Jean-Christophe Lafaille: Annapurna 2002
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Update 5/19/2002: Jean-Christophe Lafaille and Alberto Inurrategui are safe at Annapurna Base Camp after descending from summit. More details will come. Pedro [The legend of both Jean-Christophe Lafaille and Alberto Inurrategui has grown in this True Summit of Annapurna.] Much more in the coming days!

Update 5/16/2002: Today 16 May 2002 Alberto Inurrategui and Jean-Christophe Lafaille summitted Annapurna 8091 m via East Ridge at 10.00 am Nepal time. They spent one hour there and began to climb down to 7500 meters.

Their plan for tomorrow is to descend the most technical and difficult section of the route, Roc Noir, at 7490 meters and overnight at Camp III. This part of the route stopped Veikka Gustafsson and Ed Viesturs two days ago.

The East Ridge route of Annapurna was climbed by Erhard Loretan and Norbert Joos in 1984 and since then has not been climbed again. This route includes a 7.5 km long traverse over 7900 meters, including the summits of Annapurna East 8026 meters, Annapurna Central 8051 meters and Annapurna Main 8091 meters.

Alberto Inurrategui, born 3 Nov 1968, becomes this after that summit the 10th person to have climbed all 8000ers and the youngest ever. He spent 10 years 7 months and 16 days to achieve this feat. All the peaks was climbed without bottled oxygen. Alberto climbed 12 8000ers with his brother Felix, who died descending GII.

This is the history for Alberto Inurrategui:

Makalu 30-Sep-1991

Everest 25-Sep-1992  The youngest ascent without bottled oxygen

K2  24 June 1994  Cessen route

Cho Oyu 11 Sep 1995

Lhotse 27 Sep 1995

Kangchenjunga 6 May 1996  Britain route N Face

Shisha Pangma 11 Oct 1996

Broad Peak 13 July 1997

Dhaulagiri  23 May 1998

Nanga Parbat 29 July 1999  Kingshofer route

Manaslu 25 April 2000

GII  28 July 2000   Felix Inurrategui died descending

GI  8 July 2001

Annapurna 16 May 2002

Best regards, Pedro Lopez

Dispatches