Alex Txikon returns to the Everest in winter

After attempting K2 in winter this year, Alex Txikon is now preparing to tackle Everest, on what will be his third expedition to the highest mountain on Earth off season.

“Third time’s a charm,” Alex said during the expedition press conference a few daus ago in Bilbao. “We will also use the lessons learnt on K2.”

This time, Everest will be the final stage of a three-legged expedition, due to set off next week for a first part in the Antarctic Peninsula. Together with a sailing and climbing crew, Txikon will sail to the Southern Shetland Islands for a series of ski and climbing trips, mainly looking for new routes and yet unclimbed peaks.

Then, he will move to Nepal’s Himalaya at the beginning of January and lead an 11 climber-strong team on Ama Dablam, considered one of the most beautiful mountains in the planet and a remarkable challenge in winter. Among Ama Dablam team members are Félix Criado and Íñigo Gutierrez , who will join TXikon’s expedition in Kathmandu, after driving all the way from Spain on a 13,000km-long road trip and doing humanitarian work in several places.

While valuable on their own, these two first expeditions are planned as preparation for the final stage: Everest. The approaching trek to its south side, located at the head of the Khumbu valley, is actually very close to Ama Dablam, which will facilitate logistics and let Txikon and the Everest climbing team reach Base Camp swiftly and well acclimatized. Teaming up with Alex on will be, from Spain, Oscar Cardo and Jonatan García and, from Nepal, Chhiji Nurbu Sherpa, Pechhumbe Sherpa and Tenjen Sherpa. In addition to climbing, the expedition will carry out a number of drone-based topographilac and meteorological studies.

Photographer Diego Martinez will document the expeditions and, on the Ama Dablam leg, a team of disabled trekkers will accompany the expedition to Base Camp.

Updates and the expedition location live over RaceTracker, available on Alex Website: https://alextxikon.com/es