Not that time: go back to Base Camp

26/06/2011
From Chris last call:
Martha and Sophie just got back to base camp few hours ago after unfortunately not coming in by peak. So they went up and was just really really windy and they weren't able to really get much higher than in camp 3. So but you know they must be -----  but that's great and now they're super trying to crunch. So all is well.

Photo : Attempt #1 - Summit Push

June 26th 2011 - Lakpa and Sophie made their first Summit attempt

Day #3 - They start climbing at 11pm for their summit push. On their way to the top, they got in a wind storm early morning. Winds being too strong, they have to turn back. They left tent and summit gear at Camp 3 and went down to base camp.

FTA Broad Peak & K2 2011 - Summit push already under way for Sophie and Lakpa!

From Stu in the USA office
25th June, 2011

Chris has called in with the latest at BC which includes that the team already has two members, Lakpa Sherpa and Sophie Denis, with designs on a rapid summit bid ahead of the fixed lines and established camps!

They have been having great weather and everyone if feeling well (despite a few GI challenges here and there). They have been working well with two other teams on the hill, Altitude Junkies and DAV, and the sense of camaraderie is running high. They have the rope fixed already to C2 and will be pushing the route through to C3 in the days ahead.
Coming off of summits of Everest (Lakpa) and Cho Oyu and Lhotse (Sophie), the plan had been to push up as high as they could go and see how they felt. Well they are feeling great and going to make a quick bid for the top Alpine style.  The summit winds are expected to rise by the end of the day on the 26th so they hope to be up and back to high camp well ahead of the end of the day. I have climbed with Lakpa a number of times and he is one of the fastest climbers i have seen. Sophie put in some very quick times on Cho Oyu and Lhotse so they seem to make a good team!
We'll have all the news coming as they go for a very early summit on Broad Peak.

Phone call from the leader of the expedition

Here is a phone call from Chris, leader of Broad Peak expedition for FTA
http://fieldtouring.blogspot.com/

Photo : Attempt #1 - Climb Camp 2 to Camp 3

June 25th 2011 - Lakpa and Sophie made their first Summit attempt

Day #2 - They climbed alpine style from Camp 2 to Low Camp 3

Beautiful day - Snow was really deep - Breaking trail was exhausting

Photo : Attempt #1 - Climb Base Camp to Camp 2

June 24th 2011 - Lakkpa and Sophie made their first Summit attempt

Day #1 - They climbed alpine style from Base Camp to Camp 2

FTA K2/Broad Peak 2011 - In Goro II today and on to Broad Peak BC June 22nd

from stu in the usa office,
21 June 2011

 Urdukas camp with the Trango Towers behind © stu remensnyder

Chris has called in from Goro II and left a great audio disapatch below. In it he shares the latest news from the K2/Broad Peak team. They had a great day trekking in from Urdukas and enjoyed a warm (25°C) day with superb views of Gasherbrum IV, Gasherbrum II, Broad Peak and Masherbrum!

 River crossing near Goro II © stu remensnyder

 In a normal year our team would tromp on up to the famed Concordia camp site and then take a short walk the next morning to Broad Peak BC. For the first time that i know of there is insufficient snow in Concordia and the team will be skipping this campsite on their way to Broad Peak base camp. By the end of last season the snow loss was dramatically greater than in typical years. This was due in large part to the conditions that caused the horrific flooding across great swathes of Pakistan. It remains to be seen how this will play out on the 8000m peaks in the Karakoram and potentially may mean icier or rockier conditions on Broad Peak and K2.

 View to Broad Peak from Concordia © stu remensnyder

Sophie New Website online

www.sophiedenis.com

I'm leaving today

I'm so happy

Broad Peak, K2 here we come !!!

Broad Peak K2 Climbing Strategy

BROAD PEAK
Jun. 14th - Rest day at Sarkdu - Folding ropes and checking tents
Jun. 15th - Rest day at Sarkdu - Last shopping By jeeps to Askole (8-9 hrs) at 3000 meters.
Approach
Jun. 16th - By jeeps to Askole (8-9 hrs) at 3000 meters
Jun. 17th - Drive from Dumordu River to Jhola (8-9 hrs).
Jun. 18th - Trek to Paiyu, good views of Baltoro and trango group (7 hrs).
Jun. 19th - Day free at Paiyu for acclimatization (3600m).
Jun. 20th - Trek to Khuburtze (5-8 hrs): 4000 m.
Jun. 21st - Trek to Urdukas: 4-5 hrs walk mostly along the crest of lateral moraine
Jun. 22nd - Trek to Goro II: Glacier for 3-4 hrs to the camp site at 4500 meters
Jun. 23rd - Trek to Concordia: 5-6 hours slightly easy walk, with spectacular views
Jun. 24th - Trek to Broad Peak Base Camp
Jun. 25th - Rest day at Base Camp
Jun. 26th - Rest day at Base Camp (wait for weather window)
Broad Peak Climbing Strategy
Once good weather window, I will try a Summit attempt which would follow this itinerary:
Day 1 : Base Camp to Camp 1
Day 2 : Camp 1 to Camp 2
Day 3 : Camp 2 to Camp 3
Day 4 : Camp 3 to Summit to Camp 3
Day 5 : Base Camp

Broad Peak Camps

1 week rest

K2 climbing strategy
when good weather window, I will try a Summit attempt which should follow the itinerary below:
Day 1 : Base Camp to Camp 1
Day 2 : Camp 1 to Camp 2
Day 3 : Camp 2 to Camp 3
Day 4 : Camp 3 to Camp 4
Day 5 : Camp 4 to Summit to Camp 3
Day 6 : Camp 3 to Base Camp

Please note that we will climbing the Cesen Route.

Red triangles will be our Camps

Route of K2 summit day

I'm in Pakistan

I arrived to Pakistan on June 10th at 9pm.


I met most of the teammate. It is an international group with farily diversified climbing background. This group will climb Broad Peak then I will move on to K2, with Lakpa, Rob and Chris.

The initial plan was flying to Skardu. It is a 45minutes flight. Unfortunately, all the flights had been cancelled since June 6th due to bad weather. The Authority informed us that the next flight might be on June 15th. In other words, our flight should have been scheduled not before ~ the 18th of June. So we’ve decided to drive to Skardu.

The drive took us 2 full days. Islamabad to Chilaz : 18h drive, Chilaz to Skardu : 13h drive.

We arrived last night, exhausted....

Today we are checking the tents and fold the ropes. Tomorrow we will do a last minute shopping, and pack our bags. We are allowed to take 3 bags of 25kg each.

Sophie's 5 New Climbing Route Published in the American Alpine Journal

It is with great honor that I inform you that my 5 new climbing routes (mentioned below) had been published in the new edition of the prestigious American Alpine Journal.

In 2010, my partner and I've opened 3 new climbing routes (level MD+) in the Andean Central Range in June and 2 new climbing routes (level MD+) in the Andean White Range in July. In 2010, my partner and I've opened 3 new climbing routes (level MD+) in the Andean Central Range in June and 2 new climbing routes (level MD+) in the Andean White Range in July.
Icing on the cream, I've realized 4 first woman mountain summits.

Why did I call my new climbing route as follow:

- Huantsan West Summit: " Les Trois Mousquetaire"

Because our climb success is the result of a great team work.
The Three Musketeers who live by the motto "all for one, one for all" ("tous pour un, un pour tous")
 - Huantsan North Summit : "Illusion"
Because climbing that face was full of surprises (mainly bad surprises) and it was nothing close of what we were expecting

- North Face of Suiricocha : "Everything Is Possible"
Everything Is Possible is my motto. It is what drive my life and allow me to go beyond my comfort zone

- West Face of Manon Dos: "Beyond Survivor"
In honor to the cancer survivors

- West Face of Vicunita : "Sacred Ayahuasca"
In honor to the Inca culture

read more : http://followtheclimb.blogspot.com/search/label/Peru%20Peak%202010

American Alpine Journal
From Wikipedia

The American Alpine Journal is an annual magazine published by the American Alpine Club. Its mission is "to document and communicate mountain exploration."

Subtitled as a compilation of "The World's Most Significant Climbs," the magazine contains feature stories about notable new routes and ascents, written by the climbers, as well as a large "Climbs and Expeditions" section containing short notes by climbers about new and noteworthy achievements.

Cool first ....

Cool News : I've just learnt that I am the

Youngest French lady climber to climb Lhotse

http://explorersweb.com/stats/news.php?id=20198

Daily Video Journal of the Sophie's Lhotse climb

http://followtheclimb.blogspot.com/2011/05/daily-video-journal-of-sophie-denis.html