Babanov and Koshelenko summit Nuptse East 7804m

On 2 November Valery Babanov and Yura Koshelenko successfully summited Nuptse East 7804m

November 2003

They've done it! Valery Babanov and Yura Koshelenko have successfully summited Nuptse East via the South Face. As reported previously, the two Russian mountaineers had set off on their summit bid on 20 October, but had been forced to turn back once more due to hurricane force winds and terrific cold. But their determination and tenacity finally paid off, with the crowning 7804m summit on November 2 at 7.30pm. The two spent two days descending the south ridge, and are now safely back in BC. After a short rest they will remove their fixed ropes and then return to Moscow on November 16. This was Babanov's third attempt at climbing Nuptse East, previously regarded as one of the world's highest unclimbed peaks.

Their report, sent to us by www.mountain.ru, is published below:

Valery reports: "On Sunday, November 2, we summited Nuptse East. We took of from the 7450m Camp at 8.40am for the summit push, we did it and returned at 00.30am to our tent to sleep. It was terrifically cold during the last three days before our summit bid, we couldn't sleep, and we crammedt our legs into each others' chest. We only had a tent, a foam pad, down jackets and a gas-jet. This is a very serious summit and a great success!"

Yura Koshelenko adds: "The summit is splendid! We were very lucky - the weather was pretty much steady throughout the time period that we needed. But there was a strong wind on the summit, thank God we didn't get frostbite.

Our entire ascent is the great overcoming: two nights without sleeping bags, M4-M5 climbing above 7450m. We're dead tired."

A graph of our summit bid:
Start in the morning on October 29, bivouac at 6200m,
on October 30 we moved up to 6900m,
on October 31 - up to 7200
on November 1 - up to 7450
on November 2 we summited (19.30) and returned to 7450m (0.30)
on November 3 we descended to 6900m
on November 4 we returned to BC at about 17.30 (Moscow time)