Billi Bierling on top of Cho Oyu

Done! „Summited Cho Oyu at 1 p.m. today without supplemented O2”, Billi Bierling tweeted. “It was a long and exhausting day. Thanks to all of you for keeping fingers crossed.” For the 49-year old German journalist and mountaineer it was her fifth successful eight-thousander ascent and after Manaslu in 2011 the second without breathing mask. In her first attempt on Cho Oyu eleven years ago she had not been able to climb further than 7,200 meters. “It was my first eight-thousander”, she wrote to me one and a half weeks ago. “At that time I was convinced that I am not strong enough for such high mountains.”

One of two who did it first

The Nepalese side of Cho Oyu

Later she proved that black is white. In 2009, the assistant to the legendary Himalayan chronicler Elizabeth Hawley scaled Mount Everest, in 2011 with Lhotse and Manaslu even two eight-thousanders in a year and in 2014 Makalu. With Heidi Sand, who reached the summit on the same day, Bierling shares the honor of having been the first German woman on Makalu. Billi is missing only one success to catch up with Alix von Melle, Germany’s most successful female high altitude mountaineer who has climbed six eight-thousanders so far.

Congrats!

Most climbers who frequently go to Nepal know Billi Bierling as assistant and designated successor of the legendary Himalayan chronicler Elizabeth Hawley. Also our paths crossed for the first time in Kathmandu, before an expedition. Since then she has often provided me with first-hand information – always friendly, helpful and competent. Therefore, I am particularly pleased about her successful climb on Cho Oyu. Well deserved, Billi, congratulations!

Many climbers took the opportunity of the good weather window on Friday and Saturday for their summit attempts on the most visited eight-thousanders this fall, Manaslu and Cho Oyu. According to the newspaper “The Himalayan Times” a total of more than 150 climbers have reached the summit of Manaslu alone on these two days.

Two Sherpas died in avalanches

R.I.P.

But there is also bad news: Two Sherpas died in avalanches this week. On Tuesday, Mingmar Sherpa (from Taksindu in Solukhumbu) was buried on the 7,126-meter-high Himlung Himal in western Nepal. On Friday, Temba Sherpa (from Taplejung in eastern Nepal) died in an avalanche on the eight-thousander Shishapangma in Tibet.

Update 7 p.m.: The American climbers Adrian Ballinger and Emily Harrington also reached the top of Cho Oyu today and skied down from the summit. Thus they are right on schedule of their “instant” expedition. “And we even get a day to celebrate with friends in ABC tomorrow”, says Adrian. Ballinger and Harrington want to be back at home in the US within 14 days after departure.

Apa Sherpa

Will Apa Sherpa feel melancholy these days? Climbers from all over the world are arriving at Everest basecamp on the south side of the mountain. Meanwhile the so called „Ice Doctors” have prepared the route through the dangerous Khumbu icefall up to Camp 2 on 6600 metres. The climbing season on the highest mountain of the world is ready to start. For more than two decades Everest was an integral part of Apa’s life. Nobody has reached the top of the world as often as this 1.63 metre tall man: He reached the summit 21 times and became a living legend. In 2011 Apa finished his Everest career. Now he is about 53 years old. He doesn’t know for sure because in the 1960s no birth certificates were issued for Sherpas in his home village Thame in the Everest region.

Committed to education and environment

Since the end of his Everest career Apa has been taking care of his foundation that promotes educational projects in Nepal – and of environmental protection. Last year he trekked together with Dawa Steven Sherpa on the „Great Himalaya Trail” 1555 km from the east to the west of Nepal. It was a campaign to raise awareness to the dangers of global warming for the Himalayas. Apa is also worried about Everest. „Meanwhile, first I want people to respect the mountain and protect it from harm”, Apa writes to me. „Everest belongs to everyone in the world. We need to save it for our future generations too.”

Everest opened doors of opportunity

Apa and Mount Everest (l., with snow banner)

Not only Apa’s life, the lives of all Sherpas are closely linked to Mount Everest. „People know us in the world because of Mount Everest. More importantly, it opened the doors of opportunity for Sherpa people in the rest of the world”, Apa says. „Where we are now is because of Mount Everest. Everest is Nepal’s pride and is our greatest treasure.” On occasion of the 60th anniversary of the first ascent of Mount Everest he wishes that „it continues to inspire climbers from all over the world to visit Nepal, dream big and take success all the way to the summit”. (You find Apa’s full statements on the two Everest-60-pinboards on the right side of the blog.)

No eternal record

Apa holding the record certificate

Records are there to be broken. That surely will also happen to Apa’s Everest record, perhaps even this year. Phurba Tashi, often referred to as the „Everest Yak” because of his immense strength at altitude, has already summited Everest 19 times. In 2007 he reached the top three times in one season, in 2011 twice. This spring Phurba, born in the village of Khumjung in 1971, is working for Himalayan Experience as sirdar (head) of the climbing sherpas.

Season’s first fatality 

Before any climber from abroad has set his feet on the normal route the first fatality of the season is reported from Everest. On Sunday 45-year-old Mingmar Sherpa, one of the “Icefall Doctors”, has died after falling into a crevasse below camp 2. RIP.