Don Bowie posted this wonderful image of Denis Urubko near C2.
He wrote that they worked hard until 6650mt,spent 2 nights at c2, 1 night at C1 and now they are back to BC.
Windchill at - 52° in the first section to C3.
Lotta Hintsa also wrote about the brutal conditions of winter climbing.
This means they are almost fully acclimatized for the next good weather window, going for the top of Broad Peak.
(ph Don Bowie, Instagram)
Simone Moro suffered a 20mt bad fall inside a narrow crevasse, on the way to C1; Tamara Lunger managed to stop the fall but was dragged 1mt short of the edge and suffered a bad hand injury by the twisted rope.
Simone managed, with 2hrs of work, to climb up while Tamara, though badly injured and suffering, managed to build a good anchor to belay him to the safety.
They are back at Gasherbrum I Base Camp, waiting evacuation for a medical assessment of their injuries.
Entire story on Moro's Fb profile.
Update from their Media Manager : Expedition is officially over.(of course, I would like to add)
Best wishes to them, that was a real close call
(ph Simone Moro profile)
Denis Urubko, Don Bowie and Lotta Hintsa progress on Broad Peak are impressive.
Denis :
"We did an hard job 🙂 We passed steep gulley touch 6700 almost shoulder of icy plateu
Bc tomorrow"
(ph Urubko profile, Broad Peak)
Denis Urubko sent a SMS from Broad Peak C2 at 6400mt, telling that Don Bowie and Lotta Hintsa are climbing up to reach him ; weather is "ok" but Don said that is expected bad weather starting from 19th-20th January.
It's likely the trio should sleep at C2 for further acclimatization.
Avalanches in Pakistani Kashmir killed at least 21 people, with 10 more missing, in Neelam Valley (70kmh SW of Nanga Parbat) .
Several people were also killed - at least 20 - in other zones as Baluchistan, Gilgit-Baltistan, Khyber, Azad Kashmir.
Meteorogical Dept. forecast more rains and snowfall, which are reported as "unusual heavy" over the next couple of days.
(sources : Anadolu Agency, India today, Express Tribune Pk)
Meanwhile, Don Bowie, climber currently at Broad Peak BC with his partners Denis Urubko and Lotta Hintsa, reported heavy snowfalls and 120kmh strong winds at BC ( 240kmh on summit)
Today is the birthday of Tomek Czapkins Mackiewicz (13.1.1975-end of January.2018)
Wojciech Kurtyka, legendary climber, said many things about him, I selected a few words :
"I followed his fate and his death is a terribly personal loss to me.[...]
He was one of the most free and indipendent people, like Jerzy Kukuczka was. He was object of ridicule, people laughed at his low budget expeditions.[..]
What he did in Himalaysm is extraordinary.
The first alpine style ascent in winter did by someone who did not pass official training, that used agricultural ropes.[..]
I see in his behavior incredible artistry.
I perceived a beautiful spirit."
(translate from sport.pl)
On this special day, let me express all my love and friendship to Anu and all Tomek family.
2019 was a painful year for the loss of many great climbers.
My friend and mentor Michael Levy with Alison Osius dedicated a delicate, moving article about those we have lost on Rock and Ice magazine web.
Also, my friend Marco Caroline Berti contribute to Tom Ballard remembrance .
A worth reading.
In Memoriam: Climbers We Lost in 2019
In Memoriam: Ken Wallator, Brad Gobright, Andy Pollitt, Shiho Kobayashi, Wayne Merry, Steve Wunsch, Jennifer Shedden, Michelle Xue, Miquel Riera, Al Alvarez, Marty Vogel, Jean Crenshaw, Dirk Anderson, Chaitanya Sathe, Matt Hagny, Cody Tuttle, Ken Anderson, Travis Swanson, Garon Coriz, Bryson Allen,....Winter Expeditions updates :
- Jost Kobusch tracker shows that he made a good progress on the route up to Lho La Col, Everest.
He reached 5800mt, 8:30pm Nepal time
- Denis Urubko, Don Bowie reached approx 6200mt on the way to C2, Broad Peak, working hard on old ropes and hard ice. Lotta Hintsa at C1. Now they are back and tired at Bc!
- Simone Moro, Tamara Lunger are also in progress on the difficult ice/seracs labyrinth on the lower glacier, about 5500mt, Gasherbrum I
Bad weather is expected in the next days, both in Karakorum peaks as in Himalaya highest peak
@jimmychin announced today a new Antarctica 🇦🇶 Expedition :
" to attempt two first descents I’ve dreamed of for years. The 7000ft NE face on Mount Tyree (pictured) is one of the main objectives and a new line on Vinson."
The @thenorthface "dream team" : @jimmychin itself, the senior alpine and antarctica master @conrad_anker, @jimwmorrison and @hilareenelson.
(ph Jimmy Chin)
#montagnamagicaweb
#antarctica
#antartide
#alpinismo
#alpinism
#climbing
#sciestremo
#extremeski
Franz Josef Glacier, New Zealand, 2300km from the Australia wildfires, covered by yellow ashes and dust.
"Australia is committing climate suicide" (Nyt, Richard Flanagan)
Since years Murdoch with his media and other charcoal moguls are denying climate change and the dirty business that led Australia to the final disaster path, minimizing the impact of an economy boosted by gas and charcoal exports.
These are the results: 12 million acres (Belgium territory size) wiped out, no hope of rains for months to come, communities destroyed, thousands houses burned, 30 people died, half billion fauna and flora exterminated, pollution at life threatening levels.
All our Western world, Us, Europe, Russia, China and India are doing nothing as well, so please don't be surprised if we'll see shortly disasters in such a scale that Hollywood movies would be remembered as jokes, confronting the reality.
(ph Franz Josef Glacier,Nz, sat map of wildfires smoke / courtesy Chi ha paura del buio? page)