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Simone Moro attempts Shisha Pangma winter ascent
12:44 p.m. EST Dec 15, 2003
Italian climber Simone Moro is en route to Kathmandu and Shisha Pangma for an attempt to complete the first winter ascent of the 8,027m peak. Joining Simone are Polish climbers Piotr Morawski, Jacek Jawien and Darek Zaluski. Jas Szulc (POL) will accompany the team the base camp manager.
The expedition will climb Shisha Pangma’s South Face via the Krzysztof Wielicki route without the use of Sherpa support or supplementary oxygen. Originally, Krzysztof was planning to be a part of the expedition, but bowed out recently due to family matters. Krzysztof's first 8000m summit was Everest in winter. In February 1980, he and team mate Leszek Cichy scaled Everest and became the first to achieve a winter ascent of an 8000er. (Krzysztof is the only person to have made a winter ascent of Lhotse.)
Simone was also hoping frequent climbing partner Denis Urubko would make the Shisha Pangma climb, but budget issues prevented his joining the team. Simone and Denis climbed together this past summer on Nanga Parbat, Broad Peak and K2.
Earlier this year, Krzysztof led the Polish K2 Winter expedition that included Denis and Shisha Pangma expedition members Piotr Morawski and Jan Szulc. Though they did not reach the summit, the team established high camp at 7750m and achieved an altitiude record for a winter ascent on K2.
Of climbing Shisha Pangma now, Simone says “it will be a difficult and extreme climb, but I’m not looking for an easy life or climbs."
Simone Moro, 36, has summited Mount Everest, Broad Peak, Cho Oyu, Lhotse. This past summer, he also opened a new partial route on the Diamir face of Nanga Parbat, though he did not reach the summit. In 1996, Simone attained the N. Summit of Shisha Pangma. He is now attempting to make the first successful winter ascent of the peak, climbing via the South Face.
Image of Simone Moro courtesy of simonemoro.com
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