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File image by Maxut Zhumayev of Vasso Pivtsov during his attempt on K2 in summer 2008, courtesy of Max/Andrey Verkhovod (click to enlarge).
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Winter Kwangde Lho update: The Russian B-plan
Posted: Jan 18, 2010 10:31 am EST
“To our dismay, the route we were attempting looks bone-dry and seems to be in really bad condition,” David Falt reported from Kwangde Lho BC.
David and and Vassiliy Pivtsov decided that the only attainable route right now is the Russian “Chicory” opened in winter 2008.
ABC
“We’ve just got a four-day weather forecasts, announcing bad weather and snowfall,” Vasso told friends Friday, adding the two still planned for a first acclimatization trip to ABC, located at 4900m, for the next day. "Weather conditions would have to be REALLY bad to stop us from going up,” Vasso said, "we would only delay plans in case of complete whiteout."
"Otherwise we’ll spend two days up there before returning to BC (pitched at aprox. 3,600m.)”
“(While in ABC), we will check the start of the Russian route - and fix our two 60m ropes if needed,” David added. “Our stay in ABC will be spent on acclimatizing and understanding if the route is possible given the lack of ice.”
Vassily Pivtsov (33) and David Falt (38) are eyeing a new route up Kwangde Lho's north face (6187m). They are climbing in alpine style and within strict calendar winter. "The Kwangde group lies in Nepal's Khumbu region," the team described. "The north face is about 1300 meters in vertical height and has 7 routes that we know of. They are all very technical and we expect steep ice, rock and mixed. The routes established so far are all ED rated with Ice not easier than WI5 and mixed between M5 and M8."
“If conditions looks too thin on our targeted route, we will attempt the second ascent of 1982’ Breashears-Lowe route (ED2, WI6, 1200m),” the team said.
Trained in Kazakhstan Army’s hard-core mountain division, Pivtsov has already bagged 12x8000ers without supplementary O2, while Swedish Falt returns recovered from a crevasse fall that thwarted his latest Himalayan expedition, on GIII and GIV past summer. David is an expert cold climber, with 45 plus winter accents in the Alps up to ED3, and member in three previous Himalayan expeditions.
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