Annapurna summit day wrap-up: Records, wind and a long descent still ahead

Posted: Apr 27, 2010 06:24 pm EDT

(ExWeb/Madrid. Story updated Apr28th.) Annapurna summit has never been topped-out as many times as today. Nineteen climbers (17 men and 2 women) stood on its sharp snowy summit in spite of fierce winds. One of the girls, Korean Oh Eun-Sun, became the first female 14x8000er summiters, while Polish Piotr Pustelnik followed the tracks of Jerzy Kukuczka and Krzysztof Wielicki as the third Polish climber to finish the "Great 14" quest.

Preliminary summit list

While details are still sketchy and summit times are only approximate, here is a first list:

Jorge Egocheaga (Spain) - 10.00am.
Martin Ramos (Spain) - 10.00am.
Horia Colibasanu (Romania) - 12.30pm?
Serguey Bogomolov (Russia) - ?
Eugeny Vinogradsky (Russia) - ?
Piotr Pustelnik (Poland) - ?
Peter Hamor (Slovakia) - ?
Kinga Baranowska (Poland) -?
Oh Eun-Sun (S.Korea) 3.00pm.
Ha-Young Jung (S.Korea) 3.00pm.
Kwan-Joo Nha (S. Korea) 3.00pm.
Dawa Wangchuk Sherpa (Nepal) 3.00pm.
Miss Oh Sherpa #1 (Nepal) 3.00pm.
Miss Oh Sherpa #2 (Nepal) 3.00pm.
Carlos Pauner (Spain) 3:45pm.
Juanito Oiarzabal (Spain) 3:45pm.
Dawa Sherpa (Nepal) 3:45pm
Tolo Calafat (Spain) 3:45pm
Sonam Sherpa (Nepal) 3:45pm

Stats by Rodrigo Granzotto

1.Pustelnik, in his 5th attempt, finally did it - he has become the 20th person to complete the great 14. This is indeed the first time that three different climbers end the 14x8000er on the same mountain and season.
2. Horia is the first climber from Romania to summit Annapurna.
3. Dawa Wangchuk Sherpa is the third sherpa to summit 9 different 8000ers.
4. Juanito Oiarzabal and Peter Hamor are the first non-Nepalis to summit Annapurna twice. Hamor is also s the first western climber to conquer the mountain from both sides (S. Side on 2006 and N. Side on 2010).
5. About to complete the 60th Anniversary of the first ascent, the present season of Annapurna is already the most successful ever (the previous record was 1991, with 15 summits).

Climbers whereabouts

Summit day is not yet over though. Alerts are still on, since latest report show summiteers were descending at a very slow pace.

Javier Perez, a member in Carlos Pauner team, reported at 9:00pm, local time, that a large number of head-lamps could be seen slowly going down towards C4. "Juanito and Carlos are behind the Korean team," he told Pauner home team crew. Further news is expected since then.

Serguey Bogomolov called his wife and noted they were between C4 and C3. The Russians planned to spend the night in C3.

Earlier summiteers Jorge Egocheaga and Martin Ramos checked in with BC in the afternoon from some point between C3 and C2 - they may have stopped there or continued down to BC. While confirmation is still expected, Romanian Horia Colibasanu is probably safe in a higher camp - he was interviewed by a local radio reportedly at 7,000m.

Waiting in BC are American Nick Rice (injured in the head by a falling ice chunk some days ago), Javier Perez (who aborted his attempt due to gear failure), Doctors Ramón Morandeira and MªAntonia Nerín, and the Korean TV crew, plus BC staffs.

Links to 2010 Annapurna teams:

Edurne Pasaban

Ferran Latorre

Oh Eun-Sun

Kinga Baranowska

Nick Rice

Carlos Pauner

Joao Garcia

Xavi Arias

Juanito Oiarzabal

Horia Colibasanu

Martin Ramos

Peter Hamor

Park Young-Seok
#Mountaineering #topstory