The work done in the last few days by all hands, led by Txikon and Moro, has paid off. They have fixed the route to 6,350m, and the climbers need just one more foray up the mountain before their summit bid is totally prepped.
Last Saturday, Simone Moro, Vinajak Malla, Tenji Sherpa, and Iñaki Alvarez forged a new line to the right of the huge bergschrund which had blocked their original route. They returned to Base Camp yesterday, tired but happy after fixing another 300 vertical metres. “We finally see the possibility of arriving at Camp 3 with two more days work,” said Moro. He notes that they have been swimming in “almost vertical snow” lately.
Simone Moro carries poles to mark the sections with no fixed ropes. Photo: Simone Moro
Alex Txikon, Iñaki Alvarez, and Sherpas Cheppal, Gelum, Namja, and Kalden then took their shift and headed up as heavily loaded as possible. Today, Alvarez and Gelum left 400m of rope, poles, and two ladders on the highest point fixed so far. Txikon and Sherpas Chhepal, Namja, and Kalden carried poles and another 1,000m of rope from BC to C1, where they are currently camped. Tomorrow, both groups (Txikon’s from C1 and Moro’s from BC), will continue their work.
The original route opened by the climbers from Camp 1 in red, the bergschrund (rimaya in Spanish), and the new line in blue. Illustration: Ana Azpilicueta, Photo: Alex Txikon
