I just wrote about the 2009 Fall Himalaya Expedition List yesterday, and now we get word today that things are already starting to happen in Nepal. ExWeb is reporting that teams have begun to arrive in Kathmandu, including the Basque team that will soon depart for Tibet, where they'll be attempting the Hornbein couloir along the North Face. They're joined by a Mexican team that has its sights set on Manaslu and two Chilean teams, one already on the trek to that mountain, and another preparing to set out for Dhaulagiri.
Swiss climber Ueli Steck continues his penchant for impressive climbs this fall by making an attempt on the West Pillar of Makalu. Ueli warmed up for this climb by making a solo summit on GII this past summer, and in keeping with that theme, he'll be going solo on Makalu as well. He will be joined by photographer Robert Boesch and mountain guide Andy Waelchli, but neither of those two men will go above base camp. According to Ueli's website, he expects to finish this project by the end of October. If there is a climber out there that can make a bold solo climb like this one, it's probably Ueli.
The Altitude Junkies have an expedition planned for Manaslu, and according to their most recent dispatch, the team should now be in Nepal, and beginning their trek to the mountain today. Expect the usual excellent updates from AJ as the climb progresses.
Finally, here's an interesting climb that is being sponsored by The North Face. It's called the Cho Oyu Trinity project and it will see a team of climbers make an attempt on the 8021 meter Cho Oyu. Following a successful summit, the team hopes to snowboard back down the mountain, before running and mountain biking their way back to Kathmandu, a distance of approximately 275 miles. I guess they were looking for more of a challenge after climbing the sixth highest mountain on Earth.
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