Posted: Jun 01, 2009 08:23 am EDT
(K2Climb.net) A remarkably early summit push could be underway on Broad Peak. Ludovic Giambasia and Elisabeth Revol departed on Saturday for a new variation route on Broad’s lower slopes – should they feel acclimatized enough, they might go for the summit.

More climbers are arriving Pakistan this week, including Fredrik Ericsson and Michele Fait, who plan to ski down from the summit of Laila Peak first, and then K2.

Broad Peak: Eli and Ludo on a summit push?

“Ludo and Eli are departing on Saturday for a new (variation?) route up Broad Peak,” Ludo’s home team reported on Friday.
"Meanwhile Antoine will go on a partial acclimatization trip up the normal route.” Only the French team is reportedly on Broad Peak right now. The route is not fixed and the team does not report pre-established high camps.

“Ludo and Eli plan to spend Saturday’s night at 6,500m. Should they feel acclimatized enough, they may proceed up on a full summit push and then would be back by Sunday," the home team wrote, "If they’re not back by then, we may have to wait some days for news, since Antoine has taken the sat-phone with him.”

Antoine logged on Sunday. “I have just returned from a little below C3 (7 000m) after a night at C2,” he said. “From 6,500 meters up, the route goes on hard ice, barely covered by 5-10cm of inconsistent snow. It was also extremely cold. At arrival in CB, Ludo and Eli were not yet back. I don’t know how far have they gone up, since they are out of sight from BC.”

Fredrik Ericsson: Pakistan-ho!

Fredrik was scheduled to arrive in Islamabad today, together with Italian team mate Michele Fait. The sky-skiers will first go for Laila Peak, hoping to climb and ski down from its summit as a preparation for K2 two weeks later.

Gasherbrums additions

Kazuya Hiraide will fly to Pakistan on June 16th, hoping to climb G1 (Hidden Peak) as a support and cameraman with Finnish Veikka Gustafsson.

Recent Piolets d'Or winner Hiraide will then move to Gauri Shankar(7134m), aiming for a new route on its SE face (It is unclear whether Veikka will be also on this second climb). Ed. Note: Story edited Jun2, 00:47am - Hiraide is attempting gauri Shankar's SE face, not NE as we previously published.

French climber, ski-runner and 7Summits summiteer Philippe Gatta is attempting the GI+GII+Broad Peak triple header this season. Gatta is departing towards Pakistan next Saturday.

Links to climbing teams in Pakistan 2009

Broad Peak:

Elisabeth Revol
Antoine Girard
Ludovic Giambasi
Eelco Jansen's blog
Karrar Haidri's Saltoro Summits

K2

Fredrik Ericsson

Gasherbrums

Daniela teixeira & Paulo Roxo
Philippe Gatta

 EMAIL   PRINT   SHARE   TEXT