Gasherbrum II

According to the Pakistani expedition operator Alpine Adventure Guides, there was this summer’s first summit success on Gasherbrum II. The two Frenchmen Mathieu Maynadier and Jeremy Rumebe had reached the 8,034-meter-high summit in the Karakoram, the agency said on Twitter. Further information is not yet available. The two mountain guides from France had planned to climb G II on the normal route and to ski down afterwards. The goal of his first eight-thousander expedition was to gather experience at high altitude for an attempt on a technical route on an eight-thousander over the next few years, Maynadier had said ahead of the trip.

Bargiel is waiting for his chance

Andrzej Bargiel on K 2

The Pole Andrzej Bargiel who wants to ski down K 2 – with 8,611 meters the second highest mountain on earth – is more experienced on eigth-thousanders. The 29-year-old has succeeded already three ski descents from eight-thousanders: Shishapangma (in 2013), Manaslu (in 2015) and Broad Peak (in 2015). Andrzej has just returned from an acclimatization climb. Bargiel and his countryman Janusz Golab spent two nights in Camp 3 at 7,100 meters. “A few days of rest are now ahead of me and the other team members,” Andrzej writes in his blog. “We’ll be watching the weather all the time to catch the right moment for the summit push.”

No new track of Zerain and Galvan

Accident site below the Mazeno Ridge

On Nanga Parbat, the new search for Alberto Zerain from Spain and Mariano Galvan from Argentina has finally been abandoned. The rockfall and avalanche risk below the Mazeno Ridge was too high to reach the point from where the last GPS signal of the two climbers had been received, writes Mirza Ali, head of the search action, on Facebook. Finally, Mirza had flown in a rescue helicopter another five laps over the accident site. His summary: “1. The climbers were swept off the ridge into the crevasse below and buried in heavy avalanche. 2. The avalanche triggered above the climbers at around 6,200 meters. 3. After the avalanche there is no further foot track on the ridge.” R.I.P., Alberto and Mariano!

Update 18 July: Along with the two French Maynadier and Rumebe, the American Colin Haley also reached the summit of Gasherbrum II. The three climbers have meanwhile returned to the base camp. “We are happy that we were alone on the mountain and that we were able to succeed the first ascent this season,” the trio said.

The accident site (© Alex Gavan)

Looked at soberly, actually there can not be any doubt: The Spaniard Alberto Zerain and the Argentinean Mariano Galvan have been killed two weeks ago in an avalanche accident on the Mazeno Ridge on Nanga Parbat. Photos taken by the Romanian climber Alex Gavan from a rescue helicopter show the track of the two climbers ending exactly at the fracture line of an avalanche. The last position indicated by the climbers’ GPS tracker is a spot far below, in the supposed fall line. (Look also at the video below) Nonetheless a Pakistani team of eight is currently again searching for the missing climbers at the place where the avalanche swept down. “We moved to the south side of the ridge. We closely looked at the face,” the leader of the search team said today. “We can see the traverse Mariano made. We can also see the ridge from which a chunk of ice fell that potentially caused the accident by sweeping the climbers off the (ridge) into the highly broken glacier. Three of us will try (to ascend) from South West Ridge and three from south east.”

Shaman dreamed of Galvan in a cave

Galvans family and friends have joined forces to fund the new search costing $ 38,000. Spanish media reported that Galvan’s mother had previously consulted a shaman. He said he dreamed that Mariano was trapped in a cave. According to the reports, a cuban clairvoyant also said he visualized Galvan alive in a cave. Even if the Argentinean really survived the avalanche this way, he would have in the meantime almost certainly suffocated or frozen to death, more than two weeks after the accident. Avalanche rescuers know that the rescue of trapped people is a race against time. Already after two hours, according to the statistics, only about seven percent of the avalanche victims are still alive – and only if their air pocket has a connection to the outside.

Gavan: “Irresponsible”

Against this background, the search in the area below the Mazeno Ridge which is exposed to avalanches and full of crevasses appears to be not only useless, but also negligent. Alex Gavan, who had coordinated the rescue efforts immediately after Zerain and Galvan got missing and had flown in one of the rescue helicopters, put in a nutshell: The new search was “irresponsible” because it “only endangers more people’s lives”, he said. There had been a similar discussion on Mount Everest last spring, when Sherpas had recovered the body of a dead Indian climber in a highly risky action from an altitude of 8,400 meters. Not only the climber’s family but also the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu had exerted pressure on the Nepalese expedition operator.

R.I.P.

The two climbers Alberto Zerain and Mariano Galvan were most likely killed in an avalanche accident on Nanga Parbat. A rescue helicopter from the Pakistani army has now discovered an avalanche cone at the place from where the last signal from the GPS tracker was sent last Saturday. During two flights today the helicopter crew found no trace of the  55-year-old Spaniard Zerain and the 37-year-old Argentinian Galvan. “This situation unfortunately excludes the possibility of finding survivors,” said Alberto Zerain’s team.

Experienced eight-thousander climbers

Alberto Zerain (r.) and Mariano Galvan (l.)

Zerain and Galvan had wanted to reach the 8125-meter-high summit of Nanga Parbat via the Mazeno Ridge, which is about ten kilometers long and the longest ridge on the 14 eight-thousanders. On Friday last week, the Spaniard had last telephoned with his team. A day later, the GPS showed over six hours that Zerain and Galvan were moving across the ridge. After this, the locate point remained on the same spot. At some point, the signal from the GPS device died. Later, the GPS signal ran out.

In May, Alberto had scaled Annapurna in Nepal, his tenth eight-thousander. Mariano Galvan had reached the summits of seven eight-thousanders. Last spring, he had guided the Australian Allie Pepper on Lhotse. Pepper had not reached the summit because of health problems.

Alberto Zerain (r.) and Mariano Galvan (l.)

Since Saturday there is no trace of the two top climbers Alberto Zerain and Mariano Galvan on Nanga Parbat. The 55-year-old Spaniard and the 37-year-old Argentinian wanted to climb via the 10-kilometer-long Mazeno Ridge to the 8125-meter-high summit. Last Friday Alberto had spoken on phone with his team. They were doing well and made good progress, said Zerain then. The next day, the signals from the GPS tracker showed that the two were still moving for six hours. After this, the locate point remained on the same spot. Later, the GPS signal ran out.

Experienced eight-thousander climbers

The Mazeno Ridge (© Doug Scott)

Zerain’ team organized a rescue helicopter. On Thursday, a first flight had to be aborted after three hours due to bad weather. The spot on the ridge, which the GPS tracker had shown last, was stuck in clouds. Also for the next days rather bad weather is expected. In May, Alberto had scaled Annapurna in Nepal, his tenth eight-thousander. Mariano Galvan has so far been on the summits of seven eight-thousanders. Last spring, he had guided the Australian Allie Pepper on Lhotse. Pepper had not reached the summit because of health problems.

Only one success so far

The Mazeno Ridge on Nanga Parbat is the longest ridge on the 14 eight-thousanders. In 2012, The British climbers Rick Allen and Sandy Allen made the first and so far only ascent of Nanga Parbat via the complete ridge. For their coup, the two Britons were awarded the Piolet d’Or, the “Oscar of the climbers”, in 2013.

Nives Meroi and Romano Benet

They did it. Nives Meroi and Romano Benet have climbed their 14th eight-thousander. The Italian couple belonged to a group of six climbers who reached the summit of the Annapurna today at 10.30 a.m. local time. This is reported by the Spanish climber Alberto Zerain, who in his own words was also on top, along with his compatriot Jonatan Garcia. Moreover, two Chileans reached the highest point on 8091 meters, says Alberto. Nives Meroi and Romano Benet, both 55 years old, are the first couple to have reached together the summits of all 14 highest mountains in the world – without the use of bottled oxygen and without sherpa support. It was their third attempt on Annapurna after 2006 and 2009.

First Italian woman without breathing mask on Everest

Nives was 19 years old when she met Romano. First he was her climbing partner, then her life partner. They are married for 27 years. In 1998, they scaled Nanga Parbat, it was their first eight-thousander. In 2003, they succeeded in climbing the Karakorum trilogy of Gasherbrum I, II and Broad Peak in just 20 days. In 2007, Meroi was the first Italian woman who climbed Everest without oxygen mask.

Life-threatening disease

Annapurna

But there were also setbacks.  In 2009, Meroi had a good chance to become the first woman on all 14 eight-thousanders. On Kangchenjunga, at 7500 meters, Romano suddenly became increasingly weak. He tried to persuade Nives to climb on alone. But she refused and supported him during the descent. The reason for Benet’s weakness was serious: aplastic anemia. Two bone marrow transplants were necessary to save Romano’s life. They returned to the Himalayas. In 2014, Romano and Nives climbed Kangchenjunga. Then in 2016 Makalu and now Annapurna as the last eight-thousander in their collection. Congratulations, Nives and Romano!

Tibetan north side of Everest

It is not only the thin air on Everest that makes climbers pant. Meanwhile, also a race seems to have started to be the most hip in social networks. Number one in this category this spring season – taking in account the media response worldwide – are without question the two Americans Adrian Ballinger and Cory Richards. They document their ascent without bottled oxygen on the Tibetan north side also via Snapchat – the image and video messaging service for smartphones and tablets, in which the messages automatically disappear after a while – and thus make couch potatoes gasp. Under #EverestNoFilter, everyone can follow Ballinger’s and Richard’s ascent via the Northeast Ridge virtually in real time and unfiltered. The two climbers want to reach the 8850-meter-high summit this weekend.

How much self-promotion is needed?

Not only on Snapchat, but also on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook Adrian and Cory are sharing with their fans whatever happens during their ascent. Even their heart rate data are published. The two climbers even seem to enjoy it having several Internet things on the go at once. And apparently it’s no problem for them that they may go down in Everest history as “Transparent Climbers”. Both are professionals, knowing how to blow their own trumpet. But is it really necessary to do it so intensive?

“Our goal is to share our perspective and encourage dialog on both the positive and negative sides of climbing Everest,” Adrian wrote before the beginning of the expedition. “Ultimately what we want is a positive future for Everest, and for those who work and recreate on the mountain.” Ballinger is the founder and head of the operator Alpenglow Expeditions. The 40-year-old has already climbed Everest six times, but always with bottled oxygen. Cory Richards, born in May 1981, is a climber and professional photographer. In 2011, he – along with Italian Simone Moro and Russian Denis Urubko – succeeded the first winter ascent of the eight-thousander Gasherbrum II in the Karakoram.

Lhakpa’s seventh success

On Thursday, more than 200 climbers reached the summit of Mount Everest. And the wave continues to roll. Also from the north side, where now, as on the south side, the normal route is secured with fixed ropes up to the highest point, the first successes were reported. Among others, today Lhakpa Sherpa reached the summit and thus broke her own record: With seven ascents, the 42-year-old, born in Nepal and living in the US, is the woman with the most Everest summit successes.

Death on Dhaulagiri

Dhaulagiri

There were also the first ascents this spring on the eight-thousander Dhaulagiri. Spaniard Alberto Zerain, Argentinean Mariano Galvan, Rajib Bhattacharya and Prasad Joshi from India and a Sherpa, whose name was not reported (a very common bad habit), reached the 8167-meter-high summit. On the descent the 43-year-old Bhattacharya collapsed at 7,600 meters and died.