Winter Climbs 2015: Simone Moro and Tamara Lunger Abandon Manaslu Climb

It looks like Simone Moro and Tamara Lunger's attempt to summit Manaslu in winter is over before it ever really got a chance to get underway. Reports indicate that the duo have called for an evacuation from the mountain following a very close call with an avalanche yesterday. They'll now head home and regroup of potential spring expeditions in the Himalaya instead.

The two climbers arrived on the mountain on February 20 with good weather welcoming them to Base Camp. This allowed them to quickly establish Camp 1 and begin scouting the route. Soon there after however the weather too a turn for the worse, with heavy snow falling over the past few weeks. In fact, Simone and Tamara spent much of their time simply shoveling snow to keep the area around BC clear.

Yesterday, while resting in their tent, they heard a deep rumble above them and knew that an avalanche was taking place it swept down the mountain, bringing five meters of snow with it, just outside of their campsite. That close call was enough of a sign to tell them that the mountain is no longer safe, and that it is time to go home.

At the moment, the two climbers are stranded in Base Camp. It is unsafe for them to descend on their own, as the danger of further avalanches is too high. They have called for a helicopter to come pick them up, but the weather is so poor that it is impossible to fly. It could be another day or two before they are evacuated from the mountain, depending on the weather.

This leaves just the team on Nanga Parbat struggling to summit an 8000-meter peak this winter. That squad is back in Base Camp as well at the moment following a failed summit bid this past weekend. Whether or not they make another attempt at the top of that mountain remains to be seen, with the weather ultimately dictating their chances.

Winter Climbs 2015: Bad Weather Thwarts Summit Bid on Nanga Parbat

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

While I was off climbing the tallest mountain in Africa, the combined international team of Alex Txikon, Daniele Nardi, and their Iranian and Pakistani companions have continued to work very hard on completing the first ever winter ascent of Nanga Parbat. Overt he weekend, the team launched a summit bid at last, but true to form, bad weather set in, forcing the entire squad to return to Base Camp, with at least a few of the climbers deciding to head home.

According to a report from ExWeb, the team abandoned their summit push on day two after finding the route was altered dramatically by a recent snowstorm that dumped plenty of powder on the mountain. The mountaineers were able to proceed above Camp 1 but discovered waist-deep snow and encountered several small avalanches, which convinced them it was time to turn back at 5300 meters (17,388 ft).

With unstable conditions prominent on Nanga Parbat at the moment, Alex and Daniele have decided to wait for another weather window before attempting a second summit push. Exactly when that attempt will begin remains a mystery at this time however.

Discretion being the better part of valor, the Iranian team consisting of Reza Bahadorani, Iraj Maani and Mahmood Hashemi have decided that Nanga is simply too unsafe to proceed this year. After surveying the intended route up the mountain, the trio have elected to pull the plug on their expedition and are now preparing to head home. With excessive amounts of snow and the growing threat of avalanche danger, they feel that it is simply too unsafe to proceed.

Meanwhile, over on Manaslu, Simone Moro and Tamara Lunger are stuck in Base Camp as they wait for the weather to clear as well. They arrived on the mountain amidst good conditions a few weeks back, and were quickly able to establish Camp 1 at 5220 meters (17,125 ft), but since then the weather has taken a turn for the worse, preventing them from moving upwards. Heavy snows continue to fall on the mountain, making it very difficult to proceed.

For each of these winter climbs the click is now ticking. With the calendar now officially turned to March, there are just three more weeks of winter remaining. That is plenty of time to launch another summit bid on Nanga Parbat, but on Manaslu conditions are going to have to be exactly right for Simone and Tamara to have a crack at the top. Their late start has put them behind schedule, and now it seems unlikely that they'll get the chance to actually make a summit push. Of course, anything can happen, and three weeks is still plenty of time, but the weather will have to stabilize dramatically for them to have a true chance.

Stay tuned for more updates soon.

Winter Climbs 2015: Nanga Teams Retreat to BC, Moro Departs for Nepal

There is more news from Nanga Parbat today, where the combined international team of Alex Txikon, Daniele Nardi, local climbers Muhammad Ali "Sadpara" and Muhammad Kahn, along with the Iranian squad, have retreated back to Base Camp after establishing Camp 3 on the mountain. The group had been working for five straight days to establish the route and shuttle gear, and are now ready to rest and regain some strength before heading up again.

According to reports, C3 was installed at 6700 meters (21,981 ft) where at least three of the climbers spent the night as part of their acclimatization. They then fixed ropes above that point, but were unable to reach Camp 4 before deciding it was time to descend. The entire squad is still working on acclimating to the altitude, with the exception of Nardi who has been on Nanga for more than a month now.

Dispatches indicate that Txikon and the other late arrivals are in need of some rest, so they'll spend at least a few days in BC now to let their bodies recover. The forecasts indicate that the weather should be good through the weekend, with storms arriving on the mountain on Sunday. That means that there is no weather window for the next few days, which will limit their efforts. In fact, the forecast calls for poor weather for most of next week, with possibly a meter of snow being dropped on the slopes of Nanga Parbat. For now, the teams will just have to wait to see if and when they'll get another chance.

Meanwhile, Italian climber Simone Moro is preparing to set out for Nepal. He'll leave tomorrow to begin his winter expedition in the Himalaya. He will be joined on the climb by talented alpinist Tamara Lunger, who summited K2 without oxygen this past summer.

The duo have set their sighs on the 8163 meter (26,781 ft) Manaslu, which they hope to link with Manaslu East, a peak that is an impressive 7992 meters (26,220 ft) in height. The hope is to complete the climb before the end of winter, which means they'll have roughly 35 days to top out. Both are said to have already been acclimatizing prior to their departure, with the plan of eventually making an alpine style attempt on the two summits once they have scouted the route.

Finally, there have been no updates yet from Andy Kirkpatrick, who had intended to set off for Denali to complete a solo summit of that mountain in February. The latest updates to the Brit's Facebook and Twitter pages indicate that he was heading off on an expedition, but there has been radio silence for the past eight days. Hopefully he is now in Alaska and prepping for the climb, but at this point it is unclear what his plans are.

That's all for today. It looks like things will be kind of quiet for the next few days at least as the weather on Nanga sorts itself out, and Simone and Tamara make their way to the mountain. We'll have more updates soon as the news warrants.

Winter Climbs 2015: Nanga Parbat Teams Unite at Last, Simone Moro Reveals Plans

There is more news from Nanga Parbat today, where the climbers have started to make some progress once again after being stalled out by the weather. Better yet, it seems that all of the remaining teams have now joined forces, and are working together to try to reach the summit for the first time in winter.

Earlier in the week, Italian climber Daniele Nardi had gone as high as 6100 meters (20,013 ft) on the Mummery Rib. He had hoped to solo that section of the climb and potentially make a summit bid. But unstable conditions on the mountain made it unsafe to continue up out of fear of avalanches. This forced Daniele to return to Base Camp to rethink his strategy, although he didn't stay there for long.

Apparently Daniele has decided to abandon his own plans and join the other teams that are currently on the mountain. In fact, he has already gone back up to Camp 2 with Spanish mountaineer Alex Txikon. They were joined by Pakistani climbers Muhammad Ali "Sadpara" and Muhammad Kahn, and together the team was able to establish Camp 2 on the Kinshofer Route at 6100 meters. The entire squad is hoping to continue up to Camp 3 today as they continue to fix ropes and shuttle gear.

Meanwhile, the Iranian team that is on the same route attempted to take a more direct route to C2 but were unable to complete that section of the climb. ExWeb reports that they were forced to turn back and ended up in Base Camp. Presumably they will attempt to go back up to C2 as well as they continue their acclimatization efforts.

This newly combined team is now as strong as any that we've seen on Nanga Parbat this year, and could potentially lead to the first winter ascent. We'll have to wait to see if they'll be able to work together to reach the top, but there is a great deal of experience and skill in place. There is no question that this group can summit, provided the weather cooperates and allows them to. Like the climbers themselves, we'll have to wait to see if that happens.

Finally, Italian climber Simone Moro has revealed his Himalayan climbing plans at last. After teasing us for the past couple of months, Moro has revealed that he and Tamara Lunger will be attempting to summit Manaslu. ExWeb says that more details will be forthcoming but the plan is to apparently link Manaslu East (7992 meter/26,220 ft) with the Main Summit at 8163 meters (26,781 ft). He is expected to hold a press conference today to share further details.

Winter Climbs 2014: ExWeb Talks To Simone Moro About His Plans

As the winter climbing season inches closer, there is more and more intrigue surrounding the plans of Italian climber Simone Moro. As a veteran climber who has put up first winter ascents on three Himalayan peaks, it is not unusual for Moro to be planning a big climb during the coldest, harshest season of the year. But this year Simone is keeping his cards close to the vest, and has not yet revealed his plans. We do know however, that he does not intend to attempt Nanga Parbat or K2, the only two remaining 8000 meter peaks to be climbed in winter. Recently, ExWeb caught up with Moro, as he shared some thoughts on the expeditions that will be taking place beginning in just a few weeks.

In the interview, Simone talks about the re-emergence of winter expeditions on the big peaks, and the Polish squads returning to prominence in that area. ExWeb credits Moro for reinvigorating winter climbs, but as you would expect, Simone says that he is happy to see others join him on the big mountain quests. He also reminds the interviewer that while he isn't going to K2 or Nanga Parbat, he still has some big plans for the winter ahead.

One of Simone's favorite climbing partners is Denis Urubko, who will be focused on K2 this winter. When asked why Moro did not join his old friend, he reiterated the now often-shared story about his wife having a bad dream about him dying on K2. She asked him not to climb that mountain in the winter, and he agreed. So it would seem that if K2 is to be summited during the harshest season of all, it will be by someone other than Simone.

Other topics that are discussed in the interview include Moro's thoughts on competition in high altitude mountaineering, what approach he would take to climbing K2 in the winter, his ideal team size for winter expedition, and some of the logistical differences between climbing in the winter vs. the summer. He also shares some thoughts on avoiding frostbite at high altitude, the chances of future shutdowns like the one on Everest this past spring, and much more.

If you're interested in high altitude mountaineering, particularly in the winter, than this is a good interview from a man who is extremely experienced in both areas. Simone is one of the best mountaineers in the business, and it will be interesting to hear about his winter plans this season. He says those plans remain confidential, so for now we'll jus have to wait. I expect we'll hear something definitive in the next few weeks, and then we'll be following Moro's efforts throughout the expedition, no matter where it takes him.

Winter Climbs 2014: And So It Begins...

The official start of the 2014-2015 winter climbing season is still a couple of weeks away, but teams heading to the big mountains are deep in preparation for their expeditions. Most will depart for Pakistan and China in mid-December, ahead of the official arrival of winter on December 21, but one climber has already started his acclimatization process, and isn't looking to waste any time.

According to a report on ExWeb, Polish climber Tomek Mackiewicz is already in Pakistan, and has been acclimatizing in the Rupal Valley ahead of his attempt on Nanga Parbat this winter. Tomek arrived there in November, giving himself several weeks to adjust to the altitude before heading to the Diamir Face of Nanga.

According to the report, Tomek arrived in Pakistan on November 12, and spent a week organizing his gear and handling administrative tasks in Rawalpindi before arriving in Lattabo on November 21. He has spent the time since then acclimatizing on Rupal and Laila Peak. Those two mountains, 5642 meters (18,510 ft) and 5971 meters (19,589 ft) respectively, will serve as a warm-up before the Polish climber joins his partners – Daniele Nardi and Elisabeth Revel – in Nanga Parbat Base Camp in a few weeks.

Meanwhile, Italian climber Simone Moro continues to press ahead with his plans for a winter climb, even though we don't know what he has in mind just yet. Simone tells Stefan Nestler that he is still waiting on his climbing permit before he announces what his objectives are. He intends to climb this winter, although he won't start until after the first of the year, which is later than usual for a big winter climb. We do know that the expedition will take place in China, as Simone has indicated that he's waiting for the Chinese to issue him the permit, but it is unclear if that his adventure will take him to China proper, or if it will take place in Tibet. Rumors suggested that he might try the North Face of Everest in winter, but officials have indicated that the mountain will be shut down from January 1 to March 31, so clearly that is not his objective.


A veteran of 12 winter climbing expeditions – including three first ascents – Moro is an expert on climbing big peaks in the coldest, harshest season of all. When asked why he isn't on Nanga Parbat or K2 this season, Simone says that his best climbing partners didn't want to accompany him to Nanga this year, and that he promised his wife that he would never climb K2 in the winter after she dreamt that he had perished on that mountain. So now, he prepares for this secret climb instead, and we all wait to see what exactly he has planned.

Moro goes on to say that winter climbing is "pure exploration," unlike any other expedition. He enjoys the fact that the mountain is empty, with no other teams climbing, and that the conditions are extremely challenging. It is a lonely time and place for mountaineers, unlike climbing those same peaks during the warmer months.

Other interesting elements in the interview include Simone's thoughts on how climbing will change on Everest in the wake of the avalanche that claimed 16 lives this past spring, how he has put the high-profile 2013 brawl with Sherpas behind him, and his work as a rescue helicopter pilot in the Himalaya. He also talks about his future in climbing, and at the age of 47, how many more years he has left on these daring expeditions into the Himalaya and Karakoram.

As usually, the interview is a good read, and definitely worth a look for those with an interest in mountaineering on this level.

While the winter climbing season is still a couple of weeks from truly starting, it seems we may have plenty of news to report leading up to it. Stay tuned for more updates.

Winter Mountaineering 2014: K2 and Nanga Parbat Take Center Stage

Earlier this week we turned out the light on the 2014 fall Himalayan climbing season by wrapping up the last couple of expeditions that were still ongoing. Now, there will be a bit of a respite on the big mountains, while most of the attention turns to the spring climbing season on Everest. But before that occurs, the winter climbing season awaits, and in just over a month's time, teams will begin heading to some of the most difficult peaks on the planet in an attempt to summit during the coldest, most demanding season of all.

As of now, there are just two 8000 meter peaks that remain unclimbed in winter, They are K2 and Nanga Parbat. This winter, teams have targeted both peaks in an attempt to knock off one, or both, of these incredibly difficult mountains.

While most of the winter climbing expeditions are heading to Nanga, the team that we'll be watching the closest will no doubt be on K2. As previously announced, a team consisting of climbing all-stars Denis Urubko, Adam Bielecki and Alex Txikon, who will be joined by Artiom Braun and Dmitry Siniew, has set its sights on a new route on the toughest mountain on the planet. The team will climb from the Chinese side of K2, up the North Face, along the Northeast Ridge. According to ExWeb, the squad will depart for the Karakoram on December 16.


Of course, this team has a great deal of experience climbing during the winter. Urubko was part of the team that put up the first winter ascent of Gasherbrum II a few years back, and Bielecki has two first ascents during the season under his belt as well – Gasherbrum I and Broad Peak. They'll need all of that skill, experience, and determination if they hope to reach the summit of K2 in a few months.

Meanwhile, ExWeb is also offering solid details on the plans for Nanga Parbat as well. They claim that Tomek Mackiewicz, Daniele Nardi, Elisabeth Revol and Roberto Delle Monache will all share Base Camp on that mountain, although beyond that point Tomek intends to make a solo summit bid. That will be a bold expedition to follow as well, as he attempts to go up the Mummery Rib. The group is expected to depart for Pakistan on December 20.

According to Russian Climb, Nickolay Totmjanin, Valery Shamalo, Serguey Kondrashkin and Victor Koval are also attempting Nanga this winter. They are planning on setting off for Pakistan on December 22 for their own winter 8000-meter expedition.

Finally, Simone Moro is up to something in the Himalaya this winter, but we're not sure exactly what yet. He has promised his wife he would not attempt K2, so he won't join his friend Denis Urubko on that expedition, and he has also ruled out Nanga Parbat. Apparently, the expedition is still coming together, and he isn't quite ready to reveal plans just yet. Hopefully we'll hear more about what he has in store in the days ahead. As usual with Simone, he generally has some big idea. Perhaps he'll bring his friend Ueli Steck along for the ride as well.

That's all for now. These expeditions will begin to take center stage in about a month, but until then, the mountaineering world will be a bit quiet. It is certainly shaping up to be an interesting winter in the big mountains though. Stay tuned for updates.