Spring 2019: Summit of Annapurna and a heroic rescue mission

Dream Wanderlust | Apr 27 , 2019

Everest:

1. Project: The Line
American climber Cory Richards (37) with Ecuadorean climber Esteban "Topo" Mena, aiming to summit Everest via a new route, have already set up Base Camp (5200m). They are now on a process to make their way to Advanced Base Camp (6400m).

Also Read: Alex Txikon Team completes their third rotation on Annapurna, loses their materials at Camp-3

2. Nepali Sherpa, Kami Rita Sherpa (49) who has the record of most numbers (22) of Everest summits by any individual made in last spring, aiming to summit Everest for the 23rd time this year. He is now at Everest Base Camp.

3. Project: The Dream of Everest
Four Arab women, Joyce Azzam and Nelly Attar from Lebanon, Mona Shahab from Saudi Arabia and Nadhirah Alharthy from Oman with Elia Saikaly, aiming to Everest, are now at Everest Base Camp for acclimatization process.

4. Project: Two Widow Expedition
Nima Doma Sherpa (36) and Furdiki Sherpa (42) are aiming to summit Everest to finish the unfinished climb of their dead husbands. The recent update is yet to be followed by the team.

5. Amputee climber Sergeant Kirstie Ennis, Former US Marine Corps, who lost a leg due to a helicopter crash in Afghanistan in 2012, aiming to summit Everest. She is now at for acclimatization process.

Makalu:

Muhammad Ali Sadpara (43), aiming to summit Makalu as a member of the rope fixing team of Seven Summit Treks. We are yet to receive further updates from the team.

Annapurna:

1. Project: Black Yak Annapurna Expedition 2019
Polish Adam Bielecki (35) with German Felix Berg (38), aiming to summit Annapurna via new route on the NW Face, have already reached the Base Camp (~4300m) of Langtang Lirung (7227m), the highest peak of the Langtang Himal they choose to summit for acclimatization for main goal i.e. Annapurna.

2. Project: 14/7 Project Possible
Nirmal Purja in his ambitious project, aiming to climb all 14 eight-thousanders in 7 months, summited Annapurna on 23rd April, 2019. Overall, 31st climbers have reached the summit of Annapurna on the same day. After the summit, Nirmal joined the rescue team to rescue Wui Kin Chin, who was stranded on Annapurna during his descent from the summit.

Wui Kin Chin (49), from Malaysia, reached the summit of Annapurna on 23rd April, 2019 at around 4:10 pm but failed to return to the nearest camp. He is part of the 13-member expedition led by French climber Barobian Michel Christian.

He was spotted at 7500m on Mt. Annapurna by a search-helicopter on 25th April, 2019. According to the head of Seven Summit Treks, a team of high-altitude climbers comprising Nirmal Purja, Mingma David Sherpa, Galgen Sherpa and Gesman Tamang was sent from the Base Camp to evacuate the climber. They were heli-transferred to Camp-3 (6500m) at around 12:50 pm on 25th April, 2019. The team moved towards Camp-4 (7100m) to rescue the stranded climber. The rescuers brought back Kin to Camp-3 on 25th. Then he has been heli-rescued and brought to Kathmandu by the rescue helicopter on 26th April in the morning. Later, he has been admitted to the hospital, as reported by Pashang Sherpa from the rescue agency to DW.

Nirmal Purja

Lhotse:

South Korean mountaineer, Hong Sung Taek (53), aiming to climb Lhotse South Face again, for the 6th time. The expedition team has already stayed Camp-2 (7200m) on 26th April, 2019.

Dhaulagiri:

Romanian alpinist Horia Colibasanu (42) with his country mate Marius Gane (51) and Slovak Peter Hámor (53), aiming to summit Dhaulagiri via a new route without supplemental oxygen and Sherpa support, have already reached the Dhaulagiri Base Camp (4700m).

Photo Courtesy: Nirmal Purja