Posted: Apr 08, 2009 12:07 pm EDT
(MountEverest.net) The world climbing community has lost yet another of its rising stars: this morning Polish Piotr Morawski - one of the great "Two Peters" - perished in a crevasse on Dhaulagiri.

The tragedy has over-shadowed other news from Nepal Himalaya, such as the first teams' arrival to Everest and resumed air traffic between Kathmandu and Lukla.

Piotr Morawski lost on Dhaulagiri: further details

The worst possible news broke earlier today from Dhaulagiri: At 8.40 am local time this morning, Polish Piotr Morawski fell to his death in a crevasse while returning from C2. At only 33, Piotr had summited six 8000ers, and made the first winter summit on Shisha Pangma (together with Simone Moro in January, 2005).

Part of Piotr Pustelnik's Himalayan Trilogy team and teaming up with regular mate Peter Hamor; Piotr Morawski was climbing Dhaulagiri as a preparatory ascent before attempting to open a new route on Manaslu’s west face. Read more in a previous story published earlier today on Mounteverest.net.

Ryszard Gajewski, member in the Tatra's Rescuers Association team (also attempting Dhaulagiri) reported further details on Piotr’s accident from BC:

Morawski fell in a 20 meter-deep crevasse at 5,760m - just 80 meters below C1. He was on his way down from C2, together with Slovak Peter Hamor and Justyna Szczepieniec.

As the accident took place at 8.40am, local time, a group of fellow Polish climbers - Mazik (expedition Doctor), Pawlikowski and Witkowski - belonging to the Tatra Rescuers Association was on their way to C1. Together with Hamor, they got Morawski out of the crevasse, after which Dr. Mazik could only confirm Piotr’s death.

Kazakh LET team: The “lost and found” duffel

After waiting for three days stuck in KTM due to bad weather, the Kazakh Lhotse-Everest Traverse team flew to Lukla on April 5, ExWeb's contributor Andrey Verkhovod reported from Almaty.

Before departing on the trek, the team found that a duffel containing valuable comms equipment was missing. A search by the climbers, local helpers, Assian Trekking and the police failed to locate the gear. The climbing team reached Namche on Monday and remained there for an extra day, hoping to recover their lost equipment.

“The team’s cook Tsakat Limbu tried to negotiate with the local branch of the Maoist party to help in the search,” Andrey wrote. “However, the duffel only appeared after a fat reward was offered in exchange.”

The climbing team and their caravan left Namche today for the final leg towards Everest BC.

Alex Gavan: Air-controllers out of control

“You can be the best planner in the world but you can't go against the Himalayan weather combined with the air traffic controllers (are there any?) at Lukla’s airstrip,” Romanian Alex Gavan reported.

“Last week only the early morning flights were allowed, and there is already a huge waiting list. Passengers have priority over the cargo so the bulk of my equipment is still in Kathmandu. It could be worse though: a South Korean expedition has been waiting for their luggage for ten days already.”

“Yesterday afternoon, spinning all the prayer wheels on my way, I trekked from Lukla to Namche in light rain to help with my acclimatization process,” Alex added. “I hope to reach BC by Sunday.”

Eco Everest: No-go for Lukla

“We all checked in at the chaotic airport at 6:30 in high spirits,” team’s outfitter Asian Trekking reported. “The first flights had taken off and we felt lucky that our flights weren't effected by the weather."

"But all the excitement just turned to dissapointment when we were told, while standing on the tarmac waiting to board, that Lukla airport had just dissapeared under a cloud cover. If only the visibility improved for 45 mins, we would be in and could start our trek to base camp - in this hope we waited the entire day. Tomorrow, we’ll try again.”

Finnish Airborne Rangers: Restless in BC

“It’s our second day in Everest BC,” the Finnish team reported yesterday. “We’ve re-checked our equipment, so everything is ready when the route to camp 1 opens up, hopefully in a few days."

"Rumors are that it's fixed half way through. Meanwhile we are acclimatizing by staying in BC, which means that we may be able to make the first trip directly to camp 2 and therefore have a chance to reach C3 ahead of other teams – this is critical since there is not much room for tents in C3."

“BC is huge: there are 40-50 expeditions attempting Everest, and some more heading for Lhotse,” the team added. “The place is slowly starting to fill up with climbers - we have Swedish-Spanish, Indian and Croatian teams in our neighbourhood.”

7Summits-club: Guides at work

Other teams reportedly in BC are Altitude Junkies’ and a large Korean team. Alex Abramov and most 7Summits-Club team members were among those delayed in Kathmandu due to bad weather. However, guides Nikolay Cherny and Maxim Bogatyryov had gone ahead together with a Sherpa crew. “They have already set up base Camp, including a dining room, mess-room (with TV, karaoke, and Internet) and a washing-room,” Abramov reported.

John Golden: Everest BC-ho!

“Hello from Everest Basecamp - a veritable tent city,” John Golden reported earlier today. “The whole trekking team arrived here healthy and strong yesterday, April 7th from Gorak Shep.”
American John Golden is climbing Everest from its south side, together with Jon Shea and Phinjo Sherpa. Golden has a transplanted knee, as a result of a football accident back in 2005.

Serbian Jacimovic back to Everest - North side

Serbian Dragan Jacimovic is launching a commercial expedition on Everest north side this spring, hoping to repeat the 2007’s success on the mountain.

Mondinelli returns – for another Lhotse summit!

"There are two kinds of mountain sickness,” 14x8000ers summiteer Silvio “Gnaro” Mondinelli reckoned. “The first occurs at high altitudes; that I get it rarely and often in a mild form. The second affects people who don't go to the mountains. It makes you suffer a lot - and I'm not going to get it!”

”I'm leaving again for the Himalayas. I'll go back to the South Col to check the weather station we installed last year and, if I am still on time, I will try to reach Lhotse’s summit.”

Gnaro attempted Lhotse twice and finally summited it in 2006 – as his 12th 8000er. The Italian climber is flying to Nepal on April 16th, together with a scientific EvK2Cnr team.

Note by Montagna.org: On May 15, 2008 the Ev-K2-CNR Committee installed the world’s highest ground automatic weather station (AWS) on Mt. Everest’s South Col at 8,000 m (26,247 ft.) a.s.l. The station, developed by the Italian manufacturer LSI-Lastem, began collecting data at 15.20, Nepali time, thanks to the exceptional efforts of a skilled team of Italian and Nepali climbers: Silvio Mondinelli, Michele Enzio, Marco Confortola, Dawa Tshering Sherpa, Pema Chhosang Sherpa, Thsiri Sherpa of Khumjung, Phura Sherpa of Namche and Phura Sherpa of Walung. Under the technical supervision of Gian Pietro Verza, Ev-K2-CNR’s Technical Manager, the team worked for three hours at 8,000 m (26,247 ft.) without using supplemental oxygen in extreme weather conditions to start the data acquisition process.

Annapurna: Teams waiting out a storm in BC

“Back in BC,” French Elisabeth Revol reported over SMS yesterday. “Forecasts announce wind and snow for the next five days.” Revol reported a foot of fresh snow at 6,000m the previous day.

Nives and Romano, apparently climbing on the Polish route, also intended to climb back down to BC on Monday.

Kangchenjunga: Edurne feeling right at home

“Finally, after so much pre-expedition stress, I feel at ease, trekking among the woods, crop fields and villages in this remote Kangchenjunga region,” Edurne Pasabán reported yesterday, two days after setting off from Sukhetar village. “Now I am really aware to be again on a climbing expedition, back in this country where I feel better and better.”

Edurne reported rain showers soaking the team and porters every evening, and the snow-capped peaks already visible in the distance. “It seems we are starting to step on snow-covered terrain sooner than expected,” she wrote.

Manaslu: Joao’s team above 6,000m

After two nights in C1 (5,722m) through the weekend, Joao Garcia, Jean-Luc Fohal and Johanes Perrier proceeded up to a flatter spot at 6,271 m where C2 will be soon established. The climbers left a gear cache in place before returning to BC.

Links to 2009 Himalaya expeditions:

Lhotse-Everest traverse
Mountain.kz - expedition's official website
RussianClimb
Mount.kz

Everest South side:
Everest traverse - Bill Burke's blog
Alex Gavan
Jarle Traa
Richard Hidalgo's blog
Singapore's women on Everest updates
Airborne Ranger Club of Finland
Croatian female Everest expedition
Scott Woolums' Adventures International
Altitude Junkies
Manuel Pizarro - news
Lance Fox's dispatches
Jason Maehl
Peak Freaks - Everest updates
RMI Guides/First Ascent - Everest dispatches
Johnny & Brian Strange's dispatches
Asian Trekking - news
Yuri and Laura
Nic Cunningham's updates
John Golden's dispatches
Billi Bierling - Everest diary
David Tait's dispatches
Adrian Ballinger
Alec Turner's dispatches
Eugene Constant's blog
Megan Delanty's blog
Chris Dovell's blog
Norwegians Hjertnes, Jacobsen and Rambøl
Gilad Stern
Robert kojetin
German Thomas "Tomsky"
SummitClimb - News
Laserer Alpin
Iberic Everest expedition
Nancy Norris
Abramov's 7Summits-club
Adventure Consultants
Alpine Ascents
IMG
Mountain Madness
Jagged-Globe
Kenton Cool's dream Guides
Kari Kobler
Serbian Everest expedition

Everest North side:
Czech Hornbein Couloir expedition - Libor Uher's website
Nobukazu Kuriki - English blog
Kanagawa University Alpine Club
Kobler&Partner
Lee Farmer


Kangchenjunga:
Edurne Pasaban
Jon Gangdal
Kinga Baranowska

Makalu:
Zangrilli's blog
Zangrilli's guiding blog
Roland Hunter's expedition blog
News on Vallejo, Iñurrategi, Zabalza - Euskadi Kirola

Annapurna:
Martin Minarik
Elisabeth Revol's blog
Valeri Babanov
Nives Meroi & Romano Benet
Libor Uher's website

Lhotse:
Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner - news
Ralf's Amical Alpin
Hirotaka Takeuchi's blog
David Göttler's website
Xavi Arias' blog
News on Mondinelli on Montagna.org
Manaslu:
Joao Garcia's expedition blog
Jean Luc Fohal's website
Andalusian female team - news
Lina Quesada
Carlos Pauner
Nick Rice's dispatches
Mario Merelli
Radek Jaros

Dhaulagiri
Piotr Morawski - news
Peter Hamor
Polish Tatra Rescuers team
News on Mehdi Etemadfar -MountainZone.ir

Shisha Pangma
Andrew Lock's Shisha+Everest dispatches

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