Makalu 2000: Dhaulagiri 2000: Lhotse 2000: Cho Oyu 2000:

Manaslu 2000:  Kangchenjunga 2000:  Annapurna 2000:

• Everest The Search for Irvine: The BBC reports the EverestNews.com, "Search has been called off because of bad weather and the threat of avalanche as well as the approaching Monsoon."

EverestNews.com is to call the BBC early next week for an Update...

• K2 2000 !

For the third year, EverestNews.com will cover Summit Attempts on K2. K2 2000 is expected to be special with numerous Expeditions on the mountain from around the world.

The Brazilian alpinist Waldemar Niclevicz, will do a new attempt, between June and August, to climb the most difficult and dangerous mountain in the world - K2, located in the North of Pakistan. After reaching 8040m of K2, in 1998 and giving  up climbing in 1999 after a Rumanian alpinist's death. It will be his third attempt to conquer the called Death Mountain, where just 164  have succeeded (see www.k2news.com for complete list of all who have reached the Summit) and 54 have lost their lives. No alpinist has reached the top for two years and half.

Niclevicz believes that the two attempts to climb K2 themselves will help him to discover its secrets and guarantee the success this year. Knowing details about the climb path, called Southeast Crest or Abruzzos Ram, aka the Abruzzi ridge route, as  well the precise place to camp and the solutions in the most difficult parts. Niclevicz says he is more confident in a safe and successful climb this year.

In the last two years, the Brazilian alpinist has climbed the three of the highest mountains in the world, all over 8 thousand meters of altitude: Cho Oyo (8201m) and Shisha Pangma (8046 m) in Tibet and Gasherbrum (8035m) in Pakistan. All of those achievements were done without artificial oxygen and were fundamental to increase the Niclevicz's body's ability to adapt to the rarefied air, as well his technical level in high altitudes

Other positive factors for 2000 is the alpinists team. The Italian Abele Blanc, 47, Project K2's companion  since the beginning, will be with the project again. Other Italian, Marco Camandona, 28, who was with them in Cho Oyo and Shisha Pangma, also is reinforcing the team. The biggest surprise in the expedition is the Italian alpinist Hans Kammerlander, one of the best alpinists ever, who has already climbed most of the 14 highest mountains in the world. Kammerlander will be sharing the same climbing permit with two other alpinists. The teams will develop independently inside the same expedition, although all the work will be done in group. 

• More on Hans Kammerlander 

Italian climber Hans Kammerlander is on his way again toward K2. Last year Hans had to quit his attempt only few meters from the top, due to the extreme hazard of avalanches. Now he'll try it again along with teammate Konrad Auer, who was with him last year.

Hans Kammerlander announced he will choose another way: not following the original Duke of Abruzzi first ascent path, but trying a more direct approach. Kammerlander and Auer will try K2 "alpine style", without oxygen, and Hans will try again the descent on skis, being the first one in the world to try the way down directly from the top to base camp.

To get acclimated, Kammerlander and Auer are planning a long trek in the next weeks, and a warm-up attempt to a yet unnamed peak of 6.000 meters around K2 base camp.

From Gigi Zoppello, Trento, Italy

EverestNews.com will work with Waldemar Niclevicz once again to post reports in English. EverestNews.com will also be providing reports from the American Expedition.

• ALAN HINKES ABANDONS ATTEMPT ON KANGCHENJUNGA, 

ON THE DESCENT ALAN FALLS INTO A DEEP CREVASSE, BREAKING HIS ARM: Alan Hinkes, one of the UK's top high altitude mountaineers, has abandoned his attempt on Kangchenjunga (8586m), the third highest mountain in the world after he encountered very dangerous snow conditions at about 8000 meters in height. On the descent, a snow bridge across a crevasse collapsed and he fell into it badly hitting his elbow and breaking his arm.

Alan is attempting to be the first Briton to climb all fourteen of the world's highest mountains, which are all over 8000 meters in height - Challenge 8000. 

Alan hit the headlines in 1997 when he sneezed on some chapati flour and slipped a disc when he was part way up a mountain. He waited in agony for a week before he could drag himself down the mountain to a height where a helicopter could reach him and take him to hospital. 

This year, after three weeks acclimatizing on Kangchenjunga, Alan set off at 3am from base camp at 5400m on Friday 26 May to make his summit attempt. He climbed, on his own, on Saturday and Sunday, above the cloud cover to a height of about 8000m before turning back on Monday in the face of very dangerous snow conditions. A lot of fresh snow had fallen in the previous days making the conditions very unstable and avalanches were crashing down the mountain all around him. 

"I was not confident that the conditions were safe enough," said Alan by satellite phone from base camp. "Even though I had climbed as high as 8000m I still made the decision to turn back. The snow could have gone at any time taking me with it." 

During the descent on Tuesday, he started to cross a large crevasse using a narrow snow bridge which looked solid and safe. "The snow bridge collapsed underneath me when I was part way across," Alan said. "There was solid ice making up the sides of the crevasse and somehow I managed to stop myself falling too far down. But as I fell I heard a metallic crack as my left elbow smashed into the side of the crevasse. At first I thought it was a piece of  equipment snapping, but I quickly realized I must have broken a bone in my elbow. I was very lucky that I was able to drag myself out of the crevasse; I don't know how I managed it, because I couldn't use my left arm at all." 

"The rest of the descent was very scary. I couldn't use my left arm for abseiling or to hold a pole and with the very deep snow to wade through it was very hard work. I was very relieved to make it back to base camp and now I am completely worn out." 

"Because I was climbing solo," continued Alan, "the feeling reminded me of when I was on my own climbing K2 in 1994. There were some very scary moments then as well. It took me three attempts to climb K2, so I am quite prepared to return next spring to Kangchenjunga to make another attempt. I felt very fit and well acclimatized for this attempt, but I have not had the weather window to give me the chance to reach the summit. I always say that no mountain is worth a life and returning safely from one of these Himalayan giants is a success. I shall return to make another attempt." 

Alan plans to rest today at base camp before starting the trek out from the mountain and the return to Kathmandu. The journey will consist of about a week of hard walking with the final leg a short flight back to Kathmandu. 

• All the 8000 Meter Pages have been updated !

Makalu 2000: Dhaulagiri 2000: Lhotse 2000: Cho Oyu 2000:

Manaslu 2000:  Kangchenjunga 2000:  Annapurna 2000:

This weekend is a good time to check them !