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!







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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!!





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