Spring 2018 Himalayan News

5/25

• Tenji and Griffith summit Everest, and will now head for Lhotse
• 2018 is potentially a record year for Everest summits. Exact figures are yet to be confirmed

Everest Base Camp yesterday. Photo: International Mountain Guides. Ang Jangbu

5/24

• Huge avalanche on Everest, no casualties reported
• Horia Colibasanu and Peter Hamor abandon their Everest-Lhotse traverse due to unfavourable conditions
• Tenji and Griffith to live-stream their attempt at the Everest-Lhotse traverse

A sea of clouds as seen from Dhaulagiri. Photo: Carlos Soria

5/23

• Nima Jangmu Sherpa has reached the summit of Kangchenjunga. Impressively, it’s her third 8,000m peak this season. Earlier, she climbed Lhotse and Everest
• Two further Everest deaths: Pasang Norbu Sherpa has died of a stroke while ascending from the North Col, and Damai Sarki Sherpa had a fatal fall into a crevasse on the Nepal side of the mountain
• Death toll on Everest for the season now at 6

The route up Everest from the South Col. photo: Ben Jones

5/22

• The flurry of Everest summits continues, now at over 600
• Furtenbach’s “flash” team summit Everest 17 days after entering Tibet

Climbers approaching the summit of Everest. Photo: Ben Jones

5/21

• Moniz and Benegaz able to summit Everest despite ski pass controversy
• Nima Jangmu Sherpa will attempt Kangchenjunga, having already climbed Lhotse and Everest this season
• Macedonian climber Gjeorgi Petkov has died after a cardiac arrest approaching the Yellow Band on Everest
• According to Base Camp officials Japanese climber Nobukazu Kuriki has been found dead in his tent on Everest. Sherpa Lama Babu also presumed dead after going missing on May 14 near the South summit

A team of climbers from Furtenbach on the summit of Everest. Photo: Furtenbach Adventures

5/20

• Over 450 Everest summits so far this season
• Ngima Nuru Sherpa becomes youngest climber to achieve 21 Everest summits
• The weather on Everest remains favourable, the next wave of commercial expeditions ready to summit
• Reports that some expeditions are missing oxygen bottles, possibly stolen

Herve Barmasse in the Khumbu Valley. Photo: Herve Barmasse

5/19

• Confirmation that five climbers, Pemba Geljen Sherpa, Sergei Baranov, Chris Burke, Herbert Hellmuth and Lakpa Sherpa were able to summit Kangchenjunga on May 16
• Problems with supplemental summit oxygen reported by teams on both sides of Everest
• Carlos Soria forced to turn back on Dhaulagiri due to strong winds and heavy snow above Camp 3

A number of climbers had been forced to turn back on Kangchenjunga, but Wednesday brought some successful summits. Photo: Marco Confortola

5/18

• The search for missing climber Boyan Petrov officially called off
• Sixteen-year-old Shivangi Pathak summits Everest with the Seven Summits team
• Russian climber Rustem Amirov dies of altitude sickness on Lhotse
• Good weather reported on Everest; next wave of commercial expeditions due to summit over the next couple of days

A number of teams have now returned to Everest Base Camp. Photo: David Liano

5/17

• New records set for the most Everest ascents, for both men and women. Ani Lhakpa Sherpa made her 9th successful Everest summit from the Tibet side yesterday, while Kami Rita Sherpa made his 22nd Everest summit from the Nepal side
• The Alpenglow team are forced to turn back near the summit of Everest after multiple failures of their oxygen regulators – no casualties reported
• British celebrity Ben Fogle summits Everest alongside Kenton Cool
• Guy Cotter of Adventure Consultants, with his client Leow Kah Shin, summit both Everest and Lhotse in just over 24 hours
• Due to poor weather, David Liano abandons his Kangchenjunga push at Camp 3. He will now head to Everest
• Marco Confortola also forced to turn back on Kangchenjunga

The Western Cwm. Photo: Jonathan Griffith

5/16

• Japanese climber Matsumoto Tatsuo, 79, became oldest person to climb Lhotse
• Sherpa climber reported missing above C4 on Everest
• Sherpa climber reported to have died from high altitude sickness on Makalu
• Kanchenjunga summit pushes underway
  
• Italian climbers Romano Sebastiani and Adriano Bonmassar stuck on Shishapangma; rescure operation to start today
• First commercial summits of Everest from the Tibetan side on May 15
• Steve Plain adds summit of Lhotse after completing the seven peaks in record-breaking time

Kanchenjunga by night. Photo: Alex d’Emilia

5/15

• Fixed ropes completed on the Tibet side of Everest, May 14
• Multiple summits May 13 and May 14 by commercial expeditions via the South Col on Everest
• Reports of up to 180 climbers possibly making an Everest summit bid today, May 15
• Double amputee Xia Boyu summits Everest on his sixth attempt

Xia Boyu has reached the summit of Everest on his sixth attempt. Photo: Everest Today

5/14

• Fixed ropes completed on the Nepal side of Everest on May 13 at 3.30pm, 8 Sherpas summit
• Fixed ropes on the Tibetan side of Everest to be completed today
• Multiple Everest teams setting off to summit today
• Australian Steve Plain appears to have broken the speed record for climbing the 7 Summits this morning. With today’s Everest summit, he notched all seven peaks at 117 days
• The search on Shishapangma for missing climber Boyan Petrov has been called off above Camp 3 due to the potential danger to rescuers
• Korean Kim Hongbin summits Annapurna I with Pechhumbe Sherpa, Gyaljie Sherpa, Chhiring Sherpa and Nima Tenji Sherpa

Kim Hongbin climbs his 12th 8,000m peak. Photo: Seven Summits Treks Pvt. Ltd.

5/13

• Weather improving and wind speeds decreasing on Everest
• Fixed rope to the summit on the Nepal side of Everest should be completed today if the weather holds
• The Himalayan Times reports that Manaslu will not see any summits this season after the Swiss expedition is called off
• Helicopters searching for Boyan Petrov have not found any sign of the missing climber, the search continues

The Furtenbach campsite on the North side of Everest. Photo: Furtenbach Adventures

5/12

• High winds and low temperatures on Everest above Camp 3; fixed rope progress slowed
• Unpredictable weather means some expeditions are moving their summit pushes to next weekend
• Wind continues to hamper the helicopter search for missing climber Boyan Petrov

Arjun Vajpai’s tent on Kangchenjunga. Photo: Alex d’Emilia

5/11

• Teams still waiting for weather windows on Kangchenjunga and Dhaulagiri
• Rope team at the South Col on Everest, Nepal side summit ropes due to be fixed 12 May
• Teams aiming to summit Everest this weekend are moving up to Camp 2 and Camp 3

Everest, Lhotse and Nuptse as seen from Pumori. Photo: Everest Expedition

5/10

• Fixed ropes to summit expected on Everest in the next couple of days
• A Chinese rescue team continues to search for missing Bulgarian climber Boyan Petrov
• First Everest summits expected over the weekend

Marco Confortola, Wilco Van Rooijen and Arjun Vajpai are making the best out of the bad weather on Kanchenjunga. Photo: Alex d’Emilia

5/9

• The search for Boyan Petrov continues to be hampered by poor weather
• Icefall doctors setting off today to establish ropes to the summit of Everest
• Teams recovering in preparation for summit pushes

Adrian Ballinger’s team at the summit of Cho Oyu. Photo: Adrian Ballinger

5/8

• Still no sign of missing climber Boyan Petrov
• Ropes may be fixed to summit on Tibetan side of Everest by May 15
• Seven Summit Treks indicate May 11 as possible summit day on Nepalese side

Ama Dablam at sunset. Photo: Jon Griffith

5/7

• Ballinger’s Lightning Ascent team first to summit Cho Oyu this season
• Mingma G. Sherpa indicates May 13 as Everest summit day for his team, which includes double amputee Xia Boyu
• Most teams resting at BC until weather clears

Rest day on Kanchenjunga. Photo: David Liaño

5/6

• The jet stream closes in on Everest, most teams back at Base Camp or finishing rotations before May 8
• Wind building above Camp 2 on Everest
• Adrian Ballinger’s Cho Oyu summit push at 7,100m. Ropes fixed to 7,700m

High winds and snowfall on Nuptse have thwarted recent attempts on the summit. Photo: Adam Booth

5/5

• Adrian Ballinger announces summit push underway on Cho Oyu.
• Alex Gavan and Pawel Michalski abandon Dhaulagiri and Nanga Parbat back-to-back expedition following the death of their friend Simone La Terra.

Cottor and Leow climbing Nuptse in the early morning. Photo: Adventure Consultants

5/4

• The Himalayan Times reports first summit of Makalu this season without supplemental oxygen by Gao Xiao-Dan and three climbing Sherpas
• One fixed line in place to the South Col.
• Seven Summit Treks stationing a 10-person rescue team at C2 this season
• Forecast of major wind event shifts to evening of 8th through 10th; teams pushing to finish current rotations before

Lhotse. Taken on recent attempt to summit Nuptse. Photo: Everest Expedition

5/3

• Alex Gavan reports on the operation to recover the body of Simone La Terra on Dhaulagiri
• Kuriki planning acclimatization rotation to 6,400 m and on to 7,600 m over next few days
• Jet stream to pass over the Himalaya this weekend, slowing progress
• Teams ready for summit bid on Nepalese side of Everest as soon as weather clears and ropes are fixed

The setting sun from C3 on Everest. Photo: International Mountain Guides

5/2

• Carlos Soria waiting for clear weather to allow a summit attempt on Dhaulagiri
• C3 rotations underway on Everest
• Everest teams expecting strong winds in a few days
• Adventure Consultants Guy Cotter and Leow Kah Shin depart for Nuptse summit attempt

Sunset at C3 on Kanchenjunga. Photo: David Liaño

5/1

• The Himalayan Times reports that Italian climber, 37-year-old Simone La Terra, perished near C3 on Dhaulagiri. First casualty of the 2018 spring Himalayan season
• 16-year-old Shivangi, youngest climber on Everest this season, back at BC after successful rotation to C2

Khumbu Icefall. Photo: Ben Jones

4/30

• Mingma G. Sherpa reports summit of Lhotse – first summit of an eight-thousander this season
• Acclimatization rotations to 7,000 m planned on Everest in next few days

Everest BC. Photo: Tendi Sherpa

4/29

• Ropes fixed to 8,200 m on Lhotse; first summit of the season occurring today?
• Weather clears on Kanchenjunga; climbers moving to C3

4/28

• Kuriki arrives at Everest BC
• Heavy snow on Kanchenjunga
• Sherpas moving to C4 on Everest, Lhotse

C2, Kanchenjunga. Photo: Don Bowie

4/27

• Route to C3 fixed on Nepalese side of Everest; ropes to C4 schedule to be complete in next few days
• Poor weather reported on Everest and Kanchenjunga; forecast to continue for next few days
• Kuriki recuperating from fever near Pheriche
• Stefan Nestler reports Korean Paralympics athlete and climber Kim Hong Bin to be on Annapurna this spring

Everest BC. Photo: Seven Summit Treks

4/26

• Two climbing Sherpas injured in icefall collapse in Nepal; route reinstated within two hours
• Large crevasses reported at Kanchenjunga

Climbers heading for C1 Photo: Pasang Rinzee Sherpa

4/25

• Kuriki announces solo Lhotse/Everest attempt
• Tenji heading to C2; planning to spend two night acclimatizing
• Soria at Dhalagiri BC; “acclimatization complete – starting to consider summit push”
  

  Route to C1 on Dhalagiri Photo: Carlos Soria

4/24

• Cimbers Confortola, Lavaud and Bowie fixing route to C3 on Kanchenjunga
• Cotter and Leow at C2 on Everest; sherpa fixing ropes above C3
  

  C2 on the south side of Everest Photo: Adventure Consultants

4/23

• Majority of teams at BC or cycling to C2 on Nepal side of Everest
• Alpinismonline reports a total of 649 mountaineers climbing in Nepal
• Alan Arnette reports fixed lines in place to C3 on Nepal side of Everest
• Colibasanu and Hamor establish ABC at 6,400 m on Everest; back at BC

Expedition list

• The list below is the result of our research, but is not comprehensive. Please contact us if you would like an expedition added, removed, or if you notice any error.
• The “Leader” and “Members” roles are sometimes clear-cut, as in a commercial expedition, but in other cases not so much. Please forgive any misinterpretations and do not take any offense. Again, let us know if corrections are necessary.
• The “Updates” column lists sources of news for the expedition posted by either the operator or a climber. Sources are listed that are updated frequently, or as least seem likely to be so.