FTA Autumn trip report

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 Satopanth 2011 - Back in BC with Champagne!

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!!!!

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!

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

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!

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

FTA Satopanth - Gangotri rest day!

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 under way - Rishikesh!

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 - Back in BC!

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 

Mountain Photography - hints and help!

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!

Satopanth Pics Are Up!

from Stu in the USA office
September 29, 2009

Chris has managed to upload a great number of images from the 2009 Satopanth trip including summit shots and images sure to entice the alpinist in each of us. When Chris has a chance in the week ahead he will be writing up a nice trip report and post that with details from the trek in and more about the summit day and the earthquake moment!

In speaking with Chris quite a bit over the last 2 days it is clear that Satopanth is fantastic climb for our members and so we are fully on for a return climb next autumn! Chris could not be more complementary about the great job of the HAP's Raj, Raj and Thapa and we expect that their return visit will be another great trip.
Let us know if you'd like to join Chris and the Raj's!

I have put in a few of Chris's pics below and to see all of them you can visit the Satopanth Gallery.

Italo just below the summit in perfect weather © chris szymiec

The 3 amigos on the summit. Raj, Chris and Raj © chris szymiec

Veronika and Italo getting moved into camp 2 © chris szymiec

Nice shot of the ridge © chris szymiec

Earthquake at Satopanth!

From Stu in the USA Office
September 23, 2009

Chris has left an audio dispatch about the summit day and the plan to return to Delhi and in it has described an earthquake that took place on their summit day during the descnet. Chris describes the entire summit ridge shaking and serac cleaving off from the summit while traversing the steep ice face!

We have confirmed that there was indeed a 6.1 magnitude earthquake on that very day in Bhutan and a 4.8 magnitude aftershock was felt in Uttaranchal where Satopanth lies. In researching the epicenter and BC locations is seems that our team was climbing less than 40km from the epicenter, which explains the very exciting time they had on the mountain and that they must have really been experiencing the full import of the quake the way a mountain of jello would if you bump into the table!

google earth image - E is the epicenter and B is base camp!

i am sure the members will have more to say when they return!

The US Geological Survey reports that the Bhutan earthquake took place in with an epicenter around 125 kilometers north of Gauhati and 180 kilometers east of Bhutan’s capital, Thimphu. Apparently the earthquake shook Bhutan and India’s northeastern Assam state. As well the quake was felt as far as Bangladesh and Lhasa, Tibet. It will be interesting to see if any of the teams on Cho Oyu or Shishapangma felt anything!

here are the details of the aftershock
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqcenter/recenteqsww/Quakes/us2009lvax.php

Magnitude 4.8 on Monday September 21,2009 at 09:43:50 UTC / 03:13:50 PM at
epicenter
Location 30.873°N, 79.050°E
Depth 43.6 km (27.1 miles)
Region UTTARANCHAL, INDIA
Distances 115 km (70 miles) ENE ofDehra Dun, Uttaranchal,India
180 km (115 miles) E of Simla, Himachal Pradesh, India
190 km (115 miles) NNW of Haldwani, Uttaranchal, India
305 km (190 miles) NE of NEW DELHI, Delhi, India





Field Touring Alpine Audio Dispatches


They will be heading out in the morning and should be in Gangotri on the 25th.

more news and loads of images still to come!

Back in Satopanth BC!

from Stu in the usa office
September 22, 2009

Chris called in from BC a few minutes ago to let us know that our entire team is back down safe and sound to BC and will be enjoying a much needed rest and cleanup day tomorrow! The weather continues to be fantastic and another team has even shown up to begin their climb so the season looks to be quite long this year.

Tomorrow they will rest and dry all of their gear out, take showers, eat and sleep and take great pleasure in looking back up at the mountain and knowing that they have visited its slopes and played in rare air and know the mountain like few ever will. The following day they will begrudgingly take their leave of this sanctuary of time and place and begin the 2-day walk out to Gangotri by way of Bhujbasa. If all goes according to plan then the team should be out to Gangotri on the 24th and will meet up with Tom there and continue on back to Delhi though having completed the climb so quickly there may be interest in enjoying Gangotri for a few extra days!

Chris will be enjoying the down time after this climb and getting ready for the start of Ama Dablam on the 15th of October. We still have room on both the Oct 15 and Nov 4 starts for Ama Dablam as well as a host of great climbs in the year ahead including peaks like Aconcagua and Ecuador Volcanoes in the Dec to Feb slot and then Kilimajaro with Sean James in Feb-March and then back to Nepal for Tharpu Chuli, Cho Oyu, Makalu, Baruntse and Island Peak....something for every level of climber! Nearly all of these trips have a trekking component so let us know if your family and friends want to come along too! see our site for all the trip info or drop us a note at "info@fieldtouring.com"

cheers,

stu, dave and the gang at FTA

Satopanth Summits!

From stu in the usa office
September 21, 2009


Chris called in this morning from the summit of 7075m Satopanth along with co summiteers Italo and our haps Raj and Raj!

They sounded very excited to be on the top and were feeling great! Chirs said the views were amazing and the weather could not have been better. They took about 5 hours from the high camp and arrived around 9:45am. Veronika began the morning on the summit push but was feeling too cold and returned to the C3 to await the team's return. She must be disappointed but she has made it through all of the most technical climbing on a very demanding peak and must be very satisfied nonetheless. They plan to descend to C2 today and then all the way back to BC tomorrow for a celebration.

Chris plans to call in later when they are back down and we'll check in then to let everyone know they have made it back safely to BC.

Enjoy Chris's audio dispatch below from the top of the Garhwal Himalaya!







Listen to all the Field Touring Alpine Audio Dispatches at gabcast

Sept 20 - team in satopanth c3 - summit tonight!

from stu in usa office
September 20, 2009

Chris called in this morning to share the great news that the team is in C3 at 6443m and ready to head for the top at 4:00am. Chris, Italo, Veronika, Raj and Raj are all ensconced in their Marmot tents (Alpinist and Thor 2's - thanks Marmot!!) and getting a little rest food and water before roping up for the climb. An Indian Army team was able to summit today so the route is clearly in for the team and bodes well for them. As well the weather has been stable and spectacular so all the signs point in the right direction for the team and we hope to hear from them on the summit in short order!!

Chris has also called in an audio dispatch with color commentary on the climb and he will call in from the teams high point which we hope will be the top! click on the player below or a listen in!

more news as we have it!!





Listen to all the Field Touring Alpine Audio Dispatches

Satopanth C3 established - summit bid on for tomorrow night!

from Stu in the USA office
Sept 19, 2009

I had a nice talk with Chris earlier today and he has also posted an audio blog that you can listen to below. He says that all is well and that the route is now in to C3! They plan to move up tomorrow to C3 early in the day and then begin their summit bid that night. Chris says that the climbing is incredible..steep and exposed and outstanding. Can't wait to see the pics! Anyone on our trips to Ama Dablam and Aconcagua this year will get a chance to hear first hand from Chris about the climb! Sounds like a great trip to consider if you are thinking about Ama Dablam or Aconcagua Polish or have done them already.

We have also had a nice call from Tom who is much improved and enjoying his time in Gangotri and now plans to do a few days of trekking about before meeting up with the team on their way out.

More news as we have it and the summit bid is truly underway tomorrow! Stay tuned!!


Chris calls in form C2 to say that the route is now in to C3 and tomorrow the team will move up to C3 and make a summit bid that night! Chris says that the climbing has been very steep and sustained and in his words "full on"!



Listen to all Field Touring Alpine Audio Dispatches

Sept 17 - Satopanth C2 reached!

From Stu in the USA office
September 17, 2009

Chris called in a short while ago to let us know that the team has reached C2 and will be spending the night there at 5965m. At this time the summit team will be Chris, Italo,Veronika and Raj with the remaining 2 HAP'S (Raj #2 and Thapa) carrying loads to support the push and then planning to meet the team as they descend on summit day.

Today they had an awesome day of climbing in deep snow and a combination of fixed lines, roped and unroped climbing. They are on the same schedule as an Indian Army team and apparently have a great time together!

Tomorrow they plan to fix the route to C3 along a knife edge ridge of steep snow and ice and then move up the following day. After a rest day on the 20th when they will prepare the lower part of the summit portion they will go for it on the 21st. The weather has been "bluebird" skies according to chris and the reports are for good weather well through the summit push - keep the fingers crossed!

Chris has stated several times that he thinks this is the most beautiful mountain he has climbed on and that this is his favorite climb ever! These are words that carry a lot of weight as Chris has climbed on Spantik. Ama Dablam, G2, K2, Broad Peak, Tharpu Chuli, Aconcagua and much more!! He is already excited to return to Satopanth next September so if you missed out this year and want to join Chris next year let us know!

Chris will post and audio dispatch tomorrow with the very latest!

stay tuned!

ps
many of you may have noticed our site has been on the fritz the last few days. please don't despair! we have replaced it with a mini version for the moment and we are working round the clock to undo some damage done by robotic hackers. This is apparently very common with sites using wordpress so we hope to have it all sorted out shortly!

Sept 15 - Satopanth Expedition Summit Bid under way!

Chris calls in from C1 to report all is well! The team plans to make a carry to C2 at 5900m tomorrow and then continue on up the next day with hopes for a summit bid on the 21st!




see all Field Touring Alpine Audio Dispatches at Gabcast

14 September - Satopanth C1 established!

from Stu in the USA office
14th September 2009

Chris has called in to let me know that all is well and the team has established C1! Yesterday Chris, Italo, Veronika and our two HAP's Raj and Thapa made a load carry to C1 and established the camp at approximately 5400m. After a rest day today they plan to move up to C1 tomorrow. They are planning for a first summit bid on the 21st of September if all goes well and the weather holds. After many days of snow they are having perfect days now and the reports are for at least 4-5 days of good weather ahead. we will revisit the weather each day and hope it holds!

Tom has unfortunately not been feeling well and fighting a GI battle for a week and as such had determined he is not strong enough to make a safe attempt and went back down to Bhujbasi yesterday and reached Gangotri today. Tom called in a short while ago to let me know all was well and that he plans to rest up, enjoy some days in Gangotri and then head off on a few great treks until the team comes out. It is always hard to decide when enough is enough and it sounds like Tom has made a very wise choice. We'll hope he has a great adventure trekking and look for him to have a more healthy time from here on in.


Chris has also left a new audio dispatch and he goes into some detail about the teams movement as well as the story of the evacuation of a group of stranded trekkers who were trapped by the heavy snow snowfall over the last week! He said that they were plucked off the hill by some great flying by the indian army. Chris was not sure what kind of choppers they are and they may be the following.
http://www.army-technology.com/projects/dhruv/

Field Touring Alpine Audio Dispatches #34 - 13th Sept - Satopanth BC reached and C1 established

Chris calls in from BC with an update on the climb. Three members (chris, Veronika and Italo) and 2 HAPs (Raj and Thapa) have established C1 already! One member (Tom) was not feeling great and has gone down back to Gangotri to recuperate and will do some trekking til the rest of the team comes down.



Listen to all FTA dispatches at Gabcast

Chris says the mountain and route are stunning and we'll look forward to a great slide show on the site when the expedition is concluded!

more news as we have it!

stu

Sept 11 - Satopanth BC reached!

from stu in the USA office
11th September, 2009

Chris call in a little while ago to let us know that the members and HAP's had reached BC at 4700m and that they are all doing well but not without a bit of an epic day. Snow has fallen quite hard for the last day and they arrived at BC with nearly a meter of snow on the ground. Just two days ago arriving teams were setting up on grass and hopefully the snow will melt in short order!
The challenging conditions made it impossible for the porters to safely travel and they stopped about an hour short the BC. To travel from where they stopped to BC requires a glacier crossing and cliff traverse and with a meter of snow hidden crevasses and slips on steep slopes had become a real concern. Tomorrow Chris and the HAPs will go back and begin the process of ferrying up the remaining supplies up to BC. The staff and porters are still back a few hours the team was kindly taken care of by an Indian Army group and we thank them for their generosity and hospitality.
The reports are for more snow in the next day or so and then clearing so we hope that the team will be able to make some progress in a few days. Clearly they will need to let the snow settle before getting onto the slopes!
The slowed pace of arrival has had a very positive impact on the teams acclimatizing and they are all feeling excellent with the altitude and should be ready to get on the route as soon as conditions permit. They are looking forward to their first close up of the mountain which til now has been hidden by the snowy weather. They have had great views of Shivling and in general have had some good afternoons for views after rainy and snowy mornings. After a very demanding trek in they are finally able to begin thinking about the climb itself and we look forward to hearing about some progress in the next few days!

More news as we have it!