SummitClimb Shishapangma 2009: update with pictures

Sunset on Shishapangma from Base Camp

11-Sep-09: Hello Summit Climb news readers. Thanks for following our Shishapangma expedition.

Today we woke to tea brought to our tents, and enjoyed a leisurely breakfast. Skies were cloudy in the morning and we could not see much of the mountain.

After breakfast we walked up the lateral moraine beside the Shishapangma glacier and tried to see if we could reach "camp half". It's a very long walk on moraines before one needs to cross the Shishapangma glacier and climb up to camp 1, therefore we plan to set up tents at "camp half" in order to better acclimatize and break what would normally be a very long day into two more reasonable ones. At least, until we get acclimated, that is.

By noon we had reached a large plateau in the moraine, and we figured it would take us an hour to cross, and that we had gone far enough. So we descended back to ABC for a delicious lunch of cheese pockets, salad, stir-fried veggies, sardines, and baked beans. After lunch we hung out in the tents, relaxed, played cards, told stories, and napped.

Today winds were light, with temperatures ranging from 5 to 18 degrees C.

12-Sep-09

Today we were up early after "bed tea" for another one of our expert cook Kipa's satisfying breakfasts of porridge, pancakes, toast, omelettes, ham, and fresh fruit with tea, drinking chocolate and coffee.

The team had a busy morning, reviewing each member's personal climbing equipment, making sure their crampons fit their boots perfectly, that everything was in order on their harness, including ascender, descender, belay device, ice axe, and slings. 

With six members from six different nations, there are always different ways of doing things and that makes these kinds of expeditions much more interesting and a learning experience for everyone. After reviewing our equipment, we packed our rucksacks with approximately 1/2 of the total weight of all of the personal stuff we will need on the mountain and headed up the hill. We plan to bring the other half up in a day or so.

We wandered along the Shishapangma moraine and passed yesterday's highpoint. We continued along, traversing some well-dodgy and rather rugged mud cliffs, with a fair amount of boulder hopping. The entire way we followed an, at-times, difficult to follow track marked by the occasional rock cairn or stone sentinel.

Finally, at 3:45 we ran into our two pro-sherpas: Gyelzen and Jangbu, who had no difficulty at all persuading us to drop our loads behind a boulder on a flat plateau above the Shishapangma glacier. The sherpas told us that our chosen "camp half" was another 90 minutes away, at the base of the crossing point for the Shishapangma Glacier. So we loaded the contents of our sacks into the kit-bags we had brought specifically for the purpose and locked them up tight.

We noticed an obvious path heading up slope above us, travelling toward ABC, although appearing to cross an obvious scree hill. We headed in that direction and before climbing the hill, filled our water bottles in a stream draining a high snowfield. After crossing the stream we stumbled upon a massive rubbish-tip, strewn with hundred of blue glass bottles, rusty tins, and ancient dried food envelopes. 

On one side of the tip we found many metres of 7mm steel strapping. Not sure what this could have been for, except for tea-packing cases? Obviously a very involved cleanup effort is in order at this location near "camp half" at 5860 metres/19,200 feet. Anyone interested in joining in?

So, after viewing this despicable scene of environmental degradation, we followed the obvious track up the hill, reached a plateau and traversed at the level of 5950 metres/19,500 feet for about an hour. The weather was clear and sunny, the best yet, winds being only mild, and temps hovering around the 10-15 degree C mark. We marched along this high plateau and the footing was excellent, with many flat shale rocks pressed into the mud. We crossed a few occasional rivulets, following stone markers placed every 200 metres or so, which led us down to a secret lake, hidden just above advanced basecamp. A steep scree slope drops into one side of the lake and a grassy marsh forms a crescent round the other side.

Walking to the downhill edge of the lake, you can sit quietly and watch the winds trifle and play with all of the tents of the various teams in ABC.

After sitting and marveling for 15 minutes, we strolled along a bucolic stream and arrived in our ABC at 5:45 p.m. Kipa and Chumey greeted us with hot lemon drinks and fresh fruit. After changing into more comfortable clothing, we enjoyed an enourmous tea of home baked pizza, pasta, fresh green beans, russian-salad, mashed potatoes, and warm bowls of tinned fruit.

Well friends, thanks  

13-Sep-09

Today we rose and enjoyed our tea and breakfast. Then, Haris, Alejandro, and Richard decided to hoof it up to "Camp Half" with the sherpas, while Bart, Karsten, and Dan chose to remain in ABC and relax, taking hot showers and getting shaved and doing laundry in the 17 degree C warm sunshine with no wind and perfect visibility, no clouds.

About 9:45 a.m., a member of a neighboring team walked into camp to say their team member was injured. We went over to check it out and found him laying against a boulder in the team's adjoining ABC.

Apparently he had been walking, carrying a fully loaded rucksack, along the Shishapangma glacier-moraine trail when he came upon one of the many loose sections, stumbled and fell, striking his side hard against a large sharp boulder. He said he heard a crack as he landed.

We examined him and he seemed to have quite a bit of pain in his side and said that he felt a "clicking" each time he attempted to breath. He said whenever he coughed he had severe pain, but was not coughing up blood, nor did he have any blood in his urine. We assumed a broken rib and urged an immediate evacuation, because he was still able to walk. Who knows if he could still walk in 12, let alone 24 hours? He said he wanted to wait until he was really sure his ribs were broken, before going down. He said that climbing Shishapangma was the most important thing in the world to him and he was holding out hope that there might be some way he could recover.  

We called our very polite, friendly, kind doctor Haris on the radio (who was at that very moment walking across the plateau at 5950 metres/19,500 feet with sherpa Gyalzen) and Haris said he would examine the fallen climber when he returned this evening. He asked if the climber's vital signs were stable, and the team's radio spokesman said they were, so that bodes well.  

We will keep you up to date as soon as we know more! Best wishes from all of us

Earlier: 10 September, 2009;  We awoke early to our miracle-working cook Kipa bringing us hot tea whilst still in our sleeping bags. During the night, snow fell, and there was a dusting all about under grey skies. Everyone seemed to feel better, so during our yummy breakfast, we all agreed we would move up to ABC.

Slowly our little interim camp was packed onto the backs of the yaks. The woman yak driver who had felt poorly last night seemed to feeling much better, so our little caravan set out into the green hills above the Shishapangma river.

We walked across hill and dale, and spotted occasional old campsites, and masses of unique alpine plants fed by the monsoon moisture. Truly this was an amazingly beautiful walk through the higher reaches of the Tibetan plateau. We were all feeling the altitude now, so really took our time with lots of rest breaks perched atop boulders.

Rounding a bend we caught site of our ABC nestled in a moraine valley beside a stunning glacial lake fed by the massive terminus of the Shishapangma glacier with its frozen parade of giant ice pilgrims.

We are now comfortable in our tents in ABC at 5610 metres/18,400 feet. We are blessed with some great staff and superb equipment and especially soaking up the pleasures of one spacious sleeping tent for each member, so you can really spread out!!

Thanks for following our Shishapangma climb. More news tomorrow!!!!

9 September, 2009 : Today we awoke early, and had a quick breakfast while many helpful yak drivers took down the dining tent around us. We got all 20 of our yaks loaded and even tied on the Alpine Ascents ski bag from Olympia, Washington. We packed all of our tents and gear and negotiated the cost of the yak transport, and then we headed up valley, across the grassy rolling hills of the Tibetan Plateau, and entered a gorge, where we found a comfortable bench the size of a football pitch upon which to set up a small impromptu "interim camp" at 5346 metres/17,534 feet.

Skies were grey and it was a long walk with some elevation gain and a couple of members were feeling the altitude, so they took a little diamox (acetylzolamide) and drank lots of hot drinks.

One of our yak drivers, a woman from the local village, pointed to her chest and made the motions of breathing difficulty, so our doctor Haris checked her out for pulmonary oedema using his pulse oximetre, but found none. Her husband thought the entire event was a great novelty and could not stop laughing. Just to be on the safe side, Doc Haris gave her half of a diamox tab and instructed her to drink a lot of water. We learned this is her first trip up the valley this year.

Our amazing cook Kipa fixed us a very delicious dinner and we went to bed early, to the sound of snowflakes dusting the tents and tinkling yak bells all around us.

Hello SummitClimb news readers. Thanks for following the dispatches about our autumn 2009 Shishapangma expedition.

After breakfast we walked up the hill and wandered around in the foothills above base camp, where we were treated to great views and saw many large Himalayan hares springing about. Our high point was 5247 metres/17,200 feet; again according to the Thuraya satellite GPS.

We chose an alternate route to descend from the hills and walked back along a crystal clear stream through grassland, where we saw many small fish in the pools, and a myriad of birds, including a surprise over-flight by a seagull, of all things. On the mammal front, we saw marmots, and also pikas.

Back in basecamp for a delicious lunch, we met up with some newly arriving climbers, including Edmund Spoden, who Dan met on Mustagata and had no equipment and was kindly loaned everything by Manuel Weber. We also met several climbers from last spring's Cho Oyu expedition.

We spent the afternoon charging batteries with our generator, washing clothes and taking hot showers. The yaks arrived late in the evening and their drivers set up a tent in the evening next to our dining tent, then the yaks laid down all around our tents and it looks like we are camped in some sort of a zoo.

Well, today was a very relaxing day with a bit of exercise and good food. Tomorrow we plan to walk up to interim camp, so thanks for staying in touch and watching the progress of our  expedition!

Earlier: Today we woke early in Tingri and said a sad farewell to our Cho Oyu teammates. They are a great group of people and we will miss them very much. It was super fun being able to hang out together all of this way.

We picked up Chumey, our loyal Tibetan kitchen assistant and then all of us piled into two land-cruisers and we drove west, away from dusty Tingri, to the base of the 4900 metre/16,000 foot Lalung La, then left the main friendship highway behind to continue west. Suddenly the road became a rough-shod affair, and our jeeps bumped along from rock to rock and rut to rut. At times, the road disappeared altogether and we found ourselves crossing grassy meadows on pea-sized gravel.

Upon veering off the highway, the Tibetan Plateau came to life and we saw all sorts of new types of vegetation, lush grasslands, many stunning types of birds, even the very rare sight of a majestic Lamergeir bird sitting beside the road eating a rodent, looking ever so much like a massive golden eagle. This bird, though perched, would have easily risen above my knee, and I am 1.9 metres/6'3" inches tall.

After crossing the secured gate into the Shishapangma Core Zone, it felt ever more like we were in a remote wilderness, dotted with tiny Tibetan villages nestled humbly beneath enourmous grassy-rocky hills. Next we traversed the valley floor, and wound our way past the expansive and deep blue Pelku Tso Lake, which lies in all of its enourmity at 4590 metres/15,000 feet.

Turning up a side valley (by the way leaving the "main" highway to sacred Mount Kailash) we followed a crude track to a cluster of tents and were relieved to see our remaining staff of Jangbu, Kipa, and other Tibetan Kitchen assistant Tsewang (all of whom had driven up here with the equipment truck directly from Nyalam to establish this basecamp) waiving and beckoning to us.

We said good-bye to our friendly and patient drivers, and dove into the already set up dining tent for a delicious tea. Then we moved into our comfortable sleeping tents for a rest followed by a delicious lunch.

It's very beautiful here at 5000 metre/16,000 foot-high basecamp, with a light rain falling, and temperatures around 18 degrees. So far our objective Mount Shishapangma, "Goddess of the Grasslands" has shyly secreted herself behind snow-laden clouds, but we know she will show her face sooner or later. Tomorrow we plan some acclimatization rest and a light hike of a few hours. Thanks for following our expedition!

Earlier: 7 September, 2009:

Dear SummitClimb news readers,

Today we left Tingri and drove to Cho Oyu Chinese basecamp. This is just a 2 hour drive from Tingri, located on a riverbank at 4918 metres/16,100 feet.

When we arrived at basecamp, it was already set up by our awesome staff and we were welcomed with hot tea and coffee. After this Samdien, our Tibetan cook, prepared a delicious meal for us. It was a welcome change from all of the food we ate on the road to get here. Some members spent their afternoon doing a small hike, while others just relaxed in basecamp.

Our yaks, the animals that are going to carry our equipment up to ABC (advanced basecamp), will arrive tomorrow evening. This means we will probably leave BC on the 9th and move up higher on the mountain.

All members are doing very well, they are all healthy and strong.

More news will follow soon.............

Arnold Coster Expedition leader
 

Earlier: Hi there Summit Climb News readers. I hope you are well and thanks for following our dispatch for 30 August, 2009, for Cho Oyu and Shishapangma

Today was quite a busy day for us as we prepared for our expedition. We awoke in our comfortable hotel and after a fresh morning rain; the sun popped out and dried out the streets of Kathmandu. I love this time of year here as it's so clean and the city is so well washed. It's very quiet and peaceful as locals relax and assume a slower pace of life. Also there are very few tourists here so the normally frantic 'Thamel' neighbourhood is nice and calm.

We had a delicious breakfast at our local coffee shop then got to work checking member's personal equipment and going over the gear list.

There are three special members of our LeaderInTraining programme and they have been working very hard getting us ready for the expedition. They are Adam Dixon from England, Gavin Vickers from Australia, and Ry Fable from Colorado. Also in town are two of our expedition members Richard Pierse from Ireland and Alex Macrae from Aberdeen.

We went around the "Asan" neighbourhood with our kitchen staff and checked food prices and quality at three different shops, and then returned to SummitClimb's Kathmandu office to make final purchase decisions. Our food lists and cook staff are looking good, so we will be eating very well. Then we went on to review the equipment lists and sat with the lead sherpa from each team
to discuss every item on the list in detail, so we have things perfectly organised.

We are bringing lots of equipment like ropes, tents, radios, medical gear, etcetera, so we are going to be very well prepared. In the evening we met for a delicious dinner at a nearby bistro which serves the most delicious Italian food in a lovely cozy classy atmosphere, then had one nightcap in a nearby pub where we ran into old friends who are in town launching their expeditions to various mountains around Nepal and Tibet.

All of the best for now, thanks for following our news

Millet One Sport Everest Boot  has made some minor changes by adding more Kevlar. USES Expeditions / High altitude / Mountaineering in extremely cold conditions / Isothermal to -75°F Gore-Tex® Top dry / Evazote Reinforcements with aramid threads. Avg. Weight: 5 lbs 13 oz Sizes: 5 - 14 DESCRIPTION Boot with semi-rigid shell and built-in Gore-Tex® gaiter reinforced by aramid threads, and removable inner slipper Automatic crampon attachment Non-compressive fastening Double zip, so easier to put on Microcellular midsole to increase insulation Removable inner slipper in aluminized alveolate Fiberglass and carbon footbed Cordura + Evazote upper Elasticated collar. Expedition footwear for mountaineering in conditions of extreme cold.  NOTE US SIZES LISTED. See more here.

A cold weather, high altitude double boot for extreme conditions The Olympus Mons is the perfect choice for 8000-meter peaks. This super lightweight double boot has a PE thermal insulating inner boot that is coupled with a thermo-reflective outer boot with an integrated gaiter. We used a super insulating lightweight PE outsole to keep the weight down and the TPU midsole is excellent for crampon compatibility and stability on steep terrain. WEIGHT: 39.86 oz • 1130 g LAST: Olympus Mons CONSTRUCTION: Inner: Slip lasted Outer: Board Lasted OUTER BOOT: Cordura® upper lined with dual-density PE micro-cellular thermal insulating closed cell foam and thermo-reflective aluminium facing/ Insulated removable footbed/ Vibram® rubber rand See more here.

   Ascenders

   Atlas snowshoes

   Atomic

   Big Agnes

   Black Diamond

   Brunton

   Carabiners

   Chaco

   Cloudveil

   Columbia
   CMI

   Crampons

   Edelweiss ropes
   Eureka Tents

   Exofficio

   FiveTen

   Featured

   FoxRiver

   Gregory

   Granite Gear

   Harnesses
   Headlamps

   Hestra
   Helmets

   Helly Hansen

   HighGear

   HornyToad
   Ice Axes

   Julbo

   Kavu Eyewear

   Katadyn

   Kelty

   Kong

   Lekisport

   Life is Good

   Lowa

   Lowe Alpine

   Lowepro

   Millet

   Motorola

   Mountain Hardwear

   Mountainsmith

   MSR

   Nalgene

   New England Ropes

   Nikwax

   Omega

   Osprey

   Outdoor Research
   Patagonia

   Pelican

   Petzl

   Prana

   Princeton Tec

   Primus

   Rope Bags

   Royal Robbins

   Salomon

   Scarpa

   Scott

   Seattle Sports

   Serius
   Sleeping Bags

   Sterling Rope

   Stubai

   Suunto

   Tents

   Teva

   Thermarest

   Trango

   Tool Logic

   Trekking Poles
   Yaktrax
   and more here