We received word from Alan Arnette, by way of his latest dispatch, that his climb on Shisha Pangma is over.
If you've been following the Fall Himalaya season, you've no doubt heard about the unusual amount of snow that has fallen in the region already this year. Heavy snow has prevented a number of teams, on several mountains, to abandon their climbs, and head home early, and Shisha has been no different. In fact, as Alan notes, no one has summitted Shisha this season, and it looks like no one will. Although there are a few climbers still going for the Central Summit, the snow on the upper passes have made it impossible to go to Shisha's true summit this year.
Regardless of the outcome, I'm sure Alan will call it a success. Not only did he go high on Shisha, he didn't suffer the same ill effects that he did on Denali a few months back, and he remained healthy and strong while at altitude. On top of that, it seems that his goal of raising money and awareness for the Cure Alzheimer Fund, as he has reported record donations while he was away.
So, for now, we'll wait for his post-climb updates and reports. There are other climbs ahead before returning to Everest in the Spring, but I'm guessing Alan will feel pretty good about his efforts, and he has every right to be excited and optimistic as he continues on his Road Back To Everest.
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