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Valery Babanov aims to solo-climb a virgin summit Nuptse East following a south-east edge (an elevation change about 2300 m). Olga Babanova takes part in the expedition too: she’ll be providing radio-connection with the wall and the outer world.
This is the forth (after Kantega-2000, Meru-2001(spring) and Meru-2001(autumn)) expedition in which Valery is equipped by BASK. Moreover, BASK gives the climber a satellite phone and a computer to enable connection with the Continent. Read the news from Meru in our site!
Massif of Nuptse includes five distinct independent summits, while its highest point is of 7855 m height. Only two of these summits have been climbed to the date: the Main and the West. A sharp south-east edge has been challenging climbers for the latest 18 years, but none could ascend it. In 1986 Marc Twight and Jeff Lowe had twice tried to climb the summit in alpine style, but they had reached only 6600-metres altitude. According to Jeff Lowe the route should be rated as 5.10/A4. In 1997 Italian climbing duo of Fabrizio Manoni and Enrico Rossi reached the same point as an American team.
Jeff Lowe said it was the most fascinating route of all he had ever climbed, ‘It’s a rare combination of those features I have always been looking for: high altitude and technical mixed terrain’. Almost each year someone dare to push his luck on this fantastic giant buttress leading directly to a virgin summit.
The highest altitude ever reached by climbers at this route is 7500 m. It was achieved by an experienced French duo of Michel Fauquet and Jean-Chrstophe Moulin during a climb of 1994.
The last attempt was made in a spring season of 2002 when an international team of Stephan Kokh, Marco Prezelj and Steve Hause reached 7250 altitude.
Valery Babanov is leaving to Nepal in early September. He plans to fix his base camp at a snug green meadow with an outstanding panorama of the South Face of Lhotse and of Nuptse massif. Valery is sure that besides of ‘ordinary’ high-altitude problems he’ll face serious technical challenges at this route. Lowest part of the route is not less difficult than Cassin route to Walker summit up the North Face of Grandes Jorasses with an elevation change of 1300 m. After it a rock rib leads to a steep ridge with overhanging snow ‘mushrooms’ and cornices what makes a problem too. A final segment of the suggested route follows a mixed terrain from 7400 m up to the summit. Valery is going to bivouac in a special portaledge tent that he had tested on the North Face of Kantega in 2000. And all this should be done in a solo climb!
Most of the autumn climbs were terminated with hurricanes above 7000 m. Valery hopes to seize a ‘weather window’ for his final bid.
The expedition is supposed to last till the end of November 2002.
26.08.2002
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