Cy Kaicener wrote:http://www.explorersweb.com/everest_k2/news.php?id=21150

I hope this isn't too dumb a question, but as a beginner I'm a little confused by part of the article.

"Bolotov in turn appeared in another set of news today, forwarded by Abramov's 7summits-club, stating that Denis Urubko in an interview with Kazakh site Sports.kz talked about his plan to climb Everest in alpine style via a new route together with Bolotov.

Alpine style climbs are usually done on lower peaks, but a few climbers - such as Denis - have mastered to summit 8000ers this way. "If we manage to climb in alpine style on Everest, I think it will be a significant event, a new word in the history of mountaineering," Denis said. "For my self-realization as an athlete, it is very important.""



When they say "alpine style" for a peak like Everest, does this mean no camps up on the mountain? They will carry everything they need by themselves from base camp? And if that is the case, how fast can they climb Everest in this manner? Wouldn't weather be even more critical climbing like this since you couldn't carry much food or anything else for that matter and much time trapped at high elevation by the weather could be fatal even faster?

Sorry if I'm way off base here.

otto6457 wrote:

Cy Kaicener wrote:http://www.explorersweb.com/everest_k2/news.php?id=21150

I hope this isn't too dumb a question, but as a beginner I'm a little confused by part of the article.

"Bolotov in turn appeared in another set of news today, forwarded by Abramov's 7summits-club, stating that Denis Urubko in an interview with Kazakh site Sports.kz talked about his plan to climb Everest in alpine style via a new route together with Bolotov.

Alpine style climbs are usually done on lower peaks, but a few climbers - such as Denis - have mastered to summit 8000ers this way. "If we manage to climb in alpine style on Everest, I think it will be a significant event, a new word in the history of mountaineering," Denis said. "For my self-realization as an athlete, it is very important.""



When they say "alpine style" for a peak like Everest, does this mean no camps up on the mountain? They will carry everything they need by themselves from base camp? And if that is the case, how fast can they climb Everest in this manner? Wouldn't weather be even more critical climbing like this since you couldn't carry much food or anything else for that matter and much time trapped at high elevation by the weather could be fatal even faster?

Sorry if I'm way off base here.

No Otto, you're spot on. No stocked camps, stop when you're tired. As far as speed goes, the current record is: "8 hours 10 minutes, set by Pemba Dorjee Sherpa on May 21 [2004]" (Climbing.com). That's quite an impressive achievement, and it's highly unlikely that Urubko and Bolotov will even come close to that time, but one bivvy on the way up, and then the summit and a complete descent back to base camp, seems do-able.

No doubt good weather is vital, and a mistake or miscalculation there could easily be tragic, as you correctly point out.

http://www.kairn.com/news_montagne_8049 ... erzog.html (in French)

Diego Sahagún wrote:http://www.kairn.com/news_montagne_80494.sommet-pour-lachenal-herzog.html (in French)

So, if I read this correctly (my French being somewhat suspect) the claim is that Herzog and Lachenal didn't reach the summit of Annapurna and in fact blackmailed the Cornuau brothers to remain silent about their knowledge that Herzog and Lachenal didn't summit.

I didn't realize there was even a controversy surrounding Herzog's account.

Neither me otto though I believe that Herzog and Lachenal trode Annapurna summit

I wouldn't presume to say whether Herzog and Lachenal actually summited Annapurna or not, but the "summit photo" doesn't prove it one way or the other and I don't think Lachenal is actually on record making any claims. I could be wrong about that. Some research needed. The "summit photo" shows Herzog standing on a slope with the french flag attached to his ice axe but the slope continues past the left edge of the photo with no summit in view.

My French is a bit rusty too, but the article seems to be saying that Lachenal's notes were at some point in the posession of someone who was bullied by the Herzog brothers and handed them over.

Edit: Found the photo.



My best guess is that it shows Annapurna's long summit ridge with Herzog standing just below it, probably to stay off the cornice, but it's not totally conclusive.

http://www.lepoint.fr/culture/les-mysteres-de-l-histoire-maurice-herzog-et-louis-lachenal-ont-ils-vraiment-atteint-le-sommet-de-l-annapurna-30-08-2012-1500776_3.php
(In French)

There's a suggestion here that Lachenal might have gone a bit further than his previously recorded question "What will you (Herzog) do if I turn back?" What is being suggested here seems to be that Lachenal was put in the position of becoming involved in a deception as his only alternative to leaving Herzog to suicidally continue alone, and so the photo was taken short of the summit. There is no substantiation offered for this assertion though.

Dave, I don't understand mountaineering to be a competition. That's another thing for me, so I don't have to doubt any pioneer's success. Anyhow, you could add a new thread about the topic, this is only Himalaya wrap-ups.

Everest 2013: Icefall Doctor Dies http://www.alanarnette.com/blog/2013/04 ... ctor-dies/

Icefall Doctor, Mingar Sherpa, died: http://www.explorersweb.com/everest_k2/ ... p?id=21390

Puja with the Icefall Doctors: http://www.explorersweb.com/everest_k2/ ... p?id=21392

Diego Sahagún wrote:Everest 2013: Icefall Doctor Dies http://www.alanarnette.com/blog/2013/04 ... ctor-dies/

Icefall Doctor, Mingar Sherpa, died: http://www.explorersweb.com/everest_k2/ ... p?id=21390

'Icefall doctor' fatally falls into Mt Everest crevasse: http://www.thehimalayantimes.com/fullNe ... sID=372081

Ueli Steck and Simone Moro video on Everest
http://www.explorersweb.com/everest_k2/ ... p?id=21420 -- New Route

http://theadventureblog.blogspot.com/20 ... check.html

http://desnivel.com/expediciones/denis- ... el-everest

http://www.alanarnette.com/blog/2013/01 ... locations/

Success and Tradgedy on Makalu - reported by Don Bowie

http://www.explorersweb.com/offsite/?so ... 2F&lang=en

nice

First Manaslu and Cho Oyu teams ready to summit

http://www.explorersweb.com/everest_k2/ ... p?id=21480