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Baruntse

Àííàïóðíà
Annapurna

Simone Moro reports:
I’ll be returning to Nepal on the 28th of March. I’m going there in order to attempt two prestigious climbing objectives. The first will be the north wall of Baruntse (7129m). This is a “virgin” wall, untouched except by the gaze of thousands of “eye climbers!” This wall is located in front of the south wall of Lhotse (8561m), part of the mountain group between Everest and Makalu which has battled hundreds of trekkers and alpine specialists over the past 30 years.
Immediately after this first ever attempt, we’re going to try the north wall of Annapurna (8091m—of the 8000m mountains it is the least climbed and the one with the most failures) along the route previously taken by the French. There is also the possibility, not to mention the desire, to try something new on this wall...
My companions on this vertical adventure will be Denis Urbko from Kazakhstan (he has already reached 8 summits of 8000m), who was my companion in 1999, and Bruno Tassi, alpine guide from Bergamo, who will be with us only on Baruntse.

http://www.simonemoro.com/

 

Simone Moro, Denis Urubko. Doublet: Baruntse North Face&Annapurna.

Russian

News:

Baruntse North Face. Portfolio
(28.06.2004) new!

Author: Simone Moro, Italy

 

(2.06.2004)
Hello everyone!
Here we are at last at the final stages of this latest human climbing adventure which began over a month ago on March 28th, 2004. The past two months have been filled with so many beautiful things and such intensity! And everything went well-lor almost everything…This word “almost” is obviously referring to the last attempt to climb Annapurna where the cold and other factors decided for me that this time, even so close to the peak as I was, would not be THE time.
The facts: Everything went fine until the night of May 29th. Denis and I had been working intensively for weeks to fix the ropes, establish the camps and become familiar with various stretches of the way up. We also tested ourselves with climbing up in only five hours from base camp to camp 2 (nearly 2000m of height difference). Our friends and companions Gerlinde, Ralf, Hirotaka and Boris appreciated our work and enthusiastically prepared themselves to walk on Annapurna as well.
Unfortunately, all of us, although at different times, were stopped by dysentery. Because of this I didn’t give in to the temptation of climbing the new route, weakened as I was.
Along the French way up, everything seemed to work out…fine weather, good physical condition and definitely high enthusiasm.
The night of May 29th, the eve of my and Denis’ attempt to reach the peak, we were informed by Ralf that Boris Korshunov had not yet come back to camp 2. His missing and the dark led us to consider an accident that could have happened on the way back from the peak on the dangerous crevice between 6900m and 6000m. At that moment, after this news, Denis and I decided to prepare for an emergency and to forget about our own ascent to the peak. Quickly, we got ready in our small tent in camp 4, studying a way to go look for our friend and companion everywhere possible.
Upon leaving the tent, good news arrived. Boris was live!! He had returned a few minutes before to camp 2. He had lost his sunglasses and orientation due to the glare coming from the surrounding walls of snow and chunks of ice. As we were already ready to act, Denis and I decided to try to make the peak then, instead of waiting for the early morning hours. MISTAKE…(for me)!
The cold was piercing me, and knowing the sun wouldn’t come until the next day only aggravated the situation. At 7600m I started to feel cold in my stomach and moments after I began vomiting. After a few heaves and more and more frequent shaking I felt my energy waning. We were still walking very fast (it took Denis 4hours and 20 minutes to get from camp 4 to the peak) but I felt my condition getting worse, and my feet and hands were losing feeling.
By the light of the moon I was able to see the trapezoid form of the last stretch of the way up and the peak, but my stomach was giving out on me. Contortions and vomiting.
In was in that moment that I decided not to be a hero, blind and insensitive, guided only by ambition. I told Denis that I would go back because of the way I was feeling. I told him to continue without me. I would have waited for him awake in our little tent with a light as the dark would have prevented our camp from easily being found. That’s how it went. Denis Urubko on the peak in the middle of the night, 8091m!
The whole team of my expedition made it to the peak without a problem.
I was happy for getting sincere compliments from everyone for the work I had done and for the decision I had made. I saw the huge disappointment in everyone’s eyes and a kind of surprise at my not having made it to the top after everything Denis and I had shown ourselves capable of. But life is not always a victory and success and surprises like aches and pains come indiscriminately to the strong and the weak, the rich and poor and to the ugly and the beautiful. Everyone of us has a unique way to follow, a future which is probably already written down somewhere, unbeknownst to us. Written down for May 29th, for Simone Moro, was everything I have just shared with you, and I have accepted this page in my life with serenity and am enthusiastically getting ready for my next adventure.
But before, I want to experience life’s other peaks, those in places beyond this world. I want to spend time with my daughter Martina and my wife Barbara, my mother and brothers, my friends, my faith, the taste of clean water, the warmth of fire, and the consciousness of being one like many others!
I thank you now for having followed and supported me along the way. You all have been an affectionate presence in my life, and I hope that I have given you at least something of what you have expected from me. I gave my all, and please excuse this latest defeat. I want to say hello to those who followed me on the web, though for other, more sinister reasons, wanting something to go wrong… There will be those who will be glad that what has happened happened. Climbing doesn’t make a difference in the rest of the world.
See you on the next adventure which is now forming, floating around in my head. Soon, on this web site, I will let you know what it will be. I hope you will return as numerously and affectionately as before!

Ciao, Simone Moro

(26.05.2004)
News from 26.05.04
Today is the second and last day of rest and wait here in base camp. Tomorrow at 4:30 Denis and I will start and go directly to camp 2 at 6000 meters.

The day after we will start to open our new route on the rock bastion and the days after directly to the summit through that line....
Today Gerlinde, Ralf, Hirotaka and Boris did start at 6:30 a.m. to reach camp 3 at 7000 meters on the normal route. Tomorrow they will try the summit push.
The clouds are already in the sky but the visibility at present (9:50 a.m.) is still good. Tomorrow should start the 3-4 days good weather and we hope that the forecast will be without mistake....
Ciao

(25.05.2004)
News from 25.05.04
Trusting in the weather forecast and in our instinct we decided to return in base camp today and here we are now. We will remain only 48 hours. We will recover our energy and Denis will resolve his problem with "diarrhoea" Gerlinde, Ralf, Hirotaka and Boris remained at C2 and today they will work in fixing rope in the last part of the ice fall.

Tomorrow they would like to reach C3 at 7000 meters. From there they will try summit. We had been sorry to left C2 without helping our friends in fixing work but we were worry for avalanche danger and Denis physical problem. We still want to open a new route and we need energy and good weather as much as possible.
Our friends understood our position and they had been friendly with us when we left them this morning at 5:30 a.m.
Ciao Simone & C.

(24.05.2004)
News from 24.05.04
Phonecall from camp II:
"Today we stayed here in camp II and the weather is really bad. The last 3 hours it has been snowing. Today also Ralf, Gerlinde, Boris and Hirotaka reached camp II. Ralf and Hirotaka today feel better.
Boris forgot the tent poles in BC and so last night he slept in a tent pitched by bamboo…. Fortunately we did have one more tent here in camp II, so we have 3 tents…!
Tomorrow Ralf, Gerlinde, Boris and Hirotaka want to reach camp III, while Denis and I go to the rocky pillar. Today we will receive weather forecast from Innsbruck and hope in good news, because only last night I counted more than 30 avalanches….
Bye till tomorrow
Simone and Co"

News from 23.05.04
Simone via satphone :
"Hello. We did start only today from BC, because the weather was so bad. Denis and I did start at 3 a.m. from BC at 4200 meters and reached after 10 hours fighting camp II at 6000 meters. We had snow till our knees and so we have to make all the track. Finally we risked to not find the camp, because there was so many fog.. Ralf, Gerlinde, Hirotaka and Boris did stop at camp I, because Ralf has been hid by one stone on his leg and Hirotaka has problems with his stomach. So they will decide tomorrow morning if to continue or not.
Also Denis has some problem with his stomach, but not so bad. Tomorrow morning Denis and I will decide if continue to 7000 meters, where begins the rocky part or if stay one more day in camp II for rest after this hard work in the snow.
Bye till tomorrow Simone"

(22.05.2004)
News from 21.05.04
Today morning arrived here with a double helicopter flight, Ralf, Gerlinde and Hirotaka. The team is completed and only Ed Viesturs and Veikka cancelled their partecipation because involved in the Everest Film Project and climb.
The second flight of today with Gerlinde and Hirotaka had been made with bad visibility and the pilot remained 1 hour with the helicopter off, here in Base Camp. Than he flew back to Pokhara in a short moment of good weather.
Today we decided the route and teams for climb. Ralf and Gerlinde + Boris and Hirotaka will climb classical French route. I and Denis will try a new central route direct to the summit..... We want to start tomorrow even the rain and clouds of this afternoon can cause one day delay.
Follow us Simone Moro

(20.05.2004)
News from 20.05.04
It's raining since 24 hours till 5000 meters. We are quite worry that all this rain here, it represent quite snow in the upper part of the mountain and it could increase the danger of our climb..... but we know that nature follow its roules....
Today we received the phone call from Ralf,Gerlinde and Hiroata that were in airport ready to fly here by helicopter but the bad weather stopped the project of the team. Tomorrow they will try again and we wil keep in touch for the weather reports here.
Ciao Simone friends


News from 19.05.04
It had been a great pleasure to arrive again in base camp. Annapurna is dangerous and complicate mountain and any climber feel worry during this climb.
Äåíèñ Yesterday we stopped our ascent of 7000 meters because we finished the fix rope around 6300. We descent to 6000 meters and spent a second night there.
Now we will take rest for 3 days and than we will make the summit push caring 200 meters of fix rope. The weather today is bad and we hope to have a nice window of good weather next week... we need...
Ciao Simone & C.

(19.05.2004)
Via Satphone 18.05:
"Hello. Today we got up at 5 a.m. and we did start at 7 a.m. We reached 6250 meters, but we finished our fixing ropes and ice screws on the last serac. We needed other 200 meters, not so important for going up, but for the descending.
We will spend one more night here, so also Boris can acclimatise. Then we go to base camp and take 3 days rest.
Denis and I have to give up our project to open a new route, because nobody else from our expedition reached the base camp and we can not leave Boris alone on the French route..
Bye till tomorrow with new pictures
Simone

(17.05.2004)
Call from 17.05.04
"We are in camp II at 5900 m. We settled our tend 100 more down than usually, because here is more safe. Today it was incredible hot. We are all ok and tomorrow we will climb to camp III. We are happy to here from the success from our friends: Nives, Romano and Luca (Lhotse), Inaki Ochoa, Joby Ogwyn and Alex (Makalu) and Ed Viesturs (Everest).
Bye till tomorrow
Simone & Co.

16.05.2004 We start!!
Today I, Denis and Boris will start for 4 days on the mountain. Our objective is to reach 7000/7100 meters and set camp 3. Than we will come back to base camp for a 2 days rest and then the summit attempt.
We will see if is possible to find a new line for a new route or if the danger advise us to follow the french or duch route.
Follow us
Simone

15.05
Today we arrived to Annapurna Base Camp flying by helicopter from Kathmandu.
The altitude of BC is 4150 mt and the summit is...4000 meters upper.. The mountain is beautiful and it loog big an dengerous.Fortunatly there is not so much snow.... The helicopter we used had been paied from Franco Acerbis, one of my sponsor, and he also came here with us this morning. Now he went back to Kathmandu and he will go to Everest region to get acclimatisation than he will return here and will stay till the end of expedition. Yesterday one hotel in Pokhara had been bombing from Maoist and we was only 300 meters far.....
Tomorrow I, Denis and Boris we will climb up as much as we can to establish our camps.....
The second adventure is begining Simone Moro

 

(15.05.2004)
Here again after 10 days silence.
During this time we went back to Lukla and than to Kathmandu. We meet Miss Hawley the famous journalist 80 years old, who was very excited and interested in our climb. She tol us that she is tire to make standard report abaut so many expedition on normal route of 8000 or classic 6000 meters. We did these kind of climb but we also became tired abaut that style and since 2 yers we started our difficult but exciting way and style of climbs....
Today we are in pokhara and tomorrow we will fly by russian helicopter MI17 to Base camp of Annapurna north side. The cptain of the helicopter Alexander became imediately friendly with us and tomorrow at 6:00 a.m. we will start...
Two days ago arrived from Italy my friend and Sponsor Franco Acerbis (www.acerbis.com) who gave us the possibility to have the helicopter togo up and back at the end of expedition. Big Luck....!!!! He will goto Khumbu valley tohave acclimatisation and than he will come back to base camp to follow the last days of our climb. So be ready!
The adventure is starting again....
Ciao Simone & C.

Simone and Camos on the summit(6.05.2004)
6.05
New route on "KHALI HIMAL or BARUNTSE NORD" 7066 m
It had been very difficult, very... but at the end using all our capacities and resistance we reached our objective. The north face of Khali Himal or Baruntse north is really big, vertical, dangerous, impressive. It was virgin and unclimbed and only the ices of the trekkers and climber had been dreamed a climb on that wall after looking the mountain. We knew that we have to use all our capacities and strengths to have success on that face. And it happened...

We struggled four days and nights again wind, could, mix climb, ice and rock. We had bivvy 4 days in three people in a tend of two... We never found place to set it good and only our legs hanging in devoid. Ice crew, rock pitons, ice axes, friends and nuts had been used to climb the complicate wall, but the real struggle had been against the wind and cold. We get 35 m/sec (120 Km/h) wind during all the ascent and also on the summit!!!

New route:  Khali Himal Baruntse Nord 7066- "Ciao, Patrick"We had been very happy to reach the summit through this new and first route and we spend 12 hours to come down from the mountain rappelling on a single ice crew for 20 times...

The name of the route is "Ciao Patrick" because we dedicated the climb to Patrick Berhault recently dead. It was our friend and mythus.

The specification of our new route you can see below. Now we will have a rest and then we will fly to Annapurna I 8091 m for a new challenge.
Thank you to follow us
Simone

"Ciao Patrick"
Khali Himal or Baruntse North 7066 m,
May, 4, 2004,
Moro Simone G.A, Tassi Bruno "Camos" G.A, Urubko Denis
Height of the wall 2550m, including the last 1350 m climbed in alpine style.
Camps: 3
Category of complexity: mixed climbing M6 often on the destroyed breed, rocks 5 +/6, ice 70 ° and 90 ° with interspersed granite sites.
Exposition: North - West
Biwy on the wall: 4
Descent: 12 hours for twenty times.


Mt. Baruntse


Camos


Denis on the wall

Denis is climbing

Very long route

Simone on the summit

Denis on the summit

Simone on the summit

Simone is rappelling


Killer traverse


Mt. Makalu

 

 

(6.05.2004) new!
Last call from Simone was very short, because his batterie is finished:
" We are down, everything ok. hear us tomorrow for details and pictures."
thank you for follow us...

 

 

(5.05.2004)
SUMMIT!!!
1.05
Hello (first call via satphone)
Denis and I arrived just now in camp 1 at 6200 meter. We prepared the tent which Denis and Boris took down for avoid to be destroyed by the wind and the snow. Today all the fixropes were covered from half-meter snow, only the fixropes in the rocky part were free. Now Denis and I will try to continue a little more on the difficult rocky part and reach the snow part.
(second call) Hello, here we are again. Now we tree stay in tend, preparing food. Denis and I climbed 20 meters more and I think there are 20 meters more of very difficult climb for arriving on snow, but now there is storm. Tomorrow, if the weather want, we will continue.
Follow us Simone & Co

2.05
Hi friends
This night we slept very badly, because the 2 men tend is really too small for tree people. This morning Denis and Camos started to resolve the last difficult part. After very delicate rocky and mixed climbing now they are in snow at 6300 meters and Denis is crossing from left to right side. The wind is not so strong than yesterday, but it persist to blow. Tomorrow we want to start definitely to summit, but we are worried about the wind. Also we can't stay to long here in tend, because our gas is near to finish…
Ciao till tomorrow Simone Co.

3.05
Hello
Here we are again. Today it was a incredible hard day. We get up at 2 o’clock in the night and started with tend and everything at 3 o’clock, and only now, at 7 o’clock p.m. we arrived at the ridge. We climbed all the day, we never stopped, not for drinking, not for eating…. The face was very steap and we the climbing was very difficult and mostly in rocky and icy part. All the day there was strong wind and so it was very cold also if there was shining the sun. Some friends called us from the other base camps, because they were afraid about us. But everything is ok now. Tomorrow we want to go to the north summit, the Khali Himal (black summit) and than we will decide if continue to Baruntse main summit or if go back. It depend from the weather and how long we take to Khali Himal.
Follow us also tomorrow Ciao Simone, Denis and Camos (via satellite phone)

4.05
SMS at 1:45 Italian time: “We are starting now. There is sun and the wind is acceptable.”

Call at 7 a.m. Italian time: “I’ on the summit. I reached just now the north summit of Baruntse, the Khalima at 7041 m. Denis is coming soon and also Camos will reach the summit. The wind is very strong. The ridge to the main summit seems not difficult, but the wind is so strong, we risk to be blow away…. Today is the birthday from Camos. I’m very satisfied We hear us again, when I’m back in the tend. Ciao”
Simone

(29.04.2004)
Here we are again. It start again to snow and this time more than the other days. This morning we decided to prepare our equipment because tomorrow we would like to make our summit attempt but the weather "heard" our plans and it start to snow....
As you see from the photo I just made (at 4:00 p.m.) we are again in a bad situation and we have only to choice to wait,wait,wait. The weather forecast said that till 1st May the conditions will not change and so we are ready to continue our boring wait. I think tomorrow and after we will remain here because the avalanche danger is higher in this days on the wall. We will inform you tomorrow what we will do....
Ciao
Simone C.

(28.04.2004)
Hello Friends. I'm here again for the daily appointment with you.
Today is the eight day of bad weather. It continue to be cloudy and sometimes it start to snow. Now we are tired to continue to get rest and hope in some change. But we have no choice. We have to wait the blue sky and the sun, because all the mountain are covered of fresh snow and Baruntse too... The section we have to climb before to touch the summit, are 3 big plate of ice covered from dangerous snow. We don't want to increase the danger of our climb and die for it. The heroes are only in TV and in the book and our icy face and life has to remain in the realty and not in a epic tragic story... So we have to be patient and wait for the good weather. I and Denis today came back to base camp after 2 days spent in Chukhung at 4700 meter. Camos and Boris will come tomorrow here after the last day in a warm and clean lodge.
Ciao
Simone Moro

(26.04.2004)
25.04.04
Hello friends. Boris and Denis came back this morning in base camp while the weather was again bad... As you can see from photo attach, Boris and Denis fixed other 100 meters rope on the difficult part.Now should remain 60 meters before the icy section of the upper part of the face (should be more easy...). Now all the team will rest 3 days and than I, Camos and Denis will start for the summit attempt. Boris is not included in the permit because he apply too late and for that reason he will follow us by binocular and partecipate in the second part of our expedition on Annapurna from north.
Ciao
Simone

24.04.04
Since 3 days is snowing and 3 since days Denis and Boris are working on the face. Yesterday they fixed 100 meters of rope in rocky and mix climbing. Today they remained in the tend at 6100 m all the day and by radio they communicated us that at 4.p.m. they will start to come down. Now they should be in ABC and tomorrow here in base camp. In the next report I will send you the photo of the 3 days in storm....
. Simone

(19.04.2004)
Report of 15/4:
Hello friends.
Bad weather and expecially strong wind didn’t stop our work on the north face of Baruntse. Yesterday Denis Urubko was leading the team and he fixed 400 meters rope till 5900 meters (see photo). The difficulties on Ice and mix had been quite high. Today we will have rest and tomorrow I and Camos will start for 2 days climbng and fixing rope on the face till 6300 m. We also want to find place for a high camp. In the same time Denis will go for acclimatisation on Island Peak. Our idea is to try the last 700 meters of face in alpine style (me, Denis and Camos) next week.

Report of 17/4:
Hello friends Also today the weather is not good. Clouds and fog are in the sky. I and my friend Camos will start after few hours to go to ABC and for the next 2 days we will work on the face. We continue to wach by binocular the portion of face we have to climb and it looks terribly difficult. We will have to rock climb and dry tooling... In any case we want to have success on those difficulties...
Ciao Simone

(14.04.2004)
Simone Moro:
Hello! This is the first report from Baruntse base camp. We started from Italy the 28th March and after two days in kathmandu we began the trekking to approach the mountain. We decided to go to Everest Base Camp and climb Khala Patar 5600 m to have a better acclimatisation and than to come here in front of Baruntse Face and establish our base camp at 5100 meter. Yesterday and the day before we already established our ABC at 5250 meter few meters near "our" unclimbed face. Tomorrow we will climb the north ridge of Baruntse and spend two night there to get best acclimatisation and observ as near as we can the terrible north face....
After this acclimatisation step we will take rest and than start in alpine style to open our route and climb this untouch huge face of 2000 meter high.

Report of 14/4 from Baruntse north face:
Hello!! We are back to base camp after first day spent on the face. We fixed 350 meters of rope in the first complicate part and we reached 5650 m. We belived it was easy snow slope but we had to climb on mix part and traverse big crevasses. We are not yet acclimatised and for that reason we will continue to fix rope on the face and come back in the evening. We planned to fix 800-1000 meters of rope and than continue in alpine style. The weather is cloudy expecially in the second part of the day.

Follow us. Simone Moro

(16.03.2004)
Simone Moro reports:
After 13 day I will fly to Kathmandu to try the North Face of Baruntse that is still unclimbed.
This face is in front of Island Peak and all the trekkers that will come to that mountain will have the possibility to see us at the base camp or on the face during the climb. Ñåâåðíàÿ ñòåíà Áàðóíçå ñ íèòêîé ìàðøðóòàHere it is a photo with our theoretical route. As you know many factors could change our climbing line. There will be 2000 meters of vertical ice and rocky face and we will try to climb in light style. The top of our face is not the real summit and for that reason we will have to continue our climb on the final ridge till the real summit 7129 meters. Our idea is to descent from the north ridge (left ridge on the photo). Denis Urubko and Bruno Tassi will be my partner during all the climb.
All the information and daily reports will appear on my web site http://www.simonemoro.com/ My web site has English, Spanish and Italian version and in a few days I will have also the Russian version. It will be the first web site of a professional climber from west countries (not CIS) with this language version. All the news will appear in all these 4 languages + german After Baruntse only me and Denis Urubko will go to attempt Annapurna from north side..

Áàðóíçå ñ Ñåâåðà

Spring 2004: projects in Nepal Baruntse (7129m) and Annapurna (8091m)
(1.03.2004)
"I’ll be returning to Nepal on the 28th of March. I’m going there in order to attempt two prestigious climbing objectives. The first will be the north wall of Baruntse (7129m). This is a “virgin” wall, untouched except by the gaze of thousands of “eye climbers!” This wall is located in front of the south wall of Lhotse (8561m), part of the mountain group between Everest and Makalu which has battled hundreds of trekkers and alpine specialists over the past 30 years..."

Author: Simone Moro

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