News from Valery Babanov

Babanov and Suviga. Nuptse Base camp.

At last Valera called us from a base Nuptse camp again. But the news was dull: the expedition is over and climbers are leaving back to Moscow. No summit.

Causes are bad weather and permit terms (it lasts only till the 20th of May). On the 18th of May Babanov and Suviga tried the summit once again but a snowfall stopped them. Fine weather that is so expected by all Himalayan expeditions now, has not come yet. Old-timers point to exceptionally bad weather this season. According to Valera’s reports there were no more than 5 days with satisfactory weather this year.

In spite of it Babanov and Suviga has reached the maximal (so far) altitude that was gained by French expedition of 1995. To the moment that 7500 meters is the best what people could reach on the mountain. Summit itself is still the highest of unclimbed summits.

During the expedition Reinhold Messner visited Nuptse base camp. Babanov says that famous German 59-years climber is still in good trim.

Kammerlander’s team is trying to first-climb Nuptse East too. On their second break-out they could hardly reach their previous 6900 m bivy. Shredded tent forced them to go back. Now the team is waiting a hurricane out in a base camp.

22.05.2003