Bad weather has been punishing climbers in Baltoro valley. Nanga images show serious avalanches on the peak and conditions on K2 are even worse than on Broad Peak according to the French climbers, currently on yet another summit push.
Last week ExWeb ran a number of interviews and climbers paid tributes to lost friends. Only two expeditions remain on Greenland while outside Somalia, Pirates are changing their ways.
Broad Peak summit push Ludovic Giambasi, Eli Revol and Antoine Girard planned to set off towards Broad Peak’s S and SE ridges today …

Flights cancelled due to bad weather and mounting waiting lists forced Karakoram-bound teams to hit the bumpy and exposed KKH for a 25 hour ride to Skardu; at times with police escort.
Climbers reported high security also in Islamabad due to recent bomb attacks. The weather is another issue, snow packed peaks are reported by mountaineers high and low: Following a hard, week-long attempt in heavy snowfall, the French climbers aborted their Broad Peak summit push last weekend.
In other news; Mick Parker died unexpectedly following his Makalu summit, and Wade Johnson’s …

American climbers Micah Dash and Wade Johnson are missing in Sichuan while Jonathan Copp’s remains have been found. Read more in a Monday update at ExWeb.
In other news: Pakistan is gearing up although in lesser numbers. Last-word debriefs still trickle in from the past Nepal/Tibet-Himalaya season; with reportedly also Cho Oyu claiming a victim last week.
Out on the ice; Skiers Arnaud Tortel and Charles Hedrich have carved a new Arctic route.
American climber found in avalanche debris In an eerie reminder of Charlie Fowler and Christine Boskoff lost in a …

The last wave of climbers topped-out Everest last Saturday – as the weather window closed and conditions rapidly turned for the worse. Descending climbers performed several rescues on both sides of the mountain in a sudden storm.
Three climbers were lost – among them 3-time ExWeb award winner Sergei Samoilov; Denis Urubko’s free-spirited and courageous climbing partner.
The south side is now deserted while on the north side only a few climbers are still attempting ascents. Meanwhile, Pakistan is kicking off – with security updates posted at ExWeb.
Lhotse-Everest traverse: Max, Vaso and …

Last week was all about Himalaya. Following an extended storm, the peaks were summitted one after the other in improving weather. Everest (both sides), Lhotse, Manaslu, Dhaula, and Kang all had success – Everest south side in very large numbers.
The most remarkable of them all became Mr Park’s summit of the highly technical Everest SW face.
We lost two climbers; one on Everest north side and one on Manaslu. The list of 14, 8000er summiteers got another addition – this time of Ralf Dujmovits. His wife Gerlinde topped out Lhotse as …

A big storm sent down most climbers early in the week except for Denis Urubko who incredibly bagged the summit of Cho Oyu via a new line on the SE face in alpine style. 
Huge summit pushes are underway again however, with most climbers – including on Everest – gunning for a May 18-19 weather window. The Kazakhs Lhotse-Everest team is retreating, while many Everest South side teams are in Camp 3.
Last week brought debriefs on the fatal Khumbu icefall avalanche; deadly methanol in Everest BC; the car accident involving …

Everest was summited for the first time this season on May 5th but the joy was clouded by serious avalanches claiming one life.
Also Kang and Dhaula got summits, with a near-complete ski descent on Kangchenjunga, but sadly the peak claimed another mountaineer last week. Two major climbs have kicked off: Makalu West Pillar and the SE face of Cho Oyu are full throttle, both in alpine style.
Mountaineers seem undeterred by fightings in Pakistan; some were scheduled to arrive Islamabad last week and with that the Karakoram 2009 list of …

Celebrations and terror both took place on Manaslu last week. Closing April 2009; high Himalayas have already claimed the lives of three mountaineers.
There was triumph at the North Pole, with both full length teams, one unsupported and one guided/supported, breaking a number of records. ExWeb ran an interview with Simone Moro, Henk de Velde reached another harbor, and Everest is slowly getting ready for the big day – on both sides.
Manaslu summit and tragedy Joao Garcia, Kim Chang-Ho, Seo Sung-Ho, and Lhakpa Tsering Sherpa (in a repeat) topped out in …

A century after Cook and Peary; this weekend John Huston and Tyler Fish became the first American team to reach the North Pole without assistance.
Concerns are grave for Martin Minarik, missing on Annapurna.
In other news: several major new route attempts were announced last week. A climber brought news from the Piolet d’Or award. ExWeb ran a number of interviews with researchers, climbers and polar explorers. The Indian Ocean race kicked off to a hard start: three boats retired, two within 36 hours.
Annapurna south watch: Czech Martin Minarik and French Elisabeth …

They won an ExWeb award for their great 2006 Himalayan Trilogy; last week “The Peters’” Himalayan saga was tragically ended when Piotr Morawski perished in a crevasse on Dhaulagiri.
In other news: the first climbing permits have reportedly been granted for Everest north side, Annapurna normal route sports a dangerous serac; and a big avalanche buried Manaslu BC.
The repositioning of Inmarsat satellites has caused a lower BGAN aiming angle in Himalaya; a diving scientist reported a record underwater ice-ridge in the Arctic Ocean, and pirates in the Gulf of Aden are …