Posted: Sep 21, 2008 11:11 pm EDT
Where there is a will there is a way. Mountaineers and outfitters who got the Chinese boot have rerouted to peaks such as Manaslu where action is mounting already.

In other news: Swedish Viking skier Fredrik Eriksson has revealed bold plans and several interesting Pakistan debriefs have been delivered. There's also action on the Oceans with tales of lightnings, a forced escape, and Antarctica deadline creeping up on Tommy's "icebreaker."

Kangchenjunga Fredrik Eriksson is in KTM, ready to take on the first peak in his three year project: to try and ski the three highest mountains in the world: Kangchenjunga (8586m) this autumn, K2 (8612m) next summer and Mount Everest in the Autumn of 2010.

The new Cho Oyu: Manaslu International climbers are gathering on Manaslu in record numbers. Many after they were refused visas or permits to climb in Tibet. "New rules imposed by the Chinese Tibet Mountaineering Association have made it very difficult for expeditions with several different nationalities of climbers to obtain a climbing permit,” one reported.

A violent snow storm caught several teams in Manaslu’s C2 on Wednesday night. Climbers were forced back in loads of fresh snow, avalanches and collapsing seracs. No one is reported injured, but there were close-calls on the way down.

Edurne's redemption song In spring this year, after climbing with Al Filo de lo Imposible for years, Juan Oiarzabal was kicked out from a Dhaulagiri expedition led by Edurne Pasaban whom he had introduced to the TV crew. It was considered he was not fit for Himalayan climbing after he lost all his toes with the team on K2. Juanito went for Makalu instead, and reached the summit – his 22nd 8000+ meter peak. Currently on Manaslu leading a team of fellow-Basque climbers, Juanito shares BC with Edurne and Al Filo. “It seems so weird to be members in separate teams," Edurne dispatched last week, "after all these years climbing together." The two bumped into each other on the mountain, and Edurne wrote, "We talked, we hugged and I ended up crying in his arms...Manaslu has provided me with a moving experience: It has brought back the love and care of a friend. Thank you, Juanito.”

The new Cho Oyu: Baruntse: Some of the main expedition outfitters who were refused a climbing permit for Cho Oyu are leading teams on Baruntse instead – an isolated 7,000er offering a demanding climb. “Our sherpa team was impressed by the steepness and length of the route above CII,” Alpine Ascents reported. “This is true wilderness,” Adventure Consultants Louis Kos chimed in, “This upper part of the Hunku valley is practically uninhabited, and we have to be 100% self-sufficient. To get back onto the main Khumbu 'highway' one has to cross two high passes.”

The new Cho Oyu: Pumori Other outfitters such as Peak Freaks (7121m) have rerouted for Pumori, a peak offering a wonderful trek to its slopes and not that hard to climb if properly fixed but still a worthy challenge: Up to 2005, 472 people had summited Pumori and 42 had died (13 after summiting). Compare Ama Dablam with more than 2000 summits and "only" 18 fatalities, or Everest with over 3500 summits and 209 deaths. Also mountain guide Fabrizio Zangrilli is headed there after Nanga Parbat...

Dealing with loss and failure: Fabrizio's final thoughts Fabrizio Zangrilli has published his debrief from Nanga Parbat. In addition to his own attempt, the American climber reflects on K2, and the rest of the Pakistan season. Karim, Rolf, Hughes - Fabrizio had met them all. "Too many other events from the summer: Karl, Pavle, the generosity of Tomaz and what can only be described as the whirlwind visit from Messner," Fabrizio wrote. "Recover, train harder, find money again, focus and return are the only options for dealing with the loss and failure."

To rope or not to be - Gasherbrum II reflections by Paulo Roxo and Daniela Teixeira Originally this spring, Portuguese Daniela Teixeira was to attempt Everest north side without oxygen and high altitude Sherpa. When the ban came, Daniela and partner Paulo Roxo finally landed on the Gasherbrums in Pakistan. The rock climbing couple ended up acclimatizing on G2's normal route and then attempting the French Spur. Finally forced back; they came away wide-eyed with new experiences - of climbing politics, tamed slopes, summit lies and inflated stories. "Where's the spirit of it all," they ask?

Annapurna: Swiss climbing – Americans approaching The Swiss have started to climb Annapurna’s south side. The Americans will acclimatize on Annapurna IV, before tackling Anna’s main summit via its north side w/o Sherpa support.

Pakistan: Trango's Nameless Tower The Dream Free team is still battling Trango Towers, “We were absolutely knackered but very happy to have established camp at ‘Sun Terrace’ (the Shoulder). Above the route looks fantastic and dry. Now all we need are a couple of good days and maybe we can summit,” they reported last week. Gaz, Piere, Denis and Jerry hope to attempt “Eternal Flame”, while David and Eliza may join them - or they may go for the Slovenian route instead.

Greenland season closing down Greenland had a busy season with teams crossing the Icecap horizontal, vertical and diagonal through the spring and summer seasons. The last two teams that reported on by ExWeb have reached their finish lines at the West coast. The British Nansen Endeavour team has completed their crossing on the footsteps of Nansen and the Venezuelan team’s last dispatch says that they were one day away from their finish line.

Never Ending Voyage: Henk De Velde about when lightning strikes "My brother in law, a farmer, was in the middle of an open field. When a thunderstorm approached, he went under his tractor. Don't ask me why but I think he also wanted shelter from the rain." The other week, ExWeb made a call for simple solutions in lightning situations. Henk de Velde heard us but following 30 years at sea including ball lightning and St Elmos fire - his experience still comes down to - rubber boots.

Tommy's icebreaker: on schedule to Ushuaia After 29 days on the Atlantic, Tommy reached the coast of Brazil. Three days of sailing later, Tommy and his dad anchored at Fort Orange, Itamaraca, for some grilled fish on the beach. Next stop is Salvador, with a number of repairs still to be done before Antarctica.

Additions to Antarctica list of expeditions Duncan Chessell is doing a traverse of Mt Vinson and an attempt to climb Shinn and Tyree. Himalaya guide Jamie McGuinness is one of the team members - out of Nepal for the first time in years! Doug Stoup will lead an Ice Axe expedition the last 100 miles from 88.26 to the GSP with 5 Canadians, using ALE for logistics. Doug will also guide two last degree teams (11 Brits and 2 French) to the North Pole in April. Poppis Suomela and Pasi Ikonen will not be alone to do the first ever Finnish expedition to the South Pole. Teemu Lakkasuo also aims to ski from Hercules Inlet to the Pole, solo.

Patagonia: Michele soaked in rain Italian Michele Pontrandolfo started his South Patagonian Icecap crossing 3 weeks ago and succeeded in carrying almost all the equipment to the start of the Glacier (Jorge Montt) in spite of intermittent rain soaking all his gear. He’s now beginning food rationing and he has decided not to eat when he’s relaxing as did Nansen in his first Greenland crossing that brought on 17 rainy days.

Royal Geographical Society Explore 2008 November 22-23; topic: expedition funding Explore 2008, organized by the Royal Geographical Society, will be taking place on the weekend of the 22nd/23 November. Speakers will be offering advice and tips on Earth’s environments and peoples; staying safe in challenging situations; operating in remote environments and how the Society can assist with advice and funding.

Escape from Croatia Following engine failure on their boat, Aussie Angela and John spent 10 frustrating days searching for engine, mechanic and marina availability in Croatia. Deciding to try their luck in Greece instead, the middle aged cruising couple was refused to leave by the authorities and found themselves escaping the country in a two day wild ride.

Read these stories - and more! - at ExplorersWeb.com.

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