Jim Morrison im Lhotse Couloir

This much is certain, 2018 will go down in history as a very special year for ski mountaineers. After all, two of the “last” major ski problems on the world’s highest mountains have been solved. Last July, the Pole Andrzej Bargiel succeeded in the Karakoram in Pakistan – as reported – the first complete ski descent from the 8,611 meter high summit of K2, the second highest mountain in the world. And now Hilaree Nelson and Jim Morrison cracked another hard nut. On the 8516-meter-high Lhotse, the fourth highest of all mountains, the two Americans skied down the so-called “Dream Line”: from the summit through the narrow, 45 to 50 degrees steep Lhotse Couloir down to Camp 2 in the Western Qwm at 6,400 meters. “We did it,” Jim writes about a photo of his ski tips that he posted on Instagram today: “Ski tips about to make the first turn ever off the summit of Lhotse. Almost 28,000’ the summit was sugar snow and extra steep. A few careful turns and a hop got me into the couloir to complete a dream I’ve been working towards for a lifetime.”

“Highlights of my ski mountaineering career”

Lhotse Couloir (seen from Everest)

On 30 September, i.e. last Sunday, Nelson and he skied form the top to Camp 2 dropping in at 2.22 pm, Morrison reports. Jim’s partner Hilaree still cannot believe it: “I’m still absorbing the whole last month but, without a doubt, this was one of the highlights of my 20 year ski mountaineering career.” Hilaree Nelson, who was elected “Adventurer of the Year 2018” by the magazine “National Geographic”, is an extremely experienced ski mountaineer. In 2017, she succeeded with Morrison and Chris Figenshau the first ski descent of the 6,451-meter-high Papsura, also called “Peak of Evil”, in the Indian part of the Himalayas. In 2012, the mother of two sons reached the summits of Everest and Lhotse within 24 hours.

Lazo and Pugovkin give up on Annapurna

Meanwhile the Russians Vitaly Lazo and Anton Pugovkin have abandoned their ski expedition on the 8,091-meter-high Annapurna. Too much snow was lying on the slopes of the eight-thousander in western Nepal, the two climbers let us know, adding that many ice avalanches and snow slabs had swept down. In their “Death Zone Freeride” project, Lazo and Pugovkin have set themselves the goal of climbing five of the 14 eight-thousanders without bottled oxygen and then descending from the summits on skis. In fall 2017, the two climbers achieved their first success on the 8,163-meter-high Manaslu. In addition to Annapurna, Mount Everest, K2 and Nanga Parbat are still on the Russians’ to-do list.

Anton Pugovkin (l.) und Vitaly Lazo (r.)

“Death Zone Freeride” – so the two Russians Vitaly Lazo and Anton Pugovkin named their ambitious project. Their goal: to scale five of the 14 eight-thousanders without bottled oxygen and ski down from the summits. In fall 2017, the two climbers achieved their first success on the 8,163-meter-high Manaslu. This fall season, part two of the project is to follow on the 8,091-meter-high Annapurna. In addition, Mount Everest, K2 and Nanga Parbat are on the Russians’ to-do list.

After some back and forth on the material transport by helicopter, Vitaly and Anton finally seem to have flown today from the Nepalese town of Pokhara to Annapurna Base Camp. The so far only successful ski descent from the summit of Annapurna was made by the Slovenian brothers Davo and Andrej Karnicar via the north side of the mountain in spring 1995, during their climb they also did not use breathing masks.

Nelson and Co. tackle the “Dream Line”

Above the Khumbu Icefall

An American ski expedition to the 8,516-meter-high Lhotse is already at an advanced stage. The route through the Khumbu Icefall has been set up and the team climbed to Camp 2 at 6,400 meters to acclimatize. Expedition leader Jim Morrison, Hilaree Nelson, Dutch Simpson and Nicholas Kalis have a ski permit from the Nepalese government that allows them to ski down the north flank of the eight-thousander. The ski descent via the so-called “Dream Line” – from the summit through the Lhotse Couloir to the Western Cwm – has so far not been completed. Hilaree Nelson, who was elected “Adventurer of the Year 2018” by the magazine “National Geographic”, is an extremely experienced ski mountaineer. In 2017, she succeeded with Morrison and Chris Figenshau the first ski descent of the 6,451-meter-high Papsura, also called “Peak of Evil”, in the Indian part of the Himalayas. In 2012, she reached the summits of Everest and Lhotse within 24 hours. By the way, nobody will tackle the highest mountain on earth this fall.

Andrzej Bargiel after his return to base camp

The Pole Andrzej Bargiel has written K2 history. According to his own words, the 30-year-old succeeded yesterday the first complete ski descent from the second highest mountain in the world. In doing so, he snapped up the “Holy Grail”, which had previously caused the failure of some of the best ski mountaineers in the world – such as Hans Kammerlander from South Tyrol in 2001. After reaching the summit at 8,611 metres on Sunday, Andrzej skied down in one go to the base camp on a combination of several routes, his sponsor from Austria informed: “From the summit, he descended along the shoulder towards the Cesen route (also known as the Basque route), passing below huge seracs, then via the extremely difficult Messner traverse, and via the arête on the Kukuczka-Piotrowski route (which was opened by the two Poles in 1986). Next, he had to face some snow fields full of crevasses. He managed to overcome all the difficulties and achieved his dream, achieving the impossible in the process.”

“Just glad”

On the run

“I’m just glad I don’t have to come back,” said Andrzej in the base camp, visibly marked by the exertions, but with a big grin on his face. During the ascent he had been supported by his compatriot Janusz Golab and a team of Sherpas. “K2 is certainly the most demanding and also most dangerous eight-thousander that you can ski down,” Luis Stitzinger told me a year ago, when Slovenian Davo Karnicar and later Bargiel had given up their attempts of a complete ski descent. In 2011, the 49-year-old German mountaineer – who a few days ago scaled Gasherbrum I, his eighth eight-thousander – had skied down from 8,050 meters to the base camp.

Not any flat meter

Andrzej’s ski route

“On K2, you have to be a very good extreme skier, and you always have to give it your all because there is not any flat meter.” Another danger is caused by the increasing temperatures in the Karakoram as a result of climate change. “There you set off high up on the mountain on rock-hard snow and reach the lower parts on snow as soft as butter. Particularly in the lower area there is also a threat of wet avalanches thundering down through the couloirs.”

Record season and one death

Muhammad Ali “Sadpara” on the summit of K 2

On Saturday and Sunday, a total of 63 climbers reached the summit of the K2, more than ever before in one season. Among them was Pakistani Muhammad Ali “Sadpara”, who had been one of the first winter ascenders of Nanga Parbat in February 2016. Having climbed K2, the 42-year-old completed his collection of the five eight-thousanders in his home country Pakistan. Also sad news was reported from K2: The 41-year-old Japanese Kojiro Watanabe fell to his death on his descent from the summit at about 8,300 meters. R.I.P.

Puzzling ski permit

You would normally not come up with this. If you climb Mount Everest and at some point want to put on your skis, you need a special permit. The 20-year-old American Matt Moniz and his mentor, the 49-year-old Argentine Willie Benegas, had to experience this. Citing sources at the Nepalese Ministry of Tourism, the newspaper “Himalayan Times” reports that the two climbers are now threatened with being deprived of their permission to climb Everest and Lhotse this spring. However, everything had started so well. “After ten years dreaming about it, it happened! Managed to ski from Camp 3 (on) Everest (at) 7,200 meters to Camp 2 (at) 6.400m,” said Benegas. “Not much difficulty but definitely good eyes needed to read the terrain, catching an ice patch would be a bad thing to happen!”  Matt and Willie did not suspect that they had scated on their descent on thin bureaucratic ice.

No reason for a guilty conscience

Willie Benegas (l.) and Matt Moniz (r.)

Suddenly, they were faced with the Ministry of Tourism’s accusation that they had been skiing illegally because they only had a climbing permit for Everest and Lhotse but not the required “ski permit”. “We were not aware of the permit,” Moniz wrote on Twitter, announcing that they would promptly pay the $ 1,000 per man and a garbage fee of $ 500. The two climbers do not need to have a bad conscience. Their liaison officer was (o wonder!) not in the base camp. Other representatives of the ministry at the foot of Everest said nothing when Matt and Moniz set off with skies on their shoulders. The vast majority of foreign climbers may also have been completely unaware of the existence of such a ski permit. Finally, there is no mention of the need to obtain a separate permit for skiing in the “Tourism Act, 2035”, in which the government of Nepal has summarized the expedition rules.  Only in fall 2013, there was a similar case. At that time, the two Italian ski mountaineers Federico Colli and Edmond Joyeusaz got in trouble with the Nepali authorities on Lhotse because of an initially missing ski permit.

Stitznger: “Pure profiteering”

Luis Stitzinger on Manaslu (in 2012)

The Argentine Willie Benegas is an “old hand” in the Himalayas. For over 20 years, he has been organizing expeditions with his twin brother Damian. Willie has already scaled Everest eleven times. If even he did not know that ski permits exist at all, that says a lot. Also for the German ski mountaineer Luis Stitzinger, who has scaled seven eight-thousanders and in whose baggage his skis are never missing, the existence of such a special permit is completely new. “We have never been told anything like that,” the 49-year-old writes to me. “I think that’s pure profiteering. What should be so different about skiing?”

Information only on Nepali

Julius Seidenader

Julius Seidenader is among the few in the Himalayan scene who know about ski permits at all. The 26-year-old belongs to the founding members of the “Ski and Snowboarding Foundation Nepal”, which has set the goal of teaching young Nepali skiing, snowboarding and ski touring. According to Seidenader, ski permits are issued for groups of 20 people maximum and are valid for only ten days. For the first ten expedition members, the permit costs $ 1,000, and starting with the eleventh person, $ 100 each. Furthermore, an additional liaison officer must be hired. However, this information is only available in Nepali, not in English, says Julius. Against this background, it would be a scandal if Matt Moniz and Willie Benegas really lose their permits for Lhotse and Everest. It is already a farce.

Update 10 May: In a letter sent to the Tourism Ministry, 150 Climbing Sherpas have asked the government not to withdraw the permits for Benegas and Moniz. They pointed out the great merits of the Benegas brothers for Nepal. They had given many people from Nepal jobs and were involved in numerous rescue operations on Everest, it said.

Karnicar strikes his tent on K 2

The Slovenian Davo Karnicar, known for his spectacular ski runs from the highest mountains in the world, has aborted his expedition on K2. The 52-year-old justified his decision with a minor back injury, which he had suffered already at the beginning of the expedition. The injury did not allow him to jump with his skies on the slope to change the direction, said Karnicar. Previously, he had skied down on trial from Camp 1 to the Base Camp. “K2 is too demanding for improvisation and for doing things by halves,” said Davo. Karnicar also pointed out that the key section of the South Face was currently snow-free and therefore a complete ski descent from the summit to the Base Camp, as he had planned, was not possible. The Slovene wanted to ski down the Cesen route.

First complete ski descent from Everest

Davo Karnicar

In 1995, Davo Karnicar succeeded along with his brother Andrej a ski descent from the eight-thousander Annapurna in Nepal on the north side of the mountain. In 2000, Davo was the first to ski down from the highest point of Mount Everest to the base camp on the south side without having to take off his skis. He is listed as the first ski mountaineer who succeeded complete ski descends from the Seven Summits, the highest mountains of all continents (the variant with Mount Kosciusko, the highest mountain of Australia).

Stitzinger: “Most demanding and dangerous 8000er to ski down”

Luis Stitzinger’s ski route in 2011

So far, all attempts to ski down from the 8611-meter-high summit of K 2 to the Base Camp have failed. Karnicar had already returned empty-handed from the second highest mountain on earth in 1993, when a storm had blown away his skis at an altitude of almost 8,000 meters. “K 2 is certainly the most demanding and also most dangerous eight-thousander that you can ski down,” Luis Stitzinger tells me. In 2011, the 48-year-old German mountaineer had skied down from 8,050 meters to the Base Camp. “On K2, you have to be a very good extreme skier, and you always have to give it your all because there is not a flat meter.” Another danger is caused by the increasing temperatures in the Karakoram as a result of climate change. “There you set off high up on the mountain on rock-hard snow and reach the lower parts on snow as soft as butter. Particularly in the lower area there is also a threat of wet avalanches thundering down through the couloirs.” In order to reduce the dangers, it would be advisable to spread the ski descent over two days, says Luis. “But the purists would not except this as a ski run in one go.”

Bargiel also plans to ski down K 2

This summer season also the Pole Andrzej Bargiel wants to ski down K 2. The 29-year-old has succeeded already three ski descents from eight-thousanders: Shishapangma (in 2013), Manaslu (in 2015) and Broad Peak (in 2015). “I believe there is also a line on K 2 which is possible to ski down from the summit to the valley,” says Luis Stitzinger. “But everything has to fit perfectly: good weather and snow conditions, ability and stamina of the skier.”

First view on Makalu (© Adrian Ballinger/Facebook)

“We walked into base camp, dropped our packs, threw on our down jackets, and looked up. Makalu chose that moment to expose her summit”, Adrian Ballinger wrote on Instagram after yesterday’s arrival at the foot of the fourth highest mountain on earth. “Awe is the only word to describe the feeling.” Ballinger is leading a team of US climbers that is remarkable in several respects. First, it is even the only expedition on this eight-thousander in Nepal this fall. Second, the team will try to realize the first ski descent from the 8,485-meter-high summit. And third, three of the five expedition members are women, two of them mothers, and that’s not just commonplace in high-altitude mountaineering.

This time without oxygen

Ballinger, head of the US operator Alpenglow, is an experienced expedition leader. The 39-year-old has reached the top of eight-thousanders twelve times, he scaled Mount Everest six times. Adrian succeeded in skiing from Manaslu and Cho Oyu. His team members are his countrywomen Emily Harrington, Kit DesLauriers and Hilaree O’Neill and, as the second man in the team, Jim Morrison. The 29-year-old Emily, Adrian’s girlfriend, wants to climb Makalu without supplementary oxygen. It would be her second eight-thousander after Mount Everest, the summit of which she had reached in 2012 with breathing mask. Kit, aged 45, was the first woman who set off by skis from the highest point on earth in 2006. But it was not a complete Everest ski descend due to the dangerous conditions in the upper part of the mountain. DesLauriers plans to ski from the summit of Makalu. The 42-year-old Hilaree wants it too. She already made a ski descent from Cho Oyu. In 2012, O’Neill managed to reach the summits of Everest and Lhotse within 24 hours. Jim Morrison is a building contractor from California who has made a name for himself in the scene with some first ascents and extreme ski adventures.

Opened up some doors

Quinn and Grayden in Nepal (© Hilaree O’Neill / Facebook)

O’Neill and DesLauriers are mothers. Hilaree has two sons, Kit two daughters. O’Neill’s husband Brian, the eight-year-old Quinn and the six-year-old Grayden accompanied the team on the trekking to the base camp. “Having our boys on the trek has opened up some doors with the locals”, Hilaree wrote on Facebook. “And they have been making lots of friends so far.” Her sons have already been several times at an altitude of 14,000 feet and are therefore well prepared, says O’Neill.

Incorporating adventure into family life

The two daughters of DesLauriers, aged six and seven, have stayed at home with Kit’s husband Rob. Not all people understand that she is going on an eight-thousander expedition as a mother of two children, DesLauriers admits: “Thankfully for me, there are those in contrast to the naysayers who believe that it’s a priceless example to children of both genders when women continue their passionate pursuits after becoming mothers.” She prefers shorter trips in favor of being with her children as much as possible. “Each time I leave home is hard for me, and I’m sure it’s not easy on the kids either”, says Kit. “Yet each time I return I’m more present as a parent and full of ideas about how to next incorporate adventure travel into our family life.”