Ralf Dujmovits above Everest North Col

So far, the summit attempts of the climbers, who are currently tackling Mount Everest without bottled oxygen, are on schedule (with one exception, see below). According to his life partner Nancy Hansen, Ralf Dujmovits today reached Camp 2 on the Tibetan north side of the highest mountain on earth: “Ralf just called me from 7,700 m, where he will sleep for the night,” the Canadian climber wrote on Facebook. “It is stormy now, but the winds should come down. Tomorrow he will move up to 8,300 m. He feels good!” The 55-year-old has already – as the only German climber so far – scaled all 14 eight-thousanders. Only on Everest in 1992 he had used a breathing mask. The current attempt without bottled oxygen is his eighth and in his own words the “definitely last one” on Everest.

Little surprising discomfort

North side of Everest

The two Americans Adrian Ballinger and Cory Richards also arrived in Camp 2 on the northern route. “Our move to 25,000 feet felt mellow. A bit of discomfort (headache and nausea) now, but that’s to be expected,” Adrian wrote on Instagram. Ballinger, head of the operator Alpenglow Expeditions, has climbed Everest six times with clients, using breathing masks. In spring 2016, he had had to abandon an attempt without supplemental oxygen – in contrast to his team partner Richards, who had climbed up to the summit.

Chilling out at 7,300 meters

South side of Mount Everest

On the Nepalese south side of Everest, the Frenchman Yannick Graziani and the Spaniard Ferran Latorre will spend the night from Thursday to Friday in Camp 3 at 7,300 meters. “Beautiful weather but very warm,“ said Yannick. Ferran feels comfortable too: “I am chilling out in Camp 3. Again a little closer to the summit of Everest and closer to my dream.” If Latorre reaches the highest point on 8,850 meters, he would have climbed all eight-thousanders without oxygen. Graziani and Latorre are accompanied by the Austrian Hans Wenzl and the Sherpa Dawa Sangay. For Wenzl, Everest would be his ninth eight-thousander, all climbed without breathing mask. Elisabeth Revol reported from Camp 2 at 6,400 meters. “I’m good,” the Frenchwoman wrote on Facebook. Tomorrow she wants to climb up to the South Col at 7,950 meters, where she will probably meet Graziani, Latorre, Wenzl and Sangay.

Kuriki announces new attempt

The Japanese Nobukazu Kuriki has abandoned his summit attempt on the Hornbein route – i. e. via the West Ridge, crossing into the North Face and through the Hornbein Couloir to the summit – and has descended to the Base Camp on the Nepalese south side. The 34-year-old announced another attempt for the coming days. “It’s not yet over,” Nobukazu said.

Who are the four dead?

Confusion reigns as to the identity of the four climbers who had been found dead yesterday in a tent on the South Col. Possibly they were climbers who have been missing since spring 2016, Nepalese officials said. The four mountaineers, who were actually considered to be the dead, have reportedly arrived safely in Everest Base Camp.