2nd acclimatisation round

Tomorrow we will start at 4.00 am , due to the heat, to Camp 1 (6350m). The
next day we will climb up to Camp 2 (7000m) and set up 5 tents. On 30/04 we
will try to stay over night at Camp2 and on 01/05 ski down to ABC. With
this trip our acclimatisation for Shisha Pangma will be finished.
The first summits are expected on April 30th. Alix, Luis and Rupert (of our
AMICAL group) will participate in this international summit push via the
Inaki route. Thumbs up !

In the moment there are high winds on summit level (see picture) . Low winds
are predicted for 30/04 and 01/05.

Thomas

Friends and relatives who want to reach us, can send a text message to:
shisha 2013@amical.de ( pls only text , no photos or pictures)

Via the Globalfinder you can find out our actual position.

Setting up CAMP 1 - 6350m

It`s very windy outside. Because of the noise of the tent sheet I can´t
sleep.
Here a short review of the last days:
Mo 22-04 : We started together with our two sherpas from ABC to establish
our glacier depot on one side of the icefall. After setting up a tent the
AMICAL clients skied back to ABC. The two sherpas and me started to search
for a route through the icefall. Because of my Shisha Pangma Exped. 3 years
ago I had a rough idea about the route. After two hours i found a perfect
way through the seracs to the other side of the icefall without any climbing
or abseiling. On the other side of the icefall we set up a tent - the future
Glacier Camp of AMICAL nd returned to ABC.
Tu 23-04 : The whole group with big backpacks climbed up to Glacier Camp
(5850m), set up 3 more tents and stayed over night.
We 24-04 : With touring skis we climbed up to 6350m and established our Camp
1
Th 25-04 : In the morning with build snow walls arround our camp and fixed
the tents in addition with 50 m rope, to make everything safe for high
winds. In the afternoon we went for a ski tour up to 6650 m . With now wind,
a beautifull afternoon sun and good powder we skied back to Camp1
Fr 26-04: A good night sleep ended at 8:00. At 9:00 we skied down to Glacier
Camp, stored our skis and crossed the icefall. On the other side we changed
the boots and walked back to ABC. At 13:00 we arrived there and 30min later
we got a perfect lunch with beer and coca cola. For dinner our cook
presented pizza and a birthday cake for Christoph who got 31years old.

Since Monday we had perfect weather on the mountain, almost no wind and
sunshine the whole day. Now the forecast says higher windsfor the next three
days. Tomorrow we will have a rest day. Day after tomorrow we will start our
second (and last) acclimatisation round.

pictures:
2 x icefall crossing
Glacier Camp
2 x skiing in 6600m

Back in ABC after 3 nights in high camps

In the last three days we established our Camp 1 at 6350m and made ski tours
up to 6700m. This morning we skied down to Glacier Camp, changed boots,
crossed the icefall and walked back to ABC. The pictures show the location
of Camp 1.

Plan for the next days : Camp1

Tomorrow we will carry some equipment to a place where we will later cross
the glacier. Thomas and the climbing sherpaswill cross the glacier and set
up a Glacier Camp.
On Thuesday the whole group will climb from ABC to Glacier Camp for
overnight.
On Wednesday we will climb up to Camp 1 and set up 5 tents and stay over
night.
On Thursday we will ski (hopefully in perfect Himalayan powder) down to ABC.

Sunday afternoon skitour

In the afternoon we went up towards C1. After 2h we set up a tent where we
stored our skis. The snow is melting from day to day. in the following days
we will start from ABC to this tent with hiking boots. At the tent we will
change to skiboots and touring skis.

In the morning we had our PUJA

The Puja was held by a Lama of a neighbouring expedition. The whole ceremony
lasted almost 2 h on a windy hill above our campsite. We had beer, coke,
rakji and a lot of sweets. Every member of the expedition got a string
arround his/her neck from the Lama of Kathmandu. This was the official start
of the expedition. Now the climbing sherpas can enter the upper area of the
mountain (the seat of god) without fears.

First acclimatisation tour with skis

This year is amacingly a lot of snow on the mouintain. Therefore we started
this morning with skis. We are still the first group "working" on the
mountain. At about 5750m we made a cache with 4 tents and skied back to ABC.
Tomorrow we will have our Puja.
After the Puja the climbing sherpas will help us setting up the camps.
On Tuesday we probably have our first night in glacier camp and will set up
Camp 1 the following day.

View from my tent in ABC (5635m) towards Shisha Pangma

On the second picture you can see the summit region of Shisha Pangma with
the prominent rock (gendarm) on the ridge. From this rock the normal route
starts to trafers over to the main summit of Shisha Pangma (maybe in 3
weeks).

Arried at 6pm in ABC (5630m) 19 km from CBC

Yesterday we arrived very late with our touring skis at ABC. Our sherpas
already have set up some tents and at 8pm we got our nepalese dal bat. This
morning we woke up with nice sunshine already at 6am. In the afternoon we
set up our Mountain Hardwear Dome. Tomorrow we will start with skis towards
the glacier crossing there we will make a depot.
I will send some pictures tomorrow. Now its very, very ... cold. I hardly
can print without mittens.
Thomas
ABC Shisha Pangma

Today 60 yaks arrived to CBC

In the moment it is snowing outside. Next to my tent 60 yaks are laying
arround. Tomorrow morning we will climb to ABC (5600m), the real starting
point of the expedition. Due to the big amount of snow we will start already
from CBC with touring skis and hope to reach ABC in the late afternoon.
Pasang is still up there prepearing the tent spots.
Thomas

Route to ABC is open

At 18:00 i received a phone call from Pasang telling me that they are just
15min away from ABC. Immediately I informed the LO to order 60 yaks for
tomorrow. Day after tomorrow we will climb up to ABC at 5600m.

Sponsored by Sherpa Adventure Gear

Checking the route: 2 yakmen, Pemba and Thomas

Checking the route: 2 yakmen, Pemba and Thomas

Checking the route to ABC

Snow on the way to Chinese Basecamp

Lalung Le pass - Shisha Pangma in the background

Shisha Pangma with snow - oue plan

Hello,

in the moment sun is shining in my tent. Outside everything is frozen.
The view to the snow covered Shisha Pangma is perfect.
Here a short review about the things happened in the last days:
13/04 From Nyalam we drove with the jeeps to Lalung Le pass. From there
we wanted to drive to Shisha Pangma BC. From our Sherpas we already new that
the way
to the so called Chineses Basecamp (CBC) was blocked by snow. When turning
left from the main road into the Shisha Pangma valley snow started to cover
the gravel road. We had to dig out the van with the equipment 5 times.
Finally we reached the place of the CBC late in the afternoon. We set up
only
6 tents and the kitchen tent before it got dark. We were the firast
expedition reaching this place
14/04 After discussing with the Liason Officer Nawang, two yakmen, my
climbing
sherpa Pemba and me started to check out the route to ABC. After 12 km and
an altitude of 5450m we had to stop due to too much snow. The yakmen told me
there is now way for the yaks to go further.
In the evening we discussed the problem with the LO.
The new idea was to send yaks without load to open the route to ABC. TMA
would pay for that.
15/04 Two more expedition arrive to CBC. To help opening the route every
expedition will send a climbing sherpa with shovel. In the evening 9 yaks
and 4 yakmen arrive to CBC.
16/04 At 7:30 the group with 9 yaks, 4 yakmen and 3 sherpas left. The goal
is to reach ABC. If not possible today they will try again tomorrow from
Middle Camp (5400m). Pasang will call me at 13:00 and at 17:00
to tell if it is possible to reach ABC. If possible we will order our
yaks in the evening. The plan is to leave for ABC on 18/04. Lets hope they
can open the route.

Greetings from Chinese BC Shisha Pangma (5035m)
Thomas

PIEPS GlobalFinder message from: 210047

ARRIVED AT CHIN BC 5035m = LOT OF SNOW = DIGGED OUT TRUCK 5 x

210047 has sent this message on: 13-04-2013 14:27:04 UTC
from position: latitude 28.5874°, longitude 85.76212°, altitude 4987m

You are welcomed to check 210047 shared track Shisha Pangma Expedition.

NOTE: 210047 has send this emial via satellite using PIEPS GlobalFinder.
You may answer to this e-mail, but you've to consider that the overall clear-text message size must not exceed 256 characters (including your email-address) for satellite transmision.
If the email size will exceed 256 characters, it'll be truncated. Subject is not transferred.

Nyalam - lot of snow will cause problems

Today we did an other acclimatisation climb to a nearby peak, due to snow and ice we had to quit at 4500m. Tomorrow we will drive to the so called Chinese Bascamp at Shisha Pangma which is located at an altitude of about 5000m.

At dinner time our LO informed us, that the truck with our equipment and the sherpas didn't reach the CBC. There was too much snow 15 km before arriving to the camp. They had to return to the check post for overnight. Tomorrow morning we will drive with 3 Jeeps together with the LO to the spot and decide what we will do. This will be my last info about our expedition for the next 5 days.

But you can get news via the Globalfinder from Pieps. There is a link on the AMICAL homepage and on my blog. The Globalfinder is working very well and will show you there we are in the moment.

Greetings from the smoky Internetcafe Nyalam

 

Thomas

Fast descend - hurry for lunch at Snowland restaurant

Climbing up to a peak south of Nyalam

Second acclimatisation day arround Nyalam

SNOW LAND RESTAURANT (1.floor) in Nyalam

dinner and beer in snowland restaurant

A study done in the Swiss Alps showed that 1l of beer isn't influencing acclimatisation in altitudes up to 5000m (Laemmle et al 1998) PROST !!!

Loading truck for Shisha Pangma Chinese Basecamp

 

Our sherpas and the cook will leave for the Chinese Basecamp tomorrow morning to set up tents and arrange the loads for the yaks. We will stay another day in Nyalam and try to climb a mountain of 5000m for acclimatisation. Day after tomorrow we will join the sherpas at Chinese Basecamp. There we have another day for acclimatisation before we leave together with approx. 60 yaks to Shisha Pangma BC. Hopefully the yaks find a way through the snow. In Pakistan one would say: INSHALA

More news tomorrow from the Internet caffee Nyalam.

Thomas

4pm coffee break in a Tibetan coffee shop

Today we climbed two hills for acclimatisation (4000m + 4350m)

There is still a lot of snow covering the Tibetan plateau. Every day we have snowfall in the afternoon. But, this is a ski expedition !

Amical Alpine Shisha Pangma Expedition 2013 - the climbers

11 climbers:

Sandra, Martin, Brunhilde, Werner, Andreas, Christoph, Ludwig, Rupert, Alix, Luis and Thomas

 

2 climbings sherpas:

Pasang and Pemba

 

1 cook and two Tibetan kitychen helpers:

Nima + ? + ?

Friday, Saturday and Sunday our climbings sherpas and cook for Shisha Pangma

Pasang, Pemba and Nima are our two climbing sherpas and the cook for the Shisha Pangma Expedition. Their fist names translated mean Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Pasang ist quite expierineced he scaled Mt Everest 6 x and K2 as well as 6 other mountains higher than 8000m.

Visting old Nyalam - the budist gompa

Snowland Hotel ? in Nyalam - 3 nights for acclimatisation tours (3750m)

2850 kg of luggage need to be transported by truck and yaks to Shisha Pangma BC

Our luggage 2850 kg after crossing the border

Crossed border to Tibet (China) - now in Nyalam

Hello,

 

yesterday we crossed the border between Kodari and Zangmuh. Unfortunatelly all our meat, sausages and cheese (from Germany and Nepal) were taken out of our luggage by chinese authorities and the walky takies had to be send back to Nepal. We had to stay overnight at a lo level dormitory with 6 people sharing a room. This morning we left Zangmuh for Nyalam. Just a short drive on meanwhile paved roads. In Nyalam our cook will buy fresh food and meat and we will do some acclimatisation trekking on the nearby peaks. The big problem this year is to get bamboo sticks for securing the tents and for marking the route. Chinese authorities have forbidden to cut Bamboo. But .... I meanwhile found an other solution. This year we have a lot of snow. I hope we will have a chance to get to ABC with the yaks. We will stay 3 nights at Zangmuh and then drive to the chinese Basecamp at Shisha Pangma. Here in Nyalam  I can use the computer in an Internet cafe.

Everyone is doing well. Tyhe Germans having coffee in the only coffeeshop in town.

More news and pictures tomorrow.

 

Thomas

Waiting for border crossing

Kodari

Border at Kodari

Due to many expeditions and border crossings today, we might have to stay at Kodari tonight.

Start of Expedition

Shop of SAG in Kathmandu

Tashi the boss of Sherpa Adventure Gear - my main sponsor

Pemba, one of our climbing sherpas

Checking emergency oxygen

Arranging food and equipment at THAMSERKU store

We have 2800 kg which need to be transported by yaks from BC to ABC.