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Summit Bids Begin on Stubborn and Treacherous Annapurna

The climbing season in the Himalayas commenced in difficult conditions on the world's 10th highest mountain - Annapurna.

John Waechter

Race against the storm: SA climbers make early push for Annapurna summit
Race against the storm: SA climbers make early push for Annapurna summit / Hot 102.7FM

Summit bids have begun in earnest on Annapurna. Annapurna I is the 10th highest mountain in the world, standing at 8,091 meters (26,545 feet) in the Himalayas of Nepal. Climbing expeditions often choose Annapurna as a warm-up climb for expeditions on other mountains later in the spring, including Mt. Everest and K2. The push to Annapurna’s summit begins today.

As planned, eight Sherpas from Imagine Nepal have left Camp 3 to attempt the summit of Annapurna. The early season climbing has presented many issues, including unseasonably wide crevasses and sheer ice slopes due to a low winter snowpack. In an article published by ExplorersWeb, Imagine Nepal Expedition leader and Annapurna veteran Mingma G, commented on the difficult climbing conditions on the 8,000-meter peak.

“I have always regarded this mountain as the most beautiful 8,000m climb and also the hardest,” admits 38-year-old Mingma G. However, the poor state of the route this year, with sheer ice and lots of open crevasses from Camp 2 upward, forced his team to retreat twice when they ran out of rope. “This [is] my last expedition to Annapurna,” he writes.

Treacherous Climbing as Summit Bids Begin on Annapurna

Mingma, though concerned, remains hopeful for a safe summit and return. “This mountain is just too risky in between Camp 2 and Camp 3,” he says. “I hope our team and all climbers on Annapurna  have good weather on April 5 to the summit and back.”

The mountain presents a significantly more treacherous landscape this season. French climber Vadim Druelle was injured while attempting a solo climb and fell into a crevasse. He was rescued by Mingmar Dhondup and Pasang Nurbu Sherpa, guides with 14 Peaks Expedition, and flown via helicopter to Base Camp.

He was treated and then flown to a hospital in Kathmandu. Eduard Kubatov of Kyrgyzstan was with Druelle the day before the accident and commented that the area was unsafe, but Druelle continued to climb prior to the accident.

Beyond Imagine Nepal, several teams, including a large team from Seven Summits Treks, are on the summit move and hope to summit around April 7. Mindaugas Satkauskas, a 14 Peaks Expedition team member, plans to reach Camp 3 on Saturday and push for the summit on Sunday, April 6.

Makalu Adventure intends to start their summit push on April 6. Also, the Pioneer Adventure team, led by Mingma Dorchi Sherpa, will push for the summit at approximately the same time. We will track these teams as they move higher up Annapurna.

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John Waechter
JOHN WAECHTER

John Waechter reached the summit of Mt. Everest (29,029 ft.) on May 25th, 2001. With the ascent of Mt. Everest, he successfully completed climbing the highest peak on each of the world’s seven continents, becoming the 58th person to conquer the Seven Summits. John continues to climb and enjoys other outdoor pursuits including road and gravel biking, running, and hiking. He covers climbing expeditions throughout the world, as well as other extreme adventures. John is the co-author of ‘Conquering The Seven Summits of Sales, published by HarperCollins. This book explores business sales practices and peak performance, while weaving in climbing metaphors and experiences. John graduated from Whitman College and received an MBA from the University of Washington. John serves on the Board of Directors at Seattle Bank, and SHWorldwide, LLC.

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