The weather cooperated, and the rope-fixing teams did great work ahead of small groups of climbers who summited the first 8,000’ers of the season today. Successes on Annapurna, Dhaulagiri, and Makalu came roughly at the same time.
Annapurna
“A total of five members, along with five Sherpa guides, successfully reached the summit, with strong support from the fixing team,” Seven Summit Treks reported.
The Nepal-based outfitter noted that the weather was good, but the climbers — especially the Sherpas fixing the ropes ahead of the rest — had to deal with loads of fresh snow that made the going difficult.
Unfortunately, 7ST has not detailed who used supplementary oxygen and who did not, so we will have to wait for details. So far, they have listed Charles Page of Canada (although his tracker stops at 7,300m), Israfil Ashurli of Azerbaijan (also with inactive tracker), and Russians Valeriy Babanov, Vladimir Afanasyev, and Yuri Kruglo as summiters. They were assisted by guides Lakpa Sherpa, Chhewang Sherpa, Dawa Nurbu Sherpa, Pasang Dukpa Sherpa, Chhangba Sherpa, Taraman Tamang, and Pasang Sherpa.
Everest Today reports that Ashurli didn’t use supplementary oxygen. Mountain.ru says that Vitali Shipilov summited, and Anton Pugovkin was just meters away. Both Russians climbed without O2.
Stefi Troguet’s tracker indicates she turned around at 7,400m: Over InReach, she texted that she retreated due to the bitter cold that left her exhausted while climbing a gully in the upper sections.
There is no news of other climbers who had announced no-O2 ascents. More summits were expected today and tomorrow.
Elite Exped reported a “rope-fixing team of four, followed by six climbing members” two hours later. The rope fixers were Sujal Gurung, Pemba Chhewang Sherpa, Dacchetar Sherpa, and Phura Dorji Sherpa. The six members are two clients and four Nepalese supporters. There is no mention of anyone climbing without O2. Also no news whether Nirmal Purja, competing to become the first climber to summit the 14×8,000’ers three times, was in that group.
Other oxygen-assisted climbers reached the top as well, including Paul Reid, guided by 8K’s Ashok Lama. 14 Peaks Expedition, the sister company of Seven Summit Treks, listed as summiters: Vladimir Kotlyar and Vladimir Belkovich of Russia, Alexander Bachmann of Germany, Mario Fernando Villagran Avendano of Ecuador, and Arno Ter-Saakovs of Latvia. They also mention Lakpa Sherpa as head guide, and list nine more Sherpa climbers:
Dhaulagiri
Climbers summited this morning, following a rope-fixing team that had to work especially hard to fix the route, after an avalanche swept Camp 2 right before the final summit push. Summiter Valentyn Sypavin of Ukraine noted that the fixing team ran out of ropes 200m from the top.
Rope fixers and guides at Dhaulagiri Base Camp. Photo: Imagine Nepal
Many of the summiters were outfitted by Pioneer Adventure. They shared a summit list including Ukrainians Sypavin and Iryna Galay, Kyoko Iwata of Japan, Eichul Chung of Korea, Vladimir-Radu Falcutescu of Romania, and Indian climbers Bhagwan Bhikoba Chawale, Shivaji Laxman Nanware, and Dwarka Vishwanath Dokhe.
Sanu Sherpa, also a candidate to achieve the 14×8000’ers hat trick, was at the head of the team, together with Lakpa Ongjuk Sherpa, Nima Ungdi Sherpa, Dandu Sherpa, Dawa Chhring, Ang Gelu Sherpa, Ang Dawa Sherpa, Nikhil Sherpa, and Lakpa (Lankee) Sherpa.
Iryna Galay’s home team told Explorersweb that, at the time this story was posted, the summit group was back at Camp 2. Here, they will rest for a few hours before proceeding down to Base Camp early tomorrow morning.
Makalu
There are summits on Makalu, but the situation is slightly different. It was the rope-fixing team, climbing on their own, who reached the top late this evening at 5:40 pm. No names were shared, but 7ST posted a picture of the ropes leading to the summit.
Their goal was not to lead other climbers close behind (most are still on their way or have recently arrived at the mountain) but to leave the route open for the season. Next, rope fixers will assist clients on their rotations or go to another mountain.
