Annapurna 2008:  Inaki Ochoa de Olza has died on Annapurna

Inaki has died on Annapurna. Ueli Steck was the only climber to reach him before he died. EverestNews.com covered Inaki so many times in the last 10 years... Our prayers go out to his family ....

Earlier: Swiss climber Ueli Steck has arrives now at Camp 4 and he is with Iņaki giving him medicines. Horia Colibasanu is coming down to camp 3.

Earlier Update: Inaki and Alexei are alive. Inaki is still not good, he is with Horia, and Alexei is descending to camp 3. Swiss are in camp 3.

Note three updates below...

Summit push aborted Horia and Inaki are now descending and are around camp 4. The summit push was aborted due to lack of ropes, the traverse between the east and main summit being more dangerous and exposed than they had expected, and more ropes would have been necessary. Both, Inaki and Horia suffer from minor forstbite and this was another reason to abort the summit push, and not to risk more. Alexei chose to give it a try and because the two are now descending, he is not in their sight so they do not know details about his progress or if he is also retreating.

Second Update: Well, not good situation. Yesterday, after he and Horia reached camp 4 -Alex Bolotov remained trying to get to the top- Iņaki suffered and an attack -we don't know what type- and was unconscious and with vomits. The batteries of the phone of the two -Iņaki and Horia- finished and we don't know nothing since then. It seems that a international team -don't know the names- are going in his search. Thanks

The three reached a point that seemed dangerous to cross without rope and Iņaki and Horia decided to turn back and since then and until yesterday night -last phone call from Horia because the lack of batteries- they didn't know nothing about Alex, who stayed on the final part trying the summit.

Earlier: Hi, they are in Camp 5 (7.830 meters), below the east summit and have fixed 200 meters of rope in the final traverse. The weather was cold in the morning and snowfall in the afternoon, but Iņaki thinks that they have a good chance if the weather respect them tomorrow morning. He said that maybe they will have to descend until 7.600 meters below a fracture that borns in the central summit. Tomorrow is the final push. The three of them (Iņaki, Alex Bolotov and Horia Colibasanu) are ok and optmist. Best, Jorge.

Earlier Update: They are now in Camp 4 (7.500 meters) in the east ridge. The weather is ok and they are in good shape. Tomorrow they will climb until Camp 5 (7.900 meters) and on Monday to the summit. It seems that tomorrow they will have to fix 130 meters of rope between Camp 5 and the final traverse to the summit, but it's uncertain still. Iņaki said that the place is simply incredible. Best,  Jorge

Update: Inaki Ochoa de Olza, from the Lorpen-Diario de Navarra expedition, the Romanian Horia Colibasanu and the Russian Alexei Bolotov were yesterday in C2,located at 6.200m, in a new summit push for Annapurna Main Summit. The ascent plan is today in C3 at 6.900m, on Saturday around 7.400m, Sunday at 7.900 meters below the east summit and, on Monday, go to the top of main summit. Jorge.

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