Following Garrett Madison’s success, another foreign team is heading to Ama Dablam. Lukas Furtenbach’s group is currently quarantining in Kathmandu before heading to Ama Dablam, Mera Peak and the rarely climbed Nirekha, a technical 6,000’er close to Gokyo. “What an extraordinary privilege to climb in Nepal in absolute solitude,” said Furtenbach. “This is once in a lifetime.” All members have tested negative for COVID more than once to ensure that they are not going to spread the virus in the Khumbu Valley.
Nirekha (in background) is a rarely climbed 6,100m peak in the Gokyo area. Photo: Lukas Furtenbach
Meanwhile, climbers continue to confirm for winter K2. The latest is Pakistani’s winter expert, Muhammad Ali Sadpara, who will climb with his son Sajid and Iceland’s John Snorri.
Muhammad Ali Sadpara, the first winter summiter on Nanga Parbat. Photo: Ali Sadpara
Those hoping to explore the southern hemisphere may finally a chance: Chile, home of the Torres del Paine and Cerro Torre massifs, opens its borders to foreign tourists on Monday. Requirements for entrance include a negative PCR test (done less than 72 hours before boarding) and a health insurance policy covering COVID-19. However, Argentina’s Aconcagua National Park will remain closed this season to foreigners. Only one small hospital services both the nearby El Calafate and El Chalten areas.
