Nearly 40 people have summited Annapurna this morning and are currently descending. However, among triumphant announcements, there are reports of an avalanche that struck the route between Camp 2 and Camp 3.
Avalanche today
Word is that an avalanche hit the route between Camp 2 and Camp 3 this morning, while the main summit wave was much higher on the mountain. Some sherpas were working in the area, maintaining the route at the Great Couloir. We have no confirmation of any victims yet but sources suggest at least two Nepalese climbers are missing.
We are also waiting for news about the climbers descending from the summit. Many planned to descend to Camp 2 and spend the night. The state of the route is unclear after the reported avalanche.
Climbers had hoped that the lack of snow on Annapurna might result in fewer avalanches, but there have been slides in the last few days. Several climbers filmed a big avalanche last week.
There was a second accident in the hazardous area between Camp 2 and Camp 3 on April 4: a piece of a serac fell, hitting climber Gian Luca Cavalli in the head and hand.
Gian Luca Cavalli is back in Kathmandu today. Photo: Limit Project x Annapurna
Cavalli was airlifted to Kathmandu and quickly treated for his injuries.
“Luckily, he just has a broken thumb,” expedition doctor Donatella Barbera told ExplorersWeb. His climbing partner, Cesar Rosales, summited yesterday without supplementary O2 and made it back to Camp 2 for the night.
Push from Camp 3
Pioneer Adventure, 8K Expeditions, and Seven Summit Treks all reported summits which included a higher number of sherpa guides than foreigners. The three outfitters also note that the rope-fixing team completed their work yesterday “thanks to a joint effort.” They all contributed extra sherpa support to the rope-fixing team led by Imagine Nepal, helping to fix the final 500 vertical meters.
As previously reported, it was important to have the route ready as soon as possible, as many climbers and staff on Annapurna plan to move to other peaks or head home by the second half of April.
Only two climbers reached the summit yesterday after the rope-fixing team: Zhao YiYi of China and Cesar Rosales of Peru. The bulk of climbers prepared for their final push in Camp 3.
The delay in fixing the route, because of open crevasses and icy conditions, prompted expedition leaders to abandon plans for a fourth camp on the mountain. That makes for a much longer summit day and requires climbers to set off in the afternoon and climb through the night.
Too rushed?
“We left Camp 3 [on a summit push] at 4 pm, but something was not right; that rush of ‘let’s get this over with’ was not the right vibe,” Brazilian Roman Romancini reported over InReach to Extremos.br.
Romancini reported long lines on the fixed ropes, technical passages, and hot weather.
“We were dressed for a very cold night, but were actually climbing in a warm afternoon,” Romancini explained. He also considers it a mistake to launch the final push from Camp 3: “It’s 1,700 vertical meters to go!”
His worries only increased and he eventually turned around. “I was not concerned about the climb, but about the descent,” he said.
Romancini returned to Camp 3 yesterday and reached 4,400m today (approaching Base Camp), according to his tracker.
Worsening weather
“The weather is not so good and more bad weather is coming,” Lakpa Sherpa of 8K Expeditions told ExplorersWeb. The team, one of the biggest on the mountain, put 75% of their international clients on top today (six clients and seven sherpa guides). However, the descent won’t be easy.
“Our climbers are descending, prioritizing safety,” Lakpa said. He explained that most of their team would remain in Camp 3 today, although a small group planned to try and descend straight to Base Camp.
Annapurna. Photo: 8K Expeditions
Seven Summit Treks has put five clients and four sherpas on the summit. Among them, Sirbaz Khan of Pakistan climbed without oxygen.
Pioneer Adventure had four climbers on the summit, each with a sherpa guide. Two of the clients, Neil Warren of South Africa and Gurshimran Signh of India, climbed without supplementary oxygen. The team is reportedly descending to Camp 2, where they plan to spend the night.
We expect more news about those descending soon. So far, Cesar Rosales (who summited yesterday) is the only climber confirmed to have returned to Base Camp. He reached Camp 2 yesterday and made it back to the base of the mountain at 1 pm today.
