Back from Carstensz pyramid

Back from Carstensz pyramid

The adventure on Carstensz and Papua… ended up not like we all expected! On this trip we were very unlucky whit the local contact and especially the combative tribes in the area.
This meant that we did not get to Base Camp and therefore not climbed the mountain.
 Next time we will know much more and be prepared...... even though there was nothing to do this time. Rebellion started a few days before we came to the area!  

Although we did not get the mountain - we got amazing and adventurous experiences. Papua is a unique and absolutely stunning place. I know I will return. photos and more details about the trip will be updated soon.

Later today I will travel back to Nepal and a new small mountain adventure starts.   

New Adventure - Carstensz pyramid

New Adventure - Carstensz pyramid

In about three weeks from now I am traveling to the island of Papua New Guinea. I will Guide a group of client to the magic mountain - Carstensz pyramid. A true adventure of cultural aspects and a travel and understanding of a completely different world.

Then there is ....... a very nice and steep rock climb to the summit. J

Check the itinerary here: http://www.topas.dk//pages/turbeskrivelse-indonesien-papua-ekspedition-til-carstensz-pyramide.html

Photo by: Topas Travel

New lectures

Before leaving on my next climb, I just have time for two more presentations.

One in Aahus, and one in Copenhagen, Denmark.
Both are about trips to mountains that Topas Travel and I guide on.
Some info here: Danish only J

Temaaftener på Cafe Globen, Turesensgade 2B, 1368 København K.

Øl/vin og snacks kan købes. FRI ENTRE!
D. 09.10.12 kl. 17.30-19:
Bestigning af Mt. Elbrus - Mt. Aconcagua - Mt. Kilimanjaro og Stok Kangri.
Ekspeditionsleder: Jakob Urth

Temaaftener på Cafe Gyngen, Mejlgade 53, Aarhus.

Øl/vin og snacks kan købes. FRI ENTRE!
D. 03.10.12 kl. 19-21:
Bestigningsture - Mt. Kilimanjaro, Mt. Elbrus, Mt. Aconcagua og Stok Kangri
Ekspeditionsleder: Jakob Urth

More info have a look at www.topas.dk

Just the best - Suunto Ambit

freesports.dk just sent me the new Suunto Ambit watch for testing. I have for many years used several different models from Suunto. The new Ambit has just everything. Over the next month I will use and test the watch for what it is made ​​for. Mountains and Adventure.
Keep an eye on Freesports.dk for my final test - I think at the end of the year

Khan Tengri North Face direct

 Kazakh climbers Vaso Pivtsov, Alex Sofrygin and Ildar Gabassov just successfully climbed a very difficult direct line on the North Face of Khan Tengri.

The 3 km steep line presents one of the most difficult walls in our region, and, probably, in the world of big walls overall.The last successful climb of the wall was made in 2005, 7 years ago. All other attempts since then have failed.
This is what climbing is all about....

New lectures

In partnership with one of my sponsors - I now offer an evening of adventure, high activity and a lot of stories from many years of traveling 
Sorry - Danish only :)

Higher - further - faster
Dobbeltforedrag om at sætte sig mål hvor overliggeren er sat højt - og hvordan man når dem!

Tirsdag den 4. september 2012 kl. 17.45
Horsens Håndværkerforening, Allegade 16, 8700 Horsens

FreeSports.dk indbyder hermed, sammen med de andre butikker under amaster Sport, til en spændende aften i selskab med to sportsudøvere, som begge bevæger sig på grænsen af det ekstreme. Deres sportsgrene er vidt forskellige, men de personlige målsætninger, træningen og viljen til at gennemføre deres forehavende er helt sammenlignelige ...det handler om at sætte sig et mål og så gå målrettet efter det. Tag vennerne med til en spændende aften!


Jakob Urth er en af Danmarks mest erfarne bjergbestigere og ekspeditionsledere som har være på bjerge overalt i verden. Han lever og ånder for ekspeditioner til de mest ufremkommelige bjerge, har gennemført et utal af bestigninger gennem tiderne og arbejder sideløbende som ekspeditionsleder for Topas Travel. Han vil under arrangementet fortælle om træningen, planlægningen, udstyret der skal til og krydre foredraget med billeder og fortællinger fra sine ekspeditioner. Jakob fortæller levende om sine oplevelser og det bliver ikke kedeligt! Læs evt. mere om Jakob her >>

Thomas Mortensen har dyrket triathlon gennem mange år og er til dagligt idrætslærer og personlig træner. Han er stadig "en glad amatør" men samtidig en meget erfaren triathlet, som har været med i mange af de store konkurrencer. Han er deltager i Ironman Hawaii 2012 og foredraget vil omhandle kvalificeringen, træningen, planlægningen, udfordringerne og forventningerne i forbindelse med den ultimative Ironman. Thomas er en god fortæller og brænder for sin sport - det vil helt sikkert blive spændende at høre ham. Læs evt. mere om Thomas Mortensen her >>

Polish climbers do it again - K2 Summit !

28 people summited K2 on July 31st!
Out of the 28 trailblazers only 4 were without oxygen:
Polish Adam Bielecki and Iranian Azim Ghaychesaz at 10.30 am, followed by Austrian Christian Stangl and Spanish Oscar Cadiach at 5 pm. The next day Slovak Peter Hamor and Czech Pavel Bem climbed K2 without 02 as well.

The result at this point: 30 people climbed K2 in 2012 including 6 without oxygen!!

Adam on Top of K2. Photo by:himountain.pl

You might recall Polish Adam Bielecki (28) from this past March when he and Janusz Golab bagged the first winter climb on GI (Hidden Peak) in an expedition led by Artur Hajzer. He was also with Artur's Polish team who summited Makalu last year, an achievement followed by a complicated descent in very tough conditions. An accomplished climber who soloed Khan Tengri, Adam will join the Polish Alpine Association's attempt to climb Broad Peak this upcoming winter.
This is going to be so cool and I think we will se the first winter climb on BP...done by this these guys!
A little bonus,  my climbing partner (on Lhotse) Tomasz Kobielski hope to participate in the expedition. With Tomasz on the team - their make the strongest team for a cold and long winter in BP

8000+…… Still the next project

This spring I was back in the great Himalayas on a Lhotse Expeditions.
I tried to make it to the summit without the use of O2 and in alpin style, but other things make me turn back before the summit this time! At the time there was nothing else to do – Right now I feel like I have to come back and do the job. I was very strong and I know I will come back even stronger. Lhotse is one of the most beautiful mountains I ever climb on, and next time I hope whether, ice, family….and the mountain will be with me.
Until then – here goes some of my photos from other 8000+ mountain. Gasherbrum 2 in Pakistan and Cho Oyu in Tibet.

Summit of Gasherbrum 2 - 1/8 2008

On the way to C3







                                

Summitday on G2 1/8 2008





Mt. Kinabalu - Hard Routes

Yuji Hirayama, Daniel Woods, James Pearson and Caroline Ciavaldini have just returned from their expedition to Mt. Kinabalu (4095m) in Borneo, Malaysia. The plan for their expedition was to establish some of the hardest high altitude sport routes in the world, and thanks to the incredible weather that allowed the team to climb almost every day, they had a very productive time! The team spent the last month living close to the summit of the magnificent mountain, making each day the one-hour hike towards the summit plateau to climb, bolt and explore. They came back with a fine selection of routes that each represents the individual styles and strengths of its creator. The team opened over 20 new routes up to Fr 9a+.

Highlights include:
Yuji Hirayama - Pogulian Do Koduduo Fr 9a and Metis 120m 5-pitch E6 6b / 5.12r
James Pearson – Excalibur Fr 8c+ and a flash of Alanga 120m 3-pitch Fr 8b
Caroline Ciavaldini – Apuri Manan Fr 8b and Alanga 120m 3-pitch Fr 8b
Daniel Woods – Tinipi Fr 9a+ and Enter The Void Fr 8c

Cool stuff............ ;)

Africa calling...

Just back from a another trip to Tanzania and a climb to Kili

Reel Rock Film Tour 2011/2012

Honnold Breaks Nose Speed Ascent Record

The North Face athlete - Alex Honnold hit another new record for speed, along with climbing partner Hans Florine, on the Nose of El Capitan in Yosemite.
Honnold and Florine’s time was 2:23:51, besting the previous record of 2:36:45 set by Sean Leary and Dean Potter in November 2010.

How is that possible – very cool J

New Sponsors

After returning from another expedition in the great Himalaya – I just make new sponsor deals with some of the strongest outdoor brands.

One of the new sponsors - the Danish company Freesports.dk who is the leader in sales of outdoor watches and other sports items I am here sponsored with SUUNTO products and I serve as ambassador. check out there website: http://www.freesports.dk/

The other new partner is The North Face - the largest outdoor brand in the world. TNF has products for all activities within the outdoor / mountaineering and running The cooperation is just started and I look forward to a closer and bigger partnership in the future. Check out their website: http://eu.thenorthface.com/tnf-eu-en/     

Back from the Himalayas

 Just back from the high mountains!
My Lhotse expedition is over and ended up not quite as I had hoped. Given the circumstances, I am satisfied with our process and development on the mountain. This mountains are amazing. 
Tomasz and I are a strong team - I know that we will come back for more...and even stronger! I will be back next year for Lhotse and for other mountains in one big expedition. More info later.
 Thanks to all my sponsors and especially to Topas Travel for their support and endorsement for the project on Lhotse. Thank you.
Chek out some of my photos from the expedition here or at topas.dk

                       

The Game is on!

Right now I am leaving Namche Bazar in my quest to climb Lhotse. The next 5 – 6 weeks I will be in the mountains.
You can follow the expedition on: http://www.topas.dk/lhotse-ekspedition-2012.html 
Danish only – Sorry. When I hit Kathmandu in the end of May I will update my blog again.

Take care - Jakob Urth

  

My next project - Lhotse 8516m

Tomorrow starts another Himalayan adventure!

In the next 24 days, I will guide a group of trekkers to Everest BC and back to Kathmandu. A beautiful and spectacular trip which offers many highlights.   really enjoy this area and have the opportunity to show others this unique place.
I do it also as a training and acclimatization before the climbing on Lhotse. excellent preparation.

The Lhotse project is a dream which has long been in my mind - now I am going.
I am leaving Kathmandu around the 13/4 and will hit BC around the 21/4
From there, anything can happen. I have approx. 5 weeks on the mountain. This time I will again try to make the climb without the use of artificial o2 (oxygen bottle) I want to climb as clean as possible! It also means that I do not want to use support on the mountain - porter and so on. I what to climb this beautiful mountain as light as possible. It deserves it.
This time I will be on the mountain with a climbing partner - If everything goes as planned, I will meet my new partner in BC. More about him before I leave Kathmandu.

You can follow me and the project on www.topas.dk in a week or so from now! There will be updates and photos from the expedition.

 

Lost in the mountains - R.I.P

All hope for Gerfried, Nisar and Cedric is over! There are now lost forever on the beautiful and steep flanks of the winter cold G1 -  so sad and painful.
My thoughts are with their family and friends.Please follow the story on http://www.explorersweb.com/everest_k2/  .

Gerfried Goschl and team - missing on G1

Gerfried Goschl, Cedric Hahlen and Nisar Hussain - are missing since Friday.

Right Now on G1 - all the remaining teams are trying to help.

"Hopes are anyway scarce, since no one knowns for sure on which side of the mountain the missing climbers are. Last time the missing climbers were seen, they were approaching the summit from the peak's south side. Once on top, the trio planned to traverse down the normal route on the north side. There's been neither sat-phone or radio contact.

G1 from BC. Photo by Jakob Urth - 2008

I really hope for the best - you are all in my prayers.

Adam Bielecki on winter GI summit - Photo by:Adam Bielecki

Alex Txikon, who had also hoped to join the searching team, has finally remained in BC, nursing frostbitten toes. Summiteers Janusz and Adam, and fellow Polish Tamara Stys, are also sustaining frostbites".   (tekst from www.explorersweb.com/)



Not all is bad......The Polish team are back from the summit. 

The brave and incredible strong Polish team were the first to climb G1 -  in winter!!!

Congratulations. A achievement which can only admire and inspire.

However, there is no time to celebrate the great achievement - all trying to find the lost climbers and not at least explain what happened!!

 

G1 - Winter summit push startet

Gerfried Goschl's team and the Poles are now on there way to the summit.
Both winter GI teams are in C1, hoping to reach the top on Thursday. Weather forecasts are somber though: temperatures dropped down to -43ºC and the wind blew stronger than forecasted today. Although relatively milder winds (40-50km/h) are expected on summit day, they'll pick again while climbers are on descent. It seems far from a perfect summit window, but the climbers may have no other. As the Poles explained, further hurricanes are expected to hit the mountain next week!!!
This is not a climb for sissies. http://www.gerfriedgoeschl.at

Camp one, on the new route targetted by Gerfried Goschl's team.
Photo by: Gerfried Goschl.

Aconcagua Once again

Just home after another ascent of Aconcagua (6959m) in the beautiful mountains of Argentina.

I guided a group of 15 pax for Topas Travel. A group of happy and strong people who all had the dream of reaching the top of South America's highest mountain. We were totally 7 people on the summit (12/2 2012) after about 8 hours walking in snow and strong winds. Nice trip.

Next year I have two departures to the mountain. Check http://www.topas.dk/ for more info.
I also got the opportunity to test my new climbing boots from Scarpa.(PHANTOM 6000) Super cool and with a pretty amazing fit. The hike up Aconcagua is not climbing in any way and I look forward to testing them for real - on ice, snow and at high altitude in the soon starting Himalaya season. I'm back in Nepal in about four weeks from now.

Strong and cool client - who had to stop at 6660 m

Killing time -  in my tent in C2

party, food and wine after the ascent -  back in BC

PHANTOM 6000

Himalayan winter expeditions

Tough conditions for Denis and Simone - The North Face athletes. The game is over on Nanga Parbat ... for now.
Snowfall and a forecast showing no end in the tunnel made Simone Moro and Denis Urubko decided: the expedition is over. Check out a video on Simone's blog (in the dispatch feed section) where the mountaineers explain their decision. http://www.simonemoro.com/

With the Russian team leaving K2 last week, and the Polish leaving Nanga Parbat yesterday, only the mountaineers on Gasherbrum 1 remain. Two teams are hoping to bag the peak's first winter ascent: an international team gunning for a new route and a Polish team working the normal route. 

Once again it is proven that not even for the very best climbers in the world - is it possible to live the dream to do the first ascent. I am sure that this is not the final attempt! 

Desnis, Simone and Cory under G2 Whinter exp. Photo by: blogs.elcorreo.com

The greatest hero

On one of my trek in Nepal (Khumbu) I was lucky to meet with one of the world's greatest mountain heroes.
Mr. Um Hong Gil - who has climbed and ascended mountains all over the world. Especially his ascents of 8000 m mountains fascinated me and even more his ascent of Lhotse Shar South Face (8400M) in 2007

I am honored.

New Sponsor

I have just signed a contract with Scarpa and Friluftsland.

A sponsorship which offers many new initiatives and provides even more opportunities for me - to go to the high mountains.

Scarpa is one of the leading boot and shoe manufacturers in the world. Especially their mountain boots for climbing and mountaineering. I think your all now….

Check out their website for more info. http://www.scarpa.com/scarpa/control/main

Friluftsland - Denmark’s leading outdoor shop with stores across the country. There have big selections of climbing gear and other equipment for long and tough travel – a pretty cool store.

Check out their website for more info. http://www.friluftsland.dk/

Back in DK …..for a short visit

A few days ago, I could finally place my tired body and legs on Danish soil. Three months in Nepal has required a little!
It really has been amazing whit a lot of work and whit my own climbing – expedition.
I have about one week in DK before I go again. Sunday I will start another trip to Argentina where I guide on Aconcagua (6962m) This is my seventh time on the mountain – and still, I appreciate it! This time I have a group of 15 pax. …well I am fit and prepared.
In Nepal I had too groups on a trek to Everest BC. It is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful and challenging treks in the world. High mountains, amazing people, culture and religion which can only touch and admire you. Nepal gives me something I can`t explain.
The photos are from my trips and adventures over the last three months. More updates soon ... with my next big project. ;)