The Winter Climbing Window is About to Open in the Himalayas

Several climbing expeditions are on the move to attempt winter climbs in the Himalayas, which technically can begin on December 21st.

The Himalayas / Dashu Xinganling - Shutterstock

The climbing expedition teams seeking to summit Himalayan peaks this winter season are currently acclimatizing in the Khumbu Valley, with Ama Dablam (22,349 feet) serving as a warm-up peak for their 8,000-meter peak aspirations. The teams targeting Mt. Everest, Annapurna, and Manaslu recently reported in on their progress with their ambitious winter climbing plans. (Related Article)

The true winter climbing season in the Himalayas beings on December 21st , and these three teams have plans to attempt climbing three of the highest mountains in the world during the astronomical winter. The Himalaya, the highest mountain range in the world, stretches across Nepal, India, Bhutan, China, and Pakistan. The range is home to the fourteen 8,000-meter peaks - the highest mountains in the world known as ‘The Roof of the World’.

Winter Ascents of Himalayan peaks present an additional set of challenges and dangers than the more traditional climbing seasons – namely colder than normal climbing conditions and less support. Alex Txikon, a purist winter-season climber, made the first winter ascent of Nanga Parbat with Simone Moro of Italy in 2016. Txikon also summited Manaslu in January, 2023.

Annapurna (26,545 ft.). Alex Txikon continues to work on a second attempt on Annapurna this winter with Italian climber Mattia Conte, Waldemar Kowalewski of Poland, Sajid Sadpara of Pakistan and the Seven Summit Trek’s sherpa team. This team plans to make a summit push on Ama Dablam this weekend, and then travel to the base camp of Annapurna prior to the December winter calendar date.

Angela Bedavides reported in an Article for ExplorersWeb that Kowalewski’s plan to climb Ama Dablam one more time will be his last on the mountain due to hazardous conditions. “The crevasse between Camp 3 and the summit is dangerous to cross and getting deeper and deeper,” he said. “[This] will eventually lead to the rupture of the serac above. When it falls, it will kill all the climbers [who happen to be] on the 95-minute section between the camp and the crevasse. The serac may break off in the next minute or three years from now,” he added. “But it will break as it did eight years ago when it swept all the tents and climbers from Camp 3.”

Annapurna / Samir Yogol Shrestha - Shutterstock

(The incident Kowalewski is referring to actually happened 18 years ago, in 2006. Four consecutive avalanches came down from above the Dablam Glacier in the early morning and struck Camp 3. It killed six climbers and obliterated the camp.) - ExplorersWeb

Mt. Everest (29,029 ft.). Jost Kobusch of Germany, who plans to climb Mt. Everest’s West Ridge solo when the winter season officially begins, climbed Mera Peak (21,247 feet) as part of his preparations. Kobusch has been climbing and acclimatizing in central Nepal and recently arrived in the Khumbu to stage his attempt. Per the requirements of a true winter climb, he will not go to Everest Base Camp until December 22nd. Kobusch noted that a an actual summit may not be in the cards this season. “In 2019-20 and 2021-22, [his two previous attempts] I spent time on the route working out the beta, learning a lot, and building skills. The goal will be to break the altitude record set by a French team in 1983. I would love to go higher and explore the upper section.”

Mt. Everest / Soloviova Liudmyla - Shutterstock

Manaslu (26,781 ft.) Oswald Pereira of Poland will join Simone Moro and Nima Rinji Sherpa, the youngest person to climb the fourteen 8,000-meter peaks, on their alpine-style winter attempt on Manaslu. Pereira will cover the climb with film gear, including drone technology. They too will target Ama Dablam before Manaslu. Pereira will face extreme cold and difficult conditions trying to film the team’s expedition. He explained to ExplorersWeb, “The footage will depend mainly on how our climbing goes. I want to use especially the acclimatization process for filming. Once on Manaslu, it will depend a lot on the conditions…When I started my 8,000m journey, the film ‘Cold’ by Cory Richards was my point of reference. It showed me that you don’t need a lot of material but strong characters and [footage] in extreme conditions to tell a good story.”

Manaslu / Denis Belitsky - Shutterstock

Climbing season in the Himalaya typically takes place just twice per year when the Jetstream subsides above the Himalayan sky. This brief calm, known as the 'weather window', or ‘climbing window’, first occurs in the spring from March to early June annually. A second ‘weather window’ opens during the post-monsoon season, from early September through mid-December – the fall climbing season. And now the brief, and extreme, winter climbing season is underway – more updates to come.