📰 The most important mountaineering and mountain news of the last week

ByEduardo Azcona
News

In the Weekly Bulletin we include a section in which we select the weekly news and different news. Subscribe to the newsletter and receive it every week. 🙂

Wednesday, 27 December 2023

  • Jonatan García and Rubén Martínez open a new winter route on the Aneto. (Barrabes)On the same wall where, in November, he opened Ser Aventureros (235m 90º, M5) and SiGa (235m, 90º, M6)". The adverse terrain conditions made this opening, done entirely in mixed due to the scarcity of snow and ice, the most complex for Garcia in the massif. After 21 hours from start to finish, they completed their ascent in the dark and returned home exhausted but successful.
  • Denis Urubko prepares to attempt winter ascent of Gasherbrum I (Desnivel)He will set off for Pakistan on 30 December. He seeks to challenge the mountain in winter on his own meteorological criteria, from 1 December to 28 February, aiming to be the first to reach the summit in this period. "There is only one winter".. Although Urubko plans to climb alone, he will be supported by companions up to 6,500 metres.

"Pakistani mountaineer Hassan Shigri will accompany me up to 6,500 metres. I will pay him but he will not work as a porter. I will take care of his safety to the maximum (...) Above Camp 2 I will be able to climb solo, to experience an attractive adventure on the ridge of Gasherbrum 1." -Denis Urubko.

"The sensations are good, we can't be confident, we arrived at the BC 4 days ago (22 December) and we have already spent 4 days (23, 24, 25 and 26 December) and 3 nights at altitude. We have even C3 equipped and we are all very strong. The weather has been with us and that is key. But the mountain will tell us whether it will or not... Now it's time to get our strength back and as soon as we can we'll start climbing again" -Txikon.

Alex Txikon returns to Annapurna BC after his first high altitude rotation that has taken him above 6,400m 2.

Wednesday, 20 December 2023

  • Alex Txikon continues acclimatisation ahead of Annapurna winter attempt. Chulu Far East was the mountain chosen for acclimatisation, which, although without a summit, has allowed them to accumulate days at altitude. You can read Txikon's own chronicle here: Chronicles from Annapurna, chapter 1.

"The wind made us suffer a lot; it blew between 70-80 km/hour, and we were very close to Chulu Far East, 6,059m. It's a nice mountain, but the wind made us suffer... The most important thing is that we've spent many nights at high altitudes.Alex Txikon

  • Denis Urubko has announced his attempt to climb Gasherbrum I (8,068m) this winter. (Barrabes)Urubko plans to leave for Pakistan on 30 December. In contrast to the astronomical criterion, Urubko follows the meteorological one, considering winter from December 1 to February 28, which would lead him to try to be the first to reach the summit in this period. He has not yet confirmed whether he will form a team with anyone. Urubko has the support of several brands and friends.
  • Mountaineers facing climate change (Salt and Rock). The 'Snow Tracking' project invites mountaineers to collaborate in the measurement of snow thickness in National Parks. Participants will photograph control poles distributed in these parks, contributing to monitoring the impact of climate change.

Wednesday, 13 December 2023

  • The cameras accompany Oihana Kortazar on her journey through the Carros de Foc crossing. that the Basque athlete dreamed of completing years ago. "Enjoying the mountains on one of the most emblematic and beautiful routes in Spain. Sometimes, in trail running, the sensations are more important than the results. This is Oihana Kortazar's reflection after breaking the record".

"I don't feel that I have failed in the sense of not being able to get the record, (...) this was above all going to be making a dream come true, which is to know the whole Carros de Foc circuit and I have done it and I am very happy". -Oihana Kortazar

  • Nieves Gil and Lucía Guichot climb the Supercanaleta to Fitz Roy in Patagonia (Barrabes)on a six-day expedition. After two days of approach and overcoming technical challenges on the 1,600-metre route (6c rock, 80-90º degrees of ice and M6 in mixed), they reached the summit and then descended via the French-Argentine route and the Italian Gap. They add this success to previous achievements with the FEDME Spanish Mountaineering Team and on the north face of the Eiger.

"Six days of crossing during which we saw no one.
We made the approach in two days to the foot of the track to observe the line. It was in good condition.
We bivouacked past the embedded block to catch the final pitches with hard snow. Another bivouac at the end of the route. The descent via the rappels of the French-Argentine route and then the dreaded "Italian gap".-Lucía Guichot

Wednesday, 06 December 2023

Wednesday, 29 November 2023

  • Urubko wants to climb Gasherbrum I in winter (Explorersweb). Despite the announcement, Urubko admitted that he currently has no funds and that his participation is not confirmed. Urubko and his partner Pipi Cardell attempted a new route on Gasherbrum I last summer.but poor conditions forced them to retreat. This winter, for the first time in years, the Gilgit-Baltistan government has removed winter discounts for permits for all summits above 6,500m, affecting small expeditions focused on committed mountaineering.
  • Carrel Hut on the Matterhorn to close; move to a safer location (Explorersweb). Climate change continues to affect the most popular routes in the Alps. Now, the Carrel hut, the only refuge on the Matterhorn's Leone Ridge, will be dismantled in the coming days and rebuilt in a safer place, 10 metres away from the ridge.
  • Analysis of ridge crash with minor consequences (Desnivel). FEDME and the climber involved are analysing an incident on the Cresta de Bernia, Sierra de Bernia y Ferrer. The accident occurred during a technical and exposed descent, where the climber lost his grip and fell, resulting in burns as the rope became taut. Despite the low difficulty of the ridge, this incident highlights the importance of having knowledge of roping and belaying on ridges.
  • And to close we leave you with the article signed by the meteorologist Mario Picazo:The high mountain lakes of the Pyrenees, known for their characteristic blue colour, are gradually changing to a more greenish hue. due to multiple factors. The proliferation of organic activity, stimulated by increased fish populations and the presence of pollutants such as insecticides and nutrients from livestock, is altering the colour and clarity of these waters. In addition, climate change is accelerating this phenomenon, increasing temperatures and favouring algal growth.

Wednesday, 22 November 2023

  • Czechs Zdeněk Hák and Radek Groh open route on the west face of Cholatse (6,440 m) (Desnivel). Zdeněk Hák and Radoslav Groh, overcoming the tragic loss of their partner Jan Ros just a few weeks ago, open a new route on the west face of the Cholatse (6,440 m), called '.Just Ona SolutionED (1,200 m, WI4+, M5). As a tribute to their friend, they climbed this route that they had dreamed of together. They climbed in alpine style over two days, with technical ice and mixed difficulties. They reached the summit after 14 hours without the possibility of a bivouac, then descended the southwest ridge. This achievement follows their first ascent of Chumbu the previous year in the same region.
  • "Two of the world's greatest mountaineer-skiers, the American Cody Townsend and Frenchman Vivian Bruchez visit the impressive Arctic lines of Baffin Island." (Barrabes). I can't get it into my head that you can go down on skis where we would climb up with ice axes and crampons...
  • And we say goodbye with another ski documentary impossible (Remember that you can put translated subtitles on Youtube). "In May 2022, after 3 years of preparation and delays due to the pandemic, a team of skiers sets off on an expedition in total autonomy in the hope of making the first ski descents of some unnamed peaks. The chosen area: the Great North, through the Yukon.

Wednesday, 15 November 2023

  • Himalayan winter expeditions are warming up(Explorersweb). Alex Txikon will go for Annapurna this winterThe details of the route, equipment and style are not yet known. He is expected to do so in the company of the Sherpas of Seven Summit Trekswho on last year's winter Manaslu used supplementary oxygen, unlike Txikon. We will see what the final style of this year's expedition is. On the other hand, Simone Moro has decided not to climb in the Himalayas this winter.preferring to concentrate on the central Alps. On the other hand, Denis Urubko is training for an undisclosed winter expedition.possibly in Pakistan, where he has previously achieved significant ascents, including a new route on Koshar Gang and an ascent of Gasherbrum I.
  • And to close, there is a lot of talk this week about the style of Himalayan expeditions.. And in this respect I would like to bring you two articles that come to us; one from the Pou Brothers:

"Why don't 8000ers dedicate themselves to talking about real mountaineering and stop giving a lot of attention to people who don't deserve it... Since when can mountaineering be bought with money? The real thing is done by oneself, with effort, dedication and years of experience. Carrying around a cohort of "helpers", as if it were a legion, is more reminiscent of past times, so distant that they take us back to the colonial era, when, for example, Livingstone, Stanley, Burton or Speke were looking for the source of the Nile.Pou Brothers in "Ridicule takes hold in the world of mountaineering".

And another in Kilian Jornet's own handwriting:

"As climbers we are probably more "prisoners of our time" than pioneers of trends. We are now in the transition from an era of "romantic mountaineering", where the journey and the climbing process had the highest value, to an era of "capitalist mountaineering", where success and external rewards take precedence, and the spirit of the sport has changed". -Kilian Jornet on "Climbing in the Himalayas: Does style matter?"

Wednesday, 08 November 2023

  • This week, I don't know if it's the algorithms, but I'm looking forward to see sad images of the disappearance of glaciers in the Pyrenees. The retreat of Pyrenean glaciers has been constant, but the rise in temperatures since the 1980s has accelerated their disappearance. The most recent studies show that only "21 glaciers" with a surface area of 229.2 hectares remain. Changes previously noticeable over years are now visible on a yearly basis(Herald)and the future of glaciers looks unsustainable in the face of a changing climate.
Monte Perdido Glacier / Source: CSIC V. MENESES/HERALDO

Tuesday, 31 October 2023

Photo: Oswaldo Freire / Joshua Jarrin

Wednesday, 25 October 2023

Paul Ramsden on the 'Phantom Line' to the Jugal Spire / Photo: Tim Miller
Paul Ramsden on the 'Phantom Line' to the Jugal Spire / Photo: Tim Miller
  • Surveys of the "Safe Mountain" campaign in Aragon reveal risky practices among mountaineers (Herald): increase in solo activities and disuse of traditional maps, relying too much on technologyoften unsupported by orientation devices such as compasses or GPS. Many participants overestimate their skills. The importance of proper preparation and the right equipment is emphasised, pointing out the worrying trend towards the inappropriate footwear and the lack of route planning. Specific problems such as the lack of mobile coverage in remote areas and moving to GPS devices without adequate knowledge of their use are highlighted.
  • From Desnviel we discover this project. Film "The Moon", first chapter of the "Patagonia Project".. Javi Guzmán, Álex González and Cristian García, young climbers from Madrid, deviate from their common interest in sport climbing, focusing on self-protection climbing with one objective: Patagonia. Through their "Patagonia ProjectThey plan to climb big challenging routes, gaining experience for their ultimate goal. You can follow their "journey" in their Youtube Channel.

"Patagonia Project". It consists of crossing off a list of dream climbs that culminate in a high-level activity in Patagonia. And taking advantage of our love of the audiovisual world, we have decided to record a series for YouTube about our preparations, which are already great adventures on selected walls inside and outside the national territory.

  • And we say goodbye with another documentary fresh from the oven. James Price is one of the few solo climbers in the gigantic mountains of Pakistan. "In March 2020, in the midst of a global pandemic, James finds himself trapped in the village of Ganish (northern Pakistan, Hunza Valley). Working in the fields and helping the local community, he forms special bonds with them". The Call of the Karakorum, James Price, the Batura solo trek.

Wednesday, 18 October 2023

"For three years, I've been trying to climb the north face of Jannu in alpine style with Matt and Jackson. We finally did it! In a 7 day push from base camp to base camp. The 2700m north face was one that caused a lot of doubt and anxiety. In the end, we all did our part and climbed the face in a style we are very proud of". -Alan Rousseau

Wednesday, 11 October 2023

"This line was once skied by Andreas Fransson, who described this descent as "the steepest and most exposed I have ever had the opportunity to ski". I completely agree with him and send him all my respect! For me, too, 11 years after his feat, I have never skied anything so extreme! From my perspective, it is one of the most challenging and daring descents in the world, plus it is located on one of Patagonia's most iconic peaks and is visible from the town of El Chaltén. These elements make it a legend!" - Vivian Bruchez

Wednesday, 04 October 2023

  • This week has seen the continuation of the controversy over how the Guinness Book of Records has changed the record of the first people to climb the actual summit of the fourteen eight-thousanders.. Remember that last week we told you that he had done it based on the studies of the mountain reporter Eberhard Jurgalski and his team 8,000ers. Now according to the "book" it was not Reinhold Messner but Ed Viesturs who was the first to climb the 14. As if we could put everything in the form of a "list" of the best. Take a look at what Ed Viesturs has to say on the matter:

"I truly believe that Reinhold Messner was the first person to climb all 14 eight-thousanders and should still be recognised for doing so. He led the way, not only in style, but also physically and psychologically, climbing without supplementary oxygen. Other climbers, like me, were able to follow in his footsteps thanks to his inspiration (...) Climbing mountains is a personal journey and should not be about being on a list or setting records".-Ed Viesturs

Wednesday, 27 September 2023

  • We start with saucy. The Guinness Book of Records changes the record of the first people to climb the actual summit of the 14 eight-thousanders.(20minutos)It was not Reinhold Messner but Ed Viesturs according to the "book". A study of more than a decade, carried out by the mountain reporter Eberhard Jurgalski and his team 8,000ers reveals that some climbers did not reach the actual summits of mountains such as Annapurna. According to this study "Messner and his partner in 1985 actually missed the actual summit of Annapurna by 65 metres distance and 5 metres vertical difference". So what? Today, we have already seen what has become of this race to collect 8000s and records, in which there is no room for ethics, philosophy and style. It will not leave the mountain without legends.
  • Mountains also save lives. Here is a twitter thread of H. Brücke written from the gut. "And outing after outing, the days of feeling good, or just not feeling bad, were getting longer. It made the day-to-day life easier.

Wednesday, 20 September 2023

  • Gabriel Tarso, a Brazilian mountain photographer and cameraman, tried to save Muhammad Hassan after the accident on K2. Despite the indifference of many, Tarso made a heroic effort that will be recognised by the government of Gilgit Baltistan. His account forms part of the official report on the tragedy, which you can read here: The story of the photographer who tried to save Muhammad Hassan on K2 (Desnivel). The accident and death of the Pakistani porter on K2 this summer shocked the mountaineering community, as the realisation of what commercial expeditions to eight-thousanders had become, and of the rottenness of the sector.
  • And we say goodbye by sharing this #azpirin, as it calls Ana Azpilicueta to these pills that she regularly shares on her X profile (twitter) and which exude humour, love and mountains, as she defines herself. We encourage you to follow her.

Wednesday, 13 September 2023

  • Last week we learned of the tragic loss in the G IV. Dmitry Golovchenko died after his tent slipped from his tent at 7,684 metres on Gasherbrum IV. (El País). Sergey Nilov, his climbing partner, recounts the painful accident and his miraculous descent afterwards. The circumstances leading up to the tragedy have shocked the climbing community. The duo's story stands out not only for their skill and commitment, but also for their authentic approach to mountaineering. "Nilov and Golovchenko had been climbing together forever and their toughness was already legendary."
  • Large landslides affect the Eiger and Matterhorns (Desnivel) due to high temperatures. Weather agencies report that there are no areas in the Alps below 0°C, except for the summit of Mont Blanc. Guiding on the Matterhorn has been suspended. On the Eiger the collapse affected its north face, routes such as the Ghilini-Piola Direttissima and the new Renaissance route.
  • Iker and Eneko Pou, together with Micher Quito, open "Ya Pe' Cholo" on the NE of Ranrapalca, a 6b/80º/1.200m climb. (Barrabes). The already challenging route had additional difficulties, such as incessant landslides and being at an altitude of over 6,000m. During the descent, "A huge boulder hit Eneko's head when he was rappelling".Iker says. "At first I thought I hadn't counted it". "Micher, who was further down, had to block the abseil so that it wouldn't slide into the void. It was a very difficult moment. Eneko recovered and managed to finish the descent. The Pou brothers highlight this climb as a milestone in their career and emphasise the importance of creating new routes in mountaineering.

"Pacific Crest Trail, you are the most impressive and majestic trail in the world.

I reached the Canadian border 46 days, 12 hours and 50 minutes after departing from the Mexican border, beating the previous record by 5 days and 4 hours.

Average daily miles: 58.1

Average daily kilometres: 94

Wednesday, 06 September 2023

Wednesday, 30 August 2023

  • Caught in a storm, Sergey Nilov and Dmitry Volovchenko continue to fight on Gasherbrum IV (7,925 metres) (explorersweb). After more than ten days, they continue to climb, with little supplies, waiting for better weather conditions. They have now reached the 7.400m. Gasherbrum IV, known as the "beautiful mountain", is one of the most challenging and beautiful peaks in the world. If it completes its objective, this could be the activity of the year.. An unpublished route, the SE ridge, with descent via the Italian route.

"We decided to see if we could multiply x2 the increasingly popular challenge of doing the 4 faces of the Naranjo in a day. It was a dream that both Javi and I had separately and that we discussed one day". -Álex González

  • After completing the first ascent of the north face of Tirich Mir (7,708 m) (explorersweb)Japanese mountaineers Kazuya Hiraide and Kenro Nakajima have returned to Japan. The route they have climbed on the Tirich Mir, unexplored due to its inaccessibility, was called "Secret Line. They revealed details of their climb and have announced their next goal: Establish a new route on the west face of K2. without oxygen or porters.
  • You already know that the "hyperactivity" of the French mountaineer Benjamin Védrines in recent weeks has been significant. On 27 July it set off from the car park and climbed solo the Aiguille Dibona (3130m) via the Madier route in 1 hour and 24 minutes.. Here is the video of the activity.

Wednesday, 23 August 2023

After an intense 14 hours of rock, snow and mixed climbing and many consecutive days on the wall, we have reached the summit of this virgin mountain this afternoon. We called it Latok Thumb and it is about 6.400m high". -Marc Subirana

  • And we say goodbye with some photographs shared from the Twitter account of Météo Pyrénées. How sad, isn't it....

Wednesday, 16 August 2023

  • Controversy dominates the mountain news following the death of Muhammad Hassan, a Pakistani porter, during the ascent of K2, where he was left injured and abandoned to his fate (20minutos) by the climbers, including the Norwegian Kristin Harila, who would later summit K2 as part of her challenge to climb the 14 eight-thousanders. "On that day, more than a hundred people passed over the wounded and dying Hassan, who lay on the road at 8,200 metres, in the section known as Bottle Neck."The article written by Sebastián Álvaro, "When did Himalayanism get screwed?"(Desnivel), reflecting on when and how the Himalayan mountains were turned into "amusement parks" in the hands of "greedy" entrepreneurs.
  • I am a big fan of the term (and the philosophy it entails). "micro-adventure', coined by Alastair Humphreyshe is a well-known adventurer. He defines them as short, accessible experiences that can be enjoyed locally without the need for major expeditions. I leave you here this article in Outside Online in which they turn the concept on its head. Despite his great exploits, Humphreys values these small journeys, such as walking around London or cooking in a forest, arguing that they offer a different but equally valuable kind of adventure. "The true sense of adventure can be found anywhere, even right under our nose".. One of these microadventures led him to walk on the snow-covered M25 for a week. The M25 is a ring road around London and is 120 miles long. Here is a video of that experience.
  • 2800m of climbing, around 5500m of vertical drop, in just under 19h30. Écrins, Meije and Pelvoux on the day for Benjamin Védrines and Nicolas Jean (Barrabes), who have combined mountaineering and paragliding in this adventure that has led them to make three hard climbs linking these mountains and using paragliding for descents and approaches. "Beautiful mountains, high and full of stories, typical climbs of the Écrins massif, and amazing transitions in paragliding".

Wednesday, 26 July 2023

  • The Japanese team of Kazuya Hiraide and Kenro Nakajima open the first route on the north face of Tirich Mir. (Unevenness). The two climbers reached the highest peak of the Hindu Kush (7,708m) on 23 July and were already at Base Camp the following day. An activity that will be a strong candidate for the Piolet d'Or.
  • After climbing Gasherbrum II, Gasherbrum I and Broad Peak in the last two weeks, Kristin Harila only has K2 left to climb to become the person to reach 14 eight-thousanders in the shortest time. The deadline she had set herself to climb them in 3 months ended yesterday, Wednesday. At the time of writing this (26 July) we do not know if she will have been able to achieve it, as the weather conditions in Karakorum have been very adverse this season and she has not been able to climb them in three months. work to fix the rope had been delayed in recent days. (Explorersweb).
  • Andrzej Bargiel skis down GII and Anna Tybor skis down Broad Peak (Barrabés). Andrzej Bargiel's integral descent from the summit of GII to base camp could be the first, as it is not clear whether in 1984 Bournat and Pasquier took off their skis in the most difficult areas.
  • And breaking news, Bargiel skied Gasherbrum I today (26 July). thus completing all the eight-thousanders of the Karakorum (Explorersweb).
  • Denis Urubko and Pipi Cardell summit Gasherbrum I via the normal route before attempting their new route. (Desnivel). The acclimatisation programme they had planned took them further than expected and on 21 July the pair reached the summit of G1. For Denis, it was his 27th 8000-metre summit, making him the person with the most eight-thousand-metre summits achieved without supplementary oxygen. For Pipi, G1 was his first 8000-metre summit.
  • Fedme and the Way of Saint James (FEDME). The Spanish Federation of Mountain Sports and Climbing (FEDME) and the Spanish Federation of Associations of Friends of the Camino de Santiago have reached a collaboration agreement to offer a new assistance service to all pilgrims who come each year to the pilgrimage route. A digital card which offers travel assistance insurance with different coverages and prices depending on the type of needs of individual pilgrims that you can hire him for 7, 15, 30 days or as long as the journey will take you.
  • And to close this section, perhaps you are thinking of climbing Aneto or Monte Perdido this summer, maybe even with the intention of achieving your first 3,000m. If this is the case, it is important for you to know that every Wednesday and Friday until 25th August (Aneto) and until 23rd August (Monte Perdido), talks will be given in Benasque and Torla on how to safely climb these two great peaks. More information at Montaña Segura: Aneto talks y talks Monte Perdido.

Wednesday, 19 July 2023

  • The Italian athlete Nadir MaguetThe 29-year-old established a new ascent and descent record on the Grandes Jorasses of the Mont Blanc massif ⏱️ on 10 July 2023. Maguet climbed the Normal Route from Planpincieux to Pointe Walker (4,208m) in 2:17. After a short break at the summit, he descended the same route, stopping the stopwatch after 3 hours and 19 minutesbeating the previous Known Time Record (FKT) from 1993. Here is a link to the video of the activity.

"It was a record I had dreamed of for several years. However, fate wanted me to postpone it until today, perhaps because I was not yet mature enough as an athlete and mountaineer to face it in the best way." -Nadir Maguet

  • Simon Messner and Martin Sieberer, 1st historic summit on the Yermenandu Kangri (Barrabes). Virgin summit 7163 metres in the Karakorum mountain range. His achievement was communicated via satellite text message to the Discover Karakoram logistics agency from the summit. "The conditions were very difficult but we achieved our goal in three days.says Sieberer. Both climbers, renowned for their alpine-style climbs, have returned safely to base camp after the descent without incident.
  • Denis Urubko and Pipi Cardell have acclimatised to 6500m, and are highly motivated for their alpine opener at G1. (Desnivel). After resting at base camp, they plan to depart in two days for Camp 3 to complete their acclimatisation on the normal route. Despite the adverse weather conditions, the duo remain strong and enthusiastic, and are eager to attempt a new route on Gasherbrum 1.
  • And we close the section with a beautiful story that comes to us via Unevenness. We share with you the trailer of "Sister ChachaClimbing for a reason, "a film about the birth of a community of climbers in an orphanage in Musoma, Tanzania.and with it a way out for their future and a new international destination.

Wednesday, 12 July 2023

  • We open. Jonatan Garcia has made a remarkable crossing in Benasque, joining the Salenques, Llosás, Cregüeña and Alba ridges in 22 hours. (Barrabes). This challenge involved a distance of 56 kilometres and a cumulative ascent of 4,580 metres. This Pyrenean activity joins the one he undertook two years ago when he reached the summit of the 51 three-thousanders of the Maladeta-Aneto massif in 34 hours non-stop. Most recently, in 2022, it added another achievement by chaining the Salenques, Llosás and Alba crests in only 20 hours.

"I had been training for and for this project for days, months, years, but because it requires a lot of whimsy (weather, mountain conditions, etc.) I have not been able to do it before. On Monday, the best forecasts were presented" -Jonatan Garcia

  • And continuing with adventures, this time Alex Honnold and Tommy Caldwell are leaving the big walls behind (just a little) and have taken up cycling. Known for their exploits in the big wallThis time they are planning a new challenge: a 3000 km bike trip from Colorado to Alaska(Gearjunkie). This trip will include climbing (details not yet available) and learning about the impact of climate change on the environment. The Alaska trip will be filmed for a documentary series entitled "The Last Frontier with Alex Honnold".. According to Honnold, the two-wheeled journey will culminate in "a difficult climb in Alaska".

Wednesday, 05 July 2023

  • Swiss mountaineer Dani Arnoldfamous for his exploits on the six classic north faces, has returned to Salbitschijen, where he began his professional career, completing the climb of its three edges in less than 10 hours. (Desnivel). This challenge at his alpine home adds to his resume of express ascents, including a record on the north face of the Eiger. Arnold started his professional career in 2010 after a record-breaking solo climb of the west face of Salbitschijen in record time, an event that attracted a lot of media attention.
  • Spain to host the Skyrunning World Championships 2024 (TrailRun)announced the International Skyrunning Federationthe sporting event will be held from 6 to 8 September at the Desafío Urbión, Soria. The championship will consist of three disciplines: VERTICAL, SKY and SKYULTRAand will offer 27 medals in total, including the World Champion and World Champion titles.
  • The Guardia Civil and the Aragonese Mountaineering Federation advise to avoid the Aneto Glacier (Herald)The thaw, which used to occur at the end of August, left the ice and the stones falling. The thawing that used to occur at the end of August, leaving the fossil ice difficult to walk on even with cramponsnow comes ahead of the start of summer. Mountaineers are recommended to use the alternative route of the ibón del Salterillo, avoiding the climb up the Portillón Superior. In the next tweet here you have the indications given by Montaña Segura.
  • And we close the section with a video. Nine years after its opening, the French mountaineers Mathis Garayt, Arthur Poindefert and Kilian Moni have made the first repetition of the "Coeur de Géant" route on the Dent du Géant, in the Aiguilles de Chamonix. (Barrabes). The 580m route, graded ED, M6+/7, WI 4+, 5c, is located on the northwest face of the 4,013m peak and is an exceptional example of modern mountaineering. Despite being surrounded by the highest peaks of Mont Blanc, Dent du Géant is renowned for its unique beauty.

Wednesday, 28 June 2023

As you know, their initial objective in the area was to climb the mythical Gran Torre Trango, but bad weather conditions prevented them from doing so. Even so, they have managed to find these alpine gems beyond their initial challenge.

  • Sajid Sadpara conquered Nanga Parbat in his father's honour (Desnivel) accompanied by Hugo Ayaviri, who helped him on K2 in 2021 to bury his father Ali Sadpara, who died the previous winter around Cuello de Botella. This summit transcends the sporting aspect, becoming a posthumous tribute to Ali Sadpara, who holds the record for the most ascents on this mountain, including one in winter with Álex Txikon and Simone Moro.
  • Twitter account @arriskeus uncovers a surprising photo taken in the country of water.. Despite being able to predict avalanches and heat waves, Switzerland lacks a national drought warning system. The country experienced its worst drought in 500 years in 2022, affecting agriculture and even requiring water to be transported to alpine areas. Although recent rains have eased the situation, the lack of snow in the mountains threatens future water supplies. Surprising, isn't it?

Wednesday, 21 June 2023

"A 15L backpack that had been stowed with my mountaineering gear. It included microspikes, steel crampons, ice axe, helmet, torch, glacier/crack gear, extra food and water, 3 pairs of gloves, a heavy mid layer, a wind cover, sunglasses, a down jacket and a neckerchief. I left my hydration waistcoat, and travelled with that gear to the Bossons Glacier and Jonction (...), then to the summit and back via the Jonction. Then (...) I went back into trail mode, ditching my boots, trousers, harness and alpine gear (...), to finish fast and light to the church", Hillary Gerardi

  • The climbers Marta Jiménez and Eric have made the first BASE jump from the Torreón de los Galayos summit (Desnivel)a challenge hitherto considered impossible due to the short distance to the first ledge "(33 metres, when the minimum safety margin is 50 metres)". They combine their love for climbing with BASE jumping, taking risks and facing them together as a couple. In the following video on Marta's YouTube Channel (Marta In The Wild) you can see the whole activity, climbing and jumping.
  • "It would be difficult to have a better morning of climbing than this, Dave MacLeod, climbing the Cioch Nose, a classic 200 metre route in the Highlands without a rope and in free climbing.. An accessible route, well below his level, but which has led him to find himself climbing alone.

Wednesday, 14 June 2023

Mingma G alleges that the helicopters are being used to "equip from top to bottom", which would involve flying to high fields and descending by opening a footprintA new model of climbing is being developed in Nepal. No climbing record is pure now. I would not be surprised if some people reach the top of Manaslu tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, as the climbing is easier with helicopters flying freely up to camp 1, 2 and 3. Descending is easier than ascending. (...). Now I can understand why Himalayan Database stopped recording information on the 8000m climb".

  • 💬 The debate has moved to social media. I share with you a interesting thread by Aitor Tilla @descuentor_comThe majority of the community's position has been different," he says. For Aitor, "Many of the arguments that were used against Nims are being used against Harila, although there is a big difference: Nims set out to meet a challenge where his predecessor had put style first. "There is not much of a 'sporting' difference - what difference does it make how you are equipped? The point is that other people do it for you".
  • ⚠️ It seems that this is going to be more common than we are used to. A large rockslide in Fluchthorn, Austria, has slid 2 km, possibly due to permafrost degradation.. Here is a publication with the video of the thunderous collapse.
  • And we say goodbye with a video (you can put the subtitles in Spanish). Fabi Buhl, Will Sim and Jake Holland take paragliding and climbing to new heights in the Karakoram Mountains, Pakistan.looking to reach new destinations for climbing and skiing. With a unique combination of alpine climbing and piloting skills, the ascent of the 5801m Gulmit Tower becomes the perfect setting for their adventure, hopefully ushering in a new era in Himalayan mountaineering.

Wednesday, 7 June 2023

  • ⚠️Renowned French mountaineer Christophe Profit fined €600 for removing anchors on the normal route of Mont Blanc (Desnivel). Last summer, Christophe Profit removed metal stakes installed by the Saint-Gervais guide company on the normal Mont Blanc route, leading to a lawsuit in the autumn from the mayor of Chamonix. "According to his way of thinking, climbers too inexperienced to need such anchors should consider other options before tackling a route that is beyond their means." We have already said that this incident reflects two opposing visions of the mountainProfit is an advocate of more traditional mountaineering.

🧗‍♂️ Eneko and Iker Pou, Fay Manners and Andres Marin are at the Trango Towers. in Pakistan, waiting for a suitable window of good weather to climb the Great Trango Tower. (6,286m), currently covered with snow (Explorersweb). In the meantime, they have opened new routes such as "The Pretty, The Bad, and The Ugly (7a, 230m)" near their base camp.

https://twitter.com/kristin_harila/status/1666153084781723654
  • 🎥💪And we say goodbye with a climbing video. In 2020 Edu Marín achieved one of the most difficult free ascents in Europe by freeing "Rainbow". (artificial route opened by Armand Ballart and German Folch between January and July 1979), on El Plàtan, on the north face of Montserrat. Now he is launching the documentary telling the whole story behind this monumental multi-pitch route with which he redefined the limits of climbing.

Wednesday, 31 May 2023

"Was this expedition a failure, or not? I did not reach the summit I had set out to reach. But I achieved everything else.

I firmly believe that the how is much bigger and more important than the what, and in that sense, the climb was simply perfect. Like a big jigsaw puzzle with all the pieces but one, the one at the top." -Kilian Jornet

  • Kilian spoke of the importance of the "how".These reflections would come to his mind when he saw the rows of people on the "normal Nepalese and Tibetan routes making their progression". The antithesis of what he was experiencing in his foray into the worlds of Hornbein and Unsoeld. Amen to other problems like the one I now tell you about: Everest Camp 4 is littered with rubbish (Explorersweb). This year, Everest has not only seen a high number of fatalities and rescues, but there have also been reports of deplorable conditions at the highest camps, especially Camp 4, which has been described as the dirtiest ever seen, "littered with tents, empty oxygen bottles, steel bowls, spoons, sanitary napkins and paper". And so you can see it for yourself, I leave you here the video shared by Tenzi Sherpa on his Instagram.
  • And we close the section with this report by The Independent where they tell us how there are areas in the Pyrenees mountain range where climate change has not had such an impact, "the unknown natural refuges of the Pyrenees".resulting in less extreme temperatures and providing natural shelter. This unique environment allows plants to have a greater chance of survival, which makes these places valuable and interesting. "There are factors that influence the creation of refuges, such as north-facing, orography, topography and altitude. And then some of them are created in forests...", explains Begoña García, researcher at the Pyrenean Institute of Ecology (IPE) of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC).

Wednesday, 24 May 2023

  • Norway's Kristin Harila keeps up the pace; double summit Everest-Lhotse (Barrabes). He has reached the summits of Everest and Lhotse, only 8 hours apart. Starting his ascent of Everest at 3:15 am Nepalese time, he descended to Camp 4 to immediately begin the ascent of Lhotse, reaching its summit at 11:15 am. Remember that he now wants to climb all 14 eight-thousanders in less than 6 months. For which no means are being spared: fixed ropes, accompaniment, logistics and "oxygen at will".
  • Without leaving the Himalayas, we echo the dramatic and shameful images that are being seen of the Everest, with endless queues as well as dangerous. Consequence: the number of climbers dying on Everest in 2023 is alarming (Outsideonline)The number of people still missing, despite the fact that the climbing season is not yet over. To give you an idea I share the following VIDEO on the twitter account the_8000m.
  • And we conclude this week's edition by remembering a Great One, Iñaki Ochoa de Olza, on the 15th anniversary of his death on Annapurna, the legacy of the Navarrese mountaineer Iñaki Ochoa de Olza lives on in the Himalayas thanks to SOS Himalaya(elDiario)with cooperation projects that ensure health and education in the great valleys of the planet. The memory of Ochoa de Olza remains intact, a testament to his life dedicated to the mountains and to the passion he inspired in others. I share here the tweet ofJorgeNagore Frauca... it has become more universalised to go outside the margins. Back then, it was almost impossible. Iñaki did it". (you can click on the image to read the text better)

Wednesday, 17 May 2023

  • Now we talk to you about the Zegama-Aizkorri 2023, in which Manuel Merillas and Daniela Oemus were as winners in an epic marathon, battling rain, cold and mud. Manu Merillas, runner from Leon, finally added the Zegama to his list of winners in 2023. (Runedia) after several attempts in previous years. This memorable edition of the Zegama Aizkorri, which marked the start of the Golden Trail World Series, challenged organisers, volunteers, runners and media, but will be remembered for its epic nature, and for the muddy conditions that accompanied this year's edition.
  • We share with you to "close" this article by El Salto "A people united by a valley". Social pressure has succeeded in halting, at least temporarily, a project that threatened the geological, biological and cultural wealth of the Aragonese Pyrenees by linking the private ski resorts of Formigal, Astún and Candanchú. For a decade now, the region has been on tenterhooks over construction proposals that included 37 giant towers, a road and interchange stations, but the project has been on the brink of collapse. citizens' efforts have succeeded in stopping these plans. However, with elections around the corner, uncertainty over the future of the project persists.

Wednesday, 10 May 2023

  • Tom Hornbeinthe intrepid American mountaineer best known for his historic 1963 pioneering ascent of Everest's West Ridge with Willi Unsoeld, has passed away at the age of 92 (Planet Mountain). Hornbein, recognised as one of America's foremost mountaineers, left an indelible mark with his daring climb that is still considered a quantum leap in the high mountains today. The striking Couloir Hornbein, on the north side of the mountain, is named after him. in honour of his spirit of adventure and determination.
  • I am now talking about the documentary series "The Brain-Hunter, Researching in the Pyrenees (Rtve). On this occasion, researchers study the effects of climate change in the Pyrenees, including the disappearance of snow and glaciers, as well as adaptive grazing techniques. In addition, scientific projects are explored in the Canfranc underground laboratory, a dinosaur egg site and a soil biodiversity study.

Wednesday, 3 May 2023

  • We share with you this interview with Dr. Benjamin Zweifel from the Swiss Federal Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research where he talks with Euronews on avalanches and snow tourism, and how "avalanches have become much more frightening. "Temperatures have risen, and avalanches are now occurring at higher altitudes.. So, we can say that we have almost no avalanches at altitudes close to, say, about 1 500 metres above sea level. Because, there, there is almost no snow there. But... we are seeing avalanches at higher altitudes, and that's the new peculiarity caused by climate change," says Zweifel.
  • Norway's Kristin Harila has become the person who has taken the shortest time to climb all fourteen eight-thousanders. (Desnivel) by reaching the summit of Cho Oyu on Wednesday, after reaching the summit of Shisha Pangma on 26 April. He needed just one year and five days to achieve it. It took Nirmal Purja 2 years, 5 months and 15 days, as he had to re-ascend the actual peaks of Dhaulagiri and Manaslu over the course of 2021. Kristin Harila's goal is to climb the fourteen eight-thousanders in less than six months this 2023of which he has already been involved in 2. The new project called "She Moves Mountains"has generated controversy among his previous agencies and accompanying Sherpas. So much so that they have provided all the information from their previous ascents. "She hasn't pulled a single metre of rope or tied a single knot."(Barrabes)in the words of his former Sherpas.

Wednesday, 26 April 2023

  • As you know, the controversies we see in other mountains, abroad, soon reach our own. This time the controversy returns to Mont-Blanc. French guide and mountaineer Christophe Profit is on trial for removing anchors on Mont-Blanc and is accused of "theft". (Desnivel). This incident reflects two opposing visions of the mountainProfit is an advocate of more traditional mountaineering. The mayor of Saint-Gervais-les-Bains, Jean-Marc Peillex, has filed two lawsuits against Profit, but the first was dismissed by the court. "According to his way of thinking, climbers too inexperienced to need such anchors should consider other options before tackling a route that is beyond their means." In the photo below you can see the two controversial pegs.
  • Firsts, Seconds... now there is also Third Seven Summits(Summits). "Mountain ingenuity never rests". A new challenge is becoming popular in the world of mountaineering: the conquest of the third highest mountains on every continent, after the Seven Summits and the Seconds. It is emerging as an option for those who are looking for lesser-known and mass targets. And it already has a page in the Wikipedia.
  • Let's take another look at those images of endless queue to reach the summit of Everest (Adventure Places). Despite the increased risk of avalanches, Nepal has issued a record 454 permits to climbers from 61 different countries to climb Everest this season. The increase in the number of climbers is partly due to the pandemic, and the influx is expected to intensify traffic and create congestion on the route, which may increase the risk to climbers.

Wednesday, 19 April 2023

  • We start by sharing with you a guide article from the Barrabes blog, which we liked because it unites history and paths, a meeting point of "hospitals, shelters and harbours".. Hospitable mountaineering, a circular route between Aran, Benasque and Luchon . The crossing designed by Chemary Carrera It crosses the Benasque valley to the Luchonnais and Val d'Aran, linking these territories through the mountains in a cross-border transit. The route offers many variants and can be started at any of its points.
  • The Patagonia brand usually brings us inspiring stories. This time they tell us about women's emancipation and escalation as a community thread in the new film they are releasing: "Ascend": five Afghan women who find a home in climbing. "Growing up in a male-dominated society, you are always reminded that you are weak. That's why I started climbing. To prove to myself that I am strong, mentally and physically," says Mina Bakhshi, one of the women who joined ASCEND.
  • On another occasion we have brought to the section the "Accident analysis that in the magazine Unevenness carries out the FEDME Safety Committee. It now analyses a fall during an ice climb resulting in dislocation of the climber's shoulder. The accident occurred because the climber's arm got caught in the stretchy anti-loss strap of the ice axes. "Perhaps the decision not to wear them on single-pitch routes where there is a chance that the climber will fall to the ground if an ice axe is lost, and his fall cannot hit other climbers, might be worthwhile, but losing an ice axe on multi-pitch ice and alpine routes is not an option to consider, so ensuring it is "not" lost is a matter of life and death in some cases".
  • And to close we bring you two tweets from Mario PicazoThe meteorologist and populariser, with a great deal of awareness. It is important to be aware of how climate change is affecting our planet and what impact it has on atmospheric systems. The anticyclones are becoming larger and longer lasting..

Wednesday, 12 April 2023

  • Kilian Jornet plans to link Everest and Lhotse back-to-back without oxygen (Desnivel)as revealed by the agency Seven Summit Treks. Jornet climbed Everest twice in less than a week in the spring of 2017, and now he is returning to the Himalayas for another major challenge. "Double ascent or traverse?" Remember that the Everest-Lhotse traverse without oxygen would consist of undertaking the ascent of Lhotse directly from the South Col, which no one has done so far.
  • Kilian has also been in the headlines these days for making the 7 summits of the Romsdal Alps in 21 hours (Barrabes). The 7 summits are Juratind, Store Vengetind, Kvandalstind, Romsdalshorn, Store Trolltind, Kongen and Dronninga. "Probably the most epic day of skiing of my life," the Catalan commented on his social networks.
  • I'm sure you have some Toblerone wrapper with the silhouette of the Matterhorn. Keep it because disappears from its packaging (Summits). The Toblerone company has had to make changes to the image of its logo, the Matterhorn on its packaging, turning it into an abstract but similar mountain. The changes are due to the opening of a new plant in Bratislava due to the saturation of the main factory in Bern-Brünnen, which takes away "the right to use the representative image of Switzerland".
  • Beatriz Flamini has spent 500 days alone in a cave in Granada. (elespanol), at a depth of 80 metres, without contact with the outside world and without time reference. Tela... The sportswoman from Madrid has set a world record for time spent in isolation, which ends this Friday when she leaves the cave, entering at 48 and leaving at 50. During her stay she has recorded videos without any outside response and has commented that time "does not pass: it is always four o'clock in the morning".

Wednesday, 22 March 2023

  • Gavarnie-Swan-N Perdido-N Taillon-Gavarnie corridor, in 11 hours, by Genís Zapater (Barrabes). "He started in Gavarnie, crossed to Marboré via the Swan Corridor in the Astazu, from Marboré he ascended the north of the Perdido, descending towards Góriz he took the Faja Roya to the Brecha de Roldán, from there he went to the north of the Taillón, a wall he climbed, and from the summit via the Brecha and Serradets he skied down again to Gavarnie".

Wednesday, 15 March 2023

  • Adam Bielecki and Felix Berg will attempt the Annapurna NO in alpine style again. (Barrabes). It will be their third attempt to open an "alpine style route on the northwest face of Annapurna". This time they will be accompanied by Mariusz Hatala. This wall has so far had only one route opened, in 1985 by Reinhold Messner and Hans Kammerlander. To acclimatise, Bielecki and Hatala have travelled to Chile to climb the 6,891m Ojos del Salado volcano.
  • Peter Hámor will seek to climb the west face of Kabru South in the spring. (Desnivel)The 7,318-metre remote mountain is located in the eastern reaches of Nepal, near Kangchenjunga on the border with India. The mountain is the southernmost seven-thousander in the world and has only been climbed from the Indian side. Hámor tried unsuccessfully to open the northwest ridge of Dhaulagiri in the last two years and set his sights on the Yalung Kang - Kangchenjunga traverse last year. This spring, he will focus on opening a new route on the impressive west face of the South Kabru, "a wall of 2,800 vertical metres".
  • La Escupidera, section to access the summit of Monte Perdidoand that "the three normal routes of ascent to Monte Perdido always make it necessary to overcome it", has once again become a black spot in the Pyrenees. A mountaineer died last Saturday. This icy hillside has been responsible for the deaths of thirteen people in the last 30 yearss. In summer, the slope is accessible to any mountaineer, but in winter conditions it becomes a dangerous trap. With its intuitive name, it is a funnel that spits hikers into a 100 to 150 metre precipice, where a simple slip can be fatal. The tragic statistics of the Escupidera, one of the most dangerous places in the Pyrenees (Herald).
  • The "Hall of Fame" at the top of Kandersteg in the Swiss Alps is probably the most difficult mixed route in the world. Ice climbing pioneer Ron Koller discovered and developed the route some 8 years ago. Earlier this month, the young Swiss mountain guide and professional mountaineer Yannick Glatthard succeeded in making the first free ascent of the "Hall of Fame".
  • And to close the section I share with you a tweet by Rosa M. Tristán on the skiing lobby in the Aragonese Pyreneesand which helps to understand the mix of interests in the Canal Roya projectand many movements and announcements in recent months that have come as a surprise to many.

Wednesday, 8 March 2023

Thursday, 2 March 2023

  • "I feel like I went out to buy bread and came back 54 hours later," says Argentinian Martín Erroz. From home to Aconcagua. 360Km bike ride, summit and return in 54 hours. (Barrabes). The Argentinian Martin Erroz left his home in Mendoza in 54 hours, cycled 180 km to the base of Aconcagua, reached the summit and returned to the city. "Simply passion. A small but big word", Martín continues. This autonomous activity and rediscovery of the nearby mountains is in line with others that are being done in the same style in the Alps or for example those carried out by Jonatan García in the Pyrenees.
  • The Faculty of Sports Sciences in Granada will host the second edition of the Women and Mountains conference (Desnivel)which "will be held from 3 to 5 March, and whose main objectives are to make visible and promote the presence of women in mountain sports". It is organised by the Spanish Federation of Mountain Sports and Climbing (FEDME), in collaboration with the Andalusian Federation (FAM), the Andalusian Regional Government, the University of Granada and the Faculty of Sports Sciences. Here you have the official website of the congress.
  • "How about doing less noticeable things near where I live every week, or every month?"instead of waiting for the moment of the great adventure, climbing that great mountain or making that great journey that doesn't come because lives are complicated. That is what asks Brendan Leonard in an article for the magazine outsideonline and which builds on Alastair Humphreys' concept of micro-adventure. "Making a list of nearby hills to climb or bathing areas to visit, it awakens the bug to find out what's up there, or thereabouts, and if what's there is interesting, you can come back next weekend, or next summer, with a friend. I can't recommend more the madness of making up a ridiculous list of places to visit and spending hours and days literally wandering around and finding out," Leonard comments in his article. Here is a tweet from Alastair with a very visual image of what we are talking about.
  • Alpine snowpack decline unprecedented in six centuries (Herald). A team of scientists has measured exactly how much snow this mountain range has lost over the centuries with a surprising result: the recorded decline of the white mantle is unprecedented in six centuries".Current snow cover duration 36 days shorter than the long-term average, a decline unprecedented in the last six centuries". These studies call for a rethink of the socio-economic model.

Wednesday, 22 February 2023

  • Winter Denali summit for Jost Kobusch (Barrabes). Solo and via the Messner Corridor to the 6,190-metre Denali in Alaska. It was a non-stop attempt of 35 hours. He is also the first person to climb the Messner Corridor in winter, and the eleventh person to reach the winter summit. "Much of the 35-hour climb was done at night, in temperatures as low as -60°C." It's funny that he did it for Messner, it is worth remembering that Reinhold openly criticised in an interview the  Nepali Times Kobusch's daring solo Everest winter challenge. You can see the image of the Jost's position track here.
  • Nepalese experts call for recognition of six more eight-thousanders in the Himalayas (Deia). Nepal currently has 8 eight-thousanders, and with the new claim they want to increase it to 14. The international community considers them to be subsidiary mountains that are part of those already recognised, which do not have the prominence (greater than 300 m, i.e. the minimum difference in altitude we have to descend from one peak to reach the other) to be considered isolated. This claim was already controversial a decade ago. It seems that Nepal wants to present a new map of eight-thousanders in the "hope of attracting thousands of climbers to reach the highest peaks on the planet".
  • Ammon McNeely, the Stone Monkeys' emblematic 'pirate' dies (Gripped). Took speed to the big wall of Yosemite. He has many first day ascents and speed records to his credit. Also a base jumper, he has already survived serious accidents in 2013, when he almost had a foot targeted, and in 2017, when he miraculously saved his life, although his right leg was amputated below the knee. Both accidents took place in Moab, where at 52 years of age he was finally taken by an accident. Everything points to it being related to base jumping.
  • Simon Gietl's first solo crossing of Villnösser-Geisler in winter (Desnivel). "After three long days and two bivouacs, I arrived in Seceda exhausted but infinitely happy. This alpine traverse crosses twelve peaks of between 2,500 metres and a difference in altitude of 3,000 metres. Gietl is a regular on chaining and creative climbs, such as the one he did with Roger Schaeli on their adventure on the classic 6 north faces of the Alps: Cima Grande, Piz Badile, Eiger, Matterhorn, Grand Jorasses, Petit Dru. Roger and Simon managed to finish their challenge with 14 active days, one rest day and 3 days of bad weather. 30.770 meters ascent, 29.470 meters descent. 1,011 kilometres on a road bike. While we wait for the video of this new adventure we leave you with their North 6.
  • And we say goodbye with this trailer "Shiva's Tears", descending Nepal's sacred river, which comes to us via Oxygen Magazine. Four kayakers led by Mikel Sarasola set out to descend the fierce waters of the Karnali, as part of an expedition to one of the most remote and extreme rivers in the country, with the intention of learning and enjoying the hidden secrets of this sacred river, before the lack of human awareness destroys them forever.

Wednesday, 15 February 2023

  • "Neither the extreme cold nor the difficult winter conditions in Denali have discouraged him", Jost Kobusch continues to make good progress. He has already set up camp below the West Buttress. The summit from there "doesn't seem far away", although the hardest part remains. Three days traversing "difficult terrain, big crevasses and zero visibility with a 67 kg sled, which is not the easiest to pull", brought him close to the base of Denali. We can get an idea of how remote the place is. You can follow their steps in real time at the following link.
  • And without leaving the rigours of winter (and ice), we share with you this video of the Pou Brothers in which you can see the the majesty of the Gavarnie ice wall. Spectacular images during the ascent of "Dophamine".

Wednesday, 9 February 2023

  • Antonio de la Rosa completes the single-handed rowing crossing from Cape Horn, across the Sickle Sea, to St. Peter's Island in South Georgia. (Spanish Geographical Society). 4 uninterrupted weeks (from 7 January to 3 February) in which he sailed 3000km across the dangerous Southern Ocean, in "a seven-metre rowing boat equipped with a small sail". With this expedition, Antonio de la Rosa emulates Shackleton's 1916 epic.. Along with her "there is no other known long and risky crossing of what is known as the most dangerous sea on the planet". You can read the article we have linked and the twitter thread we share with you to get an idea of the setbacks and difficulties De la Rosa has encountered in this adventure.
  • Jost Kobusch's winter solo Denali adventure has begun. (Desnivel). As we have been telling you here, Jost's goal this winter was Everest, a project he has had for several years and which he wanted to complete this winter, but he contracted Dengue Fever in autumn when he was already acclimatising in Nepal. So there was a change of plans, and after recovering from the illness, he is now back on the road with the aim of reaching the roof of North America in winter. "I have until 28 February, and over the next few weeks my updates will be coming to you via satellite," says Jost. on his Instagram account. You can follow their steps in real time at the following link.
  • On 17 September Nico Molina completed all of the Sierra Nevada's 3,000m in just under 11 hours. These days the documentary of the challenge has been premiered.. We leave it here. "40 summits over 3000 metres: 21 main summits, 16 secondary summits and 3 antecimas. A challenge: to chain them all, from east to west and from north to south, all at once, in complete self-sufficiency. 10h58min later, this is the result".
  • To close the section we share with you this article by Íñigo Jáuregui Ezquibela in Campo Base entitled "The two faces of the Pyrenees".. All of this is in line with the nonsense that is taking place in Canal Roya. According to Jáuregui, on this side of the mountain range "we discovered the Pyrenees late and badly" and furthermore the "construction" we have made of them "apart from being reductionist, has not been determined by cultural values but by values of a mercantile or economicist nature." From this that the administrations' idea has always been to "exploit, invoice and speculate" rather than to protect. We also share with you an opinion article on the subject (below) and the Fedme's position on this issue.

Wednesday, 1 February 2023

  • New "best known female time" (FKT) for the ascent and descent of Mount Teide for the Basque runner Oihana Kortazar. (Barrabes). He chose route 040, which is the marked route for hiking and mountain races; 6 hours 41 minutes and 18 seconds, 54 kilometres, 3,700m positive, from Playa del Socorro to the summit at 3,718m and back.. "The previous FKT was achieved during Christmas 2021 by the Dutch Ragna Debats, who beat Emelie Forsberg". In the following video you can see the real time broadcast of Oihana Kortazar's record ascent and descent of Teide on Route 0-4-0. With the voices of Biel Ràfols and Albert Jorquera. You can check that the retransmissions in trail running are reaching a very high level.
  • We start to find out which expeditions will be in the Himalayas this spring. Adam Bielecki, Felix Berg and Mariusz Hatala will attempt the northwest face of Annapurna. (Desnivel). After his most ambitious goal in the Himalayas of Nepal: the the first two return to this aspect which they already tried with Rick Allen in 2017 and which was in their plans in 2019. They will try a new route. The north-west face of Annapurna has been tempted 10 times (according to data from The Himalayan Database) and only twice the goal was achieved: Reinhold Messner and Hans Kammerlander in 85 and Josef Nezerka and Jindra Martis in 88.
  • And he also returns, this time to the Central Paine Tower mythical route 'Riders on the storm', Brette Harrington with Siebe Vanhee and Jacopo Larcher (Desnivel). Iconic track by Wolfgang Güllich, Kurt Albert and company, with few repetitions and not yet released. The American "already tried six years ago with Mayan Smith-Gobat, and this time he will be surrounded by a team of the highest level, with Belgian Siebe Vanhee and Italian Jacopo Larcher".
  • Iban Ameztoy defines himself on his twitter profile as an "earth observer" and specialises in satellite images. A few months ago he published an image of Copernicus that showed the "last remaining attached area" of a huge block of ice in Antarctica that was about to break off and "go on a voyage" across the ocean. Well, then "It finally happened" and Ameztoy explains it visually on his twitter thread. "It is the size of Greater London", 1540 km2. Huge drifting iceberg that will help us reflect on climate change and how fast it's all going. It's hard to imagine that some people are still thinking about opening new ski resorts.

And in the following video you can see how a group of climbers in 1899 descending Mont Blanc. Also in colour.

Wednesday, 25 January 2023

  • Hervé Barmasse and David Göttler have decided to withdraw from the winter Dhaulagiri. (Desnivel). The last few weeks we announced that after much consideration they had decided on Dhaulagiri for their alpine style climb of 8000m. Dhaulagiri is not known to be one of the most difficult mountains on the planet, has not had a winter ascent attempt in the last 25 years.. They were waiting for a window of good weather that never came. "We have learned a lot and we are more convinced than ever that it is possible to climb a winter eight-thousander in alpine style," he said.
  • The sad news came from Patagonia. The Basque climbers Amaia Agirre and Iker Bilbao were hit by an avalanche in Fitz Roy, Patagonia, Argentina, and were considered dead after more than 48 hours buried in a crevasse. (Barrabes). Both were already descending Fitz Roy, together with Josu Lizana with whom they formed a rope, after having climbed the Afanassief route. Lizana gave the warning, but nothing could be done. The climbers who were still descending the same route were asked to watch for any signs of life. "Buried in a crevasse 48 hours ago and we consider that the search for their bodies exposes our volunteer rescuers to extremely high risks," included the official communiqué from the El Chalten Rescue Commission.
  • Among the PMFF selection is the Film "Aneto-Maladeta: 51 x 3000".. Jonatan Garcia embarks on an ambitious project in the Pyrenees. During the course of the film, he shows us his way of understanding the mountain and life. The film tells the story of his solo ascent of the 51 three-thousanders of the Maladeta-Aneto massif in 34 hours which he made last August. The trailer is included below.
  • And to close this week's news section, we share this tweet from Eduardo Viñuales, where he puts into perspective the ecological barbarism that is being proposed in Canal Roya. "Linking ski resorts where there will be no snow".. I leave it here in case any politician had not yet noticed.

Wednesday, 18 January 2023

  • Kilian Jornet also takes a stand in defence of Canal Roya. It is a sad reality that unethical and unsustainable decisions are often taken in the name of economic progress. Extending an "economic and tourism model that is doomed to disappear" for a few more years, and then, surprisingly, financing it with European funds earmarked for "sustainable transformation". It is important to reflect on the way we use our resources and make more responsible and sustainable decisions in the future.

Wednesday, 11 January 2023

  • We open the section with the news of the last few days. Winter Manaslu for Alex Txikon and his team (we will talk about this later because there has been controversy with the way the news has been treated). This was his second winter summit after his 2016 ascent of Nanga Parbat. They took advantage of a relatively short window of stable conditions to ascend from C3 (6,800m) to the summit at 8,163m and down to base camp. "Good conditions, but more difficult and dangerous than expected.especially between camp 1 and camp 2, due to extremely complicated passes between seracs, such as a small icefall from the Khumbu," said Txikon to Explorersweb. The team of Nepalese climbers reached the summit together with Alex Txikon. The Nepalese from the Seven Summit They used supplementary oxygen, which Txikon did not do on his ascent. For his part, Simone Moro, who was indisposed, practically withdrew from C2 to the BC alone, a decision that Txikon has remarked as a a gesture for which he has publicly expressed his gratitude. Remember that both are involved in this winter ascent for the third consecutive year, with two unsuccessful attempts, and on this occasion they will not share the summit. Winter summit of Manaslu, not the first according to The Himalayan Data Base (Desnivel)which, according to its criteria, considers the meteorological winter (from 1 December to 28 February) as opposed to the astronomical winter (from 21 December to 21 March), criteria which it has always maintained.
  • Now we talk about the controversy (or noise) that always accompanies these milestones. You can see in the Dario Rodriguez's tweetDesnivel editor, how the Russian media quickly criticised the way the news was headlined. They say that it would have been fairer to headline "the Nepalese team made the ascent, with O2, and there was a foreigner in the team: Alex Txikon (who did not use it)". Dario asks for an opinion, in a great show of transparency. The expedition has been compared to Nirmal Purja's first winter expedition to K2 in 2021. Txikon did not hide the fact that part of the team was going to use artificial oxygen and fixed ropes for the ascent, and that he would do it without oxygen. Is he considered to be without oxygen even though part of the team did use it? This also brings us into the debate about the style of the ascent. And what is clear, as Txikon has also pointed out, is that his ascent of Manaslu cannot be compared to the one made by the Poles Maciej Berbeka and Ryszard Gajewski in 83/84 (Desnivel)without artificial oxygen, without sherpas and on an unusual route. In a different era, with different means. With regard to these discussions on style, I found this article by Stefan Nestler very interesting.Style debate after winter success at Manaslu".
  • Some expeditions end and others "clear up". Hervé Barmasse and David Göttler unveil their winter objective: Dhaulagiri (Desnivel). "The first 13 days in Nepal have been exceptional from every point of view and, above all, I have been able to complete the first part of the acclimatisation necessary to climb an eight-thousander in winter and in alpine style in the best possible way (...) What 8000? asked Barmasse. Now they have decided to go for Dhaulagiri, after failing to get the permit for Nanga Parba this time. Last year, they attempted the Rupal to Nanga Parbat in alpine style, and in winter, the Rupal to Nanga Parbat. For both of them, Nanga or Dhaulagiri, "the pure alpine style is unrenounceable".
  • And we close the section talking about unreason. This time through the letter of the Professor of Geography Eduardo Martínez de Pisón, in defence of the Canal Roya valley against the threat of the merger of the ski resorts. "I never thought I would have to write in favour of the natural state of the Canal Roya. I naively believed...". (you can click on the image and enlarge it to read).