Himalayan Triptych” Reactivated – mBank Annapurna West Face Expedition Update Two

Update Two: The expedition team flew to Lukla yesterday (20th March) and after a two-hour trek got to Phakding (at 2610 meters), a large settlement half way between the airstrip in Lukla and Namche Bazaar. Most trekkers choose to stay in Phakding overnight before the long and exhausting climb to the administrative centre for the Khumbu region the next day. The team are in high spirits and are enjoying fair weather.

Update One: mBank Annapurna West: According to the information received via a text message, the team landed in Kathmandu yesterday (Monday), though after a series of mishaps. The journey started with a flight to Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport, which, according to Piotr Pustelnik, hasn’t changed much since his visit there is 1989:

 “Himalayan Triptych” Reactivated – part one: mBank Annapurna West Face Expedition.

"Himalayan Triptych Reactivated" has begun! After one-day delay caused by the airline, the team has left Warsaw airport this morning to start the first part of their expedition, i.e. the attempt at first ever repeat of the Czech route on the north-west face of Annapurna - the tenth highest peak in the world (8091 metres above the sea level).

The aim of the expedition is to repeat for the first time the Czech route on the north-west face of Annapurna – the tenth highest peak of the world (8091 metres above sea level). For Piotr Pustelnik it will also be the chance to finish the Crown of the Himalayas – the fourteen highest mountains in the world rising above 8000 metres. Piotr has already ascended thirteen of the Crown of the Himalayas peaks and Annapurna is the only one remaining. So far only thirteen people have managed to capture all fourteen jewels in the Crown…

Despite being one of the lowest eight-thousanders, Annapurna is definitely one of the most dangerous mountains in the world. By the year 2005, only 103 people have reached its summit while 56 have died attempting it. The Annapurna’s extensive massive consists of six main summits: the main one (8091m) as well as five others rising over 7000m. Interestingly, it was the first eight-thousander ever climbed – Maurice Herzog and Louise Lachenal have conquered it on 3rd June 1950. Eight Polish mountaineers have repeated this feat so far:

1987 – Artur Hajzer & Jerzy Kukuczka (first winter ascent)

1991 – Bogdan Stefko, Krzysztof Wielicki, Wanda Rutkiewicz, Ryszard Pawlowski and Mariusz Sprutta

1996 – Andrzej Marciniak

The mBank Expeditions have already tried to reach the summit three times, including twice (in 2004 and 2005) along the Bonnington’s route on the south face. In 2006, the “Himalayan Triptych” made up of Piotr Pustelnik, Piotr Morawski (Poland), Peter Hamor (Slovakia) and Don Bowie (USA) focused their efforts on the eastern ridge of Annapurna that had been climbed merely twice before. However, Peter Hamor was the only one to reach the main summit on 21st May while Piotr Pustelnik and Piotr Morawski got as far as the eastern summit (8010m). They turned back to rescue a Tibetan climber afflicted by snow blindness.

This year Piotr Pustelnik decided to return to Annapurna with a tried-and-tested team consisting of himself as the main coordinator, Peter Hamor, Piotr Morawski and Dariusz Zaluski, who will have the double role of a film maker. They have chosen the Czech route (also called “Gabbarrova”) on the north-west face of Annapurna. It has been climbed only once by Nezerka and Martis in 1988.

Ama Dablam - a relatively easy to climb mountain in the Himalaya range of eastern Nepal (6812 metres) – is to be the place for the team’s high altitude acclimatisation before their main effort. The expedition sets off on 15th March from Warsaw and will stay acclimatising on Ama Dablam till mid April. They will then be transported with a helicopter to their base camp beneath the north face of Annapurna. Their return is planned for 7th May.

Piotr Pustelnik has been climbing in the highest mountains since 1985, ascended all but one eight-thousand-metre high peak and has participated in many expeditions in the Himalayas, Karakorum, and all over the world.

Peter Hamor, the best Slovakian mountaineer has ascended five eight-thousanders (two of them as the first ever Slovak), and has conquered the Crown of the World (the highest mountains of each of the seven continents).

Piotr Morawski has climbed four eight-thousanders and was the first to ascend Shisha Pangma in winter.

Dariusz Zaluski has climbed four eight-thousanders and has taken part in many winter expeditions; he combines climbing with professional film-making and has authored many award-winning documentaries about the highest mountains of the world.

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