Posted: Jun 05, 2006 09:51 am EST
(MountEverest.net) “I am back in Kathmandu after my South-North traverse on Everest,” reported Italian Simone Moro last week. “I have defined my legal status with the Chinese authorities, and I was strongly admonished for the border violation. I don't recommend people to repeat my traverse, or any other kind of unauthorized mountaineering. My adventure ended up a complicated legal story.”

Basically, what Simone did was summiting Everest from the south and traverse down to the Tibetan, North side – without a permit. Given the circumstances, Simone was lucky to be reporting from Kathmandu, instead of calling from a Chinese jail.

Improvised change of plans?

Simone’s plans have turned out very different from what he planned. The Italian climber was originally supposed to open a new route on Lhotse, without using supplementary O2. He ended up summiting Everest on O2 and completing the third confirmed traverse of the mountain this season – but the first illegal this year.

Details are expected from Simone about when and why exactly his plans changed. According to Nepal’s Ministry of Tourism, Simone was a member in the Polish Falvit expedition, with a climbing permit for Everest, not Lhotse.

Simone’s short debrief: Night summit on O2

“After spending two nights on the South Col at 8000 m, on the South Side of Mount Everest, I was forced to change my previous decision on not using supplementary O2.”

“I started climbing (from South Col) on May 19 at 11.00 pm, and I reached the top at 3.15 am, by the light of my headlamp. Darkness, extreme cold and orienteering difficulties affected me at 8848 m. I went on my lonely descent from the summit following the fixed ropes along the Tibetan side. The rope was covered by snow and the trail was washed out by the winds of the previous days.”

“I arrived to ABC (6400 m) at 8:30. An Italian expedition became my first host, and then the “7 Summits club” expedition, led by Mr. Abramov. I won’t go into all the red tape hassle for my return to Nepal, but I want to thank my friend and Italian researcher Maria Luisa Nodari, who helped me out after I called her. I consider her my climbing partner on the traverse.”

Deported

The “red tape hassle” Simone avoids to mention basically means the Italian climber was deported.

The Liason Officer contacted the TMA (Tibet Mountaineering Association) as soon as Simone reached Everest’s north side BC. According to TMA, Simone alleged he couldn't make his way back after reaching the summit, because the ropes (on the south side) were cut.

TMA general secretary Zhang Mingxing said Simone's excuse was "unfounded" , Xinhua news agency reported. Chinese authorities were well aware of Simone’s real intentions to traverse Everest, even if that meant breaking Chinese laws.

Simone was deported from Zhangmu.

Two legal traverses this year

In addition to Simone’s there’s been at least two other Everest traverses this year.

Korean 14x8000er summiteer Park Young Seok and Sherap Jangbu Sherpa traversed from Tibet to Nepal on May 11, after previously obtaining (and paying for) a climbing permit for both sides of the mountain.

Later that month, on May 18 Swiss Mario Julen, a client in Kari Kobler’s team, summited Everest from the South side with Dangima Sherpa. Just as Simone, the climbers traversed down the Tibetan face of the mountain - where Mario was included as a member in Russ Brice’s Himex team.

January last year, Italian Simone Moro summited Shisha Pangma after a fast 5 hour summit push in very strong winds, with Polish Piotr Morawski (currently on Annapurna in Piotr Pustelnik's team). It was the first calendar winter ascent on a 8000er since 1988, and the first winter climb on Shisha Pangma. The climb was awarded among the Best of ExplorersWeb 2005. Later that year, Simone attempted Batura II (in Pakistan) and a winter climb on Cerro Torre (Patagonia).

Simone's plan this Spring was reportedly to open a new route on Lhotse's West face.

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