Dhaulagiri 2024

The guide of the 7 Summits Club, the head of the expedition Lyudmila Korobeshko reports from Nepal:

 May 11th. Greetings from the Dhaulagiri Base Camp! Yesterday, half of the camp went down. It was a fairly large Indian expedition (about 10 participants and the same number of Sherpas). They spent a month and a half on the mountain and after another unsuccessful attempt to hang the ropes (on May 8-9, the national team tried to do this, but only reached 7,400), they decided to curtail the expedition.

As a result, our team of 6 people remained at Dhaulagiri, and another international team of 7 people.

As of yesterday morning, the input data was as follows

  In fact, there are no fixed ropes. Those that the team re-(!) hung up to 7,400 a day ago are already under the snow. It needs to be re-hung, and from C1 - there are many cracks opened.

  The condition of the site from C2 to C3 is very avalanche-prone.

  The ropes are all used up, we need to bring new ones from Kathmandu.

  And the main thing is the weather. Snowfall is expected daily for the next 8-9 days…

After weighing all this, we decided to wind down. The members of the international team said they were waiting for our decision (they have almost no Sherpas for making the route). And they were very happy when they found out that we were winding down. They said that everything was correct. By the way, there are very interesting characters in the national team. Anna Tybor from Poland, who planned to ski down from the top of Dhaulagiri.  Arjun is a Hindu who became the youngest climber to descend Lhotse and Everest in 2010. He is making a 14X8000 project. He says that he has agreed on the possibility of entering Pakistan, and this is the main problem for Hindus. He hopes to become the first Indian to climb all 14 eight-tiers. Aiden is a climber from Turkey who has climbed 10 out of 14. This is his third time on Dhaulagiri. And some more interesting characters. We've become friends here.

After making a difficult decision, we had a farewell dinner.

We've been waiting for a helicopter to fly to Pokhara all morning.   By 13.00 he almost reached us, then everything was covered with clouds and heavy snow began to fall.

We hope to leave tomorrow morning now… Some participants have ideas to try to rush to Kangchenjunga and Lhotse. But first we need to get to Kathmandu.

The guide of the 7 Summits Club, the head of the expedition Lyudmila Korobeshko reports from Nepal:

 Greetings from the members of the expedition from BС Dhaulagiri! Today we had a double holiday - Victory Day and the Birthday of Igor Smirnov, a member of the expedition.

Our morning started with the song "Victory Day" and active holiday exercises.

At breakfast, we congratulated Igor with a cake, deciding that we would arrange a more serious celebration later in the evening. But then the participants of the neighboring expedition came to our dining room with congratulations and gifts for Igor. So we opened the champagne and started celebrating all at once. Then the male half of our exp went for a walk, and Ira and I had a bath day.

Before lunch, the fix-ropes team came down. They barely managed to climb from C2 to C3 in a strong wind and snowfall in 14 hours (usually 5-7 hours). Avalanches swept by several times, one even slightly touched them. At night, they even made an attempt to climb above Camp 3, but quickly turned around due to the avalanche-prone situation and bad weather.

Besides us, there is only one more expedition here near Dhaulagiri - a team of Indians with Pioneer company. But after these events, they decided to curtail the expedition.

In general, we are still looking at forecasts - but there will be snowfall in the next 8-10 days. Tomorrow we will gather a consultation and decide how to live on.

The weather in BC is average - either snowfall or wind. But sometimes the sun comes through. All the participants of our expedition are cheerful and hope for the best.

The guide of the 7 Summits Club, the head of the expedition Lyudmila Korobeshko reports from Nepal:

 Greetings to all from BC Dhaulagiri from our cheerful team!

Today we had a day of preparation for the summit assault. In the morning, we did exercises with elements of Turkish breathing exercises, which was conducted by our Turkish friend from the neighboring expedition. After breakfast, high-altitude meals were distributed by day and personal belongings were collected.

But by lunchtime, the advance fix-ropes team got in touch. They reported that the weather is bad (snow and wind) and the condition of the route is very difficult - deep dry snow. In 12 hours they did not manage to get from C2 to C3…

In such a situation, it was decided to postpone our exit for a few days. According to the forecast, the nearest window is probably May 14-15.

But we were very pleased with the video message from our friends from Transglobal Car. They even dedicated poems to us! So we try not to lose heart and wait for the weather to improve.

Lyudmila Korobeshko, head of the 8000 Club expedition on Dhaulagiri, reports from Nepal:

 If you suddenly lost us, know that everything is fine with us! From 4 to 6 May, the previously slightly ill head of the group, Lyudmila Korobeshko, went to catch up with acclimatization, for two nights in C1 (5700) and C2 (6300). The main part of the expedition to Dhaulagiri, which had previously completed the entire acclimatization program, also did not waste time. We explored the surroundings under the guidance of Igor Smirnov. We built stone towers under the leadership of Volodya Belkovich (although we expect something else from him).  Rocks and crashed helicopters were explored under the guidance of mountaineering geologist Vasily Kernitsky. We tried to lead a more sporty lifestyle under the guidance of the snow leopard Yuri Lukyanov. We spent a shock Easter with colored eggs and cakes, and also shot films under the guidance of the indefatigable Irina Zisman.

Today, immediately after my descent to the base camp, our sirdar and I made plans for the assault. So far they are very optimistic and look like this.  Early tomorrow morning on May 7, the fix-rope team and our sirdar with several Sherpas go up and will try to reach Camp 3 and hang ropes to the summit by May 9.

We are going out on May 9th with the expectation of being on top on May 12th. The forecasts are not the most rosy yet - from today it snows every day, but there is almost no wind. Let's hope for the best 🙏

The expedition to Dhaulagiri and its leader Lyudmila Korobeshko are in touch. Today we had a rest day. But in the morning - mandatory exercises!

After breakfast, I decided to take a walk with a climb, as now I urgently need to acclimatize. Igor Smirnov acted as my guide around the neighborhood (over the past almost two weeks, they have scouted everything around the base camp). Igor and I climbed 300 meters vertically to the moraine opposite our route. From this point, we had a great view of our entire upcoming route on Dhaulagiri. The section from BC to C1 is broken through by avalanches from time to time. One of them was even captured on video.

The members have a rest in the next few days. And I plan to go out to C1 tomorrow and the day after tomorrow to C2 for acclimatization. That is, from May 4 to May 6. According to the forecast, there will be a slight increase in wind tomorrow, and snow begins on May 5. But I hope to get down to heavy snowfall, which is forecast for almost a week from May 6…

So far, the weather and the conditions of all participants at the Dhaulagiri base camp are excellent.

Lyudmila Korobeshko, the guide of the 7 Summits Club, reports from Nepal:

 Greetings from our team from Dhaulagiri Base Camp. I finally managed to get to BC. Despite the ongoing fires around Pokhara, a helicopter dropped me off at BC today, May 2, around 11.30 am. And literally 5 minutes later, my whole team came down here after the second acclimatization rotation.

We celebrated our reunion with a festive lunch. The members have a lot of impressions. The route is very difficult - there are many cracks, seraks, avalanche outflows and objectively dangerous places. And yesterday, a very strong wind of 50-70 km/h rose and visibility dropped to almost zero. In such bad weather, they had to go from 5800 to 6500 and survive a windy night in Camp 2. But the team went through all the tests with honor. We shot a lot of beautiful and interesting videos from the route.

Now we will have a long rest in the BC before the assault. The weather, by the way, is deteriorating. The wind increases, and then snowfall is promised for almost a week. It will be just possible to have a good rest.

All the participants are alive, healthy, washed and full of energy!

Greetings to all from the team from Dhaulagiri from the head of the expedition Lyudmila Korobeshko:

According to our sirdar Makalu Lakpa, our entire team made the climb from C1 (5800) to C2 (6500) today. And spent the night at camp C2. The wind has increased slightly, but tomorrow it is forecast to weaken. All the members are feeling well and tomorrow they are already planning a descent down to the Base Camp (4700).

I am still in Pokhara and I still hope to fly to BC Dhaulagiri every day.

I offered prayers to Shiva so that the children at Dhaulagiri would be well on acclimatization. And for me to finally fly to their Base Camp.

Lyudmila Korobeshko, the head of the 7 Summits Club expedition, reports from Nepal:

Greetings from the team from Dhaulagiri and from the head of the expedition Lyudmila Korobeshko!

Our team entered the second rotation this morning. We climbed from BC (4700m) to C1 (5800m) on the slopes of Dhaulagiri, bypassing the icefall. According to our chef Dendy, who stayed in touch with BC, the whole group successfully reached C1 after lunch and stayed there overnight, as planned. Tomorrow we should go even higher in C2 (6500m).

I'm still in Pokhara - I can't fly out in any way. Planes and helicopters do not fly due to poor visibility. Fires are raging around Pokhara, no one is putting them out - today I specially went around the neighborhood to look at the situation…

Lyudmila Korobeshko, the guide of the 7 Summits Club, reports from Nepal:

Greetings to all from the team from Dhaulagiri from the head of the expedition - Lyudmila Korobeshko!

I'm still stuck in Pokhara, where I arrived yesterday in the hope that it would be easier to fly from here to BС Dhaulagiri. But fires are raging around Pokhara and there is smog. Helicopters and airplanes do not fly.

I am in touch with the team that is currently in the Base Camp. Yesterday, the members rested and walked around the neighborhood. A Puja consecration ceremony was held at the camp today. Early tomorrow morning, the team under the leadership of Sirdar Lakpa Makalu leaves for the second rotation in the upper camps. According to the plan, tomorrow the climb to C1 (5800), the day after tomorrow - C2 (6500), then another night in C2 and descent down.

Good luck!

 Greetings from the Dhaulagiri Base Camp! Irina Zisman and the Team sends:

And again, greetings to all from the slopes of Dhaulagiri! We made the first rotation at 5700, touched the Mountain. The exit was scheduled for 6.30, everyone lined up as one for the solemn photo of the team. Our Sherpas seemed to be more worried than us, even organized a mini puja before going out. Throwing handfuls of rice, we walked cheerfully to the mountain.

As we moved along the slopes, the fun was replaced by surprise, alertness and, in places, clicked in some places! - how different it is from the Everest, dear to every heart, hung to the centimeter!

The set of 1000 m also made itself felt, the last hours passed in silence, only deep breaths reminded some words not used in decent society.

After 7 hours, the tents finally appeared, fatigue was replaced by the bustle of arranging temporary nests, we discussed the nuances of sensations and conditions, exchanged pills and received a cup of warm sweet water called Black Tea. There was no aperitif at 6.30 pm, the organisms refused everything except painkillers, sleeping bags and soup from the bags.  A windless morning greeted swollen faces with the sun and relative warmth, everyone survived, some even rushed to walk towards the second camp, but they did not walk for long, about 10 minutes.  Hastily pouring into themselves a thick gray soup of positive temperature, they gathered on their way back.

Fragments of fixed ropes were periodically encountered; the ropes cowardly went under the snow and ice. It was especially unpleasant to part with ropes in front of cracks with melted bridges. Here it is necessary to note the heroism of our Sherpas, they just walked and groped for an alternative passage with their feet.

The prospect of beer after the first washing and a delicious lunch on this expedition added coherence and cheerfulness to the team. And after some 3 hours we were at the base camp, surrounded by the care of a Dendy who persistently sent us to wash …

Brief news from Dhaulagiri.  Our climbing team, led by Sirdar Lakpa Makalu, left the Dhaulagiri base camp (4700m) at about 6.30 am today for the first camp at 5800 for overnight stay and acclimatization. By lunchtime, according to our cook Dendy, the whole group was already in the first camp. The weather is good. Tomorrow, according to the plan, our group should go down to the base camp for rest.

Greetings from the Dhaulagiri Base Camp! Irina Zisman reports: We are healthy. We sleep well, we eat even better, we keep the oxygen level in all possible ways. Today we are getting ready to go out again, we have adjusted the equipment, cats, prepared sausage, cheese, other things and a reasonable amount of toilet paper.

We also did not forget the traditional photo of the entire team, including Sherpas, a Dandy cook with assistants and an electrician (perhaps he has other functions).

 Today's aperitif at 6.30 pm was more restrained than usual: we decided to refrain from raising the already high tone. Then everything is according to plan: SPA treatments with hot towels, a hearty dinner. It started snowing again ... We hope he won't interfere with our plans …

While the head of expedition Luda Korobeshko is recovering in Kathmandu, the team continues to work according to plan and send reports on the work done. Irina Zisman and the Team reports:

 23.04. Today we were preparing for tomorrow's exit to the first camp. Part of the team took a walk in the neighborhood, the rest were saving up resources. But the sunny weather turned to snowfall and after lunch we decided to cancel the exit, because the passage of some sections becomes unsafe.

After a short afternoon rest, everyone traditionally gathered at 6.30 pm for an aperitif with lard to maintain tone, morale and oxygenation. After a video call with the head, the spirit, tone and oxygen increased significantly. Our chef Dendy, as always, indulged in gastronomic delights, after dinner with chicken soup and momo it is difficult to reach the tent, so for now we are sitting in a warm, quiet family circle!

Lyudmila Korobeshko, the guide of the 7 Summits Club, reports from Nepal:

Greetings from Nepal from the participants of the expedition on Dhaulagiri! Today we spent the first night at a new altitude - 4700 in the Dhaulagiri valley. On beds with sheets and pillows. However, some participants decided that they did not want to relax too much, and put mattresses on the floor for themselves - this is more familiar. 

We have established a good Internet connection in the camp. In the morning, I realized that I was completely ill. I decided to go down to Kathmandu for rest and recovery. I handed out instructions to the team members. Well, they are all experienced - each has 3-5 eight-thousanders. We decided that the first rotation (overnight at C1 at 5800) they would go without me. But under the strict guidance of our most experienced sirdar Lakpa Makalu. Now our Sherpas have installed C1 and made a cast of C2. The fixed ropes are hung up to the assault camp C3.

After breakfast, the participents walked to the beginning of the route - to the crampons point (where the glacier begins and the crampons put on). And after lunch they put me in a helicopter. So I'm already in Kathmandu. I'm trying to recover. And get back in line.

Lyudmila Korobeshko, the guide of the 7 Summits Club, reports from Nepal:

 Greetings to all from the Dhaulagiri Base Camp at 4700! Today we made a long march from 3600 (Italian Base Camp) to the main Base camp at 4700. It took us 7.5 hours. The path is not the easiest - there are many ascents and descents. So we gained about 1,500 meters in total.

The valley leading to the Dhaulagiri Base Camp is absolutely wild. We didn't meet anyone at all on the way. And the terrain is very similar to Tibet. The route to the Middle Camp is moraines, steep cliffs, dust, waterfalls.

Our camp is very comfortable - large single tents with beds. We plan to rest and acclimatize in the base camp for the next two days.

 Lyudmila Korobeshko, the guide of the 7 Summits Club, transmits from Nepal by satellite phone:

 Good afternoon! This is Lyudmila Korobeshko from the expedition to Dhaulagiri. Today, April 20th, we are at the Italian base camp at an altitude of 3600, under the Western face of Dhaulagiri. We've been here for three days now. Yesterday, April 18th, we arrived and took a walk. On April 19th, we had a full-fledged acclimatization day. We climbed up the slopes to the Western Wall. We gained 500 meters vertically. And today is like our final day here, at this altitude, in this camp.

Today we decided to take a walk to several beautiful waterfalls, which turned out to be very close to the camp. However, the path to them turned out to be quite difficult. It was necessary to drop about 250 meters down steeply to the river. And then go to her and gain another 300 meters. We didn't reach the waterfalls, but we had a very good walk.

 We're having lunch now. The weather is not bad. However, clouds are coming up now. And tomorrow, according to the plan, we will trek to our base camp, directly under our route from the North. That is, tomorrow we have to walk 6-8 hours and about 12 kilometers. Everyone feels good. Nadezhda is flying back to Kathmandu tomorrow. And our six will continue their adventures and climb Dhaulagiri. At the moment, we are informed that the fixing ropes ends in the second camp. And even they were made to the third camp. But apparently there were snowfalls and they were a little bit swept up. We're supposed to be at Base Camp tomorrow night. Perhaps there will be more information. And we hope that tomorrow we will be able to connect the Internet. See you tomorrow!

Lyudmila Korobeshko, the guide of the 7 Summits Club, reports from Nepal by satellite phone:

  Hello everyone from Dhaulagiri! So, our team arrived at the Italian Base camp under the Western Face of Dhaulagiri yesterday, April 18. Everything is fine! We flew in by helicopter and set up camp here. And we even managed to take a walk yesterday to acclimatize a little higher. The height is almost 3700 meters. Everyone feels good. The night went well too.  In the evening, of course, we celebrated our arrival under a new mountain for us. And now it's a nice sunny morning. The entire Western Face is visible.

According to the plan, we will spend two more nights here. We will acclimatize today, tomorrow, and the day after tomorrow we are going to move to the main base camp. It's more than a kilometer higher. We will go around the mountain a little bit and approach from the north and our route will run completely from the north side of Dhaulagiri. Well, it's very beautiful, very wild. There are no villages here, the nearest village is two days' journey down. That is, everything is fine, hello everyone! All participants feel great.

Lyudmila Korobeshko, the guide of the 7 Summits Club, reports from Nepal:

  Namaste!  Now from Pokhara from the Dhaulagiri group of the 7 Summits Club. 25 minutes of summer and we are already drinking morning coffee at the Pokhara Hotel on the shore of Lake Fewa. While flying on the right side, we saw our beautiful Manaslu (we climbed in the fall of 2019), waved to her, remembered the work of the High-Altitude Laboratory…

We decided to wait out the daytime heat at +34 at the hotel. Here we met Vladimir Gonchar and other persons from Annapurna. I was impressed by the stories about the storming of Annapurna.

In the late afternoon, we took boats and sailed to the other side of Lake Fewa. There we went up to the Peace Stupa on the top of the nearest hill. The views are amazing. A place with a very strong energy! Energized before a long expedition 😊

On the way back, we were greeted on the shore with torches and dancing. It turned out to be a local Aarati ceremony (as in Pashupati). We had dinner and decided to go to bed early. Enjoy the final night in civilization. After all, tomorrow morning we are already moving by heli into the Italian Base Camp at 3600m.

Lyudmila Korobeshko, a guide of the 7 Summits Club, reports from Nepal:

Today was our final day in Kathmandu. We walked through the Tamel, issued permits for Dhaulagiri, attended the amazing evening Aarati ceremony in Pashupatinath and did the most important action that traditionally brings success to our team - walked three times around the largest stupa of Buddhanath.

In the evening we sat at the Hard Rock Cafe, where we finally met with our sirdar and a great friend, Lakpa Makalu. He has just successfully climbed Makalu (last Thursday) and supervised the installation of fixed ropes. He arrived in Kathmandu today. And tomorrow, early in the morning, he flies with us to Pokhara and then to Dhaulagiri.

We will try to keep in touch.

Lyudmila Korobeshko, a guide of the 7 Summits Club, reports from Nepal:

All namaste from Kathmandu from the Dhaulagiri group! Today, all participants of the expedition to Dhaulagiri gathered in the capital of Nepal. Each participant of our expedition has already visited Kathmandu several times and managed to climb several eight-thousand meters. Everyone has 3-5 8000+ vertices behind their backs. Having more experience, we all had a good rest from the flights today and went to our favorite Mezze in the evening. Then Nims (with whom we have repeatedly crossed paths on different 8000) invited us to a nearby Penthouse bar, where we tasted a set of "14 eight-thousanders" and tried to find our own Dhaulagiri.  A serious mountain 😊

Tomorrow we get permits, perform the most important ritual for good luck (try to guess which one) and visit Pashupatinath at sunset.