원정 개요

BC at normal site
High point at top serac above Pasaban's C3.

Annapurna I expedition led by Inaki Ochoa - Spring 2007
Ochoa - 30 May 2007

From Ochoa's Dhaulagiri I team only Ochoa and Colibasanu went to Annapurna I. Ochoa originally had wanted to go to the NW Face, but to climb that route, he needed a technically very skilled partner, no such person was available, so he went to the North Face.

The days from 10 to 19 May were spent arriving at BC and moving above it. They were well acclimatized from their Dhaulagiri I ascent and thus needed no ABC or C1, but launched their summit bid from C2 on 22 May.

The French 1950 route is notorious for avalanching, and this spring was no exception. "The French route is like Russian roulette" under the Sickle's serac, Ochoa said. They decided to away from the French route's Sickle, to climb to the east (left) of the Sickle, go to the German 1974 route from C2 to C3, then move up and westward to the top.

C3 was overhung by a very dangerous, unstable serac; Ochoa did not want to sleep at that site, but on 22 May he climbed the serac in "the hardest climb of my career" from 6500m up the serac's height of 50 meters or more. Then he decided the risks were too great, and he and Colibasanu turned back and descended all the way to BC. Climb finished.