The Russian team, led by Andrei Vasiliev, has reached the base of Everest and started acclimatizing. They already face their first major obstacle: tons of fresh snow hampering their progress.
The team trekked up the Khumbu Valley and established their base camp on October 2, not in tents on the glacier, but in more comfortable lodgings at the nearby village of Lobuche.
Since then, the climbers have focused on the acclimatization phase, taking advantage of clear skies and good weather. Unfortunately, conditions were not good, despite an earlier optimistic report.
“We did our first rotation on the Nuptse Shoulder but found large amounts of fresh snow in the way,” Vasiliev said. “Conditions did not allow us to get any higher than 5,650m.”
That altitude is around 300m higher than Everest Base Camp and lower than the usual location of Camp 1 on the normal route, which is usually pitched at the top of the Khumbu Icefall (at 5,950m-6,000m).
Illustration of the Everest-Lhotse-Nuptse massif as seen from the south, with the Nuptse Shoulder marked.
Climbing plans
As Vasiliev explained before leaving for Nepal, the team has a permit to climb a different route on Everest, rather than the normal line via the South Col and Southeast Ridge. As usual for these climbers, they will not use supplemental oxygen.
Although this is intended as preparation for their main expedition in the spring of 2027, they will also try to summit this fall. They could use a new line, a variation, or an existing route — anything but the normal one, which they don’t have a permit for. There is a reason why over a thousand Everest climbers queue up on the same line every year: There are no easy alternatives.
Next spring, they intend to return to the mountain and climb again in alpine style. It is not yet clear whether they will use the alternative route they choose this time or a new one.
Weather worsening
The climbers will have to watch the weather carefully. Forecasts show storms are currently developing in southern Nepal but seem to be affecting the mountains as well. The Nepal National Mountain Guide Association shared a video filmed today by a member of the Sherpa team fixing ropes on Ama Dablam, also in the Khumbu and not far from Everest. The video shows thick fog and deep snow covering the route:
