Himalaya Spring 2019: Climbers Attempt New Routes on Annapurna and Dhaulagiri Too

We already new that Cory Richards and Topo Mena would attempt a new route on Everest this spring, but it turns out that they’re not the only ones venturing into the unknown in the Himalaya. Two other teams are also looking to create new routes in the Himalaya this season, with bold attempts scheduled to take place on both Annapurna and Dhaulagiri too. And while the season is only now just getting underway, it looks like it is going to be an extremely interesting one to watch on a number of levels.

On Annapurna, German climber Felix Berg will join forces with Adam Bielecki of Polands to take on the tough and seldom visited Northwest Face. The duo attempted the same route back in 2017 –– along with Brit Rick Allen –– but were unable to complete the ascent do to bad weather. This time, they hope their experience and knowledge of the route will help them overcome the final obstacles, although they still have to have the weather cooperate some. They’ll climb in alpine style, without bottled oxygen or Sherpa support, but will acclimatize on Langtang Lirung (7234 meters/23,733 ft) first before jumping over to Annapurna Base Camp. Both men are expected to arrive in Kathmandu early next week.

Meanwhile, the team of Peter HamorHoria Colibasanu, Marius Gane, and perhaps Michal Sabovchik are already starting to gather in Nepal for their attempt on a new route on Dhaulagiri. They’ll have a go at making the first ascent of that mountain’s Northwest Ridge. Hamor, who has climbed all 14 8000-meter peaks without oxygen, has been in the Khumbu Valley near Everest for several weeks now preparing for the climb. He and the rest of the team will warm up on a few smaller mountains before heading to their main objective.

It is nice to see a few new routes being attempted in the Himalaya this spring. As more and more climbers head to the mountains the well-trodden normal paths to the summit are becoming increasingly crowded. Teams like these two are looking to do something different and push boundaries, and hopefully they’ll be rewarded for those efforts. We’ll be following both expeditions closely as the season unfolds.

Kraig Becker