Fall is shaping up to be a busy season for ski descents in Asia. Teams tend to head to the high mountains of the Himalaya for ski descents after the monsoons that end the Spring climbing season, when snow on the peaks is at the height of its coverage for the year.
Luckily for the rest of us, there seems to be some serious social media savvy among the teams on expedition this season. Here’s a quick rundown of the peaks being attempted and where teams’ progress can be followed.
Dhaulagiri:
German Herbert Hellmuth and Russian Sergey Baranov will try to be the first to ski the world’s seventh tallest mountain, Explorersweb reports. A Czech mountaineer skied all the way to base camp from just 20 meters below the summit in 2009, but that’s as close to a full ski descent as has happened on the mountain.
Neither Hellmuth nor Baranov are super active on social media, but since what they’re attempting has never been successfully accomplished, expect any success to garner major headlines.
Annapurna
Russian climbers and likely nutjobs Vitaly Lazo and Anton Pugovkin are hellbent on no-O ascents and ski descents of five 8-thousand meter peaks making up a project they’ve called “Death Zone Freeride.” The uber-nasty Annapurna will be their second peak, after Manaslu, and the team reports its off and running after some difficulties locating air transportation to the peak.
Follow Lazo and Pugovkin’s Facebook pages for updates, but note you’ll have to rely on sketchy translations if you’re not a native Russian speaker.
Lhotse
Probably the most charismatic of all the expedition teams, Americans Hilaree Nelson and Jim Morrison have garnered more attention than any other for their target line, another first-of-its-kind descent of the world’s fourth tallest peak, Lhotse. Nelson, of Telluride, and Morrison, of Tahoe City, have been called “two of the most experienced ski mountaineers in the world. The Lhotse Couloir reportedly links to an open face on the mountain for a combined 7,000-foot line.
Both Nelson and Morrison’s Instagram accounts are must-follows during their time on Lhotse, as their photos are stunning and updated relatively frequently.
Bonus: Manaslu
Himalayan climbing chronicler Alan Arnette reports “a couple of teams will attempt to climb alpine style via the pinnacle and several will ski from the summit – a popular option in recent years.” Unofficial will keep our ears to the ground for specific news from these teams and on the lookout for footy from the descent.
Also Read: These Are The 10 Craziest First Descents Ever Recorded