KATHMANDU. OCTOBER 6
The North Face Everest Ski Project architected by top American climbers has ended citing a bad weather condition as well as time constraint after the team reached above Camp III via Hornbein Couloir route in Tibet.
According to sources at the base camp, a team of rope fixing Sherpa climbers has been returning to the base camp wrapping up their plan to fix a route above Camp III.
"Time is running out and the snow condition along the route was very fragile," sources told THT confirming that the team has given up from the high camp as it faced adverse weather condition along the Hornbein Couloir route. The Couloir was named after a member of the 1963 US Everest Expedition, Thomas Hornbein.
Last year too, the team couldn't made it to above the Camp II citing the same reasons.
Being part of the multi-million dollar Everest Ski Project, renowned American ski mountaineer Jim Morrison along with academy award-winning film director Jimmy Chin and cinematographer Mark Fisher attempted to make a ski descent from the top of Mt Everest. It's a project reportedly designed by Jim Morrison in memory of his partner Hilaree Nelson. Extreme American ski mountaineer Hilaree had been found dead after attempting to ski down from the summit of Mt Manaslu in 2022. North Face athlete Hilaree and partner Jim had made the first ski descent of Lhotse, the fourth tallest mountain in the world, in 2021.
A team of Sherpa climbers including Mingma David Sherpa, co-owner of Elite Exped/Sherpa Extremes Pvt Ltd, reached Tibet to provide ground support for the project this autumn season.
Last year, the Everest Ski Project, also gathered dust after China refused to issue a ski as well as entry permit to the team comprising expedition leader Conrad Anker and production head Jimmy Chin. This year too, Conrad failed to obtain Tibet entry permit. The project has locally been managed by Elite Exped, the guiding company owned by Nirmal 'Nims' Purja.
