Alex Txikon announced today that he will make a second attempt on winter Annapurna.
As in 2023-24, Mattia Conte of Italy will accompany Txikon and the Seven Summit Treks’ sherpa team. This time, Waldemar Kowalewski of Poland and Sajid Sadpara of Pakistan will also join them.
They should reach Base Camp at the beginning of calendar winter. But first, they plan to climb Ama Dablam for acclimatization. Txikon flies to Nepal tomorrow.
A winter regular
Alex Txikon made the first winter ascent of Nanga Parbat with Sajid’s father, Ali Sadpara, and Simone Moro of Italy in 2016. He has specialized in winter expeditions on the 8,000’ers, supported by strong Sherpa teams.
Alex Txikon on Annapurna last winter. Photo: Alex Txikon
After two attempts on winter K2, he turned to the Nepali peaks and made several attempts on Everest and Manaslu. He finally summited Manaslu in January, 2023 with Chhepal Sherpa, Pasang Norbu, Gyalu Sherpa, Mingtemba Sherpa, Pemba Tashi, and the late Tenjen Lama, who died on Shisha Pangma last year. Txikon used no supplementary O2 on the ascent, but the sherpa team did.
Last winter, Txikon’s team attempted winter Annapurna for the first time. They called off the expedition in mid-January after losing their cache of gear at Camp 3. At the time, Txikon said that he was not willing to venture again up the avalanche-prone great couloir, located between Camps 2 and 3.
“We have already taken too many risks,” Txikon admitted back then. “Perhaps I lack the hunger for the summit, having reached the summit of Manaslu a year ago.”
Ama Dablam
Txikon does all his winter 8,000m expeditions within calendar winter. He never reaches Base Camp before December 21. However, he usually acclimatizes on lower peaks in December.
This is also Jost Kobusch’s strategy. The German is currently in Dolpo before heading alone to Everest after the solstice. Simone Moro of Italy plans to climb winter Manaslu alpine style with Nima Rinji Sherpa and will acclimatize and check route conditions at Manaslu’s base camp before starting his proper attempt in winter. He has not said if he and Nima will climb another peak ahead of time.
Ama Dablam in winter. Photo: Seven Summit Treks
As Txikon did in 2019-20 before attempting Everest, he said he would climb Ama Dablam for acclimatization with a group of about 12 people. Waldemar Kowalewski will join him on Ama Dablam, leading Bartlomiej Leonowicz, Lukasz Awizem, and Andrzej Kolodziejczyk. Kowalewski is familiar with the route: He climbed it just three weeks ago.
As we pointed out in a previous story on Ama Dablam, permits issued from December 1 are considerably cheaper, conditions are cold but stable, and the mountain is fairly quiet.
Txikon’s partners
Waldemar Kowalewski on the summit of Ama Dablam recently. Photo: Waldemar Kowalewski/Facebook
Kowalewski joined Txikon on the Basque’s latest attempt on winter K2 in 2018-19. However, as he descended from Camp 1 after his first foray up the mountain, a chunk of ice struck him in the leg, and he had to be evacuated. He returned to winter K2 in 2021 as a member of the 7 Summit Treks team. Kowalewski has taken part in 21 expeditions to 8,000m peaks and only has the two Tibetan peaks, Shisha Pangma and Cho Oyu, left on his 14×8,000 list.
Mattia Conte was also on the 2021 Seven Summit Treks team on winter K2 but retreated after the death of his good friend Sergi Mingote. He also accompanied Txikon last winter on the attempt on Annapurna and the acclimatization climb up Chulu East.
Mattia Conte on a summit in the Alps. Photo: Mattia Conte/Facebook
Following in the footsteps of his father, Ali, Sajid Sadpara hopes to summit all the 8,000’ers without bottled oxygen. He has already climbed Everest once, K2 twice, and Annapurna once, all without bottled oxygen.
Sajid Sadpara. Photo: Facebook
