas.Â However, this system is supposed to keep moving to the east over the next few days, and once it departs the area the weather looks to be improving (we hope!).

Eric Simonson

It’s Safari Time!

September 22, 2011

Giraffes on the Serengeti (Photo by Eric Simonson)

You can tell you’ve shifted gears when a day after walking out of Kilimanjaro National Park you are sitting in the Arusha Hotel, eating a buffet that must have been created for kings and queens, and your biggest concern is making your flight out to the Serengeti.

After landing at the Seronera â€œairportâ€Â (a gravel strip) in the Serengeti we were met by two kind and enthusiastic game drivers.Â James and Emmanuel helped us to get our luggage into the safari vehicles and not fifteen minutes after landing we were on the road and looking for critters.Â The three hour drive to the lodge allowed us to capture a peak at four of the Big Five:Â cape buffalo, elephant, lion, and the elusive leopard.Â Â Today we drive to the Ndutu area and are hoping to see more lions, maybe a cheetah and if we’re lucky more leopards (along with many other animals). Â For the rhinos, we probably won’t get a chance to see them until we get to Ngorogoro (where they have armed rangers patrolling for poachers).Â We’ll keep you posted!

Eben Reckord

Shishapangma Camp 3 Established

September 20, 2011

Shishapangma Base Camp (Photo by Jason Edwards)

IMG guide Mike Hamill reports that IMGâ€™s Kami Sherpa and a couple Sherpas from another team, have managed to fix ropes up to Camp 3 and they are now on their way down for a rest.Â Mike and the IMG team are all doing well back down at Base Camp, where they are getting prepared for the summit bid.

The weather report continues to look decent, so with a bit of luck they can start the summit bids in a few days!

Eric Simonson

100% success on Kilimanjaro

September 19th, 2011

IMG guide Eben Reckord reported by sat phone that 100% of the team reached Uhuru Peak, the top of Africa.Â Now, they are on their way back down from the summit, with the goal being to reach the Mweka Camp (about 11,000 feet, at the edge of the forest).Â Everyone will feel better when they get down to the thicker air (plus, they can buy cokes and beer at Mweka)!

~Eric Simonson

The last hundred yards to Uhuru Peak, the true Summit of Kili (Eric Simonson)

Cho Oyu Climbers On The Move

September 19, 2011

Climbers above the Ice Cliff, on the way to Camp 2. (Photo by Ryan Dahlem taken through the telescope at ABC).

The snow stopped soon after the earthquake last night and its a beautiful morning here at Cho Oyu.Â Â Walter, Alois, Heidi and Karma Rita spent last night at Camp 2 and are now making good progress on their way down to ABC. Craig, Steve, Caroline, Shawn, Kumar and Patrick left Camp 1 at 6 this morning.Â Â They are already above the Ice Cliff and are making good progress to Camp 2 where they plan to spend the night.Â Mingma Tenzing, Ang Karma and Phinjo Dorje left ABC at 5:15 am to make a carry to Camp 2, and then they will return to ABC.Â The Tibetan fixing team is planning to open up the route and carry to Camp 3 on 9/21, and there is a Korean team who are in a rush and they are hoping to fix the Yellow Band and summit on 9/23.Â We’ll see how they do — our summit teams should be a few days behind them if all goes well.

Regards,

Jangbu

Kili Team at High Camp

September 18, 2011

IMG guide Eben Reckord checked in by sat phone from the 15,000 foot Barafu Camp on Kilimanjaro.Â He says they had a bit of rain earlier in the day, but that it is clearing up now and everything is looking good for their summit climb tonight.Â After an early dinner, everyone is now tucked in for the night, getting some rest before the big day tomorrow.Â Their plan is to leave in the middle of the night, with the plan to reach the summit shortly after dawn tomorrow.Â Weâ€™ll keep you posted!

Eric Simonson

Barafu Camp on Kili (Photo by Eric Simonson)

Cho Oyu Climbers Feel Earthquake

September 18, 2011

Watching the climbers up on the mountain from Cho Oyu ABC (Eric Simonson)

Ang Jangbu reports that the climbers felt the earthquake today that hit northeastern India (centered in Sikkim).Â He says the ground shook for some time, and there were a few avalanches triggered on some of the various slopes around the area, but no ill effects for climbers on Cho Oyu.

Jangbu says that some of the sherpas have now checked with their families back in Kathmandu, and everything is ok there.Â For the climbers, Â everything continues on schedule, with Maxâ€™s team coming down from Camp 2 in good shape after their overnight. Walterâ€™s team is at Camp 2 now, and Craigâ€™s team will be going up to Camp 2 tomorrow.

Eric Simonson

Cho Oyu & Shishapangma Updates

September 17, 2011

Left to right: Makalu, Lhotse, Everest, Cho Oyu from the Pang La pass, Tibet. (Photo by Eric Simonson)

Max, Lisa, Markus, Dan and Danuru are sleeping at Camp 2. They will sleep in a bit in the morning and come back down to ABC tomorrow. Walter, Alois, Heidi and Ang Pasang are at Camp 1. Karma Rita will leave ABC early and meet Walter’s team and climb to Camp 2 tomorrow with them and AP will drop down to ABC.

Craig is climbing with Steve, Caroline, Shawn, Patrick and Kumar with Sherpas Danuru I (Dawa), Mingma Dorje and Kancha Nuru. Their plan is to move to Camp 1 tomorrow on their Camp 2 rotation. Mingma Tenzing, Ang Karma and Phinjo Dorje will take a rest day tomorrow here at ABC, and carry to Camp 2 the next day.

It has been snowing down here at ABC this afternoon but it remained clear above Camp 1. The Tibetan/Chinese team carried fixing gear to Camp 2 today and fixed an additional line on the ice cliff.

I talked via sat phone to Mike Hamill at Shishapangma ABC and they are all doing well. The IMG Sherpas are carrying to Camp 2 tomorrow and then Kami and 2 Sherpas from one of the other teams plan to fix to Camp 3 day after tomorrow.

Regards,

Jangbu

More Cho Oyu Climbers Heading To Camp 2

September 16, 2011

: Coming down to C1 (Photo by Shawn Peet)

: Oxygen clinic at ABC (Photo by Ang Jangbu)

Yesterday the climbers did an oxygen clinic at ABC, practicing with the masks, regulators, and tanks.Â This morning Max and his team climbed back to Camp 1 in good time–under 5 hours. Â They are all doing well and are accompanied by Danuru II and Mingma Dorje. Today the rest of the Sherpas made a second carry from Camp 1 to Camp 2, put up some tents for Max’s team, and dropped back to ABC. Â The route to Camp 2 is in good shape.Â Walter and his team, along with one Sherpa, are headed to Camp 1 tomorrow on their Camp 2 rotation. Â The rest of the Sherpas are taking a rest day tomorrow.

Ang Jangbu

Kili team at Barancco Camp.

September 16th, 2011.

The group is settling in for their third night on the mountain.Â They’ve had a big day and everyone is very tired, so they should sleep well tonight!Â The plan tomorrow is to ascend the Breach Wall and traverse below the Southern Glaciers.Â This is our favorite day on the approach, with great scenery and rugged hiking.

~Adam Angel

Climbers on Kilimanjaro (Photo by Adam Angel)