Alex Txikon will be back on Manaslu in winter

Second time on Manaslu in winter for Alex Txikon aiming for the top with the experience of the past season and the desire to bring home the goal.

 

 

Alex shared with us his impressions about his latest expedition and his plans for the future. Listen to the podcast.



Alex Txikon would have liked to take a break from winter, but the highest mountains on Earth have once again exerted their magnetic appeal. So the first man who climbed Nanga Parbat in winter is ready to leave again: off to Manaslu. With him there will be the same companions of the previous expedition, Simone Moro, Iñaki Alvarez, and the Ferrino equipment. Even this year, we will be alongside Alex during the cold of winter, for an expedition in line with our ideals and which retraces our history.

The 2020/2021 winter saw Alex Txikon, Iñaki Alvarez and Simone Moro devoting any energies in attempting to reach the summit, but unfortunately the unstable weather has ruined the plans of the climbers. Not only the snow turned the tables, but also the strong wind that, after the arrival of the mountaineers at base camp, on January 12th, 2021, often blew violently, stopping any attempt to reach the top. But the mountain is full of surprises and, in the few days of calm, an apparently insurmountable obstacle was added to the impractical conditions: a huge crevasse. To overcome it, Alex and his team mates imagined, studied and created an alternative itinerary, then continued towards the summit. Eventually they reached an altitude of 7050 meters but then gave up due to a worsening of conditions.

“It’s a shame not to have been able to reach the top, but I was very satisfied with the atmosphere of those two months lived together with the team. We made a great team effort and everyone did his part to try to reach the goal” commented Alex once back from the expedition.

New organization and new program for the 2020/2021 season. “We learned from the mistakes of the previous expedition” Alex explained. The goal this year is to reach base camp on December 21st, the day that marks the beginning of the astronomical winter, in this way we will be able to take full advantage of every moment of the season. The goal remains the same: reaching the top of Manaslu, then attempting the climb of the 1992-meter-high eastern peak.



“From each expedition we always come back satisfied, full of emotions and enriched by the work done. Even without actually having reached the summit. Winter expeditions require a lot of work and commitment, but they also give you back a lot of satisfaction. As an athlete I would like to leave them with a good taste in my mouth.”