(25.02.2005)
Today, on 25 February Piolet d'Or (Golden Ice Axe) yearly award will be presented in Grenoble, France.

All nominees are assembled. In some minutes the hanging committee opens representation of the projects - the most important alpine achievements over the past year.

In the evening just past midnight (Moscow time) the Winners will be announced.

Check out on the Mountain.RU: NOMINEES PIOLET D'OR 2004

(17.02.2005)
Expedition of Russian Adventure Team Alpindustria - Cerro Torre (Patagonia)-2005
Leonid Kozlov and Alexander Lastochkin reports:
16.02.2005
Hi, everybody!
Now it's 5 am on local time. We had to cease efforts to ascend Fitz Roy because of an objective danger of the route: a huge ice-fall hangs over the couloir and it's constantly under ice bombardment. We decided to change our plans and to climb Saint Exupery peak (2558m). We are going to start, summit and descend this day. The weather forecast is good for the first half of the day, but for the second is bad. We will try to work faster. Wish us good luck.
Cheerie-bye!

(16.02.2005)
Expedition of Russian Adventure Team Alpindustria - Cerro Torre (Patagonia)-2005
Leonid Kozlov and Alexander Lastochkin reports:
Hi, everybody.
Yesterday we descended in Chalten and in the very nick of time - got right into a global climbing party. The party was terrific and we had a great time. As always, Russian songs headed the bill. Alexander's singing already became a legend in Chalten. People recognize him in the street and almost nearly ask for an autograph.

Our climb was rather uneasy - the route appeared very long and difficult. We had to haul a lot of gear as the route includes practically all elements: difficult rock-climbing, AID-climbing, ice and snow climbing. We did our best and showed a good result - for the first day we climbed the ice-fall, made 11 pitches up to the Col and 18 pitches after it and stop to spend the night sitting on a small ledge under the traverse. It was cold but according to the Patagonian measures rather tolerable as it could be much worse. Since the morning we quickly traversed and met a great company of British climbers descending to base camp after four day-climbing the route. They were impressed very much at our technique and speed of climb, and later, on the party they invited us to arrive in UК on annual international forum. In the same place we met Slovenian familiar girls Tanya and Monica that had luck this time: they found courage to return after a week-old failure and summited after a three-day climb.

After the traverse we made four pitches more. The sun was already shining with all his might. It was the 4-th day of ideal sun weather. We prayed on good weather and we had it. However it brought us the main problem. Under the sun's rays the summit ice mushroom, hanging above a vertical headwall, began to thaw and crumble. When we got under it, the collapse of ice-blocks drew to a head. Every pitch more and more ice fell from above. Making the 4-th pitch we had to shelter from the ice bombardment with our backpacks for some minutes and to take advantage of a 30-second break to climb some meters more. It became too dangerous. And we decided that living is high and bailed being overpowered by nature. And it was not for nothing. Traversing back and being already in safe place we saw a great ice collapse falling on our route and sweeping away everything on the way. Really, we realized that the danger was over.

Slovene girls descended this dangerous dihedral before us, but they were not such lucky - Monica was rather seriously injured and fractured rib. But all the same, they were very pleased indeed.

For the same reason this day Dean Potter did not manage to summit Torre Egger, Thomas Huber bailed too, the Austrians Toni and Marcus stop climbing Cerro Torre via Maestri -Egger route. Too good weather appeared good-for-nothing for climb in Patagonia.

Now we are reviving in Chalten and plan to leave on Fitz Roy to climb the American route. This time the weather is bad, but according weather forecast we will have a weather window on Monday. And on Monday we will leave Polish camp site at the foot of Fitz Roy. We have no enough time, in a week we have to leave back. So if they do not prove the weather window, we will not climb at all. It will not be easy to get under the route: we have to go through rather dangerous place - a couloir between Fitz Roy and Poincenot with hanging above huge ice seracs. We will try to work quickly.

Wish us of good luck.
Leonid, Alexander, Olga.

(11.02.2005)
Expedition of Russian Adventure Team Alpindustria - Cerro Torre (Patagonia)-2005
Leonid Kozlov and Alexander Lastochkin reports:
10.02.2005
Hi! Having climbed the Mountain for two days we had to descend yesterday. We were too close to summit but got into a violent icefall right under the summit mushroom. Thank Heaven we are safe and sound but it was too dangerous there and decided to stop climbing and descend. Now we have a rest. We'll inform you about our further plans.
That's all on for today. Take care.

(7.02.2005)
Expedition of Russian Adventure Team Alpindustria - Cerro Torre (Patagonia)-2005
Leonid Kozlov and Alexander Lastochkin reports:
08.02.2005
Hi everybody!
Yesterday we descended to El Chalten. Three days ago we hired horses and moved our base camp (150 kg!) in Camp-Bridwell. Campamento Bridwell at Lago Torre is a very cosy camping area embowered in trees. A stunning view at Cerro Torre massif opens from there. There are a lot of aspiring Cerro Torre climbers and trekkers living there now. Weather was wonderful. However toward evening surprisingly beautiful clouds of fantastic colors and shapes reminding UFOs appeared in the sky. It's the typical sign of an impending storm.

At night there was a nasty turn in the weather indeed, however the next day it improved again and we moved forward to Norwegian-camp at the foot of Cerro Torre. Having humped our heavy backpacks (about 40kg each) we made good time crossing 10 km onto a huge glacier, moraines and loose talus for 11 hours. Well, later we were requited for our uneasy trek.

A good company consisting of Dean Potter and his wife, Thomas Huber, climbers from Austria and Slovenia met us at Norwegos (Norwegian camp). Dean, his wife Stephanie and Thomas told that the Austrians first and they after them were going to start at midnight. And Dean really wanted to b.a.s.e.-jump from Cerro Torre summit.

Towards evening a Slovene two-woman team returned from ascent to the base camp. Monica and Tanya on hearsay were the first female team summited Fitzroy. They were very pleased and cheerful as they returned safe and sound. The day before (right when we were admiring clouds in Bridwell) they got into a violent storm. They did not have even waterproof gloves and their descent was rather difficult. In spite of the fact that they did not climb the last 4 pitches up to the top and bailed their mood was wonderful. Really everybody here are enamoured of climbing in itself. It does not matter if you manage to summit or not.

Having spent the white night under stones at Norwegos we moved further. Under the plan we had to climb towards the Col where to spend the night. But on our way we were informed on a satellite phone about bad weather forecast for the nearest 3 days. It seemed to be the truth because since the morning the summit was tightened with dark clouds with lightning flashed in. Thus everywhere except for Cerro Torre the weather was good. Fitzroy (just in 3 km) was absolutely clear of cloud. We dropped the backpacks and went further with light baggage - to get limbered up and look at the route condition. On our way we met the Slovenes who bailed their climb due to the bad weather and then Dean Potter and Thomas Huber. They did not want to ask for trouble too climbing through bad weather. Thomas appeared a very pleasant guy, smiling and thanking a lot when we suggested them to throw off the rope for rappelling.

The ice-fall leading to the rocks under the Col was strongly softened under the bright sun. Getting over a bergschrund, we had to climb a hanging wall covered with softened granulated snows. Tools did not hold in general, even when having been hammered on the shaft, they went further deep under pressing. We moved trying to find slices of firm ice, in size of a coin. Probably, the summit ice mush-room is in the same condition. But, as people speak "it's possible".

As the result we climbed halfway up to the col. Rocks were wet with ice sites in places and we climbed in crampons. When small avalanches began to collapse we gave up and descended right up to Bridwell-camp.

Now we are in Chalten attached ourselves to an excellent company: Leo Houlding and Kevin Thaw, Thomas Huber singing his songs to a guitar, Dean, cheerful guys from Slovenia and a lot of others. Yesterday we had a good party in our camping singing Russian songs on happy three voices to a guitar too.

Leo and Kevin just summited Fitzroy, Cazarotto route (North ridge). They had expected to climb the route for one day (under the description it's difficultly no more than 6b, and the guys are the real experienced climbers of 8-graded lines). However the route appeared very complex. They had to spend 2 cold nights on the wall without sleeping bags and a stove, meal and water. They were heated putting on backpacks on a head. After they descended Leo was sleeping for two days and then was drinking nonstop one day more. Now he is as sober as a judge, and they'll leave tomorrow for the next climb: this time it is El Mocho turn.

Dean and Stephanie yesterday descended to Bridwell and tomorrow are going to Norwegos. They want to try to summit Cerro Torre all the same. We'll leave tomorrow too. We decided to try to start directly from Norwegos in alpine style not to bivy at the Col. It would be hard. All the route includes about 40 pitches. We'll start at night on Monday. We have a good forecast on Monday - Tuesday, but on Wednesday the weather will start to spoil.

We'd like to hug tight all of you,
Alexander, Leonid, Olga.

(7.02.2005)
Expedition of Russian Adventure Team Alpindustria - Cerro Torre (Patagonia)-2005
Leonid Kozlov and Alexander Lastochkin reports:
03.02.2005
Hi, everybody. Today we finally climbed up to Norwegian camp site. It took us rather much time.
People say that there is a bad weather forecast for the day after tomorrow and we do not know really what to do. We need two days to try for the summit.

Tomorrow we will climb hardly upper and spend the night on a shoulder's bergschrund there. Thomas Huber and Dean Potter plan to start climbing in 2 hours and ascend all the night, i.e. tomorrow to reach the top and then Dean Potter wants to make a b.a.s.e.-jump right from the summit.

(3.02.2005)
Expedition of Russian Adventure Team Alpindustria - Cerro Torre (Patagonia)-2005
Leonid Kozlov and Alexander Lastochkin reports:
01.02.2005
Our greetings to everybody! Yesterday we reached Base Camp and homed in it. We found a lot of people there. Thomas Huber told us about his brother Alex Huber that had to left home because had wounded his eye (at least the story runs that). Weather has been standing magnificent for three days, and it hurts us that we arrived so late. We are afraid, that good weather will not hold for some days more and we will not have time to ascend. Tomorrow we are going to climb up to Norwegian camp site and , the day after tomorrow we plan to get the Col and if the weather is good we will make a summit push the next day.

That is all there is to it for today.

(1.02.2005)
Expedition of Russian Adventure Team Alpindustria - Cerro Torre (Patagonia)-2005
29.01.
We flied almost lost-free. Only two backpacks with our belongings, sleeping bags, etc. and a tent were lost en route. But as people say money makes the mare go and we are going to buy needed gear in El Calafate where we will take off tomorrow.

And in Buenos Aires the real summer holds. They are dancing tango in the streets, beggars and paperboys are passing to and fro. The day is sweaty. Tomorrow we take off for El Calafate.

We'd like to hold you in our arms.
Alxander, Leonid, Olga.

30.01.
Things are shaking down rapidly. They found Olga's backpack and delivered it. In an hour our plane departs to El Calafate. Our greetings to everybody.

Today we arrived from Buenos Aires in El Calafate. Cerro Torre and Fitzroy were visible from the plane. The sky is grotesque here. Low torn clouds, absolutely flat, bear heavily on your mind.

As expected we bought all needed things in El Calafate. You can't pick and choose here because practically all the things sold there are made by one local company...

There was only one terrible tent and we had to buy it unconscious of how to use it. But there was no other alternative. And we bought a cool newest down sleeping bag in weight of 700g.

Tomorrow at 7 a.m. we leave in Chalten by bus. This journey will take us for 5 hours.

Alxander, Leonid, Olga.

(31.01.2005)
Harald Berger and Ines Papert are the World and European Ice Boulder Champions

In the Super Final in Valle di Daone the Austrian and German beat Herbert Klammer from Italy and Natalia Koulikova from Russia.

Simon Wandeler from Switzerland and Jenny Lavarda from Italy placed third.

For full news reports and a great photo gallery by Giulio Malfer, please visit: http://www.daoneicemaster.it/

www.planetmountain.com

(31.01.2005)
Kodar-2005
30.01.05.
The team successfully summited on January 29!
On January 29 the guys woke up early in the morning (4 a.m.) and started their summit bid. After they climbed the summit bastion and narrow rocky ridge, all the team reached the Kodar's summit at 9.00. Temperature was negative 43, but weather was breathless. That day all of them safe and sound descended to the base camp toward evening.

Such fast ascent's ending appeared unexpected for a lot of fans. We were adjusted for waiting for good news for some days. As it turned out during communication Kodar-Krasnoyarsk Nikolay omitted mention of the bottom 4-5 pitches of an abrupt snow-ice couloir they had climbed. Thus, all the route is really of 22 pitches, extent of its wall part - 17 pitches.

All the plans have been completely accomplished. The team prepares for returning. Term of return depends on helicopter's availability in Taksimo and good weather.

We congratulate and wait for the winners!

(26.01.2005)
Kodar-2005
26.01.05.
We have already climbed a half of the route. We abide by the schedule. On January 24 we made 3 pitches, it's a record for the present time. Yesterday we made only one pitch. Today two-man team of Dmitrienko and Tsyganov is next in turn to fix the rope on the route. In total, since 19 of January we made 13 pitches - it's approximately a half of the route. Yesterday the team in its full complement took off and now is making themselves at home in a tent settled in a small rocky niche that was found in the area of 12-th pitch.

We decided not to take off the fixed rope for extreme descent in case of bad weather. Today is negative 34, but a thermometer has already registered -38 and-40 degrees centigrade. The wall is very cold and all ice-covered due to its exposition: within all the day any stream of sun does not reach its slopes. Large monolithic blocks, corners, chimneys are characteristic parameters of wall's terrain structure. It's hard to organize a safe belay. We use sky-hooks to climb very firm granite plates, but it's really difficult. Steepness is up to 80 degrees in places, but the top part of the route seems more abrupt on the average.

Everything is lovely in the base camp. The warmed tent Rock Pillars is worth its keep. When it's made up the fire in it we have about +20 inside. Under the wall we dug a good cave for 6 people. The area is very interesting, wild: there is not any local habitation, hunting shelters or man's traces. Loginov and Sikilinda climbed a beautiful winter 5B-graded route on the next (left) mountain spending 2 days for fixing the rope and one day for the summit push. The other free members of our expedition climbed less complex routes 1B- and 2A-graded.

We keep shootings a film about our expedition. In spite of the fact that the camera is frequently freezing, we have already shot an hour and a half. Misha Vershinin actively works. Now it's full of the moon, and Mike is shooting even in the moonlight. Unfortunately, there is no opportunity to send photos. And we can only receive SMS-messages but not send them.

Keep in touch with us!

24.01.05.
For two days the guys made two complex pitches more. For two days the guys made two complex pitches more. In total 9 pitches are climbed. Firm granite, cold, ice-covered rocks. Today Prokof'ev and Belyanin are working. They have to find a convenient site for the first hanging camp. Temperature is negative 30.

(26.01.2005)
New world champions in ice-climbing. January, 21-22, The 2nd World Championships for Difficulty- and Speed Ice Climbing and the 1st Swiss Ice Climbing Masters in Difficulty and Speed, Saas-Fee, Switzerland.

In ice-climbing organizers do not want to peddle cups: if they carry out something it will be a championship. The results of World Championship-2005 were summed up: Austrian Hari Berger and Petra Muller from Switzerland won Difficulty and Evgeny Kryvosheytsev from Ukraine and Natalia Kulikova from Russia were the first in speed.

Results

Difficulty. Men

1 BERGER Hari (Austria)
2 ANTHAMATTEN Simon (Switzerland)
3 LEICHTFRIED Albert (Austria)
4 BENDLER Markus (Austria)
5 ANTHAMATTEN Samuel (Switzerland)
6 WANDELER Simon (Switzerland)
7 KRYVOSHEYTSEV Evgeny (Ukraine)
8 ODERMATT Urs (Switzerland)

Difficulty. Women

1 MULLER Petra (Switzerland)
2 PAPERT Ines (Germany)
3 MAUREAU Stephanie (France)
4 BUCHMANN Kirsten (Germany)
5 TORRETTA Anna (Italy)
6 EYER Alexandra (Switzerland)
7 FILIPPOVA Maryam (Russia)
8 SHABALINA Maria (Russia)

Speed. Men

1 KRYVOSHEYTSEV Evgeny (Ukraine)
2 FAYZULLIN Igor (Russia)
3 CHVED Nikolai (Russia)
4 HOFER Lars (Switzerland)

Speed. Women

1 KOULIKOVA Natalia Russia
2 OLEINIKOVA Joulia Russia
3 TORRETTA Anna Italy

Photo: Hari Berger. Author: Giulio Malfer,
www.planetmountain.com

(24.01.2005)
On Saturday January, 22, Sergey Borisov was killed in an automobile accident in Ekaterinburg. I do not know, what I can add any more. Suddenly I realized that I have nothing to say if it happens to my friends... because it is not right..

Sergey Borisov

Master of Sport of International Grade
For a long time he was the captain of Sport Club of Army of Ural military region.
He became four times champion of USSR, twice champion of Russia, numerous prize-winner of different national championships.

The last climber who was called as "The best climber of the USSR" (1990 and 1991) just before USSR's disintegration.

1990 - won the USSR championship in a technical class (Fanskie mountain) having ascended 8 summits for 13 days (six 5B-graded routes and two 6А).

1991 - the USSR championship, a rocky class, Karavshin gorge of the Turkestansky ridge. The team of Alexander Klenov, Sergey Borisov, Michael Bruk, Igor Bugachevsky, Michael Donskikh, Alexander Solodovnikov summited peaks "Slesova", "Asan" and won "the gold".

1991 - the USSR championship, a technical class, Aksu gorge of the Turkestansky ridge. The team of Sergey Borisov, Alexander Klenov, Michael Brook, Michael Donskikh, Alexander Kolesov, Alexander Limarenko summited Admiralteets, Iskander, A.Blok and won "the gold".

2002 - Everest via Northern col.

2004 - Jannu North Face, summiter

(24.01.2005)
Kodar-2005

22.01.05
Everything is turning out well. We dug a cave and sorted out the problem of fire wood. Three two-man teams (Prokofiev-Belyaev, Dmitrienko-Tsyganov, Tsygankov - Cherezov) worked alternating on the route for 3 days and made 7 pitches. It became warmer a little, -20, snowfalls. The Wall is ice- and snow-covered.

21.01.05
It's snowing, temperature is -20. 5 pitches are made.

19.01.05
Kodar-2005. Nikolay Zakharov called: We continue to make our base camp more comfortable. There is a lot of snow. We clear away the beaten track to the wall. It's -35. Our greetings to everybody!

(24.01.2005)
Simone Moro. Shisha Pangma. First wimter ascent
20.01
Till the end this expedition was very hard…
After the summit and the attempt form Jacek and Darek, they braked for the horrible wind and temperature (more than - 40 degree) it begins to snow and it bad weather continue. We decided to try to go to Nyalam, the first village, where we did start our trek one month ago. There we will take the jeeps to Kathmandu.

The day before we start our descent adventure we lost our Kitchenboy Chiring, who went to ABC to take down the last things….. In the evening he didn’t come back to BC and we was very worry…. All together we went out in the darkness and the storm, looking for him. We thought about the worst, because the temperature was very low and it had snow a lot. Luckily Chiring organised by himself one bivac 2 ours far from BC, when he understood the difficulty of the situation. But we pasted a very bad night….

The they after we Chiring arrived in BC and we all were very happy to see him. But one other dramatic adventure was starting. At 12:30 we started from BC at 5200 meters to Nyalam at 3750 and 25 km far. Nobody from us thought, that only after some ours we would find storm, - 30 degree, fog and snow sometimes till our waist!!! We needed 14 ours without stop, fighting with the elements and in the darkness, before we arrived with totally cold in Nyalam. My small finger is black and all the other fingers I have only partially sensibility. The others are only tired from the exhausting work and some small frostbite in the face (also I have….). More than one time we finished in the icy water from the river, because he was covert by thin ice and snow, that broken when we passed over. Other times the snow was so deep and powdery near to impossible to go on. At 3:30 Peking time Piotr and I reached the place where we slept when we did go up. The others came a little later and at last Jan after some ours. I think our looks were not so nice, because the people observed us long…..

The day after we droved by the jeep to Zangmu, the boarder to Nepal. There we take showers and sauna for 3 ours non-stop!!!

Today we arrived at Kathmandu. On more shower and now we are preparing to go out from our Hotel and I want to eat a big beef and make party for be back to the normality.

P.S. Today, the 20th of January the CTMA certificated our summit with the sentence “first winter Summit” as the first winter summit from Shisha Pangma, maked by Simone Moro ITA and Piotr Morawski POL at the 14th of Januray

(24.01.2005)
From January 15-23, 2005 the 2005 Snowboard World Championships took place in Whistler, Canada.
On January 18 Russians sportsmen showed good results: at Women's Parallel Giant Slalom (PGS - Olympic discipline) Svetlana Boldykova became the second, Ekaterina Tudigescheva - the forth and at Men's Parallel Giant Slalom Denis Salagaev was the ninth.

On January 19 at Parallel Slalom Denis became only 13th and Svetlana - 12th. The world championship is carried out twice a year.

And against rather sad results of Russian skiers in technical sports (slalom, giant slalom) success of our snowboarding team is impressing.

(24.01.2005)
Ines Papert breaks record in Ouary Ice Park, USA
Igor Ivashura, CYKHAX ENT, Munich, informs:
This girl just went and did that left behind all the monsters of ice-climbing and showed the best result among men and women on the tenth annual "Ouary Ice Festival" (USA)!!!

Ines Papert won Difficulty event with the best time 19:53 and thousand spectators could enjoy her sending the most complicated mixed line in the artificial ice canyon. She was the unique women made TOP - really that was not a sensation, but that fact that her time was the best by the end of the competitions went through like a packet of salts! A cool Canadian athlete Will Gadd yielded this fragile German girl almost for two minutes, and Harry Berger from Austria - much more than that. It is fair to say that Will Gadd sent a final line without "Heelhooks" manner and that took much more time to send. Well, this result and sending the route of "Vertical Limit" are confirmed Ines's high class and unconditional leadership among all the masters of frozen water.

The tenth annual festival "Events in Ouary" (Salt Lake City, Utha) became unqualified success of its Organizers, some thousand spectators were obvious confirmation to that. The conditions for ice-climbing in Ouary canyon were simply phenomenally good. And slide shows and a fashion parade of exclusive sports mark "Arc'teryx" completed even without that interesting evening programs.

Ines's result is really unique.

The Chief of Black Diamond European branch said: "Ines is very cool. I do not know any woman in athletic sports in which a girl could become better, than the best man!"

Total report

Photo - www.bergsteigen.at

(21.01.2005)
Georgian Mountain, Adventure and Extreme Film Festival N I A M O R I
In January-March 2005, in Georgia (former Soviet Union) Tbilisi will host the second annual Mountain Film Festival “Niamori”
Details

(19.01.2005)
Kodar-2005
18.01.05 Zakharov called from base camp:
16.01 The bad weather was.
17.01 We finally got to the area of ascent. The gorge is so narrow that the helicopter could not find any convenient site to land and we were dropped in deep snow from a hovering helicopter.

The Wall justifies our expectations: impressive, severe, tempting. It's very abrupt and has altitude difference not less than 1000m. We set a camp in 3 kilometers from the Wall. Woodland is insignificant there.

Today the part of our team went downwards the gorge for preparation of fire wood for the stove, and the others went to break trail to Wall's foot. Yesterday the temperature in Taksimo was negative 40, but in the gorge it is a little bit warmer.

Our greetings to everyone who is a fan of us!

14.01.2005 Our Expedition started.

Check out on the Mountain.RU: Kodar range, Czarsky Tron (Czar's Throne, 2500) New Route, 6B, 1000 meters SW wall

(18.01.2005)
Simone Moro. Shisha Pangma. First wimter ascent
18.01
Bad weather. Since 3 days is snowing and obviously the yak can not start from Nyalam and come to base camp to take all our equipment and transport to the village that is 25 km from here. In the meantime we celebrate the success play cart, or chess, reading books and also waiting boring for the sun....

Portfolio

(17.01.2005)
"Russian Pumori Team" Expedition
15.01
Vladimir Belousov informs:
Yesterday, 14.01, we left C2 at 6100 heading to C3 at 6500 and somewhere at 6300 were rested against a crevasse of about one kilometer long and failed to get over it. Usually it is tight, but now looks freshly open. And as we were going in Alpine style... Plus other problems: Pavel was ill, all of us were tired a bit. Therefore we decided to descend.

One of these days the guys come back, but I want to be late a little and stay here to take a walk. Our greetings to all of you.

(14.01.2005)
Simone Moro. Shisha Pangma
14.01
Summit!
Simone Moro and Piotr Morawski summited today at 13.15. We followed the Yugoslavian route on the south face of Shisha Pangma.
Yesterday we fixed ropes to the col, set up the Camp II, and today we decided for a summit push. The wind was strong, reaching 30-35 m/s. After 5 hours of fast climbing we summited.

This is first winter ascent on Shisha Pangma in history (callendar winter started 21st December) and we can truly say that in typical winter conditions (strong wind, no snow, a lot of ice). Now only six 8000 meters peaks are waiting for its first winter ascents...

13.01
Simone and Piotr reached the col and put up Camp 2 on 7400!
Today morning we took the tent (heavy but we wanted C2 to be comfortable), sleeping bags and food. We climbed very fast because we wanted to reach the col. On 7300 we started also to fix. Most of today climbing was on the rocky part, not difficult, but dangerous (moving stones and not solid rock). When we reached the col it was already in shadow, and it was extremely cold. During setting up the tent we observed that a part of the ridge is little protected from this terrible, strong and freezing wind. A big part of the ridge is of course not protected, but... So we decided to try summit tomorrow! Cross fingers!...

Simone and Piotr

(14.01.2005)
Petites Jorasses. First free climbing "Omega" route Britons Nick Bullock and Stuart MacAleese became the third team climbed historical Patrick "Gab" Gabarrou's and Ferran Latorre's route "Omega" on Petites Jorasses (Mt. Blanc), (700m, VI/5+,A3).

It is worthwhile to say that Nick and Stuart sent the route clean, i.e. free climbed. Nick already tried the route last year but fell and broke his anklebone, and this year he returned there with MacAleese to have luck again on 13-pitch mixed route. All the route took them four days, from which two full days they were climbing.

http://desnivel.com/

(14.01.2005)
Ice-climbing. Jenny Lavarda and Hannes Pfeifhofer are the champions of Italy
The second stage of the Italian Ice-climbing championship "ITALIAN ALPINE CUP" finished at the last weekend in Val Passiria .
At men having got over all the grandees and merited runners as Bubu Mauro Bole and Herbert Klammer Hannes Pfeifhofer, a 18-year climber, unexpectedly won the gold.
Jenny Lavarda, having switched off from rock-climbing on ice in this winter season, took part at such events for the first time and won by a head. Silvia Cian is the second and Monica Gemelli- the third.

http://www.planetmountain.com/

(14.01.2005)
GRANDES JORASSES. Linceul (4208m). Winter solo
Ferran Martнnez is the Spanish climber soloed the "great classics" of GRANDES JORASSES: Linceul. Some days later his climb was repeated by other Spanish climber Eloi Callado.

http://desnivel.com/

(14.01.2005)
The fifth summit under the project "Caucasus Five thousand-Mountains in Winter" has been climbed
Sergey Shchepachkov informs:
On January, 9, 2005 a team of climbers (Ivan Artemov, Ivan Alentsev, Victor Afanasyev, Andrey Bukin, and Oleg Bibin) summited Mt. Kazbek (5033m) within the framework of the project "Caucasus Five thousand-Mountains in Winter".
Weather during the ascent held ideal. I got cold and had to stop climbing and left the team during the summit push. Proshchenko Maxim and Grishnjachy Leonid had to abandon the team too. The route line went from Northern Ossetia side, through Genaldonskoe gorge via Pastukhova route.

(14.01.2005)
"Russian Pumori Team" Expedition
12.01
Vladimir Belousov reports:
12.01 we climbed up to 6100, fixed the rest ropes and today we have a rest after very exhausting working day. The weather is excellent, it's rather warm and seems tremendously improved then last year.

(13.01.2005)
Simone Moro. Shisha Pangma
12.01
All the night the wind shook the tents and it was difficult to sleep. Also the mountain was very loud, showing what the hell is going up. In the morning we wait for the sun and then we crowed from our sleepingbags.
Today the sky was with no clouds, but cold wind was stopping us, especially on plateau. Now we are sitting in the tent of Camp 1 and prepare for tomorrow: very important and also exhausting day. We wish the wind let us through the col...

Simone and Piotr

(12.01.2005)
Simone Moro. Shisha Pangma
11.01
Going up! The next attack to the mountain has just begun. We're sitting (Simone and Piotr) already in ABC (5600). After a few days rest Darek and Jacek are also going up.

The wind is still blowing with terrible force. But we'd like to reach the col (about 7300) and hope to set up Camp 2 behind the col. Today, during the way to the ABC we were watching a wind smoke on the summit ridge, and we didn't want even to think what was up there...

Also the south wall of Shisha has totally changed character comparing to that 2 weeks ago: instead of snow we could see big fields of pure ice!

(11.01.2005)
"Russian Pumori Team" Expedition
10.01
Vladimir Belousov reports:
Three days ago we had started to climb aiming to settle the Camp I at 6100 but managed to fix the rope only somewhere up to 6000. We saw that we would not have any difficulties on the route further but with night coming on we had to descend and rest. Tomorrow we plan to start climbing again: to reach 6100m the day after tomorrow and to make the summit push at 14.01. The normal weather holds.

(11.01.2005)
Simone Moro. Shisha Pangma
10.01
First day of the week and, as the weather forecast said, will be the same all the rest of the week: windy!!. The wind continue to be strong and for the next weekend Karl Gabl from Innsbruck said that the speed could arrive also to 180 km/h!!!! "be patient" said Karl, but for us is difficult to be...

We are in a good physical condition and motivation is high... In any case we will follow his advise and Piotr and I will go tomorrow "only" to try to finish to fix all the route till the ridge at 7300 and fix C2. Than we will be back in base camp waiting for good news from Karl and his perfect forecast.

09.01
Wind, wind, strong wind. Today the force of the wind is extremely high. We decided to reinforce with ropes and big stones the kitchen tend and dining tend. The store tend brake this morning for the strong wind. The birds already brake many tends (also in C1) looking for food so we don't want to have other damages to our equipment. At 10 am we get contact with Darek and Jacek that still were in C1.

Yesterday they get a really hard job and difficult conditions and this morning was difficult to take decision to left the sleeping bags and start for the descent to ABC and BC. Jan also started to come down from ABC to BC and this evening we will be all together here at 5200 meter of Base Camp. Tomorrow we will take decision and strategies for the next important week....

08.01
Another day of extreme cold and strong wind, but Darek and Jacek did a great job. They carried 400 meters of rope till 7200 and fix 100 of those. It had been not enough to reach the ridge but it is closer and closer.... Now Darek and Jacek "sleep" in C1 and tomorrow they probably came down to ABC or BC to take a good rest. I and Piotr continue to eat and get rest to be ready after a few days to set C2 and maybe make already a first summit attempt....

Yesterday we finished to repair one of the 3 tends we get in ABC that had been seriously broken from the big hungry birds. The birds were looking for food and brake all the tends, without find any food (we left especially in a plastic drum). Maybe the damage is a revenge....?

07.01
Yesterday we get a terrible cold and difficult day but at the end we reached 7200 m. Piotr and I dreamed to stand up of the ridge but we finished the fix rope at 50/100 m of altitude to the ridge. We have to set 200/300 m rope still. We would like to observe the last 700 meters of difference between the col and the summit. In our plan after rest, we want to fix a tend on the col at 7350 meter and spend night to acclimatise well and also using that point as the starting point for the summit. Today Piotr and I came back to Base camp and we will remain 3 days to get a full rest. Yesterday we get -40° degree and strong wind and we need time to find again the energies to work. Darek and Jacek today carried up 400 meters rope till C1.

Tomorrow they will try to carry higher.... Cross the finger for us.... The next 1/2 weeks will be extremely important for the climb.
FOTO: Cold in the tend

05.01
The winter now is here completely...
Wind was attacking us all the day. On the morning temperature was about -30 degree Celsius in the ABC at 5600 m.

Darek and Jacek were working all the day above the C1 (6550 m). They probably reached 6800 m, foot of the last few hundreds meters of couloir.
Today Simone and Piotr carried equipment to C1, also the tent for Camp 2, which should stand on the col.

Our route occured longer than we expected and with ropes we already have up, it will be difficult to reach the col. But we will do our best.

04.01
The good weather returned. After 4 days of storm and cold, today we saw again the sun. It had been a cold night but the morning sun get us the possibility to continue to work on the mountain. Unfortunately with the sun is arrived also the strong wind in high altitude and in the next weekend the speed will be over 40 m/sec (160 km/h). Today Darek and Jacek went to ABC and tomorrow they will reach the tend we set at 6600 m. They will spend night and the day after will try to climb higher. Piotr and I will follow them tomorrow and for the week end we dream to reach the end of the face ad set the tend on the ridge at 7200 m. The problem will be the wind... but we will try to do our best to resist. Yesterday we get the first technical problem.

Our generator stopped to work and "get frostbite". Piotr and Jan today made a surgery operation and they obtain to get 12 volt power from it. Together my solar pannel we should continue to give enough energy to our camp...

01.01.2005
Is arrived also here at base camp the midnight but nobody was in the dining tend waiting for it. We was too tired and was to cold and we decided to go in our warm sleeping bags and sleep deeply. Also today the weather is bad with wind and snow and it should be the same also for the next 2 days.

Karl Gabl (our Austrian Guru for the weahter forecast) said to be patient and to call him Monday in Innsbruck. We will have our next weather forecast and we hope to have good news...

We wish again a nice 2005 full of smiling moments...

31.12
After 4 days climbing along the Jugoslavian route on Shisha Pangma, we came back to Base Camp. Storm and bad weather obliged us to turn back. I and Piotr spent nigh at 6550 and today we planned to go near 7000 meters but this was impossible. So from 6550 we came directly back to 5200 meters of base camp (log way....)

Last night the wind and the cold had been a good test for our capacities. The bad weather should persist for the next 3/4 days and we will take a good rest and "charge our motivations and determination". Tonight we will celebrate the new year and we wish to all of you a 2005 in health and without any polemic...

Have a nice 2005!! and I hope you will continue to follow the adventures from me and my friends also in 2005.

(31.12.2004)
Simone Moro. Shisha Pangma
30.12
We (Simone and Piotr) started today early. In our rucksacks we had ropes, climbing equipment, tent, sleeping bags, food and all what is necessary for setting a camp. The wind came and the weather is changing. After a few hours we reached the point which Darek and Jacek left depot in. We took also those things and heavy loaded we came under the big serac, below huge crevasse where we found a good place for our Camp I. The altitude is about 6550.

Tomorrow we'd like to work higher. Now the weather is quite good, a lot of clouds, sometimes sun and the wind is shaking our tent, but not blowing us out from the wall.

Ciao, Simone

(27.12.2004)
Simone Moro. Shisha Pangma
24.12
Finally we reached base camp of the south face of Shisha pangma. We trek 2 days together with our carovan of 32 yaks and yesterday afternoon we arrived here at 5250 meters.

Today we worked to fix all the tends of base camp and fix them with ropes and big stones to avoid that wind brake them during next storms. Tonight we will celebrate our Christmas and Jan prepared a nice Christmas tree in the dining tend. Tomorrow we probably go to ABC and back to BC, to carry some equipment.

We wish all of you our greetings and Marry Christmas!!!

Simone, Jan, Darek, Piotr, Jacek

(22.12.2004)
Simone Moro. Shisha Pangma
22.12
Today we finaly start from Nyalam. Yesterday we hardly discuss with the yak drivers and Laison officier about the weight that each yak can carry and price of the extra yak we have to take. The yak drivers said that each yak can carry 40 kg. but the truth is that 60 kg is the normal weight agreed since ever with them and TMA. In this way we discussed for some hours and at the end we agreed that we will take and pay 10 extra yaks and other 5 extra will be paid from TMA. Totally we started this morning wiht 32 yaks to transport our 1606 kg of equipment, gas, kerosene, food and all necessary to remain for 2 month at B.C and on high camps. The weather is still good even the temperature went down in compare of one week before.
Ciao Simone and all team

21.12
I left my computer and modem behind in the bin. Instead, I'm writing with Piotr's PC because he's come up on the roof of the hostel where we're staying in order to send messages. We're sentries up here…

We arrived in Nyalam today. We left yesterday because today there was supposed to be a strike with numerous blockades on the street from Kathmandu to the border. Unfortunately, although we left yesterday we still had problems half an hour before Kodhari (on the border of Nepal and China). A military street blockade with a barbed wire and machine gunners lined up forced us to wait until the next day to continue. We were able to sleep in a small private house and eat in a hut for the Nepalese.
The block was due to an armed clash with Maoists a few hours prior to our arrival, which had killed 11 people! This morning we left and passed the "Friendship Bridge," crossing into Tibet. We met Dawa, the liason officer and Nawang, who was the liason officer for JC Lafaille. He told us that the French alpinist had arrived in Tibet on the 11th of November.

A few days ago, before returning to Nepal, he gave Lafaille the certificate which proves his climb to the peak at 14:00 on December 11th, but he did not write "WINTER EXPEDITION" even though the Frenchman insisted he write it because he didn't consider it a winter climb. Nawang says that he has 10 years of expedition experience in all 4 seasons and Lafaille's climb was not to be registered with the TMA as a "WINTER EXPEDITION" but as "LATE AUTUMN." Anyone can contact Nawang at the TMA in order to confirm this.

The French alpinist got his Chinese Visa extended because he only intended to stay 30 days and as he entered Tibet and started the expedition before December 1st, he acted with the normal autumn permission. With all this news and clarification, added to the scientific one of the world season calendar which says that winter starts the 21st of December, we must consider that Shisha Pangma has never been conquered in winter. Now it's up to us to see if this climb is possible…
Bye, Simone

Translation by Jonathan Etes

(17.12.2004)
German TOP-climbers Robert Jasper and Stefan Glowacz did not sustained the most severe gale-force wind and bailed their first ascent Murallon, North face, (Patagonia).

Having stayed for some days in only 150 meters up to the summit waiting for the weather window, the guys began their sad descent.

www.robert-jasper.de

(15.12.2004)
Simone Moro. Shisha Pangma.
Our trekking to go back to Kathmandu began today. Now we are in Deboche at 3700 meters and tomorrow some of us will go to Lukla and 1 or 2 members will spend other 2 days going down. Tomorrow we will meet Jan Szulc that should be in Namche as he arrived 1 week later than us in Nepal.

Today we navigated in internet to see how is going with the news about the JC Lafaille climb on Shisha. With huge surprise we saw the photo of the "new line" of JC, because we discovered that 50% of that route is our route of last winter (green line)!!!!! We have photos and film of that line we made last December and January (till the point where the route cross the number 5 and 6). We didn't considered that part as new because the aim of the Spanish route we climbed was to follow the big coloir from the base of the wall to the summit, and our line had been only the physiological variant in order to the ice and weather conditions. In any case we sent many photos already one years ago to my web site and the most important world web site and our line and story should be well known.

In any case we would like to congratulate JC Lafaille for the good climb and the success. Really! We also would like to congratulate him for the tactics.....
We really don't want to make any discussion and polemics. The world is already full of wars and problems and we believe that should be stupid to increase the "bordel" with extra stupid discussion.

Simone, Darek, Piotr

(14.12.2004)
On 12 December Jean-Christophe Lafaille returned to the base camp after his challenge summit (on December 11) Shishapangma.

It is the first successful ascent on Shishapangma (8047m) done solo and without supplementary oxygen.

The information is provided by Katia Lafaille, France, www.jclafaille.com

(7.12.2004)
International calendar for ice-climbing competitions, 2005 season

(24.11.2004)
World Cup 2004 Top-10

(22.11.2004)
World Cup. Latest Stage. Kranj, SLO

Men
1. Tomas Mrazek (CZE)
2. Evgueni Ovtchinnikov (RUS)
3. Jorg Verhoeven (NED)

Women
1. Angela Eiter (AUT)
2. Natalija Gros (SLO)
3-4. Maja Vidmar (SLO)
3-4. Sandrine Levet (FRA)

(16.11.2004)
Simone Moro. Shisha Winter
Everything is working well here in preparing the expedition. Monday will flight to Kathmandu our cargo with equipment and food we will use during the 2month expedition. I and my friends planned to go in Khumbu valley for a trekking to Everest base camp and easy climbs for acclimatisation in the areas.

After that we will start by road to Kodhari- Zangmu and Nyalam and from that village we will trek till the Shisha Pangma south face base camp.

Only at base camp we will decide the route we will attempt. We want to see directly the snow condition of the face and the weather forecast we will have from Innsbruck from my personal friend Karl Gabl.

Herewith I'm sending you the postcard I prepared for our expedition. I dind't received yet the cable but I took free all next week to realize all the procedure and training with iPAQ and Contact 3.0. Keep in touch

About expedition

(15.11.2004)
UIAA Worldcup Difficulty Event Brno (CZE) 2004. Results.
The Winners - Flavio CRESPI, Italy, and Alexandra EYER, Switzerland. At men Tomas MRAZEK, CZE, and Alexandre CHABOT, France, are the second and the third accordingly. And at women the Russian Olga SHALAGINA (!!!) is the second and Maja VIDMAR, Slovenia is the third.

See all the results http://www.digitalrock.de

(11.11.2004)
Fred Rouhling opens his new line Mandallaz drive, 9а
Fred Rouhling has just declared about his successful redpoint of the new project in d'Allonzier la Caille - Mandallaz drive, 9а.
In 1993 only lazy did not mock Fred when he declared the first French 9а, Hugh line. However in 2001, 8 (!) years later, the category was confirmed by Italian climber Alessandro Lamberti.
1995 "Practically everyone in this world had to doubt of his judiciousness" - It is about Fred Rouhling and his challenging Akira, 9b. Do you really think the world delightfully looked into his eyes?
1997 l'Autre Cote du Ciel (The other side of the sky), the second 9а, sent by Fred. Then everything went without any autographs....
3d "9a" of Fred was Fred Nicole's "bain de sang"
2004 Mandallaz drive, 9а. Who would doubt... Go, Fred! :)

http://kairn.com

(11.11.2004)
INTERNATIONAL CALENDAR FOR SKI MOUNTAINEERING COMPETITIONS 2004- 2005 SEASON

(9.11.2004)
Stephen Koch and Mark Newcomb braved thin ice and a midday storm to snag a new ice line on the North Face of the Grand Teton
On October 5, the two climbed six new pitches, totaling about 1,000 feet of thin ice and mixed climbing. The new route, which is unnamed, started just left of the classic North Face route and ended at the Hossack-McGowan Couloir, which they followed to the East Ridge and eventually reached the summit.
The crux was found on the second pitch, where unprotectable ice forced Koch into a soaking-wet, “womb-like feature” behind the ice until he could bust through and pull a roof to easier ground. He spent the next belay wringing out his clothes and pouring water out of his boots. A sudden storm then dumped buckets of graupel, which cascaded down the face in “one of the most spectacular sights I have witnessed in the mountains,” Koch said. When the storm stopped, they continued upward through four more good pitches of ice, including a winding WI 5 pitch that Koch called the nicest ice pitch he has ever done on a mountain route.

http://climbing.com

(4.11.2004)
Rating of rock-climbers - the world leaders. Bouldering. Speed. Difficulty
In bouldering and speed the sportmen have been already put in their places, "all sweets" are given away, in difficulty there are two events more ahead...

UIAA Climbing-Worldcup 2004

Bouldering

Women
1. Sandrine Levet, France
2. Olga Bibik, Russia
3. Julia Abramchuk, Russia

Men
1. Daniel Dulac, France
2. Kilian Fischhuber, Austria
3. Jerome Meyer, France

Speed

Women
1. Tatyana Ruyga, Russia
2. Anna Saulevich, Russia
3. HENDRAWATI Agung Ethi, INA

Men
1. Sergey Sinitsyn, Russia
2. Eugeny Vaytsekhovsky, Russia
3. Alexander Peshehonov, Russia

Difficulty. The current rating

Women
1. Muriel Sarkany, Belgium
2. Angela Eiter, Austria
3. Bettina Schopf, Austria

Men
1. Tomas Mrazek, Czechia
2. Alexandre Chabot, France
3. Gerome Pouvreau, France

All results http://digitalrock.de

(2.11.2004)
Rock Climbing. World Cup in Valence, France. Difficulty.
The winners

The leaders of Big Cup Mrazek and Sarkany. Chabot and Eiter are the second.