Babanov`s Annapurna West face expedition: first week chronicle
March 21 – First information from Kathmandu:
"Annapurna West face expedition is still in Kathmandu. We are waiting for the porters. We expect to leave Kathmandu on Sunday, 22.
On March 19 we met with Miss Howlle and then we had a Briefing in Ministry of Tourism.
We already got a climbing Permit for Annapurna West face.
At the same time for Annapurna North side there is a big Korean expedition on classical route. They took all the local porters from Lete village where start trekking to Annapurna Base camp.
So, we have to find other porters for approaching Annapurna Base camp. The porters for our expedition should come today, but they stopped on the way from the village because of the strike.
We are filling good and ready to go. Valery & Victor. "
March 22 – Valery and Victor departed from Katmandu to Beni, where they spent one night.
March 23 – They moved to Lete by Jeep.
March 24 – Valery, Victor and 30 porters will start their way to Annapurna Base Camp (West face). It will take them 4 days and won’t be easy especially for porters.
Valery and Victor bought 400 m of rope which they want to fix for porters in order to get over the pass.
They expect a lot of snow on the pass at this time of the year.
March 26 – There was a call from Valery saying that last night 20 out of 30 porters left all their equipment and went back to Kathmandu. The reason for it was the fact that porters, hired by the agency, were not prepared for that type of work.
After getting up to the ridge (at about 3600 m), porters refused to go any further.
Valery, Viktor and the rest of the porters went down to the small village Lete leaving their equipment on the ridge under the supervision of the kitchen boy and two reliable porters. Most likely they would have to wait for the arrival of the porters of the Korean expedition and hire them. It would take them about 3 more days.
The weather is very unstable. It rains every day.
Official website: http://babanov.com 27.03.2009
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