Marek Holecek and Matej Bernat have left base camp on a single-push, alpine-style climb of 6,764m Sura Peak. They are eyeing a new route up the Northwest Face.
The weather is good, and Bernat has recovered from some health issues that afflicted him earlier in base camp. They reach the base of the wall early tomorrow. The pair have not revealed their precise line, but they know what to avoid: a couloir that funnels all the avalanches on the NW Face.
Marek Holecek grabs a shave in base camp, as Sura Peak looms behind him. Photo: Marek Holecek/Instagram
Holecek has spent hours observing the mountain, which has inspired him with a mix of joy and fear. Says Holecek:
Sura Peak [combines] a beautiful and frosty spectacle: steep ice cliffs rise from the glacier, resembling a folded skirt. [Two-thirds of the way up the face], an overhanging rock crosses the wall. This will be the key. Above it is a blue ice cap with a sweet reward at the top. But if we bite into it…who knows. The line of ascent is absolutely clear, but it is scary. Three airy bivouacs that will resemble a swallow’s nest stuck to the wall and one on the descent ridge.
Sura Peak lies between Ama Dablam and Baruntse. Photo: Marek Holecek
