Climbers are approaching the summit from both sides of Everest, in good weather.
On the north, the ropes have finally been fixed to the top, allowing access for dozens of climbers approaching from the North Col. Somewhere nearby, Cory Richards and Esteban “Topo” Mena, began their summit push on Monday via a new route. Details on the itinerary and the climbers whereabouts will have to wait, though: The pair stated on social media about their enigmatic climb that there will be no information until they are back in Base Camp. “No news, good news,” said Richards.
Chilean climber Juan Pablo Mohr, currently on a No-O2 ascent of Everest. Photo: Juan Pablo Mohr
On the south side, the mountain buzzes with activity. Juan Pablo Mohr from Chile and, according to previous reports, David Göttler from Germany are both climbing without supplementary O2. Also, Nirmal Purja was in Camp 4 yesterday, preparing to sprint to the summit. Purja uses O2 and Sherpa assistance; his goal is to chain-summit all the 8000’ers. His immediate plans include Everest today, then Lhotse immediately afterward, and next a fast descent and an airlift to Makalu. Earlier this season, he bagged Annapurna, Kangchenjunga and Dhaulagiri.
Nirmal Purja, “Nims”, in Everest Base Camp. Photo: Monika Witkowska
