All the climbers on Annapurna have now passed the most dangerous section of the mountain, the avalanche-prone route between Camps 2 and 3.
Chhang Dawa Sherpa confirms that all teams have arrived safely in Camp 3 on Annapurna. The Sherpa rope fixers, led by Mingma G, should have fixed the route to Camp 4 by now.
Viridiana Alvarez’s tracker located her at 6,580m (Camp 3) at noon.
“Steep, icy passages, verglass on the rocky cliffs, and the huge seracs staring at us…the route reminded me so much of [winter] K2,” reported Antonios Sykaris of Greece, who did that hairy section today.
He also admits that he looked up, heart in throat, every time he heard the ice cracking, but in the end, there were no avalanches. Sykaris notes he will use no supplementary oxygen on his attempt.
“Camp 3 is set up between huge seracs, just below the ramp leading to Camp 4,” Sykaris said.
Weather permitting, everyone will head to Camp 4 tomorrow. After some hours of rest, they will then leave for the top in the wee hours of Wednesday, April 14.
Dawa Sherpa also mentioned “three Russians in Camp 2.” He might be referring to Israfil Ashurli’s team from Azerbaijan, which is included in Mingma G’s permit.
Antonios Sykaris of Greece. Photo: Antonios Sykaris
Shibaz Khan and Abdul Joshi’s tracker located them at 6,250m at 7:30 am Nepal time. Later, Pakistani team photographer Kamran Ali confirmed they are sleeping in Camp 3 today and heading for Camp 4 tomorrow. “Sirbaz and Abdul are carrying their own loads and are not using Sherpas, and they help the rope-fixing teams where they can,” Kamran texted ExplorersWeb from Base Camp yesterday.
“I climb to gather stories.”
Kamram Ali writes eloquently on social media about the mountain, the climbers, and the meaning of it all. “When I see a peak, my eyes naturally start tracing a path to the summit,” said Abdul Joshi in response to Ali’s question about why he climbed. “At the top of a mountain, I feel closer to the Divine. The amount of peace I get on the peak, I get nowhere else.”
“But why take such a huge risk?” Ali asked.
“I climb to gather stories,” Joshi answered. “The tougher the mountain, the better the story!”
Abdul Joshi of Pakistan. Photo: Kamran on Bike
