Ama Dablam and Everest expeditions head back up after another cyclone hits Nepal

The season’s second cyclone has again covered the Nepal Himalaya in snow, though its shorter duration affected climbers and trekkers less this time. According to ExplorersWeb, the snow slowed small teams on 6,000m and 7,000m peaks, while the large expeditions on Ama Dablam have barely been disrupted.

Ama Dablam: ropes under snow

Base Camp is snow-covered, but commercial teams expect to resume climbing soon. A Sherpa team is reopening sections where fresh snow buried the fixed ropes.

• 410 foreigners have applied for permits this season.
• The route was fixed on 17 October, and dozens have summited since.
• One climber has died on the mountain this season.

A pair of climbers from Australia and Hungary, without Sherpa support, found a 25-year-old in serious condition at Camp 2. They gave him dexamethasone, stayed overnight and helped arrange an airlift the next morning. They reached the summit a day later.

Everest: another attempt

Andrei Vasiliev, Sergey Kondrashkin and Vitaly Shipilov plan to return to the West Ridge within one or two days, alone and without supplemental oxygen. “We know what needs to be done; the path is clear,” says Vasiliev, who also reports that they’ve fallen ill and that a massive amount of snow has fallen.

Baruntse and Himlung

Mountain	Situation
Baruntse (7,129m)	Snow has thwarted several teams; it’s unclear whether any are still trying. Six large groups hold permits
Himlung (7,126m)	Teams summited on 25 and 26 October and left before the cyclone

On Himlung, a late-September avalanche buried Base Camp and killed 16 staff members, according to the same outlet. The peak remained open.

After a big snowfall, slopes need time to settle. Check the local forecast and don’t be in a hurry to set out.

Catch up with the Russian West Ridge attempt and the season’s first cyclone.