Himalaya 2011 climbing season – Year in Review.

It has been a tumultuous year in the world of exploration. 

New route attempts were rare on high altitude. There were no victorious expeditions to the North Pole and Greenland had a thin season. At the South Pole, Amundsen’s 100-year anniversary was celebrated largely without explorers.

But we got the first winter ascent of a Pakistan 8000er, a rare ascent of K2, and a fairytale Everest paraglide.

Political events shook the community and this time the Arab freedom fighters were more lucky than the freedom fighters in Tibet.

Adventurers stretched the limits of age as disabled folks overcame the most extreme parts of the world.
We lost some of our greatest profiles and watched a new generation form.

Here go some of the memorable news from the year that passed.

January

In January winter attempts on Denali and in Pakistan grabbed all attention. Over at Antarctica, a Norwegian solo speed skier shattered all previous records.

An ExWeb exclusive added yet another controversy to The Long Walk tale and three Norwegian kayakers made the first unsupported circumnavigation of South Georgia.

Three Kazakhs bagged the first summit in the deep cold of January on Khan Tengri in northern Tien Shan.

A South Korean team arrived at the South Pole after 41 days green-skidoo travel. It would be Park Young-Seok’s last adventure victory.

February

February kicked off in triumph on Gasherbrum II. The first Pakistan 8000er winter summit ever achieved became Italian Simone Moro’s third (all firsts), Kazakh Denis Urubko’s second, and American Cory Richards first winter 8000er top.

The first Pakistan winter summit overall was bagged on Mingligh Sar by 16-year-old Hafiza from Shimshal, in a milestone for Pakistani women.

Out on the Oceans, The Neverending Voyage ended.

At Antarctica, angry fuel strikers and a mechanical problem left 80 climbers & skiers grounded on the ice.

Norwegian yacht Berserk was lost outside the Scott base with three people onboard. Racing towards the coast in two ATV’s, Berserk’s leader/skipper Jarle Andhøy and an 18 year old crew/team member were airlifted.

Arab spring

In a thrilling 24 hour head-spin Egypt’s former President Mubarak finally decided to leave the palace after all, carried off by helicopter and the peoples’ roar of approval. As history was being made, ExplorersWeb was there.

Extreme trekker Arita Baajiens reported to ExWeb from the midst of the revolution at Tahrir square. First Egyptian Everest summiter Omar Samra commented from the summit of Aconcagua. “Gulf States are watching with some concern,” UAE based ‘Three Poles’ Adrian Hayes told ExplorersWeb.

Comparing to a North Pole expedition, ExWeb’s Tina Sjogren promised the Egyptian demonstrators victory after they had stuck it out for 16 days. More though, she revisited other – not so lucky – uprisings.

Khadaffi’s sat phone jam directed at the Libyan freedom fighters affected climbers in Africa and HumanEdgeTech ran a report on the tech used by the dictator.

March

The North Pole season had a dramatic start (and end) with all expedition teams from Canada aborting due to financial implications and too snug pick-up date related to failed logistics.

Christine Feret and Artur Testov debriefed about their Denali “retreat from hell.”

A bomb destroyed a Goldola lift at an Elbrus ski resort, three skiers were shot dead and two more were injured in a machine-gun attack while traveling on a bus. The peak was closed until fall.

April

In April choppers took off for Borneo, on the Russian side of the North Pole. When the runway broke beneath a coming plane, all flights were suspended and Prince Harry was stuck on the ice, barely making it to his brother’s wedding.

Spring Himalaya kicked off. News that Everest climbers would be able to breathe oxygen pumped up the mountain to South Col was April Fool’s hoax.

In a M&I Everest special Pete Poston explained “Why Andrew Irvine Will Not Be Found in a Sleeping Bag” and followed up by a gutsy editorial about the politics surrounding the search.

Adding to the proud collection of foreign correspondents at ExplorersWeb, Yusuke Hirai reported on the Japanese earth quake, tsunami and radiation scare. “Japan will rise again!” Himalaya climber Hiro (Hirotaka) Takeuchi chimed in live from Tokyo.

Mid April ExplorersWeb ran a 5-part Space special while HumanEdgeTech brought news of 3D streaming over satellite. Everest south meanwhile reported 3G with a 2G feel due to overload and charging of the station in Gorak Shep.

In Dubai Alain Robert climbed Burj Khalifa, 828m, antenna and all, with kids below chanting “Spiderman”!

The young and the old

“Be wild and don’t forget to have fun,” Tessum Weber said his advice would be to other adventure kids after becoming the youngest person to ski from land to the North Pole at only 20 years old. Dad Richard Weber’s Top 5 Reasons for North Pole expedition failure became a popular editorial.

Retracing the route sailed by Amundsen, young adventure siblings Eric and Sarah McNair-Landry started their 3000 km kite-ski, sledge-hauling expedition through the Northwest Passage.

76 years old big wall climber Bob Shepton follows in Bill Tillmans wake by combining passions with no consideration to age. ExWeb caught up with him for an interview.

Sarah Outen left London Bridge on April 1st and will have covered 20.000 miles before she sees it again.

At age 70+ Carlos Soria continued to bag 8000ers.

May

May kicked off dramatic.

Osama Bin Laden was found not in a cave in Afghanistan but a fancy mansion close to Islamabad.

In areas where many women are still hidden behind shut doors, he built schools for girls. “No good deed shall go unpunished?” wondered Tina Sjogren in response to Krakauer’s accusations of Greg Mortenson.

A diabetic & former British Royal Air Force jet pilot, Douglas Cairns flew from Alaska to the Magnetic and Geographic North Poles in a light twin-engine, piston powered aircraft.

Erden Eruc returned to his rowing boat on Madagascar to finish the crossing of the Indian Ocean and reached mainland Africa.

Erhard Loretan died in a climbing accident in the Swiss Alps. American ski mountaineer Kip Garre was killed in an avalanche near Lone Pine. Nawang Gombu Sherpa, the youngest on Hillary’s Everest team in 1953, died at age 79.

The climbs

What’s most exciting in Himalaya 8000er climbing this season, we asked? Hang-glides/paraglides, ski/snowboard descents, new routes, youngest/oldest attempts? “New Routes” said 60% of you, of which we got none.

The 2011 Everest spring season brought summits only on 02 and via normal routes. Fatalities showcased the ongoing PR charade in many commercial outfits. Accidents were mentioned – and then in triumphant press releases – only if they happened to independent climbers.

IMG client Rick Hitch died en route to Camp 3. The fatality was made known by local media in California. Nepalese Sailendra Kumar Upadhyaya, 82, died in the Everest icefall. Japanese “Butterfly collector” Takashi Ozaki, 58, died at the Balcony. Irish climber John Delaney became the fourth known (to ExplorersWeb) fatality on Everest during the 2011 spring season.

The good: an amazing paraglide, a ski descent on the Lhotse face, and Everest-Lhotse traverses by Alpine Ascents. Ueli Steck solo-speed climbed Shishapangma in 20 hours tent-to-tent and Abele Blanc, 57, scaled Annapurna, his last 8000er.

The biggest story was a rescue report from Kanchenjunga. An unconscious woman climber – left head down on a slope by her Sherpas – survived only by the tenacity of two of her team mates.

Popular female climber Joelle Brupbacher died on Makalu La May 22. Dutch high profile climber Ronald Naar collapsed during descent on Cho Oyu. Iranian Isa Mir-Shekari died in C4 on Manaslu.

Half leg shorter, full spirit taller Hungarian Zsolt Eross bagged his 9th 8000er – Lhotse on May 21 – with an artificial leg following a serious climbing accident in the Tatras.

Come summer

No team was able to set off skiing from land to the North Pole this year, but two teams made it from the North Pole to land. In summer Greenland was hostile for the skiers. Only 2 Norwegian and one Swedish team made it over.

Brainchild of Bertrand Piccard (first balloon around the world) born with adventure imprinted in his genes (dad Jacques record-dove into the Marianas Trench); after a flight lasting 12 hours 59 minutes, using no fuel and propelled by solar energy alone, Solar Impulse landed safely in Brussels.

ExWeb kicked off “bits from the Silver Bullet” Silicon Valley tech roundups with an adventure edge.

New poll – which is toughest? While most of you checked correctly that a face mask will do a better job than artificial intelligence to protect from Khumbu cough, the next poll showed surprising results: rowing the Atlantic is more difficult than climbing Everest you figured.

In honor of our surprisingly techie polar ancestors HumanEdgeTech brought out two major news. The PDA – for almost a decade King of Antarctica dispatches – got to share the throne with the Polar Pad and Polar Netbook.

James Burwick and his family set an unofficial speed record from Maine to France. The youngest on board was 9 months old.

Paragliding World Cup boss Xavier Murillo was lost while paragliding in Peru.

Final countdown: “why we explore.” A big editorial by the founders of ExplorersWeb touched on the last voyage of the shuttle in the perspective of explorers, and new Americans.

Karakoram

Karakoram had a thin but serious climbing season with new route attempts without gas.

Alexander Odintsov’s Russian Big Wall team summited Latok III at last.

Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner, Darek Zaluski, Vassiliy Pivtsov and Maxut Zhumayev summited K2 via the north pillar. K2 became Gerlinde’s, Max and Vasso’s 14th 8000er without supplementary oxygen.

“Summiting K2 with a small group of friends, through the peak’s wild side, and without supplementary oxygen is almost as beautiful as it gets,” wrote ExWeb founder Tina Sjogren about Gerlinde’s K2 success closing the dramatic and decade-long quest for the first female fourteen 8000ers.

The first female expedition leader from Iran, Leila Esfandyari fell to her death while descending from GII’s top July 22. Deeply admired by her countrymen, “she lived free and died free,” commented a reader the news at ExplorersWeb.

Two female climbers managed to work Nanga’s icy Diamir face in alpine style, via a bold combination of routes, and few aware they were there.

Difficult Arctic summer

On Svalbard 17-year-old Horatio Chapple was killed in a polar bear attack at a BSES camp. 4 other persons were severely injured.

Erik Boomer & Jon Turk traveled 1485 miles in 104 days on bad ice around Ellesmere Island. During the last week they were targeted by polar bears; one bit through the tent while 5 looked on. Knowing that this was his last big expedition, he needed to savor every last moment of the rigor and intensity, 65-year-old Jon Turk told ExplorersWeb. Being attacked by a walrus was much scarier than his 20 encounters with Polar bears Boomer, 26, told ExWeb.

A First Air passenger jet crashed near Resolute Bay, killing 12 people and injuring three. Aziz (Ozzie) Kheraj lost his 6-year-old granddaughter Cheyenne Eckalook, other victims included Arctic researcher Marty Bergmann and South Camp Inn cook Randy Reid.

Autumn climbing in Himalaya

The 8000er fall climbing season was slow to start and then almost over in a week. Simone Moro answered rumors about Himalaya rescue commissions and the world climbing community lost its ultimate reference for excellence when Walter Bonatti passed at the age of 81.

In an unique interview with ExplorersWeb, recent 14x8000er summiteer and climbing partner of late Miss Go, South Korean Kim Jae Soo talked about why he returned to Cho Oyu, language problems, controversies, definitions, why he climbs and how to help locals beyond building schools.

The youngest member in Col Hunt’s 1953 Everest team, Kangchenjunga pioneer George Band passed at 82 years old.

Year’s end

As Himalaya folded and Antarctica kicked off, we lost one of the greatest explorers of both worlds.

Displayed on a screen during his funeral service in Seoul, friends and relatives reportedly broke out in tears when Mr Park’s words came up: “I have the destiny of the explorer – my fate is to explore till I die.” Annapurna, where he pushed for a new route with two mates, became Mr Park’s last mountain.

“He made some very important journeys,” CuChullaine of the Long Riders’ told ExplorersWeb when great French explorer and Guardian angel of Tibet Peissel died in Paris, “and stood up the Red Chinese to his dying.”

In October the Antarctica anniversary kicked off with side-by-side now-and-then dispatches at ExplorersWeb providing interesting and unexpected insights in the evolution of exploration.

As for new technology, ExWeb Poll results showed that explorers would ditch Facebook and Twitter before website and emails if they had to choose expedition comms.

“The future is in the lap of the gods; I can think of nothing left undone to deserve success,” wrote Scott. Paying homage to the ancient polar men, 100 years later explorers from all corners of the world were on track from Hercules, Ross, and Novo to the South Pole.

By December it stood clear that it’s gearing up to a phenomenal winter climbing season with action on all the unclimbed 8000ers in Pakistan.

Over at Antarctica, when the anniversary finally hit no skiers were actually present at the pole. Out on the ice following silently in his tracks and comparing notes, Amundsen’s soul was instead charging them on: Be prepared, be fast, travel light, and keep spirits high!

Salute and have a great 2012 everyone!

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Himalaya 2011 climbing season, Karakoram and Himalaya wrap-up /13/ – Week in Review.

Week in Review – Special Alert

Norway’s Prime Minister, the press and over 100 tourists are already at the South Pole Station, preparing to commemorate Amundsen’s arrival anniversary. Question is though – where are the skiers?

Don’t miss the thrilling final race for the South Pole!

Antarctica wrap: Anybody in time for the centenary? Only one of the “Scott and Amundsen” teams seems to stand a chance to make it in time for December 14 (one is a three time Olympic gold medalist in cross country skiing btw), but only if they are VERY lucky, and ski around the clock.

Also: the Thomsom Reuters green Polar truck was due to set off towards the Pole today in a speed record attempt.

In other news:

Space & Antarctica special: Meteorite hunters back on the ice – Don Pettit back to space He came home in a ball of fire, crashing on the Kazakh tundra in a scorched rocket head. The next time we sent him off from Cocoa Beach. Last week an email from Baikonur arrived: scheduled to launch less than ten days from now (December 21) Don is returning to the tin can, on the Soyuz this time. Meanwhile, the meteorite hunters have hit the ice.

More Antarctica: Sadly, favorite speed skier Steffen Dahl was airlifted with heart problems.

Debrief: Chad Kellogg and David Gottlieb first ascent of Pangbuk Ri Remember Chad Kellogg and David Gottlieb? The American climbers were about to launch a single-push alpine stile on virgin Pangbuk Ri. Check out the debrief, the result (a first ascent, new route and traverse) and the route topo.

ExWeb interview with Irena Mrak: “Touching the unknown is my drug” She shocked on Nanga Parbat where she – after everyone had fled – forged a partial new route up the Diamir face with her long time sister-of-rope Mojna Svajger. ExWeb has the interview.

HumanEdgeTech Himalaya 2012 kickoff: $795 on Thuraya XT, $895 on Thuraya SG 2520, skinny on NOVA and more HumanEdgeTech is kicking off Himalaya 2012 with a truly great deal on Thuraya XT Rugged satellite phone: the price is slashed from $1120 to $795! And the price has been dramatically cut also on Thuraya SG 2520.

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Exweb Week-In-Review is sponsored by HumanEdgeTech the world’s premier supplier of expedition technology. Our team helps you find ultra light expedition tech that works globally.

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Himalaya 2011 climbing season, Karakoram and Himalaya wrap-up /12/ – Week in Review.

It’s gearing up to a phenomenal winter climbing season. Which route? Will they climb on O2? True winter? News about the Russians on K2 put the climbing community on its feet.

Meanwhile the South Pole anniversary project at ExplorersWeb, comparing live expedition dispatches with the diaries of the pioneers, has become a remarkable adventure in itself.

Winter K2: Bring It On say Russian legends They overcame Jannu and Everest north walls; they forged a new route on the west face of K2. Returning to the savage mountain, they aim for its first winter ascent. The Russians are back: epic guaranteed.

Karakoram winter: Göschl, Hajzer, Moro & more. Many more. Forget the once empty Pakistan winter 8000ers. A motley crew is packing thick gloves and warm socks for the upcoming season. The ABC team is to become the ABCPPSS team. Two Polish teams are announced. And the champs from last winter, Moro & Urubko, are on their way.

GI winter encore: ExWeb interview with Gerfried Goschl The new team composition was released: Darek Zaluski, Nisar Hussain, Cedric Hahlen and Carlos Suarez will join Gerfried Goschl and Alex Txikon for a new route on winter GI. As it turns out, there’s more to the story. Anyone said “traverse”?

Winter Denali, solo: Lonnie Dupre back for the top The tallest mountain in US, Denali in Alaska, will get a rare attempt. Polar veteran and solo climber Lonnie Dupre is back for rematch.

Antarctica: the meaning of luck With deadlines already in the air, it’s becoming clear that the most important keys to success have survived 100 years. Yet the translation of what exactly happened Scott and Amundsen depends on who you ask, a Norwegian or an Englishman.

Antarctica current Bruised ribs, frostnip, crevasse falls, forced rest, brutal terrain, hard wind: it has been rough on the skiers. Weber’s team had a sick member airlifted and it’s over for Dieter and Armand. One of the Catalans left the ice. “Pure hell” moaned the Basques and scrapped their climbing plans. Cas and Jonesy reported “incredibly slow progress.” Dixie and Sam are back on the ice since an airlift relocated them at a new starting point. Eide’s Jubilee expedition is out on the Axel Heiberg after a long delay. And what exactly is the Messner point? ExWeb explained.

The solo skiers talk to themselves: one offered insight in his daily mental discipline, another said sastrugi are like funny characters in a South Park show. Hoping to traverse with resupply at the pole, Felicity Ashton set off from Ross Ice Shelf reporting high winds and slow go.

Everyone’s there Just about every polar legend is on the ice right now. Rune Gjeldnes and Borge Ousland are skiing the ice, Ryan Waters is on Mount Vinson. Among other celebrities on Vinson; Jordan Romero who climbed Everest at age 13 is about to bag his last Seven Summit at age 15.

The dog-whisperers and the horse-whisperers. Or not. Table manners 100 years ago would gross out activists for animal rights. About two weeks away from the Pole, diary dispatches took a scary turn. Amundsen shot his dogs, sharing their meat with the remaining pack, and his men. Scott shot the ponies, and fed them to the dogs. Feeding the dogs to the horses would have worked too, equestrian research by Long Riders’ Guild has shown.

AGAP Antarctica findings: Gamburtsevs ghost mountains lived twice In 2009 scientists uncovered the Gamburtsev subglacial mountains. They found hidden water, and now possibly also an explanation to the peculiar features of the enigmatic range.

Antarctica greatest memory for Stephen Hawking Many polar skiers will tell you that no place on earth feels so much as landing on another planet as does the touch down on Antarctica. Physicist and cosmologist Stephen Hawking agrees.

Chad Kellogg’s “trip of a lifetime” before Everest w/o 02 It started early October on a local bus from KTM to Singati, kick-off point for the 18,700 ft Tashi Lapsa pass into Khumbu. American star climber Chad Kellogg is climbing in Nepal in preparation for a renewed no O2 speed attempt on Everest next spring.

2012 Himalaya preview: notes from around the world Gerlinde will join husband Ralf up to 8,000 meters on Everest; Carlos Soria (73) will attempt Kangchenjunga, cancer survivor Rosa will go for Annapurna, Ines Papert opened a route in Kirghizistan, and climbers into virgin 7,000ers got a proposal.

TeenSailor: Dekker finished her third ocean Dutch 16-year old Laura Dekker crossed the Indian Ocean in silence to avoid pirates. Alone in her vessel, the young sailor has now crossed three oceans on her way around the world.

A little turkey story rerun It began in 2003. The next year there was a rerun. Now it’s an ExWeb tradition every Thanksgiving.

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Exweb Week-In-Review is sponsored by HumanEdgeTech the world’s premier supplier of expedition technology. Our team helps you find ultra light expedition tech that works globally.

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* Read these stories – and more! – at ExplorersWeb.com

Himalaya 2011 climbing season, Karakoram and Himalaya wrap-up /11/ – Week in Review.

“So here end the entries in this diary with the first chapter of our History. The future is in the lap of the gods; I can think of nothing left undone to deserve success.” (Scott diary). 100 years later, a new South Pole race is on. Paying homage to the ancient polar men explorers from all corners of the world plan to follow in their historic footsteps, or just rumble about the continent in new ways. Teams are on track from Hercules, Ross, and Novo.

Check ExWeb for the anniversary list of expeditions and updated polar stats, map of routes, daily then-and-now dispatches, a complete list of useful Antarctic terms and links, plus the expeditions classified by departure points and expedition styles.

In other news: just as Himalaya folded and Antarctica kicked off, we lost one of the greatest explorers of both worlds: Annapurna became Mr Park’s last mountain.

Annapurna: Mr Park, “mine is the destiny of the explorer” Climbing all the 14x8000ers and walking to both poles, in 2005 Korean Park Young-Seok completed the world’s first Adventure Grand Slam. In 2009 he summited Everest via a new line on the immense and technical SW Face. This fall, he attempted yet another new line in high Himalaya. “I have the destiny of the explorer – my fate is to explore till I die.” Displayed on a screen during his funeral service in Seoul, friends and relatives reportedly broke out in tears when Mr Park’s words came up.

It’s over: search for Korean climbers called off The only men left on top of the world: Mr. Park and his two Korean mates, pushing for a new route on Annapurna south face, suddenly went missing on October 18. The South Korean climbing community mobilized fast. Rescuers reached the bottom of a big crevasse at 5,800 m where Park and his mates were suspected to have fallen, but found no trace of the missing climbers. The thorough and dangerous effort was over when KAF finally called off the rescue operation for Mr. Park and his team at 12:00 on October 28.

Antarctica then and now Satellites and compass guide expeditions today but what about the pioneers? Weather forecasts were done by simply looking up. Location tools were piled up rock and ice. Much like today’s skiers Scott and Amundsen were green by necessity but ask them to leave no trace and you’d get a blank stare. Pieces of Scott’s tractor were scattered on the ice; Amundsen buried all kinds of things in his depots. Scott had his horses, Amundsen the dogs. 100 years later some teams will have airdrops; others no pulling help at all. Pushing our limits, “one gets used to everything,” Amudsen wrote. Check ExplorersWeb for unique, side by side, then and now dispatches providing interesting and unexpected insights in the evolution of exploration.

Antarctica wrap-up: Novo in the game It’s been a windy week for skiers from Hercules Inlet. Ross ice shelf teams are on a roll. Reciting Elvis, Sam and Dixie started their Kite-supported expedition from Novo earlier this week. Eric McNair-Landry and Sebastian Copeland are on their marks. So are the Jubilees, Felicity and Weber in Punta.

Antarctica wrap-up: smart tools shrink Amundsen’s lead “This is our secret weapon – the competitive edge we hope will give us a chance to catch up with ‘the Chief’,” raved the Bay of Whales Norwegians who, flying their sails, narrowed Amundsen’s lead by 23 km.

Aleksander Gamme going for a solo return journey No one has ever done a solo return journey with no resupplies and no kites on Antarctica. In the spirit of the Norwegian discovery of the South Pole 100 years ago one of the kids of Amundsen, Aleksander Gamme, is taking on the challenge over a distance of 2260 km from Hercules Inlet and back.

4000 km across Antarctica – Sebastian Copeland’s 5 survival tips and 2 rules of perseverance In the spirit of Scott and Amundsen, Sebastian Copeland and Eric McNair-Landry will open a new route to the SP; with kites and without resupplies. Copeland shared with ExWeb his survival tips.

The Basque traverse: ‘Horizontal Alpinism’ in Antarctica Departing from Spain to Cape Town Friday, their main goal is a complete Antarctic traverse from Novolazarevskaya Base with a stop over in the mountains of Queen Maud Land. After all, Alberto Iñurrategi, Juan Vallejo and Mikel Zabalza are climbers with nearly 30, 8000ers between them.

Berserk tragedy ends in fine for skipper Jarle Andhøy, expedition leader and skipper on Berserk that was lost with three men on board in Antarctica waters this spring, has been fined $4500. Jarle accepted the fine because he doesn’t want more “noise” around the incident, he said. In August Andhøy’s request to make a documentary about the tragedy was turned down by relatives.

The legend: 5 stars out of 5 for new Kukuczka documentary The wonder-climber’s accomplishments were overshadowed by the “second” place he held in the 14x8000ers race behind Messner. A new docu about Jerzy Kukuczka is hailed by mountaineers. “It’s a long time overdue that somebody puts facts against fiction!” said Kurt Diemberger.

Debrief: Slovenian women’s stealth Nanga Parbat attempt This summer two female climbers managed to work Nanga’s icy Diamir face in alpine style, via a bold combination of routes, and few aware they were there. The remarkable climb included one week spent to ascend the face to 7590 meters and a 150 meter fall on descent.

Debrief: Manaslu ski descents, one (first) from Top True Skiing down an 8000er remains a kick-ass challenge for a select crowd. This fall we had no less than two partial ski descents on Manaslu. Guiding Russian client Sergey Baranov, Andrian Ballinger skied from the true top. Hours after Adrian and Serguey, Perth-born American Robert Kay followed.

Winter Karakoram “After dreaming of a new route in winter on GI since 2003, the time has come to make it real with a small, strong theam,” Gerfried Göschl announced to ExWeb. Louis Rousseau, won’t join the expedition for personal reasons. Simone Moro confirmed in a previous interview with ExplorersWeb that he’ll go for Nanga Parbat with his winter GII mates Denis Urubko and Corey Richards. Simone originally planned to attempt Broad Peak but changed his mind after Askari Aviation raised prices.

Grants in honor of lost climbers In tribute to Joe Puryear a Sherpa adventure gear company is launching a new scholarship.

AAC moved up application deadline for the Lyman Spitzer award.

In from the East: Elbrus open, Snow Leopard Stats Good news 7-summiteers, Elbrus is back in business. Closed in February 20 this year, allegedly in response to terrorist threats, the Counterterrorist Operation (CTO) was finally canceled on November 5, reported 7 Summits Club. Russian Climb has updated and translated into English the brand new Snow Leopards ‘Snezhny Bars’ statistics. 600 climbers have so far bagged all the five tallest peaks of ex-Soviet.

Silver Bullet: AppPlanet China, “computers have to be smarter” China is second largest in the world in iPhone app users but getting paid for your app is another story. According to a tech conference in Santa Clara, Calif., the Chinese pay for apps even less than folks do in Pakistan. The flip side: uncrowded territory.

Silver Bullet SFNT wrap: divorce 2.0, quake 3.9 and a world of APIs San Francisco’s SOMISSPO district, an industrial loft type area where SOMA meets Mission and Potrero Hill, gets pretty quiet past 5 pm. Live healthy, hack happy is mantra which means a good nights sleep. Only a Taco truck and a guard parked outside Mighty give away that something’s up. Check out ExWeb’s inside report.

Organic matter, resembling coal and oil, made by stars Hong Kong astronomers report that organic compounds of unexpected complexity exist throughout the Universe. The results, reported in Nature, suggest that complex organic compounds are not the sole domain of life but can be made naturally by stars.

Antarctica: Polar car speed attempt details Time is short for the Pole anniversary on December 14, except for Jason de Cateret driving a cutting-edge polar vehicle for the fastest overland journey to the South Pole yet. Check ExWeb for details.

Baby jellyfish? Plankton? Help rower Erden Eruc Out on his Atlantic row, Erden Eruc came across a bloom of millions of tiny transparent creatures, similar to ones he found in the North Atlantic. He wonders what they are.

Roque wave: World record surf Garrett McNamara broke the world record for the largest wave ever surfed last week. Garrett was towed into a rogue wave in Portugal, at the North Canyon.

Diving: world FIM titles William Trubridge (NZL) and Natalia Molchanova (RUS) continued to dominate as the duo were named Free Immersion (FIM) champions at the 2011 AIDA Freediving World Championships. Additionally a total of 15 new national records and one world record were broken.

In Thesiger’s Arabic Desert footsteps: Interview with Adrian Hayes Former Gurkha officer, Adrian Hayes, who has ventured across ice fields and above snow lines, is now heading to the burning heat of the Arabic desert sands. Probably the biggest challenge is the sensitivities and politics in this region, he told ExplorersWeb.

Guardian angel of Tibet, great French explorer Peissel died in Paris The Harvard Business School drop-out explored the world off the beaten path all the way into the 1980s. Michel Peissel early took to the people of Tibet. “He made some very important journeys,” CuChullaine of the Long Riders’ told ExWeb, “and stood up the Red Chinese to his dying.”

* Polish Himalayas – Become a Fan

Exweb Week-In-Review is sponsored by HumanEdgeTech the world’s premier supplier of expedition technology. Our team helps you find ultra light expedition tech that works globally.

e-mail or call +1 212 966 1928

* Read these stories – and more! – at ExplorersWeb.com

Himalaya 2011 climbing season, Karakoram and Himalaya wrap-up /10/ – Week in Review.

Summits, rescues, controversies and politics in remote Himalaya. Antarctica anniversary kicking off with side-by-side now-and-then dispatches. Tech news from the edge, interviews, and great men lost. The past weeks have been unusually busy at ExplorersWeb. Here go the main headlines:

The one is gone: Walter Bonatti passes Lies matter because they have consequences and he never forgot neither forgave. The Italian climber lived true to his own standards and the world climbing community lost its ultimate reference for excellence when Walter Bonatti passed at the age of 81.

Stay hungry, stay foolish: We said goodbye to Steve Jobs.

The youngest member in Col Hunt’s 1953 Everest team, two years later the young Brit summited Kangchen after which he moved on to gas and oil exploration. Kangchenjunga pioneer George Band passed at 82 years old.

An earthquake hit northeastern India, Nepal and Tibet and a tourist plane crashed outside Kathmandu killing 19 people. The 8000er climbing season was slow to start and then almost over in a week. Here some of the highlights:

Makalu summits and hairy descent Shortly after a snow storm and with no one else around Polish climbers Adam Bielecki, Tomasz Wolfart and winter veteran Artur Hajzer bagged Makalu. Coming down, exhaustion caught up with the men and a rescue alert was issued by the team doc. In the end the climbers managed to reach lower camps on their own in what surely was an epic descent.

Summits and disappearances in Cho Oyu twilight zone Cho Oyu sported a number of summits this fall – including making Korean Jae-Soo Kim legal at last in the first success of the season – but also at least one fatality. Climbers said a supposedly Czech mountaineer was spotted hanging lifeless on the ropes and another was probably dead above. Nobody knew details or names and no outfit neither official CTMA acknowledged losses.

A successful rescue took place on Cho Oyu after a Spaniard was reported in bad shape high up following a summit push. The independent mountaineer was brought down by K2 Magic Line climber Jordi Tosas.

A large number of climbers summited Manaslu including Antarctica world record pair Ryan Waters and K2/Everest summiteer Cecilie Skog. Ticking off no 26 on Manaslu in his quest to summit the 14x8000ers twice: “8000er climbing is getting harder and harder for me,” sighed Juanito Oiarzabal who needed some help down. A Kiwi team hopes for a Manaslu speedfly descent possibly next week.

Partial success on Shishapangma where a number of teams topped out Shisha central (not main). Two SummitClimb mountaineers will give the peak a try next.

He bagged all 14, skied to both poles, and opened a new route on Everest a few years ago. Korean Young-Seok Park is expected in BC around October 8 to attempt a new line on the dangerous Annapurna.

K2 interview: “King of the Shoulder” Fabrizio Zangrilli Fabrizio knows the Cesen so well he could climb it in his sleep. ExWeb caught up with the climber after his latest expedition for a chat and plenty of veteran K2 knowledge.

ExWeb interview: Simone Moro on rumors about Himalaya rescue commissions, and more Last spring posts on Lonely Planet stated that Everest trekking guides get commission from helicopter operators to push rescue jobs their way. We checked in with Italian climber and Fishtail rescuer Simone Moro for comment.

ExplorersWeb target of DDoS attack ExplorersWeb was target of a three-days-long denial of service attack culminating on 9/11. Origin was traced to China while the poll was spammed from Russia.

Speaking of China, climbers crossing in from Nepal were divided in their impressions from the “new Tibet.” A Colombian reported cushy hotels; a Spaniard saw an “architecture of fear.” Meanwhile according to NY Times quoting Free Tibet, on October 3 a young Tibetan monk set himself on fire, becoming the fourth monk from Kirti Monastery to self-immolate this year. A few days later Dalai Lama joined Google+ where he reportedly plans a hangout with South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu on October 8.

Kashmir: Outdoorsy trekkers or army trolls? A small groups of civilians, launched and escorted by Indian army staff, ventured into the Siachen glacier, a.k.a. “the highest battlefield on Earth” last month. India states the treks are a way to promote tourism while Pakistan, protesting wildly, claims that Siachen is still disputed.

Aw Steve what gives? It was a news-packed month also for the Spanish climbing community who watched sponsor video of purist climber Steve House negotiating a flat Pyrenees glacier and…

…local TV showman Jesus Calleja kicking off an Everest reality show, with Jesus leading 10 rookies to C3 and Willie Benegas in charge of security.

Roz Savage in Mauritius: record or not? She claims to have rowed the Indian and to be the first woman to row across the “Big Three” oceans of the world. But what are the rules? ExWeb checked in with other rowers and the Ocean Rowing Society.

Bear Grylls latest: “Mountain is not about records” He’s not the real SAS according to folks from the real SAS, he didn’t fly over Everest according to his outfitter, he faked his TV shows according to media and his survival tricks are bull according to some explorers. He also wasn’t the youngest Briton to climb Everest. In the latest twist a spokesman for TV showman Bear Grylls reportedly told the Sunday Herald Sun from London that, “Bear does not want to argue,” and that “In general he (Grylls) feels the mountain is not about records.”

Karakoram: frostbite amputee for extreme paraglide He bagged eight 8000ers in Himalaya but lost his fingers to frostbite trying to save his junior climbing partner. Now Jeong-Heon Park is in Pakistan to paraglide a big swath of the Himalayan peaks. Using hot air balloon the team of three rise to altitudes between 3,500 meters to 7,000 meters and then paraglide from there – Park sans fingers.

Climbing notes from Pakistan, India and Afghanistan: Following 10 days spent on the spire’s NW face; the first Russian route was reported on Nameless Tower (6239 m) in Pakistan. An American team bagged Saser Kangri II East (7,518m) and a Spanish team bagged Junai Kangri (6.017m) – both first ascents – in India. Field Touring Alpine successfully guided Satopanth (7.075m). New Zealand’s Christine Byrch and Pat Deavoll forged a new route on Koh-e-Baba Tangi (6,516 m) in Afghanistan’s Wakan corridor. Three Americans bagged Meru (6300 m) via unclimbed Shark’s Fin route. Two young Slovenians, in their first Himalayan experience, took four days to carve a new route on K7 West (6858 m) in Pakistan.

Antarctica, today a hundred years ago Oct 6, 1911: Amundsen and his team were waiting for warmer weather and worked on equipment. Scott and his team were occupied by the ponies and their telephone communication system. Oct 6, 2011: with the first ALE flight to Antarctica scheduled on Oct 16, teams started repacking food in Punta Arenas and testing their tech. ExWeb is kicking off the anniversary Antarctica season with a now-and-then comparison of teams, challenges, and gear.

Alan Lock: As far as the mind can reach – blind man for the pole In 2003, 24-years old Alan Lock began to rapidly lose his vision. Instead of crawling into a corner, the young UC Berkeley grad and Royal Navy Officer has already lived a lifetime. Next, he aims to be the first blind person to ski from the Coast to the South Pole.

Adrian Hayes and two Emiratis to recreate journey from Oman to UAE Polar skier and Everest summiteer, Adrian Hayes and two Emirati Nationals are to recreate the journey made by Wilfred Thesiger in 1940s, starting late October. Their Footsteps of Thesiger expedition will cover 1,500km on camels and on foot across the Arabian Desert from Salalah to Abu Dhabi.

Seasoned Swede floating down a river You might recall Christian Bodegren from his seven-month-long Sahara-by-camel crossing attempt. These days he can be found in a kayak on the Amazon river, paddling south and crashing backyards by the riverbanks.

Action Man on the Nile Tom Smitheringale has decided to tick off the Nile and the Sahara desert both.

ExWeb interview with Ripley Davenport: The challenges of the Gobi Desert and team mates Ripley Davenport took a team of adventurers 1000 miles across the Gobi Desert. He talked to ExWeb about their skilled camel handler and the challenges of team mates in extreme conditions.

Kayak circumnavigation of South America German Freya Hoffmeister is out circumnavigating South America in a kayak. The trip will cover more than 24.000 kilometers and last over 24 months.

New SUP record British Dave Cornthwaite set a new world record on his stand-up paddleboard (SUP) paddling the 2,400-mile journey along the Mississippi River.

Green tech in Russia’s winter Many rural Yakuts keep their water supply throughout the year in frozen blocks of ice three meters below their houses at permafrost level. You would not have known was it not for Dimitri Kieffer out-cycling Russian winter to Yakutia with 1734 km completed.

Few Greenland crossings This summer Greenland was hostile for the skiers. Only 2 Norwegian and one Swedish team made it over. Michael Arnor and Joakim Bill managed to cross from Isortoq to Point 660. Find their debrief at ExWeb.

ExWeb interview with Alex Hibbert, “If we thought we had bad luck on the east coast then we had a shock on the west coast!” Alex Hibbert & Andrew Wilkinson’s attempted to break the Norwegian speed ski record across Greenland, but the brutal terrain filled with crevasses and meltwater tortured both skiers and their equipment during their 15+ hour ski sessions with only 2-3 hours sleep in between.

The 104 demanding, arduous, and dangerous days were his retirement party. Knowing that this was his last big expedition, he needed to savor every last moment of the rigor and intensity, 65-year-old Jon Turk told ExplorersWeb.

Walrus attack scarier than polar bear Being attacked by a walrus was his scariest moment during the circumnavigation of Ellesmere Island, Boomer (26) told ExWeb; much scarier than his 20 encounters with Polar bears.

“Cold” and more: ExWeb attends Annual Mountain Film Festival in Norway This year’s South Pole anniversary it’s all about Norway. A mountain film festival held last month in breathtakingly scenic Turtagø sported 800 people and a virtual who’s who of names covered at ExplorersWeb. Prepping for her own Antarctica trip, ExWeb polar editor was there.

Great White Weather Man: ExWeb interview with Mark de Keyser Several ski expeditions to the South Pole start this year in October. That is the tail of winter, warned ALE’s meteorologist, and sometimes this tail can trigger extreme cold/windy conditions.

Hicks back to row around Antarctica Following a previous attempt some years back, Ollie Hicks is ready to once again try and row the 18.000 nautical miles around Antarctica. Ollie will start in 2012 and plans to travel over a 18-22 months period.

Bit from the Silver Bullet: Nostradamus 2.0 – mining the net for money and world peace Best case scenario, the Stanford Peace Map could predict world conflicts and measure peace. Global news tone has been found to have forecasted revolutions and predicted stability and future economic events. HumanEdgeTech visited Google to listen to Stanford Persuasive Technology Lab talk about how they use computer and smartphone chatter data to measure large samples of human behavior.

HumanEdgeTech review: Iridium 9575 – GPS and wifi hotspot During a press conference Iridium CEO Matthew J. Desch launched the new Iridium phone Extreme. The phone is a little smaller, lighter and tougher than the previous model 9555 but for explorers it’s a small attachment that might just revolutionize dispatching, reported HumanEdgeTech.

ExWeb Poll results: If you had to choose one, what would you abandon for your expedition communications? Facebook 41%; Twitter 37%; Email 9%; Website 13%. Total number of votes: 181 (Oct 07, 11 pm US Pacific time).

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