Generally this year was bad on the south side of Everest. Abnormally high temperatures in badging sunlight, radiated the Khumbu icefall and the Lhotse wall, increasing the risk of avalanches. The icefall, was and is unstable and with a very high risk as it was moving from day to day.
Khumbu Icefall……this years tricky part on Everest
Russel Brice (Himalayanexperience.com) decided to “pull the plug” and dismantled his BC, which once again triggered off a new controversy in the community. Russ has already tasted the sweet taste of “fatal controversy”, when David Sharp died on the Tibet side of Everest May 27th 2006. Read more about the reasons to pull the plug.
Russel is an experienced old timer now, and his judgment stands clear. If there are a major collaps in the Kumbu icefall, not only can this have fatal consequences in the BC, but it can also block the “bottled climbers”, descending from a summit attempt.
As of yesterday May 21, 3 climbers were reported dead on Everest, and two other were reported missing (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-18142900). But the season is not over yet!
Chilian climbers heading for the South Col May 17th.
Ralf Dujmovits did try his “topless” Everest attempt. Climbing without oxygen, solo from CIII, and carrying all his personal gear up to the South Col just the way it should be done. Suisse speed climber Uli Steck, was in Ralf’s tracks and arrived later at the South Col. Together they would go for the summit next day (May 18th).
A “Burned out” Ralf at the South Col of Everest
During the night, Ralf realized that he had burned out, and with his experience of 27 8000, he knew his new heading: Down. It’s obvious that Ralf had not completely recovered from the sickness of sinusitis during the climb…..so a burn out at the South Col is not surprising. Uli Steck however, summited topless the 18th.
During the decent, Ralf crossed the organized expeditions heading for the summit. “Climbers” bottled up in CII, heading to become the first boy on the block, to climb Everest.
Climbing Everest? No comments.
Summit window is reported open from the 24 to 27 May. And the Khumbu Icefall is roasting in the sun…
At stake: First German non ox + first couple non ox in the world!
Ralf Dujmovits finished his last 14 8000 (Lhotse) in 2009 and became the first German climber to complete this huge task. Of all of them Ralf only “missed” one summit, climbing Everest with oxygen in 1992.
Since 92, Ralf have specialized in climbing his 8000 peaks, the only way they should be faced and climbed: In Alpine style, without the use of supplemental oxygen – a question of personal engagement and a question of esthetical style. The ultimate level in alpinism.
Currently Ralf is back on Everest, to fix the problem by climbing Everest “non ox”. His plan was to go for Nuptse with his wife Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner, and then go for the summit of Everest if he had any “juice” left.
Reports are now informing, that Ralf has decided to go for the Everest summit, and based upon a solid acclimatization on the mountain (3 nights in CIII), it looks like things are in place for this attempt to be successful.
May 15th: In the community, Japanese climbers have always been known and are highly respected, for the routes they managed to open. Pushing the limits into unimaginable dimensions. Take and his Japanese team, have now entered a new ground breaking dimension at the Dhaulagiri BC, by test flying a counter rotated electrical helicopter at 4600m altitude.
A remarkable performance getting it airborne in this thin air, that even the NHK film crew had to get the event on video! At this point it seems evident, that Hirotaka Takeushi will tempt a first time ever: To become the first Japanese having completed the 14 8000, and to air lift a counter rotated electrical helicopter from the summit of his final 14 8000.
We at Valandre hope to become witness to such an event in a summit video: Mr Hirotaka Takeuchi launches a counter rotated electrical helicopter from the summit of his final 14 8000 from 8167m/26.795ft.
PLEASE – PLEASE HIRO…….do it!
[jwplayer 6rIYFaqP-S5EMYFqt]Japanese “Pas de deux”…
May 11th: Take and Kenro, has set up their C2 camp at 6600m. Weather conditions are un-usably “hot”, so the long climb from C1 to C2 was very tiring for both. According to their report, the camp was set up in a record time of 30min, but as everybody knows, Japanese climbers select good and reliant equipment…
[jwplayer 9Y6NARHZ-S5EMYFqt]Ventilator ON……….
May 4th: Ok… Take’s moving in to get it over, and become the first Japanese on the 14 8000.
[jwplayer hIol9ikR-S5EMYFqt]Wonderfull Kathmandou
May 2th: Hirotaka sends us a Japanese post card from Kathmandu! But – You are a Pro Hiro….time to go to work dude!
[jwplayer L01uKENR-S5EMYFqt]A day at the “Hard Rock Caffe”……….
April 28th: Once having summited ImjaTse peak, Hiro and Kenro went back into the valley. Obviously they are having fun together, so they mixed up a new video of their climb, adding rhythm and music…….. After posting it, they went into town and “Disco danced” all night!
[jwplayer d3KcLhfT-S5EMYFqt]Prime rehearsal before Dhaulagiri
April 24th:Hirotaka is currently training on ImjaTse in the Himalayas, better known as Island Peak (6,189 m (20,305 ft)), as part of the acclimatization process before attacking his last 8000m peak: Dhaulagiri (8167m). Hiro had a tuff way to the 14 8000, with some serious situations. On Everest 2005, Hiro had a cerebral edema, but Ralf and Gerlinde got him down alive. And on Gasherbrum in 2007, Hiro was hit by an avalanche with broken backbone and was rescued by helicopter. We are now many in the world, who are waiting for Hiro to complete his 14 8000 this spring.
Where to go training on a sunny day?: Just shoot straight up the Imja Tse (6,189 m (20,305 ft)).
Hirotaka Takeuchi is an experienced Japanese high altitude climber, with currently 13 8000 peaks successfully behind him. Now facing this ultimate challenge, Hiro has joined with Kenro Nakasima (Climber + cameraman), both are attacking Dhaulagiri, in alpine style without supplemental oxygen.
Shortly, Hiro will summit his last 8000 and will become the first Japanese having accomplished this. We wish you good luck Hiro… time to step into the crampons… and GO!
Old friendships are important, so I had the pleasure to meet with Ralf Dujmovits who introduced me to his new wife Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner at the 2012 winter ISPO show in Munich. Ralf reached his last 8000m peak (Lhotse) in 2009 and became the first German on the 14 8000 and number 16 in the line:
Ralf is a strong and dedicated DAV Guide, and his record contains numerous successful expeditions, guiding clients to a 8000m summit. A true pillar in German High Altitude climbing, and a great man.
Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner is a Austrian climber, out of the “old school”, extremely attached and sensitive to the notion of “The mountain”. August 2011 Gerlinde and Ralf engaged a climb of the Japanese route of the North Pillar of K2. Here Gerlinde summited her final 8000m peak and became the first woman to complete the 8000m without supplemental oxygen:
1998 — Cho Oyu,
2001 — Makalu,
2002 — Manaslu,
2003 — Nanga Parbat,
2004 — Annapurna I,
2004 — Gasherbrum I,
2005 — Shisha Pangma,
2005 — Gasherbrum II,
2006 — Kangchenjunga,
2007 — Broad Peak,
2008 — Dhaulagiri,
2009 — Lhotse,
2010 — Mount Everest,
2011 — K2.
A full report of the K2 climb 2011, will be published in a 32 page report in NATIONAL GEOGRAFIC, translated and published worldwide, and due to appear in April 2012.
Austrian mountaineer, Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner, has just become the first woman to climb the world’s 14 highest peaks without the use of supplementary oxygen. She finished this amazing feat with an impressive climb up K2 using a different, and not very often climbed route – the North Pillar. Gerlinde and her husband, Ralf Dujmovits, were climbing with a team of four other mountaineers and during their expedition they had to overcome extreme difficulties. They had to deal with avalanches, rock fall and breaking trail through hip-deep snow at dizzying altitudes above 8,000m. On 23 August at 6.18pm, Gerlinde together with three other climbers, stood on top of the second highest peak in the world and with this achievement, she certainly wrote mountaineering history.
After having been on the mountain for more than two-and-a-half months, the couple arrived in Germany on Saturday, 3rd September and instead of getting a rest at home, Ralf and Gerlinde went straight to ‘das aktuelle Sportstudio’ to share their remarkable experience.
