Charly Gabl was right: window 9. - 11. May 2013

On May 5th I had telephone contact with Charly Gabl from Innsbruck. He told
me the next chance for summiting Shisha Pangma would probably be from 9.th
to 11.th of March with windspeeds below 30km/h. Our last chance, because we
had to leave ABC on May 14th.
Here some impressions from our second ascent via the normal route on May
10th, 2013:

2nd Summit: Shisha Pangma Central (8013m) May 10th,2013

I got the 2.nd chance : I summited Shisha Pangma together with clients of
AMICAL alpine 10 days later on May 10th again via the "normal" route.

Due to a rescue I had to stay several nights on the mountain above 7000m.
The result was a pulmonary edema and frostbite to my big toes. Both injuries
are not so bad - meanwhile I have been in a clinic in Kathmandu - but a non
O2 ascent of Everest will not be possible !

I am flying back home to my family, try to recover and set off for the two
Gasherbrums on June 8th.
Info`s and photos of our 2nd ascent of Shisha Pangma will follow.

Thomas - Kathmandu (Nepal)

Weather window opens: try to summit on 10th of May

Tomorrow we will start from ABC to our summit ascent on Shisha Pangma via
the normal route: 7 members, 2 sherpas and one guide from AMICAL.
Martin has built a summit cross which we will put on top of the Central
Summit of Shisha Pangma.
That is our plan for the next week:
07/05 Ascent from ABC to Camp 1
08/05 Ascent from Camp 1 to Camp 2
09/05 Ascent from Camp 2 to Camp 2a which is located at the bottom of the
icewall of Camp 3
10/05 Ascent from Camp 2a to the Summit and back to Camp 2a
11/05 Descent from Camp 2a via Camp 1 to ABC
12/05 Packing in ABC - 22 yaks will arrive in ABC
13/05 Descent down to CBC with all equipment
13/05 The main group of AMICAL is driving to Nyalam and the next day to
Kathmandu
13/03 Thomas is driving to Mt Everest Basecamp

For e-mail please use
shisha2013@amical.de until 12/05/2013.
From 16/05/2013 on please use everest2013@amical.de

Thomas

Climbing the Inaki Route om April 30th

Shisha Pangma - Inaki Route - Normal Route

On the photo you can see, on the lower left side the snowfield where camp 3
is located.
Going for the Inaki route one has to cross over this snowfield to the left,
descend and cross the hanging glaciers to a crevasse which leads up to the
great couloir. The couloir is left to the the left side. The rocks are to
the far right side .From top of the couloir one follows the East ridge to a
col. From the col you have to climb a steep for-summit. Over a ridge you
will reach the Main Summit of Shisha Pangma.
That is what we did on April 30th, 2013.

Now here our route which we will try on May 10th, 2013.

The normal route starts at the snowfield of camp 3. One has to climb up the
snowfield towards the rocks. The route follows more or less the left side
of the North-East ridge. After crossing the rocks a steep snowfields leads
up to the top of the ridge. On top of the ridge one has to climb up to the
prominent rock called rock gendarm. From this rock the route to the Main
Summit starts to cross on steep snowfields to the col between Main Summit
and Central Summits . This route is often not useable due to avalanche
danger. Therefor people normally follow the NE-ridge arround the rock
gendarm. Then they climb up the ridge which getting steeper to another rocky
area. From there arround 300m of fixed rope are needed to reach the Central
Summit of Shisha Pangma. If someone needs to go to the Main Summit, it looks
like there is a possibility to reach the col via a rock band on the South
side of the Central Summit . We will see.

Thomas
Shisha Pangma ABC

30. April : AMICAL achieves first summits of the year on Shisha Pangma

Members of AMICAL and sherpas and members of the Nepalese agency 7-SUMMITS
achieved the first summits this year of Shisha Pangma main summit via the
Inaki route.
Amical summiters were Alix Melle, Luis Stitzinger, Rupert Hauer and myselfe,
Thomas Laemmle.
Everyone started at the bottom of Camp 3 (7100m). Whereas I had to start at
Camp 2 (6900m), 2h away from the base of C3.
On 29th I established our Camp 2 together with the sherpas and two members
of the main AMICAL group. Sherpas and members went down to Camp1 for
overnight. I stayed at Camp 2 and wanted to check out the different summit
routes next morning. On 30th members and sherpas were supposed to climb up
to Camp 2 again for overnight and finishing the acclimatisation.
On 30th at 2.30 in the morning I started with skis via the corridor towards
the base of C3. By 4.00 I began to climb the ice wall up to C3. Then I
skied over to the big couloir of the Inaki route. Because it was early in
the morning I decided to climb up the Inaki route to the summit. At 14:00 I
reached the summit together with Alix and Luis. From below the summit I
skied back to Camp 2, where I met my group at 16:00.
The next day we all together skied and walked down to ABC.
Now we are in ABC and waiting for a "weather window" which allows us to
climb Shisha Pangma via the normal route. All members have been 6 nights in
high camps and have slept at 6950m. The acclimatisation is perfect !

Photos:
Thomas Laemmle (sponsored by Sherpa Adventure Gear) on the main summit of
Shish Pangma. In the background the other two (lower) summits of Shisha
Pangma which are normally climbed via the normal route.