Simone Moro between Tien Shan, Everest and Lhotse

The Italian mountaineer Simone Moro plans to a six-month winter tour to climb mountains in the Tien Shan, Everest and Lhotse, and in doing so hopes to become the first Italian Snow Leopard

PlanetMountain.com

February 2001

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Simone Moro's program is intense. In a six-month period he plans to visit the Tien Shan mountain chain, climb both Lhotse and Everest and then return to the Tien Shan, located on the border between Kazakhstan and Kirghizistan.

Karlitau-Marble Wall (6400m) winter traverse

On 21 February Moro plans to depart for Tien Shan where, together with five other mountaineers including Denis Urubko, he will attempt the first winter traverse of the Karlitau-Marble Wall. This winter has been one of the coldest for 70 years and Moro views this climb as a great preparation for the next stage of his tour.

Lhotse (8516 m) – Everest (8850m) traverse

Between April and May the mountaineer from Bergamo, who recently became a member of The North Face International Team, will attempt the grand Lhotse – Everest traverse once again. Last year's attempt ended with Moro summiting "only" Everest, and this year he intends to take things in his stride. Seeing that he has reached the top of both mountains, he feels he can now concentrate exclusively on the traverse.

Moro hopes to ascend Lhotse via the Normal route and then descend along the unclimbed North Crest to the South Col, to then climb to the summit of Everest. He will probably be accompanied on Lhotse by Denis Urubko, his partner in last year's attempt. This project is widely regarded as highly futuristic and at present almost impossible. Merit must therefore go to Moro for his courage and belief in its feasibility.

Pik Pobeda (7.439m)
In August Moro intends to climb Pik Pobeda, the highest and most difficult mountain in the Tien Shan chain. This is the only 7000m peak Moro needs to climb to become the first Italian Snow Leopard, i.e. all five 7000m peaks in the ex U.R.S.S.