Indonesian Digital News Archive

A couple of weeks back I posted a story about Ueli Steck's latest adventure in which he climbed three peaks in the Alps and paraglided off of them in the same day. On August 18, the Swiss climber first went up the Jungfrau, glided over to the Monch, summited and the flew to the Eiger. After a quick ascent of that classic peak, he then descended by paraglader and was home for dinner later that day. The whole expedition took in the neighborhood of 14 hours to complete, which sounds like quite the epic day.

Now, our friends over at EpicTV have posted an interview with Ueli in which he goes into detail about this little project. Steck talks about the conditions necessary for this type of endeavor, saying the weather needs to not only be good for climbing but flying as well, which adds another dimension to this challenge.

Listening to Ueli is always interesting, in part he comes across like he doesn't even know that he is Superman. He's quite nonchalant about his accomplishments and that is no different here. I also happen to love his "just do it" attitude and creativity in the mountains.

Another great interview from EpicTV. Keep up the great work guys!

Ueli Steck 3 Peaks from EpicTVAdventure on Vimeo.

In the world of mountaineering we can always trust Ueli Steck to come up with some unique and interesting projects. The Swiss mountaineer recently combined his climbing skills with a new found love of paragliding to string together three impressive climbs – and glides – in a single day of climbing in the Alps.

On August 18 Ueli started his day at 3AM by first climbing the Jungfrau (4158m/13,642 ft) along the Rotal Ridge Route. Just below the summit of that peak the then flew his paraglider over to the Mönch (4107m/13747 ft) North Face and climbed to the summit along the Lauper Route. Taking to the air once again, he then flew to the Eismeer Glacier on the Eiger (3970m/13,025 ft). He then proceed along the Mittelegi Ridge to the Mittelegi Hut for lunch, before climbing to the summit. Topping out at 3:13 PM, Ueli then descended to the Geneva Spur, launched his glider one final time and sailed down the Lauterbrunnen Valley, returning to his car by 5PM. How is that for one epic day?

You can read Ueli's entire trip report by clicking here. Updates are also promised on the Mountain Hardwear Faceboook page as well.

Ueli is quoted as saying "“It was a cool trip, just pack a backpack and go for a ride. That’s what I liked the most. There were no deposits or any support on the trip, just a nice lunch in the mountain hut. The combination of flying and climbing was just perfect. I had a great day.”

Sounds like the kind of effort that only one of the best mountaineers in the world could pull off. Great stuff.

Last week I posted the video of an interview conducted by EpicTV with Ueli Steck right before he began his ascent of Everest without oxygen. Now, they've done a follow-up interview with the Swiss Machine in which he talks about that experience. As one of the first to summit this year, Ueli went up just as the Sherpa team was fixing the ropes to the top. He shares some of those details and a whole lot more. Very interesting stuff.

The climbers have spent another day jockeying for position on the world's tallest mountain. The teams that missed out on last week's weather window are now getting into place to take advantage of the next one, which forecasts indicate will open tomorrow. As of now, most of them are either in Camp 2 or Camp 3 with an eye on summiting on Friday or Saturday.

Included amongst the commercial teams that are now working their way into position are the IMG and Mountain Trip squads. The IMG climbers report cool temperatures on their hike up the mountain, which comes as quite a relief considering the Western Cwm is well known for becoming quite hot in the afternoon sun. They'll stay in C2 today for a rest day before proceeding up to C3 tomorrow. The Mountain Trip group is already in C3 however and will head up to C4 tomorrow, where some of the team will split off and head towards the summit of Lhotse. They report improving weather conditions and few climbers on the mountain, which means less chance of a traffic jam this time around.

Also in Camp 3 at the moment is Kenton Cool, who is on his way up to the top for the tenth time of his illustrious career. Yesterday Kenton posed a brief video of his view from C3, which judging from the excitement in his voice, never get old. You'll find that video at the end of this post. Judging from his track record, I would be willing to bet that Kenton will be amongst the first to summit once this weather window opens in a couple of days. (Update: I barely had this posted when we received word that Kenton is now in C4. Definitely ready for that dash to the summit!)



Joining Kenton at C3 today is Dave Hahn and the RMI squad. They took a rest day at Camp 2 yesterday, where they ate, hydrated and prepared to move up. Dave is going for his 14th summit of Everest, the most of any non-Sherpa, and he reports that everyone is in good spirits and feeling good heading into the final summit push.

Simone Moro is also on the move, looking to summit Everest without oxygen. No word on whether or not he still intends to make an attempt on Lhotse as well, but my guess is that he'll wait and see what the mountain, and the weather, allow him to do in the next few days.

Ueli Steck hasn't posted a full report on his Everest without oxygen climb from last weekend, but he has shared some great photos. Check out his gallery of shots by clicking here. All of the images are quite striking and I love the one that shows all the oxygen bottles stacked up and ready to be used.

Finally, if you've ever wanted to know what it is like to climb from the North Side then you'll want to read Mark Horrell's first hand account of his recent summit. He shares some scary details of what it is like high on the North Ridge, including a knife edge approach to the summit, with the trail barely the width of a boot. On either side is a 3000 meter (9842 ft) drop that is impossible to ignore under the best of conditions. It is quite a good read.

Tomorrow should give us a good indication of how wide this weather window will be and what conditions will be liking heading into the weekend. It appears that everything is on schedule on both the North and South Sides and that this will indeed be the final summit wave for 2012.

Ueli Steck is one of the more talented and well known climbers in Everest Base Camp this spring and we all know that he is planning something special when he goes to the summit in a few days time. What exactly he has planned has yet to be seen, but all we know he is capable of some astounding things when the conditions are right and he sets his mind to it.

Epic TV had the opportunity to speak directly with Ueli from BC a few days ago and they posted the interview online. You'll find it in the video below, in which they discuss his plans, how he feels physically, his thoughts on speed climbing Everest and a lot more. It's a good report directly from the mountain with good insights on what is happening there in the calm before the storm and it gives us some insight into Ueli as well. Great stuff!

A new week brings new promise to the Himalaya, where the teams on Everest continue to wait while elsewhere climbers are topping out on various peaks. The week ahead should be a busy one, as it looks like the projected weather window will open on schedule, which should pave the way for another round of summit bids.

Yesterday was summit day on Manaslu, and according to the latest dispatch from the Adventure Consultants, several climbers topped out, including two of their own. The mountain has been battered with snow this spring, which has made it difficult on everyone, but the forecast called for a weather window and it opened up as expected. Winds were a bit high but manageable and everything came together at just the right time for those who were fortunate enough to make it to the top. The true summit of Manaslu is a very small sliver of rock, and most who reach it have it to themselves for a brief moment. That was the case here, as the climbers didn't linger long before heading down. They are now safely back in BC and are preparing to depart today.

No word yet on whether or not Allie Pepper was amongst the successful summiteers. She was hoping to climb Manaslu before setting out for Lhotse, but she hasn't posted an update in some time. The dispatch from the AC doesn't mention her either, so it is possible that she has left for her second mountain considering weather conditions haven't been good and time is starting to run short.

Elsewhere, ExWeb is reporting that the teams on Annapurna are folding up shop and heading home after another long and tough season on that peak. Amongst them is Don Bowie, who won't be joining Ueli Steck on Everest now. ExWeb is also saying that a Spanish team is in the middle of a summit push on Shisha Pangma right now, but there is little movement on Cho Oyu or Dhaulagiri, although teams on that mountain are preparing for summit bids this week.

Speaking of Ueli Steck, he reports in that his acclimatization on Everest is officially over after spending a the night at 8000 meters (26,246 ft). Ueli says that he and his Sherpa guide stashed their gear at that point and that there were few people on Everest that had been up that high as of yet. A tent city will form there in a few days and everyone who has been patiently waiting will finally get their crack at the summit. Ueli is one of them, although it remains to be seen if he'll make a speed attempt.

On both sides of Everest everyone continues to wait. In the North, the Sherpas have built Camp 3 and the teams are waiting for the ropes to be fixed, while on the South Camp 4 is being stocked in anticipation of the winds dying down at last and access being granted to the summit. Everyone seems optimistic that that will happen late this week, but for now we all wait.

Everest continues to be a source of intrigue this season as teams on both sides of the mountain wait and watch for a window to open that will allow them to begin their summit bids. Today we have news on when those pushes could finally begin and the season's endgame starts to take shape at last.

On the South Side, the Peak Freaks are reporting that there was a large meeting today between all of the team leaders and Sherpas to decide how to divvy up the remaining work and plan for the climb ahead. They seem to have come to a good agreement on how things will proceed now that Himex is off the mountain, and while the Sherpa team that will fix the ropes to the summit is still down one person, it appears that they are ready to go. High winds are keeping them off the upper portions of the hill right now though, and those winds are expected to stay in place until the 17th of the month if the forecasts are to be believed. That means that the first summits are expected on the 18th, by the Sherpas fixing ropes and the rest of the climbers will follow soon there after as weather permits.

That seems to jive with what Ueli Steck is predicting as well. The Swiss Machine is in Base Camp after going up to C2 for part of his acclimatization process and in his latest dispatch he says that he believes the first summits will take place around the 20th. Of course, he hopes to be amongst them, although just in what capacity and route remains to be seen. I'm sure Ueli would love to go for a speed record himself, but the conditions will have to be right and I'd think he'd have to get out in front of the crowds to avoid bottlenecks along the way. He notes that staying in BC he has started to get accustomed to luxury on a climb. Steck usually goes in light and fast, alpine style so sitting in large, warm tents with plenty of food and amenities hasn't been a common experience for him. Sounds like he could grow to like it!

The IMG squad checked in today with good news from higher up the mountain. Not only is the route now open to the South Col, but the Sherpas working higher up say that the Balcony is in good shape too. The Balcony is one of several rocky outcroppings that climbers must overcome on their way to the summit and in past seasons it has often been an obstacle that has led to traffic jams. It seems this year this particular landmark is looking good, with plenty of snow to help facilitate the ascent. That's good news for those that will be approaching it in the days ahead.

After spending some time up in Camp 2, Ian Ridley is now down valley in Gorek Shep where he is enjoying a glorious shower. He returned to BC yesterday after his latest acclimatization round and he'll now spend some time at lower altitude recoverying before proceeding back up as well. Like most of the other climbers, he is more than eager to get started on the summit push.

On the North Side of the mountain things are faring a bit better. The Altitude Junkies report that their Sherpa teams are currently in Advanced Base Camp after stocking Camps 1 and 2 with supplies and bottled oxygen. Tomorrow the porters will go up to C3, located at 8300 meters (27,230 ft) to cache gear there as well and after that they'll all just wait for the weather window. The forecast says that should come next week as well, which means the North Side teams could be making their approach to the summit first for a change.

Ever wonder what it is like for the climbers while they're on an acclimatization round? Then you'll want to read Grant Rawlinson's latest dispatch. He's just returned to BC on the North Side after four days at altitude and he gives a good description of what that is like. In short, it can be a miserable, uncomfortable experience to endure, as the lack of sleep, energy and appetite can take its toll. Still, it is a necessary part of any big climb and Grant's insightful post helps to explain that.

So there we have it. Seems like the action is poised to take place next week. It should be an exciting time on the mountain to say the least. I'll post more updates as the schedule gets clearer and events unfold.

The National Geographic Adventure Blog posted an interesting piece today in which they ask some of the world's top outdoor and extreme athletes what their dream travel destination would be. Some of the answers are actually quite good and it is always interesting to hear where these people would go considering that many of them earn a living by visiting remote places on the planet.

There are numerous well known names on the list including the likes of Ed Viesturs, Gretchen Bleiler, Steph Davis, Ueli Steck and many more. Their top destinations includes such far flung places as Nepal, Tibet, Australia and the Swiss Alps. It is actually quite a diverse set of trips albeit ones that are most definitely adventure focused.

Some of the more interesting "dream trips" include Sarah McNair-Landry revealing she'd like to circumnavigate the globe using kites, skis and a sailboat. Polar explorer Will Steger admits he's ready for some warmth and would love to visit the Australian desert, and clearly Ueli Steck and Andrew Skurka have similar thoughts. Ueli says he'd love to go into space while ultra-hiker Skurka wants to trek across the moon.

If you've ever wondered where the adventure crowd goes to get their travel fix, this will definitely be of interest to you. It might even give you some ideas for your next escape as well.

There has been a fairly consistent theme across the Himalaya climbing updates the past few days and it almost always revolves around the weather. Across the region the weather conditions have played a direct impact on what is happening at the moment, with a number of teams stalled out as they wait for conditions to clear.

On both sides of Everest high winds are causing issues and keeping the teams in Camp 2 or lower. The winds are so bad that that the Sherpa teams haven't had the chance to finish fixing the ropes to the summit on either side of the mountain yet, and until those gusts die down, access to the top will be extremely limited. Numerous teams are also reporting that conditions have been colder, windier and dryer than normal this year, which has not made life pleasant on the mountain. Because it is so dry, the climbers are looking at the possibility of climbing in crampons on bare rock, which is very challenging and dangerous. Snow and ice would be much more preferable to that, but it seems unlikely that they'll see any significant snow fall before the summit push begins.

Ueli Steck has announced that he is on his way to the Big Hill and he gets a bit philosophical in his latest dispatch from the Khumbu. He notes that while his ascent of Ama Dablam with Freddie Wilkinson was a good warm-up expedition, now that his plans for the Khumbu Express II have fallen apart, he is now completely focused on Everest. He's still weighing his options for the climb and is flirting with the idea of going up the West Ridge. He isn't ruling out a speed ascent of some type, or possibly going up without fixed ropes. He says that he feels that he isn't quite as driven as he has been in the past and he can accept what ever comes his way. He also says he is examining other challenges (The New York Marathon!) and is less prone to taking risks at this point. Still, this is the Swiss Machine we're talking about here, and we all know that if conditions are right, he'll still do something special.

A few days back I mentioned that the route up Lhotse was especially dangerous this year due to the lack of snow and ice keeping loose rock in place. The Sherpas fixing the ropes on that peak were going to have to route around the area to lead climbers up a different way this season. Apparently this new route will present some unique challenges of its own but work on those ropes has stalled out as well due to the same winds that are affecting Everest.

On Manaslu, the Adventure Consultants team has returned to Camp 1 where they've found plenty of fresh snow. In fact, several meters have dropped on the area, completely burying their camp. Further up the route has plenty of snow blocking the way, so while the conditions are currently good, it is going to be tough breaking trail to Camp 2.

Also reporting in from Manaslu is Allie Pepper who is hoping to top out on that peak before heading over to Lhotse. Her latest dispatch talks about the heavy snow there this season and also mentions that the Sherpa teams have not been able to fix ropes up to C2 just yet. She says that they hope to resume that work tomorrow and are keeping their fingers crossed that the sun will help clear the way for that to happen.

The teams on Annapurna came across similar conditions as they made another summit bid yesterday. They found that there was too much snow between Camp 2 and 3 on that mountain, and they determined that the chances of an avalanche were simply too high for them to proceed. They've now retreated back to Base Camp where they'll wait for another shot at top.

All of these reports are simply business as usual in the Himalaya. There is a lot of "hurry up and wait" progress at the moment, which is typical for this stage of the season. Weather reports indicate that things could improve over the weekend, and if they do, we'll probably see a lot of action. Stand by for updates.