Field Touring Alpine Blog

Aconcagua Update - Viento Blanco!

2012-01-26T13:42:00.000-05:00

This season we have two trips to Aconcagua under the leadership of Ben Kane who has come off of a very successful autumn campaign in India and Nepal. He is leading our January Polish Glacier and February False Polish Glacier trips.

Polish Glacier update - Viento Blanco!!

High winds on Aconcagua

Ben and Ash are now back down from a strong effort on the mountain which has unfortunately been halted by very high winds (70-100kmph by some estimates) which have been scouring the mountain much of the last week. After arriving at BC, and moving well on the acclimatization portion of the climb, it became clear that the Polish Glacier was not in suitable condition due to heavy snowfall and high winds.

Camp Colera on a calm day in 2003

As such they had retooled the plans to include a run up the False Polish Traverse using Camp Colera at just over 20,000ft. On the 23rd they pulled into Colera and were met with high winds which made even establishing camp a serious challenge. They then spent a very uncomfortable night with the tent being heavily buffeted by the infamous "viento blanco" or "white wind" which, at its worst, can be easily strong enough to lift and throw tents filled with climbers and gear. The next day they beat hasty retreat to BC and are beginning to make their way back out to town today.

We'll look forward to hearing the full details and sharing the story along with new images shortly. There are always great lessons to be learned from surviving challenging conditions and with Ben's experience on Broad Peak, Cho Oyu, Ama Dablam, Satopanth and more we know that Ash was in good hands!

Feb False Polish Update
We have a great group of 6 climbers joining us for a Feb 2 start in Mendoza and we'll hope they have a calmer wind for their trip.

They will be following the same route as our Jan 10 group with a beautiful trek up the Vacas Valley, turning up the relinchos valley and basing themselves in Plaza de Argentina. Our February 2 team will be going a bit lighter than the Jan 10 Polish team with no ropes, ice axes, ice screws, stakes etc to carry! If all goes well they will plan for a traverse over to the Plaza de Mulas BC after summiting from either C2 or from Colera. The summit plus traverse makes for a fantastic trip and the majority of our teams are able to make this itinerary. The advantage to this route is that you can enjoy more solitude with the quieter approach of Argentina but then take advantage of some of the amenities (beer and burgers!) on the Mulas side on the way out.

Upcoming Trips update
Spots are filling up for summer trips to Noshaq, Broad Peak, K2, G2 & Spantik. We hope to confirm all 5 trips, plus a trek to K2 BC, in the next month or two. We are already taking applications for Autumn trips to Stok Kangri, Satopanth, Cho Oyu, Ama Dablam, Khumbu Peaks and Everest BC trek.

For more details see our full listing of expeditions: www.fieldtouringalpine.com/programs/expeditions
and our full list of treks: www.fieldtouringalpine.com/programs/treks

Let us know how we can help you with an adventure in 2012!

FTA Autumn trip report

2011-12-08T11:10:00.000-05:00

From Ben Kane
Brisbane, Australia

Note: Ben is only home for a few weeks before he heads of to Aconcagua for the Polish Glacier (Jan 10) and False Polish (Feb 2). We still have a few spots left on each trip as well as the Feb 2 Polish Glacier with Stu Remensnyder. See the FTA site for all the details!

Well what an amazing season! I have finally made it back home to Australia. Its been an epic Autumn season in the Himalaya, and we've had so much fun with such a great crew.

Ama Dablam Nov 2011
Ama Dablam was a great success and we topped out on the 24th of Nov in very clear weather. It was great to be back on the mountain that was my introduction to the high Himalaya back in 2007. The upper part of the route seems to have changed dramatically since then, with more hard ice and exposed rock. Having said that, we managed to summit from Camp 2, which involved some incredible night climbing of the Grey Tower and a stellar dawn on the exposed Mushroom Ridge! For lovers of exposure, this is a must do climb.
Ama Dablam 2012 Info

Khumbu Peaks and Passes Oct 2011
Our Khumbu Peaks and Passes expedition in October was a blast. For those that wish to get to know the Khumbu & Gokyo region and do a bit of climbing along the way, this is a full itinerary jam-packed with four peaks and three high pass crossings. A superb introduction to Himalayan climbing.
Khumbu Peaks and Passes info

Satopanth September 2011
Satopanth is a semi-technical peak in the Garwhal range of Northern India. In September we ran our second expedition to this peak and had great success, summiting from Camp 2. The peak involves an approach from the holy village of Gangotri, past the headwaters of the Ganges river at Gamukh,
establishing base camp at a lake under the awesome west face of Visuki Peak. Climbing on the mountain entails a glacier approach, some amazing mixed climbing to gain Camp 2 and a very exposed ridge to gain the upper face and summit. The exposure and surrounding scenery make for one
incredible climb. Incredible India they say, and it is true.
Satopanth Info

Big Thanks
A big thanks goes out to our local staff, Siddhi, Pemba, Uttara, Ratna, Arun and of course Nima T. Sherpa. Thank you so much. I'd also like to thank our Ama Dablam guide staff Brad Jackson (assistant guide) and Meagan McGrath (guide-in-training) for their great contributions.

Finally, I'd like to thank all of our members that joined our expeditions, Gavin, Scott & Nicole, Veronika, Richard, Seng, Mattias, Colin and Bryson. Thanks for a wonderful Autumn and for all the great memories. All the best for the future and I hope to see you out in the hills one day soon.

Next up - Aconcagua Polish and False Polish

Aconcagua's Polish Glacier

As for me, straight back into training! We've got our Jan 10 Polish Glacier and Feb 2 False Polish and Polish Glacier climbs coming up shortly, and with spaces filling quickly, make sure you jump on as soon as possible!

These trips are about the most fun you can have in the mountains, a great introductory to high altitude with minimal objective danger and the rich cultural experience that Mendoza, Argentina has to offer (and the best Malbec & steak in the world).
Polish Glacier Climb | False Polish Climb

All the best and enjoy the festive season,

Ben

FTA Ama Dablam 2011 - Summits!!

2011-11-24T11:42:00.000-05:00

from stu in the usa office
24 Nov, 2011

Ben called in a few minutes ago from camp 2 with Ama Dablam summit news - here goes!

The entire team left at about 2:30am on a clear and calm morning and then made their way up the Grey tower fully in the dark. Ben said that it was a wonderful climb and that he enjoyed it even more than when he has climbed it during the daytime.

There is something about climbing in the dark that is hard to describe but the small pool of light that illuminates your small section of the route give you complete focus on the next step but little more. The sense of scale and danger that can give you vertigo in the daylight are absence and the experience is much more intimate. Mostly just the sound of your crampons scraping on the rock or crunching in the ice and the distant din of other climbers the only hint that anyone else in the world exists.

The grey tower with the snow ramp visible just above the Brad's red helmet in 2005

The Grey Tower (really a couloir of sorts) is a wonderful mixed section of rock, snow and ice and always requires creative climbing from hooking ice axes on rock to grabbing icy pockets with gloves...anything goes in this couloir! The tower joins a steeply slanting ridge which is climbed to gain an airy traverse which then gives way to the purest climb on the route...2-3 pitches of 50-70° snow and ice. This section is always enjoyable and quite sustained leaving one breathless upon reaching the Mushroom Ridge

As the sun broke and they crested onto the Mushroom Ridge the wind picked up and it was very cold for a few hours but they were already well warmed up from the earlier effort. Ben estimates that they had winds of perhaps 15-20 km/h which was about as good as we had hoped for but this wind still sapped them a bit and it stayed with them for much of the rest of the morning. Ben said that they all climbed with down jackets on when it can be quite usual to only have on a down jacket at rest points.

They encountered very hard blue ice along the side of the "dablam" above the old camp 3 and Ben said it was very difficult climbing and they all enjoyed it thoroughly. As they neared the top the winds died down and Ben said that it was "stinking hot" climbing the last 20 mins or so and that he was really surprised how quickly the temperature moderated. As such they enjoyed a calm and beautiful summit celebration with view to Cho Oyu, Everest, Makalu and of course looking down on Island Peak where they had been just a week ago.

Between 11:30am and noon the following members of our team summited:

Benjamin Kane
Siddhi Bahadur Tamang
Meeagan McGrath
Bryson McLellan
Colin Carnahan

Brad made a prudent decision to abort the push about an hour or so from the top and begin to work back towards C2 and to be ready to support and challenges the summit group might have on the way down. Always good to have level headed climbers who climb within themselves and Brad is a great example. Taking several efforts to summit Everest and with climbs on Ama Dablam, Denali and more in his background Brad follows in the Ed Viesturs model of knowing the hill will be there next time and following gut instincts... good stuff Brad!

Ben noted that the summit area had changed considerably in the last few years and that it is no longer a long flattish top but rather marked by crevasses and a series of minor peaks. It will be interesting to compare images from Ben's last summit and this years. We'll have a great image gallery for the main site put together when the team is back in Kathmandu and post a bunch here.

The team will clear the hill and had back to BC tomorrow for a well earned summit supper! They have already moved up the flights from Lukla and now hope to be back in Kathmandu on the 29th if all goes well.

Next Up - Aconcagua
Ben will then get a well deserved break until the heads off to Argentina in January to lead our Jan 10 Polish Glacier climb and our Feb 5 False Polish Glacier climbs. We have spaces still on both climbs as well as our Feb 5 Polish Glacier climb (with Stu) so let us know if you want to join Ben and FTA for a trip to the top of the Americas!

Further Ahead - Ama Dablam 2012
We are already taking bookings for Ama Dablam in May 2012 as well as Oct and Nov 2012 and are looking for motivated climbers to join us!

We'll have more updates as the team makes their way out to the hustle and bustle of Kathmandu so stay tuned!

FTA Ama Dablam 2011 - in C1 on summit push!

2011-11-22T10:11:00.000-05:00

from stu in the usa office
Nov 22, 2011

Ben called in a few minutes ago to let us know that everyone was feeling great in C1 and they are planning to move up to C2 tomorrow. They had a great weather all day long but for a few clouds in the afternoon. When Ben called they were brewing up tea and and enjoying a beautiful and clear sunset.

Setting sun along the ridge between C1 and C2 © stu remensnyder

If the winds remain calm they'll aim for the top on the 24th or 25th.The last few days have seen very calm winds but they are unfortunately looking to pick up a bit for the next 4-5 days so our team will have some wind for sure and we hope not too much. The predictions are for winds between 15 and 30kmph at the 7000m level and depending on how much shelter they get from the wind they may not even feel much of it till the summit plateau.

Ama Dablam from just above base camp © stu remensnyder

I recall in 2005 having nearly no wind all the way to the top but just after cresting the ridge with winds were so strong you could not hear another person talk and spending more than 5 mins on the top made no sense. After dropping down just 50 meters it was once again quite calm and nice. We'll hope our team sees such a pattern enabling them to climb with little or no wind for most of the day.

climbing above C2 © stu remensnyder

The teams coming down have mentioned that the mushroom ridge is quite soft and it has been difficult to manage with big packs so our team is looking to summit from C2 to avoid the need for heavy packs to C3. As such they will have to depart at 2am and manage the cold of the early morning before catching and warming rays if sun. Our team in 2010 did this as well so it is something Siddhi is ready for and has good experience doing!

the awesome traverse just below the mushroom ridge © stu remensnyder

The team has spare days yet so they will be cautious about pushing through cold and wind and if this bid does not go they will rest up a few days and try again.

Ben plans to call in from C2 with the latest on the plan for a summit bid and we'll have that tomorrow!

FTA Autumn 2011 - Summit push is on!

2011-11-21T05:16:00.002-05:00

FTA Ama Dablam 2011 - Island Peak Summits!

2011-11-17T13:11:00.001-05:00

from stu in the USA office
17th Nov, 2011

Ben just called in from Dingboche with the great news that all 6 members of the team summited Island Peak today and are all safely back down!

Island Peak Summits

They left Island Peak BC on a crisp and clear morning at 2am and topped out at 9:30am with perfect views of Lhotse, Nuptse, Ama Dablam, Baruntse, Makalu and more. After many days with clouds and snow they were treated to a great day for a summit push. Ben said they climbed well as a team and were all really happy to make the first of hopefully two summits!

Island Peak summiteers are:
Benjamin Kane
Siddhi Bahadur Tamang
Brad Jackson
Meeagan McGrath
Bryson McLellan
Colin Carnahan

After enjoying a celebratory rest on the top they made their way back to base camp by noon and decided to make a good push towards Ama Dablam BC. The happy team had a well-earned lunch, packed up and tromped for another 5 hours and arrived at Dingboche at 7pm by headtorch! They all really wanted to get back down lower for a good sleep and to make the trek back into Ama Dablam BC tomorrow an easy one.

Looking back to Island Peak from near Dingboche. Everest is lurking somewhere behind the massive Lhotse wall on the left!

Ama Dablam Next Up

With just 3-4 hours of easy going tomorrow they will pull in nice and early and begin a few days of rest before making an alpine push on Ama Dablam. Hopefully the clearing weather will stay for a while and make their summit bid on Ama Dablam a beautiful one. Likely at this point they will rest on 18 and 19 and head to C1 on 20, c2 on 21, c3 on 22 and summit on 23. After they have arrived at Ama Dablam BC and had a chance to rest up the team will formalize the plan and let us know.

Dingboche is one of the most beautiful places in the Khumbu with spectaular views of Ama Dablam, Island Peak, Tawoche and the Lhotse wall. We visit Dingboche each year on our Everest BC treks, Khumbu Peaks & Passes trips and of course on our Ama Dablam and Island Peak climbs. Often if there are some spare days at the end of an Ama Dablam trip members will come down and spend an extra night in Dingboche to enjoy the high part of the Khumbu before descending to Namche.

Ama Dablam, has an even more intimidating appearance from near Dingboche and looks at seldom tried routes which are highly technical and are attempted only by small and elite teams.


The route from Dingboche over to the town of Pheriche is adorned with stupas and prayer flags the whole way. Pheriche is the site of the Himalayan Rescue Medical outpost which is worth the visit as well!

Ama Dablam FTA Autumn 2011 - Lukla, Namche and Khunde Ri

2011-11-11T06:37:00.000-05:00

From Stu in the USA office
Nov 10, 2011

Ben called in a short while ago from Namche with the latest on the team and it sounds like everyone is doing very well! They had just come down from a good day on Khunde Ri and pizza in Khumjung and are headed off to the rhododendron forests of Tengboche and Deboche tomorrow.

Getting to Lukla

On Oct 6th, after a day of prep in Kathmandu, our team departed early in the morning for the airport without much optimism in catching a flight to Lukla. The delays due to weather had stranded a large number of trekkers in Lukla and created a huge backlog in Kathmandu - with estimates of some 1200 or more at each end of the short flight. When it became clear our team would be unable to board one of the regularly scheduled flights, our amazing ground agent Nima pulled a few strings and secured a helicopter.

Faced with the depressing prospect of returning day after day to the airport, our teams was suddenly in the air and shortly after in Lukla! Due to the limited carrying capacity of the helicopter only half of the bags went up the team and the plan was for Nima to accompany the remaining cargo on a later flight. Nima left shortly after as planned but unfortunately his flight was turned about just before Lukla due to continued bad weather and he returned to Kathmandu.

Thank you to Nima
On the 7th Nima was able to make the full flight to Lukla and arranged the bags to be sent by yak and porter to catch up with our team in Namche. So all in all Nima spent nearly 2 full days just making sure our team and bags made it up to Lukla. Attending to the myriad of small details to ensure a smooth trip is sufficient work in and of itself and it is clear year ofter year that not many teams have such a dedicated and connected person to work with in Nepal. We at FTA are grateful to Nima's personal attention and caring nature and know we have been fortunate to have made his acquaintance more than eight years ago. Thanks again Nima Dai!

On To Namche
After arriving in Lukla and working there way down the valley the team spent the night near Phakding and began going over key topics for the trip which include everything from health and sanitation to altitude medicine and climbing techniques.

Ben, Brad and Meagan will be covering a large list of topics and will share with the members everything they have learned from their collective climbs, expeditions and adventures. Given where these three have been this is a not inconsequential list. Between them the have been to the seven summits and both poles and the list of expeditions is rather daunting: Aconcagua (Polish, Falso and Normal), Ama Dablam, Broad Peak, Cho Oyu, Denali, Everest, Island Peak, Kilimanjaro, K2, Lobuche, Lhotse, North Pole, Tharpu Chuli, Satopanth, South Pole, Vinson, and on and on!

You can see mini bios for all the members on the FTA Ama Dablam 2011 team page

Namche Days
Since arriving in Namche on the 8th the members have been working on good acclimatization with an easy day on the 9th (including a dry run on fixed rope technique) and a more full day on the 10th which included summiting Khunde Ri (4500m) and the all important traditional pizza and in the Everest Bakery in Khumjung.

Brad Jackson is the designated photographer and he has sent the following images to give a sense of the journey so far...enjoy!

Waiting it out in the airport in Kathmandu! © brad jackson

Sorting gear in Lukla © brad jackson

Megan, Bryson, Ben and Colin in Phakding © brad jackson

Acclimatizing in Namche © brad jackson

High on Khunde Ri with Ama Dablam behind © brad jackson

View from Khunde Ri during our crucial second acclimatization day in Namche.
Everest, Lhotse and Ama Dablam in the background and the two towns below
are Khunde (3850) and Khumjung

Ben heading into the world's highest bakery in Khumjung © brad jackson

We'll have more from the team in the days ahead!

FTA Khumbu Peaks & Passes 2011 - Recap

2011-11-04T13:17:00.000-04:00

from Ben in Kathmandu
4th Nov, 2011

With everyone departed from Kathmandu this brings an end to our 2011 Khumbu Peaks &
Passes expedition. We are already looking forward to coming back again in 2012 so book your spots soon!

Ama Dablam soars above Pangboche © Ben Kane

Despite Seng having to leave the trip early and an impassable Cho La due to snow conditions, the trip was quite successful. Seng set a new personal height record on Chukung Ri at 5400m and the rest all managed to get a 6000m summit. It was a jam-packed itinerary with everyday bringing a new experience and wonderful vista.

Gokyo Lake camp site © Ben Kane

Our Nepali staff worked had to provide us with a great mobile 'base camp', the quality of the food outstanding and they were always there to give insight and perspective on the local culture.

Parsu "Tsering" Ram Rai on Ama Dablam in 2005 © stu remensnyder

A big thank you goes out to Tsering Rai, our much loved Sherpa, along with our cook Pemba, both of who worked long hours whilst we took in the amazing landscapes!

FTA Team dropping in on Khumjung © Ben Kane

I'd like to wish Veronika, Mattias, Richard and Seng all the best for the future and thank them for being great members on such an amazing and fun expedition.

Ama Dablam is underway in the next few days, keep checking in for updates!
All the best,

Ben

Camping in downtown Namche © Ben Kane

FTA Khumbu Peaks & Passes - En Route to Kathmandu

2011-10-28T15:59:00.000-04:00

Ben called in to let us know that the team had a great trip over the Renjo La and enjoyed a great time in Gokyo as well as a wonderful trek over the Renjo la to Thame a cruise back to Namche.

The entire team made it up Gokyo Ri a few days ago with some going in the morning and others for sunset. Ben and Richard decided to brave the cold of sunset and were rewarded with a few minutes of perfect sunset light on Everest as it poked up out of the layer of clouds which had kept it hidden during most of the their hike to the top. The morning crew had clearer weather the entire time so both groups were happy for their efforts!

On the pass they had more good views of Everest and the surrounding mountains and especially enjoyed the ease with which they could hike being so well acclimatized. In Thame they had some light snow but mostly clear weather and the trek back to Namche was very beautiful as well. Today they made the long trek back to Lukla and will catch the morning flight back to Kathmandu to enable them to enjoy a few days of sightseeing in Kathmandu!

Ben will come back into town and after seeing this crew off to the airport will get onto the preparations for our Ama Dablam Nov 4 expedition. He'll be joined during the course of the week by Brad, Meagan, Bryson and Colin during the course of the week and they will fly up to Lukla on the 6th. In the meantime we'll hope to hve a bunch of great pics from the team over the week ahead!

FTA Khumbu Peaks and Passes - in Gokyo

2011-10-25T05:17:00.000-04:00

Ben called in from Gokyo to let us know that everyone was feeling great and that they had reached Gokyo with excellent weather and were looking forward to a full day in Gokyo. They took the high route across the eastern side of the glacier and then crossed over after joining up with the same path they would have had from the Cho La.

During the day in Gokyo they plan to hike up Gokyo Ri and take in the panoramic views once if not twice to capture sunrise and sunset views of Everest and the valley. The best for photos is really the sunset so they hope to have good weather and will bring sleeping bags and flashlights so they can stay late!

They will be heading out shortly to go over the 5300m Renjo La and around to Thame and this will be there most remote section of the trek with the high pass and proximity to Cho Oyu and Tibet. They will pass most if not all of the Gokyo Lakes which have tremendous religious and are reported to be the highest fresh water system of lakes in the world. These lake help make life possible in the towns below and they have been studies as representative of climactic changes and concerns over potential flooding downstream.
Here are a few links to get you started:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gokyo_Lakes
http://wetlandinventory.org.np/content/view/98/204

In Thame they will have the pleasure of visiting a wonderful monastery perched high on a hill overlooking the valley filled with fields, homes and tea houses.
http://www.nysherpainfo.com/monasteries/thame-monastery

From Thame they can also take hike up towards the pass to the Trashi Labsta pass which leads to the Rowaling Valley and a near encounter with Tibet. This is a pass we are looking forward to visiting next year as we expand our "tough treks" options which now include the Khumbu Peaks and Passes, K2 BC, Stok Kangri, Noshaq and more!

We will have news shortly from the team about their day in Gokyo and progress on the trek!

FTA Khumbu Peaks and Passes - Snowy Days en route to Gokyo

2011-10-22T10:10:00.000-04:00

From Stu in the USA office

Ben called in on his cell phone from Pangbiche to let us know that the team had to reroute to get to Gokyo as a large snowfall all day made it impossible to go over Cho La safely. With low visibility and avalanche risk too high they instead dropped back down to Pangbiche and will go to Gokyo by way of Upper Pangboche and Phorste.

The monastery in Pangboche is some 600 years old and the oldest in the Khumbu. The Lama is often called upon to perform the Puja for expeditions as they prepare to climb and is a busy person at this time of year with so many groups coming through!

The monastery Pangboche had at one time a relic said to be the hand of a Yeti. This relic was smuggled out in the 50's and a replica was brought back in April so our team may have a chance to see it!
here are some links for those wishing more details!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pangboche_Hand
http://www.bigfootencounters.com/creatures/pangboche_hand.htm
http://www.bigfootencounters.com/articles/yeti-hand.htm

And this is a two part series that is really worth the read:
http://blogs.canoe.ca/parker/general/the-yetis-hand-—-a-true-tale-of-himalayan-mystery-intrigue-and-adventure/
http://blogs.canoe.ca/parker/general/the-yetis-hand-part-2/

From Phorste they will likley cross over to Phortse Tenga and then spend the night in Machermo before reaching Gokyo the next day and being back on schedule!

Meanwhile back in town, Seng is having a lovely time in Pokhara with his health fully restored. He dropped us the following note from the relaxing alternative to Kathmandu

"You are right about Pokhara - it's people are very easy going, less
traffic, clean air, less dusty and beautiful.

Mr Gyanendra Lalchan is looking after me like a family member - I have
tea with him. Baba Lodge is very pleasant. Tomorrow is the start of
Deepavali and there is going to be a big concert next in the park in
front of Baba Lodge.

I went up to the World Peace Stupa this afternoon and had great views
overlooking Pokhara, Phewa Lake and Sarankot.

Tomorrow morning at 5am I'll be leaving for Sarankot to experience the
sunrise and witness the magnificent views of snow peaked mountain
ranges of Manaslu, Annapurna, Machhapuchchhre and Dhaulagiri Himal -
can't wait!"

As Seng shows there is no lack of wonderful things to do in Nepal so come join FTA to a trip and adventure in the Himalaya! After a climb have a visit to Pokhara or Chitwan, raft the Karnali or kayak the Sun Khosi. Always something more to suite your disposition!

More news from the Khumbu ahead!

FTA Khumbu Peaks and Passes - Lobuche East Summits!

2011-10-21T05:03:00.000-04:00

from stu in the USA office
Oct 20, 2011

Lobuche East update
Ben called in from base camp to let us know that everyone was doing well and that they had just returned from the summit of Lobuche East's "Far East" summit!

Mattias, Richards, Tsering and Ben all made it to the top while Veronika stopped about 100m shy of the top when she felt her energy wane and wanted to be sure to have good reserves for the descent. Ben said they began the day with great views and great conditions but as the summit neared they lost much of their visibility so unfortunately did not have much of a view on the top. Nonetheless they had a great day and were down getting ready for a good supper. Congrats to all of them for a job well and prudently done!

FTA guide Sean James high on Lobuche © chris szymiec

Next up - Cho la & Gokyo Ri
With the main climbing portion of the trip done they will send back their tech gear and now enjoy crossing two of the great passes in the Khumbu region: The Cho La and the Renjo la. The Cho La pass (at 5330m) will bring them over to the Gokyo valley and while they are there they will climb up the non-technical Gokyo Ri and be treated to one of the best views to be had of Everest.

From the top of Gokyo Ri (5367m) which is just a 2 hour scamper from Gokyo village, Everest sits up in a grand fashion as a rocky and icy pyramid. One has great views of some of the most demanding and difficult lines of Everest. One can aslso take in a single sweeping view 5 of the highest peaks on the planet with Everest, Cho Oyu, Makalu, Lhotse and Nuptse. in the foreground of these giants lie the jagged peaks of Cholatse and Tawoche and the turqoise lakes of the Gokyo valley.

Our team will move up to a small cluster of lodges at Dzhonglha (4860m) just before the Cho La pass today and have nice views back to much of the climb they just completed. Tomorrow they will head over the pass and stop at Dragnak (5025m) which is a tiny village tucked in against the lowest flanks of the pass. From there they will cross the undulating and intricate maze of the Ngozumpa glacier to reach the trekking trail and an easy finish into the small village of Gokyo (4780m). The Ngozumpa Glacier is the longest in Nepal and stretches from Cho Oyu to Cholatse and our team will follow its western edge after Gokyo to make their final pass crossing over the Renjo La.

Crossing the Cho La © chris szymiec

Join Us Next Time
This is a wonderful and demanding trek and we are looking forward to putting it on again in each spring and autumn so have a look on our site and let us know when you can make it!

http://fieldtouringalpine.com/programs/expeditions/khumbu-peaks-and-passes

FINAL AMA DABLAM FINAL SPOTS OPEN
We have a few spots open for Ama Dablam with Ben Kane starting Nov 4 and would love to fill them. Check out the trip page and let us know if you are interested!
http://fieldtouringalpine.com/programs/expeditions/ama-dablam

FTA Khumbu Peaks & Passes - Lobuche summit bid tonight!

2011-10-19T10:56:00.000-04:00

From Stu in the USA office

nearing the summit ridge on lobuche

Ben called in the from high camp at 5200m on Lobuche to let us know that the team is set for a 3am departure for the top of Lobuche East! They had just finished a good supper and were all settled in their tents after having enjoyed a pleasant afternoon making their way from base camp to high camp. Ben said that Tsering had fixed about 200m of rope on the steeper access section and that they were camped out just below the snow line with great views to Ama Dablam, the Everest/Nuptse massif and with extraordinary views to Cholatse and Tawoche.

They'll be up at 2:30am for breakfast and off at 3am and we'll look forward to hearing their news when they are back down to base camp if not sooner!

FTA Khumbu Peaks & Passes - Pokalde summit bid

2011-10-17T15:57:00.002-04:00

From Stu in the USA office
Oct 17, 2011

Lobuche Ridge

Pokalde Summit bid
Ben called in from a high camp on the far side of the Kongma La to let us know that a large part of our team had made a good effort on Pokalde only to be turned back near the top by suspect conditions. Ben, Tsering, Veronika, Richard, Mattias and Pemba all climbed quite high on Pokalde and reached the final summit ridge only to meet with a 6in/15cm covering of new loose snow on top of the loose rocks of the ridge. Had they had several feet of snow or none at all the route would have been quite good tot he true top but the loose and unsonsolidated nature of the ridge made it prudent to celebrate on the false summit and save the energies for the main prize to come - Lobuche E.

After descending from the climb back to the pass they pushed further on down the slope and tomorrow will head to Lobuche Base Camp for a summit bid expected to be on the 19th if all goes well. Ben plans to check in again when they reach base camp so we'll have an update then on the main group.

Evac from Deboche
At the same time as Pokalde was being tackled the decision was made for Seng to come on out from the trek as he was simply not recovering despite having moved all the way down to Deboche. We had hoped that descending (along with one of our Sherpa guides Geylu) to the last place that Seng felt great might have allowed him to recuperate but he awoke after his second night there feeling fatigued and with signs of potentially serious altitude illness. Rather than take any risks we arranged a helicopter ride for Seng and he caught a chopper from Tengboche straight back to Kathmandu where he is feeling better and already resting for the night. As always our Nepal agent Nima was amazing and got the helicopter to lift off from Lukla within minutes of the decision - Thanks Nima Dai!

Prayer Flags on the Everest trek near Deboche

We'll have more news from Lobuche and Kathmandu in the days ahead but below I am adding a few thoughts about altitude illness and HAPE in particular as this was the concern we had in Seng's case.

Brief HAPE (High Altitude Pulmonary Edema) primer
For a good overview on altitude illness we recommend checking out the CIWEC clinic and the SOLO Wilderness Medicine blog

CIWEC: http://ciwec-clinic.com/articles/altitude_illness_advice_for_trekker.php
SOLO: http://wildernessmedicinenewsletter.wordpress.com/category/hape/

The most crucial thing about treatment of any suspected HAPE is that descent is the definitive cure. No matter what medications or equipment you have, it is getting much lower down that will allow one to recover. Sometimes this can be as little as a few thousand feet and other times it may mean 10000ft /3000m or more. HAPE can sometimes be slow to progress and other times quite fast and it is highly and rapidly debilitating and exacerbated by exertion at altitude.

All of this is therefore problematic for someone in Deboche (at approx 3700m) with signs and symptoms of HAPE is that they are unable to descend a nice smoothly downward sloping trail - like one might find going from high on Aconcagua to one the the two main base camps. Instead they must surmount a small rise to Tengboche (approx3850m) drop steeply down to the Dudh Kosi river at Phunki Tanga (3250m) and then then ascend again a few hundred meters before finally reaching a somewhat flat but undulating trail to Namche (at approx 3500-3600m). This trek takes perhaps 4-6 hours for an acclimatized person feeling well and is not an insignificant trek.

If someone with altitude sickness was to make the effort to go over the hill and down to the river and then find themselves without the ability to climb back up to the trail it could be very serious indeed. In the end it simply makes no sense to attempt such a walk out if there is a good alternative. The most rapid and valuable is a helicopter ride all the way back to Kathmandu. In a matter of hours one can be back to the oxygen rich environment with minimal exertion.

Serious symptoms late in the progression of HAPE are easy to spot as they include awful things like patients coughing up pink frothy sputum, ashen having altered mental status (from confusion to unconsciousness) and patients needing assistance to move or being unable to move on their own.

The crucial thing is to see the early signs and react with caution. Headaches that do not resolve after some rest and drinking (or even some aspirin, ibuprofen etc), lack of recovery of energy after resting, personality changes (more reserved, more anxious, more cranky) and so on. It is very common for trekkers and climbers to feel the effect of altitude and that often means feeling winded while working hard, having a mild headache or being a bit off your game. But these things should all go away when resting or after a good night sleep. If they do not then then best thing is to stay at the same altitude or descend until they resolve.

The vast majority of people who have mild acute mountain sickness (AMS) recover just fine with going back to the last place they felt great or taking an extra night where they are. Sometimes even with these precautions the altitude illness progresses and people need to get down and out of the hills and come back another day.

Have any questions about altitude illness? Be sure to send them to us at "info@fieldtouring.com" or drop the question on our Facebook wall.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Field-Touring-Alpine/112088355565506

FTA Khumbu Peaks and Passes - Island Peak Summits!

2011-10-15T08:47:00.001-04:00

from Stu in the USA office
Oct 15, 2011

Ben just called in with the update on the sussmit push with the good news that Veronika and Tsering topped out this morning and that they are already back in Chukung! They left the high camp at 3 am and topped out at 7:45am so were moving very quickly. Congrats to them both!

Mattias and Richard were feeling the effects of altitude and decided wisely to hold off on a summit bid and keep on a good track for Pokalde, Lobuche, Gokyo and the trip ahead. Mattias did take a good walk up towards the high camp and both he and Richard are ready to go for Pokalde high camp and the Kongma la tomorrow.

Seng has had the hardest time with the altitude and came back down to Dingboche from the Island Peak BC and Ben has been keeping a watchful eye on him. Today Ben and Seng decided it would be best for him to descend back to Deboche which is the last place he felt great and give him a few days of rest and acclimatization there. While the main group goes over the Kongma La, Seng will take it easy there along with our asst chef Geylu. If Seng is feeling well after a few nights there they will come back up to Pheriche and then on to Lobuche and meet up with the main team for the corssing of the Cho La. One of the good things about Deboche and the Rivendale Lodge is that Seng will have access to email so we'll hope for a nice note from him shortly.

As I mentioned in my last dispatch acclimatization is an individual matter and each member needs to listen to their body and move wisely. Sometimes it is simply a matter of slowing down during a day and breathing more, other times it means extra nights and ever now and then it even means descending. It is easy to forget as one treks by villages with children laughing and playing that these are still very high altitudes and need to be respected.

Ben and the main group will travel light with a few porters over the Kongma La and the cook staff and porters will meet them on the other side to join up for Lobuche BC.With good luck the entire team will head over the Cho La into the Gokyo valley in less than a weeks time carrying summits of Island Peak, Pokalde and Lobuche with them!

We'll have more news in the days ahead!

FTA Khumbu Peaks and Passes - Island Peak summit bid ahead!

2011-10-13T19:15:00.000-04:00

from stu in the USA office
October 13, 2011

Ben called in today with great news from the Khumbu - our team is all ensconced in a moonlit base camp and planning on a summit on the 15th of October!

They had just finished a fine pizza supper and were headed to get some sleep after a full day at the base camp. Ben said that our cook Pemba has been knocking out one great meal after another and they are looking forward to the weight loss plan of the high altitude climbs! During the hikes and meals they have had a good time getting to know each other and have been enjoying each others company very much.

FTA guide Brad Boehringer chowing down a big meal en route to Ama Dablam in 2005

Much of their day today was spent on a full skills review of fixed line movement, crampon and ice axe use and more. Some of our members have extensive experience including attempts on 8000m peaks and were able to enjoy the review and share their experience. Others have limited exposure to technical climbing and the day presented a wonderful opportunity to get ready for the climb ahead on their first 6000m peak. As everyone had been away form the mountains for some time they all benefited from the practice and review and everyone is feeling good about the climbs ahead.

The climbing will be coordinated by our lead guide Ben and lead sherpa Tsering along with a sherpa-in-training Pemba. We hope that all 4 members will feel strong enough to make a summit push but the morning will be important for an assessment of acclimatization for everyone. As they have a full trip ahead with 3 more climbs there is now need to push and anyone feeling any altitude effects tomorrow will likely take an extra rest day at BC and make a walk up to the high camp while the main team goes for the summit. After this attempt on Island Peak they will move on to Pokalde which will give everyone another peak to acclimatize on before the climb on Lobuche.

Learning the basics of roped climbing with ice axe and crampons is fun and rewarding!

As is always the case people have acclimatized at different rates with some members feeling the altitude earlier in the trip and others more recently. Acclimatization is an "experiment of one" and each person must find their own schedule over time. For members who have extensive high altitude backgrounds the program can be looked at ahead of time and know it will be fine. For others making their first foray into high altitude it is in many respects a big unkown and they are being asked to follow an accepted schedule that may in fact not work for them. We are always mindful that we may need to adjust the program for individuals who don't conform to the traditional altitude jumps. As such Ben has been checking in regularly with the members, taking pulse oxymeter readings and keeping a watchful eye on everyone. So far everyone has been going well despite the occasional mild headache and Ben is hopeful they will all be ready to go tomorrow to high camp.

Ben will call with more news in the days ahead so stay tuned!

FTA Khumbu Peaks and Passes - In Tenboche

2011-10-10T07:54:00.000-04:00

Ben sent in a couple of updates over the weekend and here they are for you to enjoy! They have already arrived in Tenboche and we'll have more news shortly!

FTA camp site in the heart of Namche © Ben Kane

Oct 8, 2011
From Ben in Namche

Greetings from Namche Bazaar!

After waking up at 4:30am and a few expected delays in the airport, we finally took off for Lukla airstrip. This truly is one of the most amazing plane flights in the world and for some the highlight of the trip into the Solo Khumbu valley.

We had a quick repack of gear in Lukla and then it was straight onto the trail, stopping for a lazy lunch and getting into Phakding mid-afternoon, arriving to our tents already set up and more hot drinks awaiting us. Everyone had a lovely nights sleep with the sound of the river cascading close by, and up bright and early with 'bed-tea' (chai served to us in our sleeping bags!), a hearty breakfast and off on the trail early. It's great to get going early as it is cool and the air is crisp and clear.

We finally made it into Namche early afternoon, which involves a steep hill climb, but the views from the top are worth it! Unfortunately we couldn't see Everest due to some clouds but many of the awesome peaks surrounding Namche were peering out through the cloud.

Tomorrow we plan a hike up to Khunde Ri, and a circuit over to Khumjung (a visit to the bakery) and some sightseeing around town.

All the best and more to come!
Ben

Trekking above Namche © Ben Kane

Oct 9, 20011
From Ben in Namche

Today we went for a hike up to Khumjung by way of Syangboche (and the amazing high altitude airstrip) and had a very quick view of Everest, Lhotse and Ama Dablam before the clouds set in. We made it back down to Namche for lunch and hot drinks. We all did some laundry and lazed about in
the warm afternoon sun after our big day out.

Tomorrow we are up early for our hike up to Tengboche, and hopefully we'll get a peek inside the famous monastery. Everyone is feeling really good and acclimatising well which bodes well for the coming days of ascent.

Stay tuned, more from the trail,
Ben


FTA Khumbu Peaks & Passes 2011 team in Kathmandu. From L to R :Seng, Matttias, Veronika, Richard and Ben

[Below are some additional pics from our files to help you enjoy the scenery!]

Namche Airstrip © Stu Remensnyder

Model Trekker sign at the Sagarmartha Park entrance © stu remensnyder

Waking up to a hot tea on the trail! © stu remensnyder

Crossing a bridge below Namche © stu remensnyder

Porter loads taking a break on the trail :-) © stu remensnyder

Noshaq 2012 Pilot Program

2011-10-10T07:30:00.000-04:00

Noshaq base-camp with the west ridge in the background © Louis Munier

Noshaq 2012 Pilot Program

Send us your name and email address to get on the updates list for this trip next year in the Hindu Kush.

Team size max of 12 and as a new program in 'recce mode' costs will be kept as low as possible. While the hill is only 62kms from Chitral, we'll be going in via Dushanbe and Ishkashim ensuring we dont stand on any Afghan territory while holding only Pakistani visas - the summit is in Afghanistan, while much of the rest of the mountain is in Pakistan!

FTA Khumbu Peaks and Passes - In Namche!

2011-10-08T07:47:00.000-04:00

Ben dropped us a note a few minutes ago to let us know that they have reached Namche and eveyone is feeling well. They will have an acclimatization day tomorrow which usually includes run to the famous Khumjung Bakery for a pizza lunch at the "world's highest bakery"!

Ben will drop us an update before they head off in a few days towards Island Peak.

FTA Khumbu Peaks and Passes - under way!

2011-10-06T07:44:00.000-04:00

All of our members are assembled in Kathamndu and they will fly to Lukla in the morning to get the trip truly under way! Ben will post a pic of the team shortly and we'll have a full opening dispatch shortly!

FTA Satopanth 2011 - Back in BC with Champagne!

2011-09-24T08:09:00.001-04:00

Spantik update - Safe in BC and headed out tomorrow!
Ben called in from BC to let us know that Gavin pulled out a stash of champagne and they had a great toast to the success of the trip last night! They will enjoy a final day today at BC getting packed up and ready to go when porters will arrive on the 25th. They will be out to Gangotri on the 26th and back in Delhi on the 29th if all goes well.

We will look forward to seeing all the photos from the climb and post a bunch here in a weeks time!

Next Trips for FTA
Already we are getting prepared in Nepal as we head to the Khumbu with Island Peak, Lobuche, Ama Dablam and more in the months ahead! We have some space still on out Oct & Nov trips so let us know if you fancy a challenging climb on a high peak or if you want to undertake one of the great treks to Everrest Base Camp!

We are already filling up our February Aconconcagua False Polish trip and have comfirmed Polish Glacier climbs in January and February as well. We are nearing confirmation of Ecuador trips and have spaces in January and February.

Farther Ahead
We have had a lot of interest in our new Noshaq trip for next summer as well as a confirmed trip to Stok Kangri next September. Along with our usual Cho Oyu in April/May, Broad Peak & G2 in June/July and Spanik in August we are hopeful to add Nanga Parbat and a host of new "prep" trips to our lineup.

Prep trips
Heading to a high peak and want a specific prep trip without the delays and challenges of high altitude? Join FTA guides for 8000m & 7000m prep trips in the Cascades (USA). Add a little more altitude and join us in Ecuador , Alaska & Argentina for prep trips as well. Watch our site for more info in the weeks ahead or drop us a note and we'll add you to our mailing list!

FTA Satopanth 2011 - Summits!!!!

2011-09-22T08:26:00.000-04:00

from Stu in the USA office
Sept 22, 2011

Ben has just called in with the good word from C2 - he and Nicole and Scott all topped out at 1:45pm!!!

They left C2 at about 5am and after nine hours of fantastic climbing and great view they reached the top and enjoyed great views of Shivling, Bhagirathi, Nanda Devi and more! The descent back to C2 took them about 4 hours of careful climbing on the sharp ridges and they were "a bit shagged" by the time they plunked down in their tents.

They were welcomed back by the HAP's Suresh and Sawan who had waited in reserve at C2 in case of any troubles on the summit bid. Ben said that aside from a few clouds and bit of wind they had a perfect day for the summit and Scott has already proclaimed it to be one of the best trips he's ever been on!

Ben has been on quite a few peaks (including Ama Dablam, Cho Oyu & Broad Peak) and sadi the route was as spectacular as anything he's been on. There is no doubt that this is one of the best remote and exciting climbs we have in the FTA lineup and we look forward to coming back in 2012 for a third successful trip!

When Ben gets back into Delhi in a weeks time we'll put up a bunch of pics from this years exped and in the meantime you can enjoy a few from our 2009 trip!

FTA Satopanth 2011 - Summit Bid Ahead!

2011-09-21T12:31:00.000-04:00

From Stu in the USA office
Sept 21, 2011

Satopanth Update
Ben called in just a few hours ago from C2 at 6000m to let us know that they are in position to make a summit bid tomorrow!

The route has been fixed out across the ridge (which leads to a sometimes used C3 at 6400m) and they plan to make a push from C2 to the top along with a Dutch team that is on the hill. At this time we have Ben, Suresh, Sawan, Nicole and Scott ready to leave at 4:30am for the top! Gavin is down at BC and doing well and ready to cheer them on as they make the push.

As they plan to leave from the base camp on the 25th or 26th at this time they have some room for a second attempt but this will be likely their best moment. The weather is perfect and it has not snowed in some days so the conditions are quite stable. They have the steep part of the ridge prepared and have a strong number of climbers to push the route where needed!

C2 vs C3 for a summit bid?
Making a push from C2 on Satopanth is akin to making a push from C2 on Ama Dablam. The benefits include being able to move lighter on steep sections without tents, sleeping bags, food, fuel and sleeping a bit lower means a better night of rest before the push. It does make a for a longer day and without a higher camp they may feel the altitude a bit more. So their acclimatization and fitness will be tested for sure but they feel that the effort to push all the gear up to a C3 is not worth it for them as they feel they have the speed and strength for a summit from C2. The Dutch team is feeling the same way so that is good!

Ben plans to call in at the end of the day and let us know how the effort and we'll post the news as soon as we have it.

Earthquake not felt at Satopanth
I asked about the earthquake and Ben said they never felt anything at all and had not seen any unusual avalanche activity. I shared the news of the event and the damage to life and property in India, Tibet and Nepal and he was sad to hear the update. He and the entire team share their condolences to everyone affected by the quake.

Next for FTA
Ben will come out from this trip and head right back to Nepal to lead our Oct 5 Khumbu Peaks & Passes trip and then our Nov 4 Ama Dablam. We have spaces on both trips still with last minute discounts available so let us know!

FTA Satopanth 2011 - Update from C1

2011-09-19T07:23:00.000-04:00

from stu in the usa office
Sept 19, 2011

Satopanth Update
Everyone at Satopanth is doing well and the route has now been pushed through to C2! Ben is at C1 and headed up to join the HAPs Suresh and Sawan in C2 tomorrow. Suresha nd Sawan are working on the route above C2 and Ben will join them and hopefully establish a high camp for a summit assault.

Nicole and Scott and Gavin are all at BC after the round of acclimitzation runs. Gavin has decided to give up his summit attempt as his ankle simply is not healing up quick enough to manage the demands of uneven surfaces constantly torquing an old injury. He does however plan on enjoyig some day walks near BC in the meantime and joining the team for the walk back out to Gangotri. Scott and Nicole have already had nights at C2 and are ready to go for a summit bid on the 22nd if all goes well. They have a great stretch of weather right now and they have an excellent window for a summit bid ahead!

Earthquake in Sikim
There has been a very serious earthquake with an epicenter in Sikkim which has shaken Kathmandu and Delhi and caused damage and fatalities in India, Nepal and Tibet. We have many friends in the region and we are very concerned for their safety and still getting word from around the region. We know that the quake was felt very severely in Kathmandu and it caused a lot of damage including a large wall on the British Emnassy that collapsed.

http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/asiapcf/09/19/india.earthquake/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44568554/ns/world_news-south_and_central_asia/

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-14967812

In 2009 our team was on the summit ridge when they felt the mountain waver under them due to an earthquake that was quite close to them.

http://fieldtouring.blogspot.com/2009/09/earthquake-at-satopanth.html

Ben plans to call in later on and we'll have the latest from C2 shortly. At that time we'll also find out of they felt the effects of the earthquake. Ben's latest dispatch was after the earthquake so we know they are all fine.

FTA Satopanth - C1 Established!

2011-09-13T05:56:00.003-04:00

from stu in the UA office

Satopanth Update
Ben has left an audio dispatch (see below) which unfortunately is a little garbled in spots due to the bad connection with the Thuraya satellites and we'll have him put up another tomorrow and hope it connects better!

Fortunately Ben also called into the office and over two phone calls we were able to catch up on all the news from Satopanth!

At this time Nicole and Scott are up for the night at C1 and enjoying some pretty good views from up there! All of the FTA ropes and tents and stove and gear has been taken up to C1 and tomorrow Ben, Gavin and the HAP's hope to get their first night in C1 as well. Yesterday the entire crew took a good walk up to C1 and made the main load carry. Ben says it is just a 3 hour cruise and gains about 200 vertical meters. Above C1 the real climbing starts and at this time there are a few other teams above that have been pushing the route through to near C2 so hopefully when our turn comes we'll have some of the route set and we can finish off any pieces needing more attention. Tomorrow when Ben is up in C1 he'll have a good check in with the other teams on the hill and we'll begin to formulate a good plan.

As long as the weather holds there is a good chance our team will not return to base camp until they are done with the attempt! Nicole and Scott are a very experienced pair and will be moving as strongly as they can on the hill and likely ahead of Ben, Gavin and even the HAP's! Gavin is nursing a flare up in an old ankle injury so there may be an extra rest day or two built into the schedule and we'll hope it does not slow him down too much!

We'll have more news in the days ahead of the progress so check in often!

Birthday Gift - Satopanth Expedition
Birthday's on expedition are quite special and I am sure Nicole will not forget this particular one in Gangotri with Satopanth awaiting her just around the bend! I have been lucky enough to celebrate a few in Nepal and can see each one quite clearly (including three on FTA Ama Dablam expeditions with cakes made by our famous disco-chef Ratna Man Gurung!) Ben has now had a few in Pakistan under the flanks of Broad Peak and K2 - not a bad spot either! We would all recommend that you look for a great expedition during a birthday and enjoy impromptu cake in a remote environment! Let us know if one of our trips fit and what kind of cake you like!

Satopanth History

Satopanth had an early attempt by a German group in 1938 during the period of when German and Austrian expeditions were in full swing and included the first ascent of the Eiger's Nordwand by a group including Heinrich Harrer (Seven Years in Tibet ). The German team reached 20,000ft but were barred by the rocky ridge and the fact that they had only 2 climbers. The exploration and climbs that they dod accomplish on their trip make a great read!

http://www.himalayanclub.org/journal/the-german-expedition-to-the-gangotri-glacier-1938/#_ftnref1

In 1966 there was another attempt by a team consisted largely of a group of "Calcutta" climbers as they called themselves and had a supporting cast of Sherpas (including Everest summiteer Karma). They began too late in the season and ran into winter conditions and the climb was abandoned in mid Octoberr. The team moved on from Satopanth to climb nearby Bhagirathi II with four members reaching the top on Oct 20. During the descent there was a tragic fall and in the end three of the summiteers succumbed to injuries on the mountain. The full report can bea read below and is quite heartbreaking.

http://www.himalayanclub.org/journal/chaturangi-expedition-1966/

The peak was finally climbed by a Swiss team in 1947 and then it was another 33 years til it ewas climbed again! A report from a team in 1998 has quite a good history of many of the climbs and is a worthwhile read for anyone wanting to know more about the history of the area.

http://www.himalayanclub.org/journal/satopanth-—-the-mountain-of-good-faith/

Shivling next?
As this is our second expedition to Satopanth we are interested in expending our offerings in the region and Shivling and Kamet loom large. If you are interested in joining us in 2012 or 2013 let us know!

FTA Satopanth 2011 tean in Gangotri © arun chowdhury

Birthday for Nicole in Gangotri © arun chowdhury

Satopanth from near C1 © veronika bartova

ipadio: FTA's Channel - 30th phonecast

2011-09-10T06:18:00.001-04:00

ipadio: FTA's Channel - 29th phonecast

2011-09-10T06:14:00.001-04:00

FTA Satopanth - Gangotri rest day!

2011-09-07T15:58:00.000-04:00

from stu in the usa office
Sept 7, 2011

Team update

Ben called in at the end of the day today to let us know that the team had had a great walk from the small town of Gangotri (3050m). Along the way they gained about 400m and enjoyed great views and

They celebrated Nicole's birthday today with a cake Arun had somehow managed to secretly bring along from Uttarkashi. How it survived intact is one of the new miracles of the Ganges but survive it did!

Tomorrow they will hope to get off by 9am to head to Bhujbasa at 3700m and enjoy a first day on the trek to base camp!

Ben will plan to send in an audio dispatch so stay tuned!

Photos so you can follow along!

In 2009 on our last trip to Satopanth we ha a lot of great images taken by Veronika Bartova and i have put one below. To view the entire gallery you can go to her great site! Veronika is heading off on our Khumbu Peak and Passes trip starting October 5th so we'll look for some more amazing pics!

http://www.e-veronika.eu/foto/08IndieHimalajSatopanth_2009/index.html

Gangotri Temple © Veronika Bartova

FTA Satopanth - Uttarkashi today Gangotri tomorrow!

2011-09-06T16:04:00.000-04:00

From Ben in Uttarkashi
Sept. 6, 2011

The drive up from Rishikesh was quite amazing. The road was in poor shape
and we had to stop a number of times to wait for landslides to be cleared.
Having said that, it was fun and everyone was in good spirits. The drive is
very scenic, passing by a huge dam (26km long), according to our Liason
Officer, it is the largest in Asia and still not expected to be full until
2025!

We arrived mid afternoon in Uttarkashi and went up to the Nehru Institute
of Mountaineering. We spent some time strolling around the campus and
really appreciated the serenity - it is a very beautiful campus amongst a
pine forest, up the hill and away from the hustle and bustle that is
Uttarkashi. We met a number of NIM instructors (many with impressive climbs
under their belts). I highly recommend visiting NIM if you pass through
Uttarkashi.

We are now doing some last minute shopping in Uttarkashi and will depart
shortly. Apparently the road conditions up to Gangotri are worse than
yesterday, so wish us luck!

More from Gangotri.

Ben

====

Notes from the USA office:

The dam is to be built on the Bhagirathi_River which already has many dams which have slowed the waters natural flow and like many places this has had its share of positive (renewable energy source) and negative impacts (environmental, local fishing, poulution,agriculture). To learn more i have a few links below...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhagirathi_River

a few things from the wiki site...

"The word "Bhagirathi" (Sanskrit, literally, "caused by Bhagiratha") refers to a mythological Sagar Dynasty prince who, to gain the release his 60,000 great-uncles from the curse of saint Kapila, brought the goddess Ganga in the form of the river Ganges, from the heavens to the earth."

"The headwaters of the Bhagirathi Ganga are formed at Gaumukh (elevation 3,892 metres (12,769 feet)), at the foot of the Gangotri glacier and Khatling glaciers in the Garhwal Himalaya."
The dam project is not without any oposition and controversy. Check here for one site which will give you some insight:
http://peasantautonomy.org/uttarkashi-rivers-dry.html

A trip to Satopanth is not simply a climb but a full on cultural experience. The travel and trek alone will leave as many poignant memories seared in the minds of our members as they will have from the 7000m knife edge climbing. Not the least will be a personal journey up and back along the waters crucial to people from large city of Delhi all the way to the small villages like Gangotri.

The enormously important rivers that our climbers encounter on our trips in Pakistan, Nepal, Argentina, Ecuador, Tibet support a huge percentage of the worlds population. It is a striking thing to come into personal contact with the waters (or headwaters) which flow from the mountains to the seas along the Indus, Ganges, Dudh Khosi, Yarlung Zangbo and Patate, Mekong, Amazon and more. Some examples to whet the appetite for travel....

• On the trek out from K2 base camp you watch ancient ice melt and begin the journey that will take it by Askole, Skardu, Islamabad and out to the Arabian Sea.

• The melting drops from Satopanth will make their way to the Bhagirathi (passing Gangotri and Rishikesh) to the Ganges, where it joins water from Nanda Devi in Allahabad, makes its way to Varanassi (the City of Learning and Burning), joins water from Everest, Annapurna, Kanchenjunga, and finally empties out near Dhaka in rthe Bay of Bengal.

It will be in interesting project (some day!) to list all of rivers visited by the waters of the annual melting snow!

FTA Satopanth under way - Rishikesh!

2011-09-05T08:25:00.002-04:00

from Stu in the USA office

Ben has sent in two dispatches and I have them below. We'll be adding some pics along the way from our archives and fresh shots after the trip so come back often!

------

September 3

Greetings from New Delhi,

Today we received our climbing permit for Satopanth, meaning we are now pretty much set to leave Dehli tomorrow morning. Gavin arrived yesterday and got to experience true Delhi with a crazy rickshaw ride conveniently ending up at a large persian rug shop offering what was said to be the
"most spectacular deals on the highest quality rugs". (I bet!)

Nicole and Scott arrive tonight, rounding out our small team and will be met by Arun, our local agent here in Delhi.

The plan is to depart early tomorrow for Rishikesh, aiming to get in around mid-afternoon, giving us time to have a stroll around and take in the culture. The drive itself will likely be an experience in itself, and those of you that have experienced Indian traffic understand that it can be both terrifying and exciting. Somehow the chaos works!

All the best for now and check back for more updates.

Ben

------

From Rishekesh
Sept 4, 2011

We got into Rishikesh an hour ago. Had a great lunch at a roadside restaurant that put the high-end Indian restaurants at home to shame. I forgot how much richer the spices are here.

Everyone is doing well. We lodged our insurance details with the IMF this morning so as far as I know we've covered everything we needed to from their point of view.

About to watch the floating lamps down the river!

Group dynamics is great. Scott, Nicole, Gavin are all doing great and we are enjoying the entire staff - especially our LO Rakesh. He is an amazing young man - he's climbed Bhagarati 3, so he's probably the strongest in our group!

Ben

[note: Rishikesh is the location of the ashram of the Maharashi Mahesh Yogi which the Beatles famously visited in 1968 for an advanced transcendental meditation training
Read more at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Beatles_in_India
While they were there they wrote (or co-wrote) at least 30 songs and by some counts 48 songs in 7 weeks including Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-D, Back in the U.S.S.R., Blackbird, Dear Prudence, Revolution, Rocky Raccoon. If you are looking for a place to revitalize your creative instincts we can recommend it!]

FTA Spantik 2011 Recap

2011-09-05T07:28:00.002-04:00

From Tim in Kathmandu
5th September, 2011

FTAs 2011 Spantik expedition got off to a flying start, literally, with all members directly connecting their international flights with the domestic flight to Skardu bypassing Islamabad altogether!

The trek in to Spantik is really spectacular, the highlights being camping in the green fertile Valley by Arandu Village and the trek across the amazing flat expanse of the Chogo Lugma Glacier.

We arrived in Base camp to find the joint Australian /Pakistan Military team packing up in preparation to leave the mountain the next morning, which they did in a Mi18 helicopter! While it was a little annoying for us having to restrain our camp from being blown down to the Glacier under the down draft for the chopper, it did leave us the mountain all to our selves which was really cool!

The next 2 weeks we had a mixture of beautiful views to the surrounding peaks and glaciers and torrential rain and snow storms which the members battled through valiantly. The two weekd culminated in three perfect days of clear calm weather in which we pushed the route up to an incredibly scenic camp 3. The vista from camp 3 revealed brilliant views of K2, Broad Peak, the Gasherbrums, the Latoks and many more!

On the morning of the 22nd we arose at 3am to another perfect weather day with all members feeling fit, acclimatised and confident of getting high on the mountain. Our HAPs did a great job for us breaking trail up the SW ridge, at times with over knee-deep snow, to reveal a beautiful snow dome summit at about 8am. From the top of Spantik we were treated to yet more incredible views all around, from Rakaposhi in Hunza back over to K2 and the Karakorum peaks !

FTA 2011 members on top!

The next afternoon all members were safe and well back in base camp and celebrating the teams shared success with a bottle of 10year old whiskey (supplied by Phillip - thanks very much!).

We have to thank the local staff who did a great job on the trip, the kitchen staff in particular were excellent, probably the best base camp food I've had and not a single illness amongst the members for the entire expedition!

In short, great trek, great climb and great team, thanks very much !

I'll get a load of pics up shortly so look back on the blog for images from the trek and climb!

Tim

FTA Spantik 2011 - Back in BC!

2011-08-23T12:47:00.001-04:00

Aug 23, 2011

Spantik Update - Safe and Sound in BC and Celebrating the Summit!
Tim called in to let us know that the entire team was back in BC today and already enjoying 10 year-old whiskey! After sitting out some weather in C2 they had two perfect days of clear and calm weather for the summit push. Time said the route was in great shape and they had an excellent climb to the top. He added that the view they had for those days were as good as any he's had in the hills - and that is from one who has been to the top of Everest!

They will have a good celebration tonight and, for the first time in a while, have almost nothing to do tomorrow except relax and enjoy the afterglow of a successful summit.

They have ordered up the porters and will be heading out on the morning of the 26th to complete the quick two day exit to Arandu. If all goes well they plan to be in Skardu on the afternoon of the 27th and enjoying hot showers and soft beds!

This will leave them the next 2 days to leisurely sort, clean and dry gear from the climb, play cards, sleep and simply enjoy the magnificent vistas from base camp.

Tim will check in with another update tomorrow and then we should have much more once they are back in Skardu and Islamabad!

View to Spantik BC © Sean James

Spantik C3 © Veronika Bartova

Next up for FTA - Satopanth
Tim will be flying over to Nepal with a bunch of gear for our autumn trips in Nepal and India and is looking forward to eating pizza at the Fire and Ice when he gets there!

High on Satopanth © Chris Szymiec

He'll be handing over our Goal Zero power system to Ben who will bring it along on our Satopanth expedition which begins on Sept 3. The Goal Zero setup has worked very well for us and it is a nice integrated system of panels, batteries and ports. Highly recommended!

Upcoming Trips with spaces:

Ama Dablam/Island Peak Oct 1 -31 *
Khumbu Peaks and Passes Oct 5-31**
Everest BC trek Nov 4 - 25
Ama Dablam/Island Peak Nov 4 - Dec 4*
Ecuador Jan 5-14 with Cotopaxi
Aconcagua False Polish Jan 10-Jan 31 & Feb 5-25
Aconcagua Polish Jan 10 -31 & Feb 5-25

*You can join our Ama Dablam/Island Peak trip for both peaks or for just Island Peak!
**The Peaks and Passes trip can be joined by trekkers or climbers. Climbs include Island Peak, Pokalde, Lobuche E and Gokyo Ri. Passes include Kongma La, Cho La and Renjo La

FTA Spantik 2011 - SUMMITS!

2011-08-22T11:55:00.003-04:00

Aug 22, 2011

Tim called in from the top of Spantik at around 9am local time today to let us know the entire team had topped out. They had quite a few nights in C2 awaiting a good opening in the weather and have made the best of it! This is a well deserved summit as the team had a good share of snow and rain in BC early on and managed to keep their spirits high with cards and books in BC!!

Congratulations to Tim, Hanna, Marius, Dolors, Javier, Philip, Rita and Taqui!

We'll have more details in the days ahead as they make their way back to BC, on out to Arandu and finally hot showers in Skardu!

The entire 8km Spantik Ridge! © Sean James

FTA 2011 Trip updates: K2, Spantik, Satopanth, Nepal, Argentina Ecuador and more!

2011-08-13T08:24:00.001-04:00

K2 update - back in Skardu
Chris has dropped us a note from Skardu to let us know that he, sophie, lakpa and the entire staff are back in town and done with the long trekking days to come out. the treks are typically 8-10 hours a day and are a bit of a grind after already being so tired from the climb but no one wants to extend the trek much as soft beds, hot showers and fresh food beckon! Chris will check in again from Islamabad with a general trip report and update. They are hoping to fly today to Islamabad if the weather cooperates!

It looks like Wim Smets has become the first Belgian to top out on Broad Peak so we congratulate him for that! Sophie has made the shortest triple 8000m summits with Cho Oyu, Lhotse and Broad Peak in less than three months - not to mention an attempt on K2 to boot! There may be other firsts or interesting facts ahead and we'll post them here as we learn about them.

Spantik Update - back in BC
Tim called in to let us know there was considerable rain and poor weather but his transmission was quite garbled. They were back in BC again after the first push up to C1. We have had a number of periods this summer where the Thuraya connections have been quite bad and we'll expect a full report when the satellites allow!

Satopanth
Our team will be assembling in Delhi in early September and we'll begin dispatches at that time. A remote and challenging 7000m peak, it will be the second time FTA has tacked it with a successful trip in 2009 our first.

Ama Dablam
We have two trips this autumn that will be getting under way in early October and early November respectively. We have spaces available on both so let us know if you are interested! Our November 4 trip is filling fast so spaces are limited!

Khumbu Peaks and Passes
4 peaks and 3 passes in 24 days in the heart of the Khumbu is hard to beat! Island Peak, Lobuche E, Pokalde and Gokyo Ri for climbers and we welcome trekkers to join us as well. During the climbing days the trekkers will have great side trips or relaxing days looking out at the great peaks. Spaces for cliombers and trekkers available still.

Farther ahead...

Aconcagua and Ecuador
We have quite a few trips from November through to the end of February on Aconcagua's False Polish, Polish Glacier and normal routes as well as Cotopaxi, Cayambe and other great peaks in Ecuador.

New Trips: Stok Kankri and Noshaq
Join us in India or Afghanistan in 2012... contact us for the pilot programs. We plan on Noshaq in July and Stok Kangri in September. We'll be setting the exact dates in the next few months but both trips will run about 24 days.

Check out our site for all the details!

FTA Spantik 2011 - headed to C1!

2011-08-09T12:49:00.001-04:00

from stu in the usa office
9 August, 2011

Tim called in to let us know that everyone is doing really well and ready for the climb. They arrived at base camp after a beautiful trek in Arandu and found themselves one of two teams at BC. Tim said he was really taken with the expansive and flat glacier walk in and had never seen anything like it. We commonly find that members who have been to the Khumbu, Tibet, Evest, Ecuador, Peru and more find that the Spantik scenery is the finest they have ever encountered. It will be great to see all the team's pictures when they come out! In the meantime enjoy pics from previous trips below!

The other team was a joint Australia/Pakistan army team so they had some nice company! The base camp is situated about 250m above the Chogo Lugma glacier and provides a phenomenal vantage point for our team. After settling in for the night the team arose the next am to practice some fixed line work and enjoy an acclimatizing day. They were greeted with a series of 7 MI8 helicopter loads as the army team decided to call the expedition and had all their gear airlifted out! Tim said the wash from the chopper blades made a bit of mahyem with personal tents and mess tent but in the end was a good show! The members as well caught rides on the helicopters so avoided the long march out to Arandu!

The departure of the army team leaves our tiny band of climbers and staff the only expedition on the entire 7027m mountain...a glorious opportunity to climb a big remote peak with zero crowds! It has been common on our trips to Spantik to have 2-3 other teams at a time at BC and to have some company on the hill but rarely more than this. It is one of the great aspects of our Spantik expedition to have such a wonderful peak to enjoy such superb climbing with few crowds ever. Already we are making plans for next august so drop us a note if you have interest in climbing a moderate 7000m peak!

The team took advantage of the sudden calm to take a walk up to C1 the 7th of August and returned for a good supper and the joy of knowing they had a rest day to follow. The rest day of August 8th was spent prepping loads and readying for the first true foray up the hill. Today they have headed up to C1 to spend the night and enjoy an even great view of the valley below as well as to begin to get good close up views of the enormous 8km ridge they will have to climb to reach the top. If all goes well they will take loads up to C2 tomorrow and then drop all the way back to base camp. The next cycle will see them spending the night at C2 before descending or possibly making a full summit push. Based on how everyone is feeling this time around Tim will let us know the plan!

More news from Spantik to come!

FTA Spantik 2011 team and staff © Dave Hancock

view to Spantik on the trek in from Arandu

Trekking through Arandu village © chris szymiec


Nearing Spantik on the Chogo Lugma Glacier © Chris Szymiec

C2 on Spantik © Chris Szymiec

ipadio: FTA's Channel - 28th phonecast

2011-08-07T02:19:00.002-04:00

FTA K2 2011 - Summit Push Aborted

2011-08-06T11:09:00.000-04:00

From Stu in the usa office
6 August 2011

After pushing to C4 and spending the night in preparation for a summit attempt the winds were simply too strong and Sophie, Lakpa and all HAP's have descended to C2. On Sunday they will drop back to BC and we expect to have more news and updates when they are down safe and sound.

The team will need to clear the higher camps of gear on the 8th and be ready for the porters on the 9th or 10th.

We are glad that our K2 team has given the mountain a good effort but summits attempts are simply not possible in the winds they had and even high winds are coming in tomorrow leaving no more windows for our team this summer.

Chris will be dropping a few audio dispatches in the days ahead and a final report when he gets back to Skardu in a few days time.

Meanwhile over on Spantik our team led by Tim Colquhoun is already in BC and getting ready to begin tackling one of the great 7000m peaks in Pakistan! Stay tuned to follow their progress beginning shortly!

ipadio: FTA's Channel - 27th phonecast

2011-08-04T07:58:00.002-04:00

FTA K2 2011 - Summit Push update

2011-08-04T07:10:00.000-04:00

from Stu in the USA office

Chris called in to let us know that the summit push is under way and they reached C3 on the 3rd as planned. Sophie, Lakpa, Farhad, Aziz and Said were in C3 last night and hope to push to C4 today. Rob came back down to BC after pushing towards C3 and is reconsidering his options at this time.

The winds have been very strong even at base camp so they will be watching carefully this afternoon and evening for the very latest reports before making a final call on a summit bid on the 5th. All members are safe and sound and Chris will have more later today on how the push to C4 has gone. Stay tuned!

FTA K2/Broad Peak 2011 - Update from K2 BC

2011-07-31T11:55:00.003-04:00

From Stu in the USA office,
31st July, 2011

Chris has called in with an update from K2 where the team is now resting in preparation for a summit bid. Lakpa, Chris and the HAPs (Farhad, Aziz and Said) have now carried gear (rope, tents etc) and oxygen in C2 in preparation for a summit push this week. Everyone is back at BC with a rest day planned for August 1st. As it stands they plan to ascend to C2 on the 2nd, C3 on the 3rd, C4 on the 4th and then make a summit bid on the 5th. They are running into deep snow high on the route and this will represent a real challenge to establishing camp on the Shoulder in the days ahead so there will be a need for sharing the hard work to do.

They are hopeful to make a bid on Friday the 5th and the weather will dictate this possibility. The predictions have been for calm summit winds for the 2nd to 5th but there looks now to be rising summit winds on the 5th so that window may close before they can make this push in which case they will hope for another window the following week.

At this time FTA members Sophie, Rob and Lakpa will plan to make a summit bid with Chris planning to be in C2 in support during the bid. Farhad, Aziz and Said plan to deposit O2 and other gear in C4 and return to C3 on the 3rd. It is a real challenge for them to deliver these supplies to C4 and our success will depend a lot on how successful they are in their role. They have worked very hard for for our team on Broad Peak and have been a tremendous asset to the expedition as a whole.

Chris notes that the group of climbers now assembled on the Cesen are largely familiar to each other and that they are cooperating very well. Among them are FTA alum Alex Txicon who became the youngest Basque climber to reach an 8000m summit in 2003 on Broad Peak. As well Bruno Buchet who was with FTA in 2005 on Broad Peak is on the hill and joining to push. Fabrizio and Kinga who had planned to climb a different route but have been forced by conditions back on to known ground. Christian, Gerfried and more round out the assembled group. Initially teams were to have been on up to three different routes but now all hopes lie in the Cesen from the Pakistan side.

K2 from Broad peak BC © stu remensnyder

We'll have more news in the days ahead with the team's progress.

(Chris's dispatch is a bit garbled due to a poor connection but it worth a listen in!)

After long deliberation about making a bid on G2, Wim has decide to come on out and not make the climb. He had hoped that some teams would still be on the hill and the route in reasonable shape but by the sounds of it G2 is becoming quite deserted and not a safe enough objective without others on the hill. He should be out in 3 days to Skardu and we'll let you know when he is out.

The remainder of the team have all reached safely to Skardu and are on their way to Islamabad. They and all of us continue to have Jeff's loss very much affecting us and our thoughts are with Jeff's family and friends.

FTA K2/Broad Peak 2011 - Update

2011-07-31T11:12:00.000-04:00

From Dave in Skardu
31st July, 2011

As many of you have heard we tragically lost a team member on the descent of Broad Peak. I am in pakistan now trying to assist in any way possible. The main BP team have safely returned to Skardu, while Chris, Rob, Wim and Sophie have moved onto K2.

There are further details on Jeff's sad accident at our web-site, the whole team and staff extend their deepest sympathies

Dave

FTA K2/Broad Peak 2011 - Team back in BC

2011-07-26T15:24:00.002-04:00

From Stu in the USA office
26th July, 2011

Summit Update and Sad News

I write this note with great sadness to share that just a short time after celebrating summit success we were met with a tragic fall of one of our team climbers.

Yesterday after more than 12 hours of climbing our first member, Sophie, reached the summit and Wim and Andre followed a few hours later. Our HAP Farhad has broken trail for much of the way and without his effort it is hard to imagine they could have made the top. Farhad was some distance from the top when the three summiteers met him on their way down and they joined together for the main descent.

Down below the col Mike was descending along with Jeff and they were headed to C3. In the serac bands at approximately 7600m Mike had descended one of the fixed lines with Jeff just above when Jeff fell past Mike and went on another 300m. Jeff fall began in an area with seracs and after falling some distance on uneven slopes he disappeared into a large crevasse well off the route. Jeff's fall, which was seen from BC, was very serious and left little hope he could have survived. Mike was in no position to enter the crevassed area alone and with Chris's insistence returned to C3 to get more help to search for Jeff.

Over the ensuing hours 2 different groups (one including our HAP Said and another British group) attempted to reach the area where Jeff had ended up and they were both turned back by dangerous snow conditions. The other members returning from the summit had their hands full just getting back to C3 safely in the dark. They returned to C3 at approximately 2am after climbing for nearly 26 hours above high camp. In the morning the winds began to rise and any thoughts of trying again to reach where Jeff fell became impossible with the combined danger of the snow, the weather and the condition of the climbers. Descending safely became the only option and by 7am they had begun down.

After a near sleepless night and still suffering from the GI illness that affected them, Chris, Tim and Rob set out from BC very early to meet the descending group and reassess any chance to make a further attempt to search for Jeff's body. Still very weakened from the illness it was evident that they would not have the ability to mount any serious move to C3 even if the weather and snow conditions had allowed. It was with a very heavy heart that Chris made the final decision to call off any further search and had all members return to BC.

The remainder of our team is now at base camp after a very long 2 days. Tomorrow some members are scheduled to depart with porters and others to move over to K2. Given the events of the last 2 days that schedule may change. When they have had a night to rest and collect themselves they will update us with the next steps.

Our team members are devastated by the accident and send their deepest condolences to Jeff's family back in Hong Kong. We had waited to put this news out until we had contacted Jeff's family and ensured they were first to know. FTA principal Dave Hancock is already en route to Pakistan to help with team when they come out and to assist Jeff's family in any way he can from on the ground in Islamabad and Skardu.

We will have more news in the days ahead.

FTA K2/Broad Peak 2011 - Summit news

2011-07-25T04:50:00.029-04:00

from stu in the usa office
25th July, 2011

Chris has called in from Broad Peak to let us know that three members have summited and that the entire summit team is headed back to C3. At the time of Chris's dispatch Sophie, Wim and Andre had made the summit and were working their way down. Further down below the col Mike was descending with Jeff who was quite tired.

We'll have more updates in the hours ahead.

FTA K2/Broad Peak 2011 - Summit bid under way - team in C3!

2011-07-24T04:01:00.004-04:00

From Stu in the USA office
24 July, 2011

View from the Col to the summit ridge

Broad Peak Update - Summit push is on!
Chris has called in with the latest in the summit push and you can listen in below. The summit team is up in C3 and resting up, hydrating and eating as best they can in preparation for a 11pm/midnight departure.

At this time we have a summit team consisting of two of our HAP's and 5 members:
Said
Farhad
Wim
Jeff
Sophie
Andre
Mike

After a summer of high winds which have kept most teams grounded on Broad Peak or unable to climb much past C3 we have a good window over the next 24 hours with winds as low as 15-20 kmph and this will be the best chance for our team to place members high on the mountain.

The rest of the team is below on the hill or back in BC and (as Chris noted in an earlier dispatch) managing as best they can with a serious stomach bug that hit much of the team a few days back. It certainly much be a tough thing for them to be watching from below as the winds grow calm and the rest of the team moves up. For most of the team below this will mean an end to a chance to top out but a few still have more than 2 weeks remaining so may have another chance yet.

For the remainder they will need to muster their energies now to manage the trek out which is a full undertaking in and of itself. Some members may decide to delay their departure dates and have another go at the hill and in a few days we'll have an update on where and when everyone is headed. Tim for sure will have to head out as he is off to lead our upcoming Spantik trip! Rob still has our K2 climb ahead and will need a good rest after this push!

For those unable to make the summit push due to the stomach bug they will certainly be able to take some satisfaction for having been part of establishing camps, carrying loads and sharing in the common effort required of all expedition members to make progress on the hill. If a few of the team are able to stand on the top of the 12th highest peak on the planet shortly it will surely be a shared success for everyone.

K2 from the base of Broad Peak © stu remensnyder

K2 Update - Route in to C2
Over on K2 Lakpa has been putting in the route along with other teams and they have the Cesen route fixed to C2 and above at this point. It sounds like there is excellent cooperation already with other teams on K2 so this bodes well for having the route in to the shoulder in time for a summit bid in early August. The team contemplated switching to the Abruzzi when they arrived but after hearing about the consitent rockfall and poor conditions on the Duke's of Abruzzi's route it was clear the route was not on for this year. Fortunately the Cesen has turned out to be in excellent shape this year despite the tremendous meltout from last year.

In a few days we'll turn all of our attention to K2 and have much more from further down the Godwin-Austen glacier!

Stay tuned!

ipadio: FTA's Channel - 23rd phonecast

2011-07-23T23:34:00.001-04:00

ipadio: FTA's Channel - 22nd phonecast

2011-07-23T23:32:00.001-04:00

ipadio: FTA's Channel - 21st phonecast

2011-07-23T23:30:00.001-04:00

ipadio: FTA's Channel - 20th phonecast

2011-07-21T09:11:00.001-04:00

ipadio: FTA's Channel - 19th phonecast

2011-07-18T01:42:00.001-04:00

ipadio: FTA's Channel - 18th phonecast

2011-07-12T00:28:00.001-04:00

FTA K2/Broad Peak 2011 - Second round of acclimatization done...summit bids ahead!

2011-07-04T06:51:00.002-04:00

From Stu in the USA office
July 4, 2011

Chris has called in from BC to let us know that everyone is well and that most of team is in BC resting up for a summit bid. Sophie and Lakpa have remained high and are hoping for a break on Thursday in the winds to make a summit attempt. The remainder of the team is down at BC resting up for the next few days and then will hope for a good window perhaps around the 9th or 10th.

The camp 4 that sometimes we establish is often placed on a small flat area at around 7500m and it is quite a spot! It can reduce the summit day by a few crucial hours and especially when the summit ridge is giving short windows of low wind this can be the small advantage making a summit bid possible.

The lonely camp 4 at 7500m © stu remensnyder

The views from C4 are spectacular but one rarely gets much sleep there between the altitude and the anticipation of leaving early for a summit bid. The sun comes onto the slope quite late in the morning so it is a very cold start and the ridge offers the first rays of warming sun. With summit winds to remain at or above 30km/hr Sophie and Lakpa will have their work cut out for them to make it to the top and back safely.

They will have to negotiate the summit ridge which is quite steep on both sides and offers little protection from wind. We have seen summits in winds like this before but they are very demanding and most parties will wait for a lower winds. As Chris says in his dispatch Lakpa and Sophie will try to thread the weather needle later this week so we wish a great window for them!

In the image below you can see the true summit of Broad Peak well back to the left and the rocky summit directly ahead. The distance between the rocky and true summits is some 900m with only a 12m rise. With calm winds this is a lot of work and in high winds a nearly unimaginable amount of effort.

After reaching the top or a high point then one must negotiate a winding ridge back to the relative safety of the col at 7850m. From there it is a short rappel/downclimb to the main slopes leading back to high camp. This upper slope has a few narrow crevasses which must be negotiated. They can be hard to see from above and have been the site of at least a few serious accidents requiring evacs from high on the hill. After winding through the upper slopes it is finally back to the warm tent and a hot brew!

Summit ridge view to the col © stu remensnyder

We'll have more news shortly about any summit bids!

FTA K2/Broad Peak 2011 -Second round of acclimatization ahead!

2011-06-29T04:56:00.003-04:00

From Stu in the US office
July 29, 2011

Chris has called in with the good news that the team is ready to head up for its second round of acclimatizing and they are hoping to spend nights in C3 at approximately 7100m and then descend to BC. With nights in C3 they will be ready for a summit push the next time up so this is a critical push.

The weather has been unsettled but winds have not too bad below the summit ridge. Chris plans to call in with more info about exact member movement and we'll have that for you shortly!

A typical night at C3 the first time is not super pleasant and most people feel the altitude and the hard work to arrive. In 2003 Alex Txicon had a rough night but rallied to summit the next day!

Alex Txicon sleeping at C3 in 2003 © stu remensnyder

The climbing from C2 to C3 is quite steep and exposed at the start and requires a lot of attention and hard work with a full pack!

Climbing from C2 to C3 on Broad Peak © stu remensnyder

But the views from C3 are worth it!

FTA '03 Member Fred Muylaert enjoying a tea at C3 © stu remensnyder

ipadio: FTA's Channel - 14th phonecast

2011-06-26T11:06:00.000-04:00

ipadio: FTA's Channel - 13th phonecast

2011-06-26T11:03:00.001-04:00

ipadio: FTA's Channel - 12th phonecast

2011-06-26T10:59:00.001-04:00

FTA Broad Peak & K2 2011 - Summit push already under way!

2011-06-25T05:26:00.003-04:00

From Stu in the USA office
25th June, 2011

Chris has called in with the latest at BC which includes that the team already has two members, Lakpa Sherpa and Sophie Denis, with designs on a rapid summit bid ahead of the fixed lines and established camps!

They have been having great weather and everyone if feeling well (despite a few GI challenges here and there). They have been working well with two other teams on the hill, Altitude Junkies and DAV, and the sense of camaraderie is running high. They have the rope fixed already to C2 and will be pushing the route through to C3 in the days ahead.

Coming off of summits of Everest (Lakpa) and Cho Oyu and Lhotse (Sophie), the plan had been to push up as high as they could go and see how they felt. Well they are feeling great and going to make a quick bid for the top Alpine style. The summit winds are expected to rise by the end of the day on the 26th so they hope to be up and back to high camp well ahead of the end of the day. I have climbed with Lakpa a number of times and he is one of the fastest climbers i have seen. Sophie put in some very quick times on Cho Oyu and Lhotse so they seem to make a good team!

We'll have all the news coming as they go for a very early summit on Broad Peak.

FTA K2/Broad Peak 2011 - Broad Peak BC and all well!

2011-06-22T12:34:00.002-04:00

From Stu in the USA Office
June 23, 2011

Chris has called in with an update from Broad Peak BC to let us know everything is going well! The team is taking a few rest days and planning to head up to C1 in 2-3 days. In the meantime they are reviewing fixed line movement, sorting gear and enjoying the peace and solitude of the mountains!


moving on some fixed in 2003 © stu remensnyder

FTA K2/Broad Peak 2011 - In Goro II today and on to Broad Peak BC tomorrow!

2011-06-21T05:25:00.003-04:00

from stu in the usa office,
21 June 2011

Urdukas camp with the Trango Towers behind © stu remensnyder

Chris has called in from Goro II and left a great audio disapatch below. In it he shares the latest news from the K2/Broad Peak team. They had a great day trekking in from Urdukas and enjoyed a warm (25°C) day with superb views of Gasherbrum IV, Gasherbrum II, Broad Peak and Masherbrum!

River crossing near Goro II © stu remensnyder

In a normal year our team would tromp on up to the famed Concordia camp site and then take a short walk the next morning to Broad Peak BC. For the first time that i know of there is insufficient snow in Concordia and the team will be skipping this campsite on their way to Broad Peak base camp. By the end of last season the snow loss was dramatically greater than in typical years. This was due in large part to the conditions that caused the horrific flooding across great swathes of Pakistan. It remains to be seen how this will play out on the 8000m peaks in the Karakoram and potentially may mean icier or rockier conditions on Broad Peak and K2.

View to Broad Peak from Concordia © stu remensnyder

have a listen in below to Chris's dispatch from Goro II!

We have already had a lot of emails for climbers interested in 8000m peaks for next season including Broad Peak, Gasherbrum II & Gasherbrum I, Nanga Parbat & K2 for next summer so we expect to have quit a few of these climbs going!

Spantik will be running in August and we do still have some spaces available and can accept new members til the middle of July. No better first 7000m peak that we know of as it is a full expedition and includes fixed line climbing, roped team climbing, a remote setting and a stunning 8km summit ridge!

Trekking to K2 BC is something that everyone should add to a lifetime list of great places to visit. We have a departure slated for August 1 each year and welcome avid trekkers and climbers!

If you are interested in joining us for a great trip to Pakistan drop us a note at "info@fieldtouring.com" and we'll send you all the info!

For more information on all trips please visit our site www.fieldtouringalpine.com

ipadio: FTA's Channel - 7th phonecast

2011-06-19T08:36:00.001-04:00

FTA K2/Broad Peak 2011 getting under way!

2011-06-10T06:16:00.002-04:00

June10, 2011
From Stu in the USA office

We have an exciting summer ahead with a team of 17 climbers, guides and HAP's headed to Broad Peak and K2. This trip will be followed up by another great trip to 7027m Spantik so stay tuned all summer!

The K2 & Broad Peak trip officially begins today with members from all over the world arriving in Islamabad though one of our guides, Tim Colquhoun, has been working hard getting gear ready in Skardu. He'll be assisting on Broad Peak and then leading the Spantik team so he's going to get to know the gear room very well!

When Tim has not been too busy with checking out tents, stoves, pts and pans he has enjoyed some travel around Skardu and also up to Hushe where he met famed HAP Little Karim. Tim dropped the following note from dusty Skardu:

Just over a week into a 3 month trip to Pakistan ,my first ,and my only disappointment is that i didn't come here sooner ! From the bustling bazaar in Skardu to the mountain village of Hushe Ive been greeted with welcoming smiles and hand shakes every where !

Due to the bad press that Pakistan has been receiving, tourist numbers are well down at the moment, but the locals in Baltistan go out of their way to make you feel welcome ! The first expds have started to leave Skardu,with teams from Austria and France heading out to the Trango Towers and Laila Peak the last couple of days !

With Chris organising and sending gear out from KTM ,myself and some of ATPs HAPs going through the stores in Skardu and Stu and Dave coordinating from opisite sides of the globe , FTAs preparations for this seasons expds in Pakistan are nearing completion !

Im looking forward to meeting the rest of FTAs BP and K2 team in Skardu over the next few days and moving out into the Karakorum !

Looks like a great few months ahead !!!

Cheers Tim

Taken outside the Refugio Hushe, in the middle is "Little Karim ", most famous of all the Pakistani HAPs! He has climbed on all of the Karakorum 8000s, 10 times high on K2 and once carried a 25kg hanglider to the summit of G2, great guy !

Center of Skardu

Bridge en route to Hushe

Shangri-la Hotel

Lots more to come in the months ahead but in the meantime.....

Trip updates...

• FTA's fourth double to K2 & Broad Peak 2011 gets underway today! Led by Chris Szymiec and Lakpa Sherpa along with Tim Colquhoun and Kerr Adams
- Dispatches to start shortly at www.fieldtouring.blogspot.com
- Team page and links will be on our site shortly at www.fieldtouringalpine.com

• Spantik in August confirmed with limited spots still available.
Beautiful 7000m peak with 8km ridge climb! With Tim Colquhoun

• Satopanth in September also confirmed with spots still. Steep snow and ice to just over 7000m in With Chris Szymiec

• Khumbu Peaks & Passes confirmed in October and spots still available. Three peaks and three passes in just over 3 weeks! With Chris Szymiec

• Ama Dablam Nov 4 trip confirmed. Join us for our 7th year in a row!

• Aconcagua trips in Dec, Jan and Feb all beginning to fill so sign up soon!

• Ecuador Volcanoes in Dec, Jan and Feb also. Introductory level trips and 8000m prep trips both available!

all this and much much more ahead!

Turned Around

2011-05-16T13:18:00.000-04:00

Due to unexpected weather the team was forced to abandon their summit attempt. High winds blew in the night before their planned summit attempt and didn't subside until 3 that morning. Rather than risking a descent in the dark, the team retreated back to ABC to await a better weather window later in the week.

Have a listen!

ipadio: FTA's Channel - 6th phonecast

2011-05-15T00:02:00.001-04:00

Resting in ABC

2011-05-09T10:56:00.002-04:00

Ben phoned in from ABC to let us know that the remaining members of the team still in need of the summit are taking a few days off for some well deserved r&r before heading higher. Their plan is to start heading back up the hill on the 11th, then hopefully to the summit on the 14th.

Have a listen!

Be on the lookout for audio dispatches from the higher camps including one from the summit!

ipadio: FTA's Channel - 5th phonecast

2011-05-09T03:29:00.001-04:00

FTA Cho Oyu Expedition 2011 - Summits!!!

2011-05-06T03:08:00.002-04:00

from stu in the usa office
May 6th, 2011

SUMMITS
Ben has called in to let us know that Siddhi and Sophie has made a great effort to reach the summit of Cho Oyu in just over 22 days from Kathmandu! They had planned only to do a carry to C3 but instead felt strong, saw a good weather window and had some other teams to help push the route through. They topped out at 1:45pm Kathmandu time on the 5th and had great weather. They are making their way to ABC where they will be greeted with Lhasa Beer and a summit cake by Ratna!

NEXT UP!
Ben and Keith are feeling strong themselves after a good night at C2 and they will make a bid in the next weather window which looks to be around the 9th or 10th. They still have nearly two weeks left before they need to leave ABC so they do have plenty of time for good window.

Enjoy listening in to Ben's hoarse voice as he shares the news!

Looking ahead
We have a few spaces still for this summer's Broad Peak and K2 trip and are gearing up for Spantik in August and Satopanth and Cho Oyu for September. In October and November we have the Khumbu Three Peaks and Passes, Everest, BC treks, Island Peak climbs and Ama Dablam.

see our website for the latest dates and prices!
www.fieldtouringalpine.com

ipadio: FTA's Channel - 3rd phonecast

2011-05-02T09:52:00.001-04:00

ipadio: FTA's Channel - 2nd phonecast

2011-04-30T01:03:00.001-04:00

FTA Cho Oyu Expedition 2011 - On to C2!

2011-04-26T07:23:00.002-04:00

from stu in the usa office
27th April, 2011

Ben dropped this voice dispatch yesterday with the great news that the team had spent a night in C1 and that Sophie and Siddhi were planning on making a run to stay at C2 if all went well! Ben called in from ABC along with Keith and Ratna and it sounds as if the team is back on schedule with the route being pushed through the first ice fall and perhaps even to C2 by today!

After another short rest Ben will push with Keith to C2 and with nights in C2 the team will be then ready to mount a summit bid.

To see what a windy day looks like at c2 have a look at the FTA Youtube site:
http://www.youtube.com/user/fieldtouringalpine

I am sure in the next day or so we'll have lots more news about the progress of the team so stay tuned!

cheers,

stu

FTA Cho Oyu Expedition 2011 - C1 Established!

2011-04-25T06:15:00.000-04:00

from Stu in the USA Office
April 24, 2011

I had a good talk with Ben in ABC today and the team is doing very well having made the first carry to C1 yesterday and planning on a move to C1 for the night tomorrow. They have had a bit of snow every day but the winds have subsided so they are able to move about without any trouble on the hill. The forecast is for low winds and continued minor precipitation each day with the 27 and 28 looking quite a bit more clear.

Ben has also dropped a voice dispatch with the latest updates from ABC. Enjoy listening in!

FTA Cho Oyu Expedition 2011 - Member Evac to Kathmandu and all well

2011-04-22T09:04:00.001-04:00

From Stu in the USA office
22 April, 2011

Ben called in from IBC late yesterday to let us know that he had just successfully completed evacuating one of our members who had come down with suspected HAPE in the early morning hours of the 21st. She is already at this time back in Kathmandu and feeling much better. The rest of the team in doing well in ABC and waiting for Ben and Siddhi to return.

Evac recap
At around 4 am Pille awoke with a productive cough and poor presentation and Ben took immediate steps to ensure she got down to CBC as fast as possible. At that time in the morning there are few options and so Ben and Siddhi and Priit put considerable effort into carrying and assisting Pille out of ABC and all the way down through IBC to CBC. From what Ben shared it sounds like Siddhi carried Pille on his shoulder for a considerable portion of the evacuation giving further testament to his enormous strength and endurance. Thanks Siddhi!

Ben said that as Pille descended her condition improved markedly and she was under her own power by the time the reached CBC. After arriving at CBC a 4x4 jeep was arranged and Pille and Priit headed to the border which they reached by the end of the day.

Pille remained on oxygen throughout the evacuation as well as during the drive back to the border. One of the challenges of the drive is that one has to reascend on several passes and with no way to avoid that the best one can do is have oxygen as a precaution.Today they completed the trip back to Kathmandu and are resting up at our team hotel for a few days.

Meanwhile at ABC
Ben and Siddhi will both be back in ABC today and the team will get back to the work of moving gear and tests up to C1. Obviously both Ben and Siddhi will need a bit of rest after the effort to go all the way down to CBC and back to ABC but Keith and Sophie should be able to move on up to C1 with a carry in the morning. We'll have word from ABC in the next 24hours about the re vamped schedule and share that in our next dispatch.

We are sorry to have Pille and Priit have to leave the team as they were strong and positive members. They have some time ahead of them and our agent Nima will be helping them to arrange an alternative adventure once they have rested up and made a decision about what to do with their time.

About HAPE
High Altitude Pulmonary Edema (HAPE) is a medical condition in which fluid builds up in the lungs and blocks the body from bringing new oxygen into the blood stream causing a state of hypoxia. In some cases it can be severe enough to be fatal but typically with a rapid descent of several thousand feet the situation resolves and the body begins the process of reabsorbing the fluid that was building up in the lungs.

There are numerous signs and symptoms we look for in a suspected HAPE case and they can include a productive cough (progressing from clear to pink), lack of recovery after resting, cyanosis, breathsounds that have a gurgle or rattle to them and more. HAPE can present much like a chest cold, asthma or pneumonia but at altitude any difficulty breathing is assumed to be HAPE until otherwise proven.

Causes are varied but even a person taking good care to acclimatize on a reasonable schedule can succumb to HAPE. The treatments can included hyperbaric chambers and medications (niphedipine, dexamethasone, diamox and oxygen the most common) but there is nothing that is more important than a rapid descent. For some people this may be as little as 1000-2000ft but for others it may mean 4-5000ft or even a return all the way to see level. In our case the drop from ABC (5700m) to CBC(4900m) was approximately 800m or 2640ft and this was sufficient for symptoms to begin to subside.

In some cases climbers will feel considerably better after a few days down low and consider ascending again. This is obviously accepting a large degree of risk of contracting HAPE again but there are numerous cases of this happening even on 8000m peaks. For most people it makes best sense to stay where the air is thick and enjoy the Terai in Nepal, the Ganges and Varanassi in India, or the beaches and rock climbing in Thailand!

for more info on HAPE and altitude illness you can see a case study we have from a few years back on our site as well as visit any of the links below

ABC’s of HAPE and HACE – a case study in serious high altitude illness

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_altitude_pulmonary_edema
http://www.altitude.org/altitude_sickness.php
http://www.basecampmd.com/expguide/hape.shtml
http://www.high-altitude-medicine.com/
http://www.ismmed.org/np_altitude_tutorial.htm
http://www.altitudemedicine.org/index.php/altitude-medicine/learn-about-altitude-sickness/what-is-hape

FTA Cho Oyu Expedition 2011 - Update from ABC

2011-04-20T10:29:00.000-04:00

C1 on Cho Oyu

from stu in the usa office
20 april, 2011
Ben has dropped a voice dispatch from ABC at 5700m (see below). Everyone is doing well and they are well on schedule at this time!

Sounds like the plan is to make a first carry to C1 tomorrow and officially get the climb under way! C1 is situated in a small bowl and in busy years fills up quite a bit. With a small number of teams this season we shoul have the pick of spots.

As it is very windy there it is often avisable to set the tents down lower in the bowl despite losing the nicer views from the balcony above. In the image above you can see where FTA placed tents in 2008 (lowest group of yellow tents with people hovering about) and where some other teams had tents up higher (farthest away).

In 2008 there were many tents destroyed and even blown off the mountain in the upper sections during a particularly fierce wind storm. Meanwhile those in the protected area came away with some damage to a few tents. Always a difficult choice between views and safety though as you can see in the image below that our view was still quite nice!

view from C1 on Cho Oyu

Enjoy listening in!

More news as we have it!

FTA Cho Oyu Expedition 2011 - In ABC and all well!

2011-04-19T11:02:00.000-04:00

from stu in the usa office
18th april 2011

Ben Kane just called in from ABC where he and the team are all settled in for the night after a good hike up today from IBC. They have made very smooth progress and did not need any additional days in CBC to arrange yaks as they caught the first "train" out of town.

The last soft bed for a month!

Apparently the yaks this year are a bit thin after a long winter and are not carrying the weight they usually do so.... instead of 17 burly yaks with 60kg each we ended up with 32 hungry yaks with 35-40kg each to carry our gear to ABC!

Ben noted that all of the teams loading up yaks were having the same challenge and the upshot is that a lot of money had to change hands from expeditions to yak drivers! After much debate and persuasion Ben was able to reduce our debt by a third but it still amounted to more than 1000usd. Additional expenses are quite routine on a Cho Oyu expedition and we budget for it each time. With fewer teams on the hill this spring we had no option but to bring sufficient rope and gear to fix the route and as such we are a bit heavier than usual. Beyond this our heated ABC tent requires more fuel and all this adds up. At this time we have 1000m of rope in BC and an additional 1000m in IBC (along with additional fuel) ready to come up if we need it.

Ben said everyone is feeling very well and looking forward to a great rest day tomorrow. They are predicted to have excellent weather at ABC with sun and light wind down low. High on the hill the winds will be raging at over 100 km/h during this clear spell so they are likley to be treated to horizontal plumes of clouds and snow coming off the top.

Our ABC setup this season includes an insulated floor and a heater and the team is enjoying the warmth and comfort they provide in the mess tent. Our chef Ratna will be serving up great food for them and also providing the right ambiance for a members lounging at BC. Ratna becomes the social center for our trips as there is no better place early in the morning than his cook tent with hot milk coffee, music and conversation. The sherpas and members from other teams will end up in Ratna's tent during the expedition and it is a place to make friends, get the latest news, talk over strategy and get the day started right. Out of his kitchen will come popcorn, french fries, soups, pastas, pizzas, momos (tibetan dumplings), curries and much more and i have yet to see another expedition eat better food than what Ratna prepares. He takes tremendous pride in making great food and does so with flare and panache. I hope you all get a chance to join Ratna on one of our trips and see it first hand for yourself!

The reality is that Ratna's ability to provide good food to our members is crucial to their ability to do the hard work of the climb ahead. They will be burning upwards of 5000 - 6000 calories a day and lucky if they can jam in 4000 calories a day. The more they can close that gap the stronger they will remain and the better a chance they have up high (where the gap is always widened on a summit push!). Typically members will lose between 5 and 10 KG (10-20lbs) but for members who can maintain a healthy appetite - and avoid GI illness - it is possible to keep that loss to just 2-3 kg.

We'll look forward to watching the progress in the coming days and Ben will be calling in every few days to give us the latest!

Stay tuned for more!

FTA Cho Oyu Expedition 2011 - In Tingri!

2011-04-16T08:51:00.000-04:00

from stu in the usa office
16th april, 2010

Ben called in yesterday from Tingri to let the home team know that all is well for our group. They have used the days in Nyalam and Tingri to acclimatize and they have all hiked to 5000m and are feeling well. The hikes on the hills near Tingri are dry and desolate and by this time they are all wearing some sort or protection from the ever present dust.

Nonetheless the views are astounding of Cho Oyu and the valley below and the sensation of nearing the worlds 6th highest peak is no doubt beginning to get everyone very excited. After their last, and mercifully short, drive today our team will finally get under their own leg power and begin the expedition proper.

On the 16th they plan to drive from Tingri to Chinese BC where they will be for one or two nights while the Yaks are arranged to transport the mountain of gear to the Advanced Base Camp. They will have one night on the way in at Intermediate Base Camp and will good luck will arrive at ABC on the 19th or 20th.

Even as our Cho Oyu expedition is getting under way we are making preparations for this summers K2 BC Trek and climbs on Spantik, Broad Peak, K2 and Gasherbrum II. We have limited spaces available on all 5 trips so let us know if you are interested!

We are also taking applications for trips in the autumn including Island Peak, Everest Base Camp, Satopanth, Cho Oyu, Ama Dablam and Khumbu Peaks and Passes.

Have a look at all of our offerings at www.fieldtouringalpine.com or drop us a note at "info@fieldtouring.com" !

FTA Cho Oyu Expedition 2011 - In Nyalam!

2011-04-13T13:42:00.003-04:00

April 13, 2011
Nyalam, Tibet

We're all here in Nyalam, Ratna and Siddhi arrive late this afternoon with all of our luggage that took a bit of time to come through customs. We are heading up to Tingri tomrrow morning and with fingers crossed we will get a great view of Shishapangma. In 2008 we had an amazing view of this mountain, and the fact being it is the lowest of the 8000 metre peaks does not in anyway take away from its grandeur.

Today we all went for a brief hike, just to get a bit of height gain. It has been snowing lightly since we arrived yesterday, so no views, but just good to get out and stretch the legs.

More from higher up,

Ben Kane
Expedition Leader

FTA Cho Oyu 2011 Spring - Permit Issued!!!

2011-04-08T16:21:00.000-04:00

from stu in the usa office
April 8, 2011

Permit in hand for Cho Oyu!!
Exciting news!!! We have just received the climbing permit for our team to go to Tibet and this is a huge step which we always wait for with great anticipation! Climbing Cho Oyu is not like many peaks around the world where you show up with a rucksack, check in with a ranger and off you go. To go to Tibet and climb requires months of lead time to give the Chinese and Tibetan authorities proper documents for your full team, arrange visa applications and be ready to go with the local arrangements of hotels, 4x4 jeeps and private vans.

Then there is the gear for our team which includes solar panels, a battery and the accessories for using it to charge all manner of things from radios to ipods. Then mountain equipment for fixing the route including in our case 2000m of 8mm fixed line, dozens of snow stakes, pitons and ice screws not to mention enough stoves, tents and gas cannisters to effectivelt serve our members.

( We are still waiting for the critical travel visas to be issued and we hope to have those in hand on saturday or monday!)

What is next?
Finally a few days before the trip is to get off it all comes together in hotel rooms and storage rooms in Kathmandu and all of this gear plus our members and staff will load up this gear onto a large truck and head up the border of Nepal and Tibet where the Friendship highway starts its improbable journey though the wedge created through the Himalaya over the millennium by the Bhote Kosi River.

Along the way they will pass the "Last Restort" and be tempted to go bungi jumping (not likley to have the time!) We usually stop there to have a look at one of the deeper jumps in the world and it is enough just to contemplate it for most people!

The border town of Kodari is a hustle and bustle kind of place with heavily laden trucks lined up in both directions and a small set of hotels looking out over the river. We often try to come in the night before we are to cross the border to ensure we are first at the crossing in the morning! It is a way to avoid staying in the Chinese border town of Zhangmu which is a serpentine village in which one imagines growing up not knowing what a straight line is!

After crossing the bridge and entering Tibet proper the name of the river becomes the Rongshar Tsangpo and the very preciptous ride begins. There is no doubt that this portion is one of the most gut wrenching and unnerving parts of the journey to base camp. At the start one looks down at the abyss to the left and feels the vehicle swaying like a drunken yak and it seems for all the world that the jeep would need but a small push to upset the precarious balance.

I have made the drive twice and recall each time starting out gripping the handle bars so tightly that blood ceased to flow to my fingers. At some point however your give in to the inability to control anything and actually begin to enjoy the close up views of the vertical drop and simply let go of earthly concerns. Just as you finally give in and begin to enjoy the ride you crest out of the gorge and pull into the dusty town of Nylam and get a welcome respite from the road with a night at the Snow Lion Inn!

We'll enjoy watching our team make their way to Nyalam and be sure to share more of the journey to base camp in upcoming posts!

Mountain Photography - hints and help!

2011-03-03T16:10:00.000-05:00

from stu in the USA office
March 2, 1011

In the coming months our members will be heading head off on climbs and treks to Cho Oyu, Broad Peak, K2, Spantik, Satopanth, Ama Dablam, Aconcagua and more. When they come home they'll all enjoy sharing images with other members of the trips, with family & friends. For some it may even be more serious with quality photos needed for slide shows, talks, sponsors, fundraisers and magazines.

It can be a real challenge to even have a functioning camera when it is -20°C. You have it accessible and be able to manipulate the tiny knobs and dials with your thick gloves - all the while on steep terrain! Keeping the camera accessible with battery power and a clean lens takes often all you can muster in difficult conditions and a great deal of planning, practice and forethought is required to just reach this stage.

C2 on Spantik © chris szymiec

Given the bewildering array of options available on the market today it begins with a lot of questions for most of us. What camera, what lens (or lenses!) and what filters? Where and how to carry it? Given that you can even turn your favorite digital camera on and take a photo, what more do you need to know to get the best images possible? What aperture, shutter speed, ISO, lens and white balance? How do these things affect the depth of field, sharpness and exposure of my image? How to frame, focus and pan? Flash, fill flash or no flash? Raw or JPG or both? Moons, stars and night time exposures? When you get home...then what? Sizing, resolution, sharpening, stitching panoramas, high dynamic range image processing and more to consider!

To understand and master the process of getting and showing great images requires practice and research and will continue to do so with the ever changing marketplace of technology. Fortunately the gear today is great and with a little effort you can get yourself on the path to taking great photos that you'll be proud to share when you get home!

Ama Dablam C2 © stu remensnyder

Where to begin? To help you out we have some great articles and links for you to look over...enjoy.

FTA AlumniOne of our Ama Dablam '05 alumni Brad Jackson has been taking ripping good pics from the mountains for quite a few years and claims as one of his favorite articles on taking great pics in the harsh conditions of the cold, high or cold & high mountains to be an article by Alexandre Buisse. Here is the link to a very extensive tutorial!
http://www.luminous-landscape.com/tutorials/mountain-climbing.shtml

Another of Brad's favorite sites focuses on the technical aspects of the camera and is very easy to understand. It is by Jon Griffiths and can be found at:
http://www.alpineexposures.com/pages/mountain-landscape-climbing-photo-tips

Brad also like 10 tips for better photos from Jake Norton at:
http://blog.mountainworldproductions.com/2007/11/picture-perfect.html

Brad has a series of his own excellent set recommendations and general reflections at:
http://hobyjackson.info/category/photography

Veronika Bartova has been on quite a few trips with Field Touring and has great images of Satopanth, Tharpu Chuli, Spantik, Snow Lake Trek and Cho Oyu and we can't wait to see her pictures of the upcoming Khumbu Peaks and High Passes in October (spaces still available!). Here are the links to the image galleries from her 5 times with FTA!
Satopanth 2009
Tharpu Chuli 2008
Cho Oyu 2007
Spantik 2006
Snowlake 2005


Veronika has a really nice eye for composition and making the viewer be transported into her image	s

Many of our alumni have outstanding images from trips and if there is a particular trip you are interested in please contact us at info@fieldtouring.com and we'll pass you on to some of the best!

FTA's Resident Expert
FTA founder Dave Hancock has been taking images for more than 2 decades in the mountains and on adventure. He offers his own high valuable tips at the following link on the FTA site. In the series he walks you though some of the basics of exposure, night photography and more. We'll be adding to his series so come back often!
http://www.fieldtouringalpine.com/trip-resources/mountain-talk/photography-tips

Be sure to click to see the full image and the stunning stars and fire trails
in "Bonfire in the Outback" by dave hancock. High ISO for this one!

Its not about your camera
For a truly exhaustive resource on gear, techniques and more have a look at Ken Rockwell's site
http://www.kenrockwell.com

He has an article called "Its Not About Your Camera" which is a great read and a reminder that we can take great pics or bad pics with nearly any type of gear.
http://www.kenrockwell.com/tech/not-about-your-camera.htm

camera in a plastic baggie keeps the lens snow free!

FTA Gallery
We have a select set of images from trips and treks on our site and more coming all the time. If you are an FTA alum and have pics you think would be nice additions let us know!
http://www.fieldtouringalpine.com/fta-news-and-dispatches/trip-galleries

I have tossed a few in below for some ideas and fodder for conversation!

To get "Ribas Hut on Cotopaxi" Brad Boehringer
had to get out of the warm hut and suffer a bit!


Long exposures can really sap the battery power but they yield often such unexpected results!

having your camera ready for the right moment is key!

A momento of Merv's summit rappel on Ama Dablam - nothing wrong with asking people to pose!

Climbing to C2 on Ama Dablam with a few thousand feet of air below

high f-stop to get the sun star... i could have gone a few more even!

a little punch in saturation can have a tremendous impact

If you have a great image, article or link lets us know!

Enjoy all of the articles and happy photo hunting!

FTA Aconcagua Feb 2011 - SUMMITS

2011-02-16T22:24:00.003-05:00

from stu in the usa office

16th February, 2011

Brent has written in with the good news that he and Bernardo topped out on the 14th at 1005h and were the first party of the day to top out! They are now back in Mulas BC safely and making arrangements to head back to Mendoza shortly!

Summit Recap

On the 12th they headed up to Nidos and spent the night. On the 13th they had a short day to Berlin camp and then helped to bring a climber in distress down to the helipad just above Nidos. They then left at 0200h from Nidos and topped out at 1005h - a pretty quick 8 hours from Nidos to the top! They enjoyed the summit and then returned to Nidos to spend the night of the 14th. On the 15th they dropped down to Mulas with a first load and then on 16 they back-carried the last of the gear.

They had debated a push to the Polish Glacier but the route apparently has too much snow on it at this time for a good attempt.

We'll have a more detailed report along with pics in a few days!

don't forget.....

We are accepting applications for next season on Aconcagua so if you are contemplating reaching the highest point in the Americas....drop us a note to "info@fieldtouring.com"!

FTA Aconcagua Feb 2011 - Summit bid under way!

2011-02-14T13:50:00.003-05:00

from stu in the usa office

14 Feb, 2011

Our team left on Saturday for summit push and hoped to top out on Sunday/Monday if all went well. We expect them back in Mulas today or tomorrow with hopefully some good summit news!

On the 12th they left Plaza de Mulas and moved up to Nidos de Condores to spend the night. The jump is about 1000m and so they planned to see how they were feeling on 13th before deciding to move up or add in a rest day. After moving up to high camp they were going to assess again how they were feeling and either head to the summit early the next am or add a rest day. If they take all the rest days then the summit might well be tomorrow and they'll be back on the 17th just in time to avoid the snow expected to begin in the later half of the day.

The weather window is expected to close on 17/18 with some moderate snow headed their way but they have a very good window for this push. If they return without the summit there will still time for them to make a second bid with a summit on 22 or 23. If they come back from the top then they will have lots of extra time for wine tours and golf in Mendoza!

We'll pass on the summit bid news shortly!

FTA Aconcagua Dec 11 Falso - Summit bid brewing!

2011-02-10T15:38:00.005-05:00

from stu in the USA office
Feb 10, 2011

Brent has written in from BC at the end of a second day of hauling loads to Nidos de Condores to let us know that all is well!

After two load carries to Nidos our team has approximately 10 days of food stashed and they are now just waiting for a weather window to open and looks as though they have a few days ahead of mediocre weather before they will see a good window for moving up! They have been moving really well doing the round trips to Nidos in about 4 hours so the acclimatization climbs on Catedral and Bonete have clearly paid off!

In a day or so they will begin the push and likely not return to Mulas until after a summit bid unless the weather deters them. The wind can be very strong on Aconcagua and is called the "viento blanco" or "white wind" and we'll hope they do not encounter it! The weather reports in the days ahead suggest very strong winds for the 12th and then less strong for the next 4-5 days. It seems they will have good weather through the 17th but nevertheless we'll keep a watchful eye!

Next up?
Brent and Bernardo are having a great time and already scheming for the next climb to come after Aconcagua. It seems climbers are often barely begun on one project before they dream of the next and our climbers are no different!

For many people the altitude and severe weather on Aconcagua provides a great stepping stone for a first 8000m peak like Cho Oyu or Broad Peak. Having a good experience sleeping at approx 6000m/20000ft and climbing to near 7000m/23000ft is important for gaining the confidence and experience to tackle a peak in excess of 8000m/264000ft. It can also enable a climber to take on a more technical peak like Ama Dablam or Satopanth and know they will be able to focus on the climbing and less so on the altitude.

Interesting stuff...
In fact due to the southerly location of Aconcagua it is often considered to behave as an mini 8000m peak with "thinner" air than a mountain of the same altitude in a more equatorial location like Nepal. As I understand the core theory, the earth spins it keeps a thicker layer of atmosphere at its middle and less at its extremes. I have seen one report that the troposphere reaches 12-15km high in the tropics and only 8-10km at the poles. The temperature being colder in the polar regions is said to have an even greater effect on the perceived altitude. Denali is said to fool people into thinking less of its ~20,000ft altitude when it acts perhaps more like 23,000ft Himalayan peak. Interesting stuff and yet another reason to acclimatize carefully and listen to your body!

for more fun i have added a few links on the topic of latitude and climbing...enjoy!

http://www.kowoma.de/en/gps/additional/atmosphere.htm

for a fun thread
http://www.14ers.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=27173

for the scientifically motivated
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Troposphere

Trip updates

We have recently confirmed quite a few trips and they include

Cho Oyu - April 10, 2011
Broad Peak - June 10, 2011
K2 - June 10, 2011
Spantik - Aug 1, 2011
Satopanth - Sept 3 start

We have spaces available still on all of these trips but some of them are filling fast!

See a list of all of our expeditions and treks at the main FTA site: www.fieldtouringalpine.com

FTA Aconcagua Feb 2011 - Acclimatization Summits!

2011-02-09T15:58:00.006-05:00

from stu in the usa office

feb 9, 2011

Brent has emailed in from high tech Plaza de Mulas to let us know that all is very well with him and Bernardo! They had an awesome day yesterday climbing 2 summits and enjoying getting some ice climbing in as well. On the 8th they topped out on Cerro Bonete (4950m) and Cerro Catedral (5265m) during a beefy 9.5 hour/11km day ascending 1800m of hill in that time. On Catedral they had a nice stretch of 300m of 30° ice and both felt strong!

They had planned to do only Catedral but the morning weather was iffy so they tromped over to Bonete in the morning. They then found the weather clearing up and sound not pass up the opportunity to knock off Catedral!

This very full and demanding day bodes well for a summit push which will be around 1000 meters and 6-10 hours to the top.

The plan for the 9th is carries up the route to Canada or Nidos and then on the 10 to rest up. On the 11th if the weather is good and they feel well they will begin to push!

more news soon!

stu

FTA Aconcagua Feb 2011 - Heading to BC!

2011-02-07T11:23:00.006-05:00

from stu in the usa office

Feb 8, 2011

Our second team for the 2010-2011 season is off and running! They have gathered in Menodoza, sorted gear and made their way to the mountains already!

After a few days of travel and acclimatizing they began the 2 day trek to Plaza de Mulas on Saturday, Feb 5 and have been enjoying a rest day today building rock walks for their tents! Their trek took them from the Horcones Ranger station to the Confluencia camp (3300m) and then to Plaza de Mulas (4300m). Along the way they have enjoyed the beautiful and stark lunarscape of the valley, views of the south and west faces of Aconcagua and finally the bustling village of Plaza Mulas.

Confluencia offers beds, restaurants and more while Mulas is even more upscales with internet cafe's restaurants and even a large hotel. Most climbers will take full advantage of the soft beds at some time or another and they are a welcome option after the summit and many days on uneven rock snow and ice!

Having arrived at Mulas BC (and had a well earned rest day) they will now begin the process of acclimatizing on the mountain with trips to Camp Canada (4900m) and Nidos de Cóndores (5350m) before making a concerted push on the mountain. They are also considering some other acclimatization options including Bonete (approx 5004m) across the valley from Aconcagua.

FTA Ecuador Jan 2011 - Our final day in Ecuador! Well, for most of us...

2011-01-15T19:31:00.003-05:00

From Brad

In Quito, Ecuador

Ecuador Volcano followers!

This will likely be the last dispatch as our time here is quickly coming to end, hope you have enjoyed following along!

After a sleepy morning yesterday, Friday, post Cotopaxi we all wandered aimlessly around the hostel and the Mariscal wondering what to pack where, whether or not to do laundry, and what our final tic list of things to do encompassed before leaving this beautiful place.

As a group we decided to catch a few cabs back down to the old town and do the obligatory tour of the Basilica. While officially consecrated by the Pope in 1988 the building is technically still unfinished as is evident by the multitude of construction workers on the roofs and catwalks. The amazing part is that the construction of this church began in the late 1800's! The historical pictures contained within are truly amazing! It is one of the most majestic things that I've ever seen. South American culture allows for visitors to climb numerous ladders and catwalks into the highest reaches of the towers. You could easily slip off one of the ladders or out one of the windows a few hundred feet to the ground...amazing, simply amazing.

From there we walked through the old city visiting a local market of goods, a local fruit, vegetable and food market (we were a bit more liberal in our sampling of local foods today!) and ultimately finished back at the Plaza de San Francisco for a late afternoon coffee and appetizers. The weather was stellar with bright sun, clear skies and even better people watching.

The large pack of wandering gringos dissolved in the afternoon to do some final shopping and reflecting on the last 10 days but reconvened back at the hostel for some guacamole, cheese and cervezas before heading out on the town one last time to get some local Ecuadorian dance culture at one of the nearby clubs.

It ended up being an extremely late night and even earlier morning as our first member, Kerr, caught a cab to the airport at 530 am. Next to leave was Kellie S. at 730am and she was followed by the Pedersen boys and Katie at 1030. All seem to be having flawless travels thus far though they surely have visions of empanadas in their heads.

Kellie D, Sarah and I head off to the coast on an overnight bus tonight to enjoy the beach and some much deserved R and R.

Signing off from this years Ecuadorian volcano expedition...and hoping for a small in stature bus mate for the journey west tonight at 11pm.

FTA Ecuador 2011 Jan - Rehash of the Cotopaxi climb

2011-01-15T11:51:00.001-05:00

From Brad

Hostal Alcala, Quito Ecuador

Good morning Ecuadorian volcano blog followers!

So finally I've had sufficient time to recover with sleep, food and general hydration so I thought I review our last few days!

Where did we leave off?

Wednesday morning we left Tambopaxi Lodge and drove to the parking area just below the Jose Ribas Hut. Surprisingly the snow line this year nearly reached the parking area which has been highly uncommon in the last decade as the Cotopaxi glacier has aggressively receded. Our team slowly trekked the hour from the parking area up to the hut and settled in for the rest of the day. Lunch was soup, sandwiches, dried meat products and lots of fluids!

After lunch we decided for a siesta and as we napped a thunder storm of about an hour rolled through and doused us with about 1/2 cm of snowy hail-like balls (hail, not hair). It was wild to hear all of this going on outside as we tried desperately to sleep for a few minutes. When the storm finally passed we were able to sneak out to the snow fields outside the hut and get some self arrest and crampon practice. The sky cleared up to give us magnificent views of the surrounding peaks including the Illiniza's (see photo of crew).

Post practice (6pm) it was back to the hut for a dinner of BBQ chicken wings, mashed potatoes and more soup and tea. Does it seem like all we do is eat and sleep? That is the way it goes in preparation for long nights ahead like we were expecting. Then it was back to bed for a few hours of "sleep". Jose Ribas can accommodate well over 100 people though that night there were less than 30. It still seems cramped in there however as bunks stack as tall as 4 high in some spots...NOT OSHA approved.

It was up at 11pm, another light meal of yogurt, crackers and cookies and than onward and upward. As mentioned the snow line reached past the hut so we geared up fully right outside of the hut and started the slog upward. About an hour or two into our headlamp lit walkabout we reached the seracs at the glacier's tongue and roped up into three teams to move onto the glacier proper. The terrain got steeper and wound about crevasses and layered cake-like features in the ancient ice. The sky was crystal clear with little wind and when Eric wasn't singing fraternity songs all that could be heard was the clank of hardware off our harnesses and heavy breathing. Neither of which relented.

The teams moved up at separate speeds each pushing as hard as possible. The altitude was obvious as we all breached 17,000 feet - forcing two of the teams to ultimately turn around as it was getting late and the terrain became more and more technical. At one point teams reached an overhanging snow wall with a 6 inch foot bed at the base. Snow on one side, long way down on the other. This was protected in various ways including placing a hand-line or tying in closely to one another (short-roping). The skyline was beginning to lighten and it was about this time and place that two teams made the call to turn around for the glacier softens during the day as the sun bakes the frozen snow. The team of Nacho, Sarah and Jeff moved passed this and were near the summit as the sun rose. (Each feeling the affects of the high altitude and the 8 hour night that preceded the final meters to the summit!)

The walk down was thankfully uneventful though it is about this time that one wishes for a parachute or hang-glider. In the words of Nacho, "We must move quickly or we will roast like chickens on the glacier". "Quickly" is relative.

We all reconvened back at the hut, packed and ambled back to Victor and the van....exhausted.

I think we all passed out on the way back to Quito and while there were great plans for dancing that night I believe post naps and massages we were all in bed by 9pm.

A safe, beautiful and tiring day behind us...we welcomed the hostel beds.

Back in Quito safe and sound...and shwarmas in our bellies!

2011-01-13T18:22:00.001-05:00

From Brad in Quito, Ecuador

I know many of you are likely checking the blog hourly for updates on our day...or really our night up on Cotopaxi.

The short of it was that after a long night we have all safely made it back into the city of Quito and most of us have passed out for a few hour siesta. It was like working third shift for our 11pm awakening last night for the climb.

The route turned out to be a formidable beast this year and while we only placed a few members on top each member pushed themselves, and one another, to the limit and climbed as high as possible. I think everyone set new personal altitude records and each one of us watched a majestic sunrise from the Cotopaxi glacier. The high volumes of snow this year changed the route immensely from last year and made it more technical in parts. Sarah and Jeff were the only members to make it the summit and they both agree that it was likely one of the hardest things they have ever done. I'm thinking everyone else feels the same way but I can't ask because they are all asleep!

A well earned rest after returning from the summit of Cotopaxi for Sarah!

More pictures and stories to follow once I shower and nap myself!

Regards, with a full belly of shwarmas, from Quito!

Brad

FTA Ecuador Jan 2011 - Headed to Jose Rivas!

2011-01-12T18:07:00.001-05:00

From Brad

Tambopaxi Lodge, fully caffeinated

It has been a wonderful morning here at Tambopaxi Lodge. In fact the internet is running at early 90's speeds which is better than last night! Many of us woke up with (or before) the sun to watch the teams heading up Cotopaxi by headlamp.

As the sun rose the mountain was completely clear and our sleeping bags became infernos so there was little sleep thereafter. We had a slow morning of coffee, fresh juice, fruit, yogurt with muesli, fried eggs and toast with butter and jam. We were once again breathing heavy as we repacked our bags in preparation for the ~ 1 hour ride to the parking area just below the stone hut, Jose Rivas.

It will be a short walk today to the hut, perhaps an hour or less. We will spend the afternoon here eating, resting, drinking (water), and perhaps doing a bit more practice with crampons and self arrest. It will be an early dinner and after we will quickly retire to bed as we will be awakening at about 11pm to eat once again and prepare for our summit bid! Wish us luck, safety, warmth, easy breathing and of course good fashion.

More to follow from Quito tomorrow afternoon. I'm sure we will be exhausted but I will attempt to get a dispatch out!

FTA Ecuador Volcanes Jan 2011: A rest day at Tambopaxi Lodge...we need it!

2011-01-11T16:54:00.003-05:00

From Brad, Field Touring Alpine

Tambopaxi Lodge, Cotopaxi National Park, Ecuador

Good day FTA Jan 2011 Ecuador Volcanoes blog followers!

I sit in the Tambopaxi Lodge following a lunch of creamed lentil soup, vegetables, mashed potatoes, chicken and blackberry mousse...life seems very different today that it did at this time yesterday.

I'm gazing out of the window of this wood heated, straw bale constructed structure at the perfect cone of Cotopaxi as it fades in and out of the clouds. The sun is pocked with intermittent rain showers. The terrain surrounding this beautiful place is old volcanic moraine peppered with rocks ranging in size from a football to that of a VW bus. These were blown out of the volcano during its last major eruption in 1877 according to our geologist in situ Jeff. There are other looming peaks that are more jagged than Cotopaxi but it is hard to divert the eyes from our next target! If it isn't apparent by now today is a rest day.

We awoke this morning at the base of the Illinizas in the village of El Chaupi at a quintessential climbers hostel that is run by a veteran Ecuadorian climber, Vladamir. Over the years this place has grown from a one room hostel to one that includes numerous fireplaces, a pingpong table, satellite TV, hot showers and amazing food! The community bull ring is just across the street. Unfortunately we were unable to enjoy any festivities there.

Moving backwards...yesterday was a long, classic, alpine mountaineering day. The route that usually goes up Illiniza Norte at this time of year is dry with perhaps one small traverse that is eye opening that ultimately culminates with a rock scramble to the summit. This was not the case this year. Due to the massive amounts of snow in the last few months the route was completely changed and at altitudes above the refugio (15,250 ft) it was completely covered in snow! This added a new element that although was a bit surprising, didn't disappoint us. We had heard that this was the case and so had planned accordingly with proper technical gear.

Knowing the snow covered route would likely take longer than the usual ~7 hours we awoke at 430 am and were walking by 600 am. We gained the refugio at about 10am, had lunch and hot drinks, dawned technical gear (harnesses, helmets) and started to move up the ridge. Initially the wind was biting. It blew small bits of ice off surrounding rock into us and caused our backpack straps to whip us in the face. Thankfully we quickly ducked behind the ridge and moved into the lea. It wasn't long before we found ourselves on knifelike rock spines traversing soft snow. We even had the benefit of some sun at these middle altitudes. In fact, the goggle/helmet strap tan has become our new fashion statement.

The final hours towards the summit were marked with snowy traverses, lowers down couloirs (snow filled gullies), and steeper climbs up snowy slopes. We ended up with most members on the top though we didn't stay long as the views were shrouded in clouds, the wind blowing and our watches telling us that we needed to move down toward the base.

The descent is always the most exhausting and potentially dangerous part of the day so we took great care as we eased into more moderate terrain where we were able to glissade (slid on our bums using our ice axes as breaks) to the moraine below. The walk out seemed to take forever and for many of us put our arrival at the truck well past dark. It was all we could do to eat dinner, shower and head off to bed!

Today proves that you must always expect the unexpected in the mountains! There was some nausea at higher elevations and general fatigue from the long day but all in all members are doing well! We are grateful for the rest day today...naps, reading, and pushing water is the name of the game as we laze in the sun under the looming cone of Cotopaxi!

This takes us back to Sunday, another rest day prior to the Illinizas. We had the luxury of sleeping in and having a lazy morning post our summit of Rucu Pichincha (though Sarah and Kellie decided for a morning run...really??? Crazies.) We lazed around till noon when we were met by Victor (driver) and Nacho (local guide) and transported to the small, classic Ecuadorian village of Machachi which is actually where Victor resides with his family. We ate a huge, European length lunch (2.5 hours) at a local restaurant that included chicken rolled in bacon, filet mignon, and a platter of cow kidneys, liver, stomach, heart and intestines. When in Rome they say, when in Rome. The restaurant was packed with locals. In fact, there were no gringos to be found in the entirety of the small town!

After lunch we walked around the two grand markets that exist there. One is food based and the other is durable goods based. Anything you could possible want existed here. In fact you can get your clothes hemmed while you shop for your weekly rice, fresh chevre de chivo (goat cheese), spices, fruit, vegetables and just about anything else one could desire. Members carefully sampled various juices and foods right off the fire as we wandered the narrow passes in between tables and tarps. Trucks full of bananas backed right up to the market and you could purchase entire bunches of bananas. This was an amazing place but extremely hard to blend! We left the market wander and moved to the small village of El Chaupi and our hostal for the following few nights. Yet another amazing, three course dinner and afterward we spent some time prepping gear and practicing knots before retiring for the night.

That pretty much sums up the last 3 days here in Ecuador! As I wrap up the summit of Cotopaxi has decided to fully show itself...the snow line extends past the refuge on its flanks which will hopefully make the first portion of the accent a bit easier. Tonight, steak is on the menu.

From Cotopaxi National Park,

Brad

FTA Ecuador Volcanoes January 2011: Illinizas Norte Summits!

2011-01-10T16:20:00.007-05:00

From stu in the usa office

Jan 10, 2011

We have just had an update from our team from the top of Illinzas Norte! All is well and they are headed back down. We'll have more from them shortly when they are back in El Chaupi and share the latest.

They will be no doubt arriving near sunset in time for a great supper at the Lloviznas Hostal and looking out at the evening views of Cotopaxi and Illinizas. I have included two shots form last year to tide you over until we get their latest shots!

Spot note...

Kerr Adams is carrying a SPOT GPS Messenger and has been sending updates from a variety of places along the way including summits! For those of you who may have missed it you can still enjoy the action ahead on Cotopaxi!

You can join twitter and follow Kerr at

www.twitter.com/FTAecuadorjan5

we'll be retweeting them to the FTA twitter account as well at

www.twitter.com/fieldtouring

You can see all the summits so far by clicking the links below!

Pasachoa

http://www.findmespot.com/mylocation/?id=43RR6

KerrAdams: On our first summit, 13,700ft!

-0.46024 latitude, -78.47995 longitude

Rucu Pichincha

http://www.findmespot.com/mylocation/?id=43lPh

"Record for all members! 15,540ft!"

Illinizas Norte

http://www.findmespot.com/mylocation/?id=44MY9

"A top Illiniza Norte at 5126 m (16818 ft). Everyone is feeling great. Looking forward to great food in town!"

FTA Ecuador Volcanoes Jan 2011: Rucu Pichincha summited!

2011-01-08T23:09:00.002-05:00

From Eric

In Quito, Ecuador

We had another early rise this morning for our second acclimitization hike, this time it was up Rucu Pichincha. Rucu is one of three peaks making up the Pichincha massif that lies to the west of Quito and is the most prominent ridge seen from city. In 1999, Gugua Pichincha to the south, erupted and covered Quito in a layer of ash causing chaos until the massive plume cleared. Guagua is still active and last year on another FTA trip to the Ecuador Volcanoes, we got to look into the crater from it´s ridge to see smoking fumaroles spewing sulfur gas into the air.

Our driver Victor, gave us a quick ride to the west end of the relatively narrow city that fills the valley floor 20 miles north/south and only a few miles east/west. We arrived at the Telefurico gondola which is inside a small amusement park filled with go carts, carnival rides and a discoteque that was in it´s prime at least 20 years ago. We took the 6 passenger gondola to the top and stepped out at an elevation of 13,451´, close to the elevation of Pasachoa which we hiked the day before. The wheather was mostly cloudy with a slight breeze and cool temps, which equals perfect conditions for a hike.

The group started up the trail following a broad ridge through rolling green hills that got steeper towards the base of the large rock pyramid which makes up the summit. As we climbed, we were all feeling good and were very chatty which has become the norm for this group. The first ones to reach a small cave on the side of the mountain found some snow from a recent storm and were able to pleasantly surprise the rest of the group who had no idea they were walking into a hellstorm of snowballs given we were only 30 miles from the equator.

As we skirted north around the base of the peak, the dirt trail turned to crumbly rock and got steeper quickly. We were completely in the clouds from this point on but could occasionally see the looming peak above us. Because it was a Saturday, there were many locals and hikers from Michigan, Germany and Australia who were making a dash for the summit as well. Happily, we were all able to join them at the summit and for many members of this FTA trip, Rucu Pichincha was a personal record for elevation coming in at 15,459´.

After snacks of chocolate, juice, oreos and a bite of a sandwich, we checked our oxygen saturations (perecentage of oxygen in blood) using a simple finger device most people have seen at the hospital. This is fairly common practice for high altitude climbing because as you gain elevation, the air pressure decreases and therefore there is a smaller percent of oxygen in every breath taken. For most healthy people, 02 saturations are in the high 90´s or 100%. At 15,459´ most of us were in the mid to upper 80´s! Starting at low elevations and slowly getting higher over many days will help in the acclimatization process and by checking our 02 saturations, we can measure the progress being made

After a quick hike down and a stop at the super marcado, we made a delicous dinner back at the hostel consisting of fried empanadas, a salad (arugala, tomato, onion, mozzarella cheese, cilantro), mango salsa, fried fish and pastries for dessert. It was a welcome break from the craziness of the city and eating out! Tomorrow, a 1/2 day in the city and than moving towards the base of the Illinizas, our next Ecuadorian volcano!

Everyone will be sleeping well tonight...in fact, some already are!

Eric

FTA Ecuador Volcanoes Jan 2011: Pasachoa Summits!

2011-01-07T22:46:00.004-05:00

From Brad in Quito

Twas an early morning...well, earlier than the last few. After a typical breakfast of eggs, fresh fruit juice, toast and stand-your-spoon-in it coffee at 730 we were out the door at 8am to meet Victor and Nacho for our hour drive through the rush hour traffic of Quito. Driving is never really a comfortable thing here but is surprisingly safe. There are remarkable few accidents and even fewer lambasted scooters and motorcycles...which honestly amazes me. We often pass a bus on a sharp turn in our 15 passenger van. These folks put drivers around the world to shame.

About 2/3 of the way to the base of Pasachoa we turned off the paved road and entered the cobblestone-lined, washed out path that passes as a road. It is bone jarring and there are constant obstacles that today included small children and dogs, a man milking a cow, chickens and the occasional horse. A few smacks of the head against the ceiling and nearly bursting bladders and we were finally at our destination. Some farmers gate in the middle of what felt like nowhere. The van rapidly emptied and everyone found a place to release the morning coffee thanks in part to our sponsor, the manufacturers of Diamox.

A note on Diamox

Diamox is a commonly used, prophylactic medicine that climbers use to assist in acclimatization to higher than usual altitudes. The short explanation is that it helps to make your blood more acidic which in turn causes you to breath faster and oxygenate better allowing for better sleep and a more comfortable acclimatization. The key to moving upwards on this earth is to always take your time, not gain excessive altitude too fast, eat a lot, drink a lot, and sleep at lower elevations. While one can acclimatize without the assist of medicine it takes longer and you must move upward even slower. Most of our climbers on this expedition have decided to take Diamox and have "enjoyed" the side effects to varying degrees. These include increased urination and random tingling of the the extremities to name a few of the most common.

Like many place in Latin American and around the globe a few greenbacks (adopted in 2000, the US dollar is the official currency though they use old coins yet. I've discovered where all of our Sacagawea coins have gone though) allowed the farmers gates to creak open and our van passed a bit further upward. We unloaded, packed lunches (this included deli meat and cheese sandwiches, a snack bag of chips, chocolate and other Ecuadorian specialities and my favorite the Ecuadorian power bar...a banana) and steadily moved upward.

For the first bit we moved on and off a pretty well built cobblestone road-bed, similar to that of the ancient Incan Trail in S.A. but not nearly as old, that eventually deteriorated to a muddy cattle trail pocked with huecos of water and manure. The herds of cattle, bulls included, stood-by and watched us with the bored gazes of a 12 year-old in math class. We climbed further up the grazing fields until we could barely find a path and instead hopped from and in between large tufts of prairie-like grasses. As we came closer to the rim of this ancient crater the trail got steeper and more muddy.

Cresting the rim we realized that on the north aspect of the horseshoe formation the ridge-line fell away a few thousand feet and the clouds clung to the forest below unable to escape the steep walls that loomed above them. The forest was richly colored in shades of green. It is said that pumas live in that oasis and the trees are as old as 1000 years.

see a map of Pasachoa with the team's location!

http://www.findmespot.com/mylocation/?id=43RR6

The views were breathtaking as we could see Quito city to the north and our ultimate challenge, Cotopaxi, to the south. It appears that the snow-line of Cotopaxi is even lower this year which might make gaining the glacier easier in the coming days...we'll see though. Things change daily around here. The trip down was uneventful as was the drive back into the city. The cohesiveness and comfort of the team is quickly becoming apparent which is brilliant as we will all need each other at some point in the coming days.

Tonight, typical Ecuadorian food nearby just off the plaza in the Mariscal. Plates included pork with corn and cheese, steak, empenadas, ceviche and llapingachos (fried potato patties with cheese and meat). We end our evening with some gear prep and high altitude talks. The energy level is a bit lower tonight but everyone is still healthy and happy.

From room 12 at Hostal Alcala...

Sueno con los angelitos.

Brad

City Tour, Day 2

2011-01-06T18:33:00.002-05:00

We put the new official team mantra of "Vicious and Delicious" (re: have fun, look good, go slow, and be safe --listed in order of importance) to the test on Thursday morning, our day for further altitude acclimatization and chance to see the sights of Quito.

After proper caffeination and calorie consumption at the Hostel Alcala provided by our hosts Jorge and Daniella, we set out with our local guide Nacho and trusty driver Victor- for a whirlwind historical tour of the old town.

After getting our heart rates and nerves on edge with both the erratic and fast paced flow of Quito traffic (though it might also be attributed to co-trip leader Eric's rendition of "Gloria" in the cab), we arrived at the destination and hit the presidential palace in the Plaza de Indepencia, the most quintessential example of Quitena Baroque style at the Iglesia La Compania de Jesus (http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iglesia_de_la_Compañ%C3%ADa), Plaza de San Francisco (http://www.vivatravelguides.com/south-america/ecuador/quito/centro-historico/centro-historico-activities/plaza-san-francisco/), and Panecillo Hill (http://www.planetware.com/picture/ecuador-virgin-of-quito-statue-on-panecillo-hill-overlooking-quito-ecu-ecu001.htm) topped by the Virgin of Ecuador.

Along the way, we learned many useful Spanish terms for deeds that can land you in a hell with accompanied by the graphic depiction of the appropriate punishment, learned that the local dogs can be unfriendly to the paparazzi (fortunately, Kerr can run fast), and concluded our morning with a three course feast at a quaint restaurant on one of Quito's oldest roads, La Ronda (http://www.suite101.com/content/la-ronda-street-in-old-town-quito-a56129). After 2 hours of gorging ourselves on empanadas, seco de chivo (lamb with a sweet beer sauce), churrasco (thin-cut beef with rice and eggs), pristinos con miel (fried bread-like product with honey), higos con queso (figs with honey and cheese), and buneuellos de queso con miel (bread-like, cheesy biscuits with honey) we stumbled back to Victor´s van and proceeded back to the Hostel Alcala for naps and recovery from our food comas.

Post-siesta, we ventured out yet again to take on the marketplace and test our bartering skills. Success ranged from poor to stellar. I found myself still attempting to learn ´how much?´and hoping that my numerical comprehension was sufficient to not hand the vendor an unreasonably large bill, while Katie used a combination of feminine wiles and fluent Spanish to *own* the marketplace. Katie, if only Renaudo (the crazed taxi driver from NYC) could have seen you in action--I´m sure he´d be proud. Alpaca hoodies, pink Ray-Ban sunglasses, and an impulse buy of Ecuadorian passionfruit liquor which may prove to be a mistake by the trip´s end...

We finished out the day with pizza at Javier´s house, the owner of our local agent Andean Face, where he taught us a bit about Ecuadorian culture and showed us some pictures of the hikes and climbs we would be doing in the coming days. He also shared with us a bit about the charity, Danielle, that he and his wife run near the city of Banos about 5 hours south of Quito. While the charity is formerly based out of the Netherlands it provides homes and familial services for children in Ecuador and Nepal preventing them from living in the street. ( http://www.daniellechildrensfund.org/)

After a few hours of cards and picture editing the base rhythms of the Quitean night-life rocked us to sleep.

Sweet Dreams

Sarah Hunter

FTA Ecuador Volcanoes: The Gang is All Here!

2011-01-05T23:03:00.004-05:00

8:15 pm and Kellie, our final member, has arrived! Kellie's mom is probably waiting for this dispatch ;) Love ya moms!

She looks no worse for the wear after a long day of transit to the expansive city of Quito. Now, a welcome bit of "happy hour" to celebrate the beginning of our our expedition! Eric (co-lead) and brother Jeff made the initial trip to the Supermaxi and have set us up with wine, baguettes, and cheese to initiate the union of the crew. I've been advised there is some chorizo as well because what is cheese and bread without some nitrate rich product.

Jeff, Eric, and Katie joined the existing group (Kerr, Kelly "with a y", Sarah, and Brad) at about 11:30 this morning after an epic trip from reaches as far north as central New Hampshire. I think the logistics were something along the lines of a car from NH to Boston, a bus from Boston to NYC, an insane cab ride to JFK complete with a crazy, zodiac sign reading cabbie, a flight to Guayaquil and then a short puddle jumper to Quito. The threesome started at 3pm...yesterday and were in much need of a nap so spent much of the afternoon today resting, unpacking, and drinking water at our home for the next 10 days, Hostal Alcala.

http://www.alcalahostal.com/

Kelly, Brad, and Sarah all reached Quito last night after respective trips from State College, Pennsylvania, Portland, Maine, and "the other Portland", Oregon. I think of that crew Sarah's logistics top them. A train from Portland to Seattle, a flight to Miami complete with an 8 hour layover (what a girl will do to save a buck) and then a flight into Quito. The three of us all arrived about the same time last night near 8pm and were met by our quintessential Ecuadorian climber/guide Nacho...the name, I'm not sure but I'm hungry just thinking about it.

That leaves us with guide in training Kerr, originally from England but now hailing and schooling in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Kerr arrived in country on the 2nd after a smooth flight in country and has had the benefit of living at over 9000 ft (~3000 m for you canadians et al).

The latter four members had the opportunity of taking the Telefurico (http://www.in-quito.com/teleferico-quito-ecuador/teleferico.htm) just outside of town toward the ridge that begins with the relatively active volcano Rucu Pichincha (last active in 1999 and reportedly buried the city at that time in 20 cm of ash). We maxed out at about 14,300 feet today (4300m) with some easy walking and majestic views of the city and the ridge. There happens to be a small amusement park at the bottom of the Telefurico and we managed to embrace the "pista de kart" (path of the kart) at Mundo Kart (Kart World). Yes, we rode the go-karts. I hear that is one of the top attractions in Ecuador actually.

The plan for tomorrow: tour of the old city.

The new mantra: have fun, look good, go slow and be safe.

Good night from Quito.

Brad, FTA

Ecuador Volcanoes Jan 2011 - Pre Trip Prep!

2010-12-29T15:17:00.013-05:00

Ecuador 2011 Prep Trips

Over the course of the last few months members of our upcoming Ecuador Volcanoes expedition have been training to be in shape and have good skills coming into the trip. Some have been ticking off steep water ice climbs in Ouray and others working on using crampons for the first time!

Kerr Adams has been getting some climbing done inbetween classes and exams and he dropped us this ridiculous shot of a great WI 4/5 climb in Ouray! Kerr will be using a SPOT during our trip and has set up a twitter account so you can follow us! www.twitter.com/#!/FTAecuadorjan5

Sarah Hunter headed out with FTA Guide Matt Schonwald to get in some practice on Mount Baker and was treated to 3 feet of new snow to work with. Needless to say she got lots of practice plowing up steep slopes and learning how to dig out tent sites and self arrest! You can read the dispatch from their three day trip here

In early December Brad, Eric and Jeff managed to get out for some early ice climbing in NH in Crawford Notch and got Jeff immediately into WI 2 climbing on Lost in the Forrest. Eric had already gotten in a few other days soloing up moderate (but 2500ft long!) climbs like Shoestring gully.

On the 16th of December Brad, Eric, Kellie and I joined forces for a play day on Willey's Slide and enjoyed many hours of low angle crampon and ice axe practice along with going over roped team climbing. We finished our morning with an ascent to about the half way point using running belays on terrain steeper that our members will see on most of Cotopaxi.

At the end of the day Eric and I simply could not pass up a chance to use the fine points of our crampons and ice tools and ambled over to the base of Elephant Head Gully. The intention to simply "have a look"soon turned into a wonderful 2 pitch climb on mixed WI3 terrain that finished in the moonlight with big grins on our faces. We savored a fine ale at Faybyan's Station and rehashed the sketchy climb and made plans for more fun outings ahead!

Some of our team will already be in transit this weekend and we are excited to see the first pics and reports from Quito in just a few days. We hope you enjoy following along!

If you had thought to join us this year it is not too late as we have a few more departures this season! We are already accepting places for the 2011-2012 season! Check out Ecuador Volcanoes and all of our trips at our new and improved website: www.fieldtouringalpine.com