Did we say that Everest teams were “on the move”? Well, not anymore. Alex Txikon had to delay his plans at last minute today, when rising winds flattened one of his tents in Base Camp, setting the team on alert. Conditions are even harder for Jost Kobusch, who has not moved from his — probably windswept – Camp 1 at 6,010m on the Lho La since yesterday.
The forecast had not predicted these winds, so Kobusch decided yesterday to go up and check conditions. “Without a doubt, the wind will be blowing at the summit, but maybe I’ll still manage to have a look at the upper part of the route,” he said noncommittally.
Meanwhile, on Broad Peak, Denis Urubko has just returned from a four-hour “training walk” to Concordia and back. “The next good weather window will be 16-18 February…maybe there will be an attempt to summit,” he said, also noncommittal. So this coming Sunday or Monday will be Urubko’s last shot this year, since his crew is scheduled to pack up Base Camp on February 20.
