Activity on the Nepalese 8000-ers in the Post-Monsoon. This was a poor season on Nepal’s 8000ers, even though all except one expedition attempted well-trodden routes. Seven expeditions went to Manaslu, four to Makalu, one each to Annapurna I and Kangchenjunga, and not one of them reached their summits. On Dhaulagiri I, there were seven teams and only one summited; nine teams went to Everest, but only two had success. On Lhotse’s main summit, Tibetans were the only climbers, and they did succeed. A Russian team put four members on the summit of Lhotse Shar. So only five of the 21 expeditions that attempted to scale any peaks over 8000 meters within Nepal’s boundaries were successful; that made an 84% failure rate, which is unprecedented in recent years. Autumn seasons normally see less success on the 8000ers than springs, but not nearly this much less.

On Nepal’s only other 8000er, Cho Oyu, there were no attempts from the Nepalese side, but on the standard route from Tibet’s side, there was striking success in notable contrast to the experience of teams on the 8000ers south of the border. Of the 22 Cho Oyu teams on what is probably the least difficult route on any 8000er, 19 put a total of 61 climbers on the top, 47 of them on just four days, the 24th, 26th and 27th of September and the 11th of October.

Elizabeth Hawley