Wednesday, May 02, 2007

Fausto de Stefani #13, Silvio Mondinelli #14 in Elite 14x8,000ers Summiteers’ List?

The ANNOTICO Report

 

The Elite of Mountain Climbers have a List of 14 Summits that exceed 8,000 meters in height (26,000 ft +) around the world that they must climb to become a member of the group.

 

The 14 include:  Everest (8848); K-2 (8611); Kangchenjunga (8586); Lhotse (8516);  Makalu ( 8485); Cho Oyu (8188); Dhaulagiri (8167); Manaslu (8163); Nanga Parbat  (8125); Annapurna (8091); Gasherbrum I (8080); Broad Peak (8050); Gasherbrum II ( 8034);  Shisha Pangma (8027).

 

Currently there are 12 Mountaineers that have accomplished that feat. It was Reinhold Messner of Italy that was the FIRST to ascend ALL 14 Summits (in 1986). Sergio Martini was the SEVENTH of the current TWELVE to ascend all,  in 2000.

 

The current story is that Fausto de Stefani and  Sergio Martini claimed to have reached the summit of Lhotse in 1997, but the claim was rejected because of a dispute raised by blizzard conditions.

 

Sergio Martini reacted to the 1997 controversy by launching a further Lhotse expedition in 2000. This time Sergio provided proof enough, and was thus included as the 7th person to summit the 14 great ones

 

Fausto de Stefani stung by the attack on his integrity, and just one peak from Elite company, turned his back on climbing for ten years! Now he is back for vindication, and is in full scale attack on the 4th tallest peak, but beset by the death of one of his Sherpas.

 

Should Fausto make it, he would become the 13th climber to be included in the list of 14x8000ers summiteers, ahead of the strongest candidate at the moment: Fellow Italian Silvio Mondinelli, who will climb his last pending mountain, Broad Peak, this summer. If all goes well, Italy will have 4 out of 14 Elite Summiteers.

 

Of additional important note, Italian lady climber Cristina Piolini, currently working with the Italian research team at Ev-K2-Cnr   (the glass pyramid located half a day walking from Everests BC), has some ambitious climbing plans of her own: She hopes to attempt Everest without supplementary O2, (oxygen), and then give Lhotse a try as well.

As an aside, while it was Edmund Hillary that gets great acclaim for his ascent of Everest, the highest summit in 1953, little is heard of the first ascenders of the 2nd highest K-2, Ardito Desio, Achille Campagnoni, and Lino Laceddelli all of Italy, in 1954. Second place is like kissing your sister. :)

 

'Fellowship of the Rope'

 

Fausto de Stefani back for Lhotse

Changes ahead on the 14x8,000ers Summiteers’ list?

 

Mt Everest.net

May 01, 2007

 

Fausto de Stefani never minded statistics  he always claimed to have reached the summit of Lhotse in 1997, but didnt took much time or effort to fight back the opinion of those denying it. 

Sergio Martini, Fausto's climbing partner reacted to the 1997 controversy by launching a further Lhotse expedition in 2000. This time Sergio provided with summit proof enough, and was thus included as the 7th person to summit the 14 great ones...

Italian Fausto de Stefani, whose claims to have summited all 14  8,000ers was rejected by statisticians after an unclear climb on Lhotse back in 1997, is back to clean up his r esume and properly enter the list of high altitude masters. Fausto is climbing with younger Roberto Manni, while with long time friend Sergio Martini is accompanying them for most of the ascent  but then heading for Everest.

 

1997: Foot-prints in a blizzard

Fausto and Sergio climbed Lhotse together in 1997  they stated to believe they reached the highest point, but a strong blizzard during the summit day prevented them from getting good images or checking out reference points. Soon afterwards, another climber on the spot declared to have seen the Italians foot-prints stopping before the summit, and thus Sergio and Faustos claims were not accepted.

Sergio reacted by launching a further Lhotse expedition in 2000. This time Martini provided with summit proof enough, and was thus included as the 7th person to summit the 14 great ones.

Back to shut up some mouths?

Fausto never minded statistics  he always claimed to have reached the summit, but didnt took much time or effort to fight back the opinion of those denying it. Hesitant about talking to media and the climbing show-bizz, he got involved in several hum anitarian projects in Nepal and his own expeditions. His last confirmed summit was that of Kangchenjunga, achieved in 1998. Until now.

De Stefani may have changed his mind about stats, he may have got tired of being asked the same question about his achievements time after time. He may just want to take another look at Lhotse. Whatever the reason, he is back to the Khumbu giants, ready to climb the 8516 meters-tall peak which rises at the side of Everest.

Should Fausto made it, he would become the 13th climber to be included in the list of 14x8000ers summiteers, ahead of the strongest candidate at the moment: Fellow Italian Silvio Mondinelli, who will climb his last pending mountain, Broad Peak, this summer.

Sergio and the "Fellowship of the Rope"

Fausto, Sergio and Roberto are sharing permit with SummitClimb Lhotse team. Recently, the Italian expedition suffered a severe set-back when Dawa, one of their climbing Sherpas, fell to death in a crevasse between C2 and C3.

"Sergio Martini was extremely upset by what happened and was wonderful in his efforts to help bring the body down to BC, and see it loaded onto the helicopter back to Kathmandu," SummitClimb team member Philip Ling, from Australia, told ExplorersWeb. "In Sergio's case the 'Fellowship of the Rope' is still very much alive. He is a true gentleman."

In spite of Dawa's death, the expedition decided to go on with the ascent. SummitClimb team has lent the Italians one of their climbing Sherpas to work with them....

Italian lady climber Cristina Piolinis plans: No O2 Everest+Lhotse

Prior to SummitClimb confirmation, the news was broken by Italian lady climber Cristina Piolini, currently working with the Italian research team at Ev-K2-Cnr (the glass pyramid located half a day walking from Everests BC), and with some ambitious climbing plans of her own: She hopes to attempt Ever est without supplementary O2, and then give Lhotse a try as well, as she told Montagna.tv. Cristina attempted Lhotse already last year, as member in a team led by Silvio Mondinelli.

Sergio Martini was born on July 29, 1949 in Trento, Italy. He depicts himself as a non-professional climber, mostly because he buys his own gear and takes the cost of his expeditions, with no support from any sponsor. He opened some mayor routes in Dolomites and climbed in Patagonia before devoting to Himalayan climbing.

Fausto de Stefani was born in 1952 in Mantova region, Italy. His first 8,000+ meter summit was K2s, achieved in 983 via its north side. Claiming valid his climb on Lhotse in 1993, he stated to have completed the 14x8,000ers list in 1998, by summiting Kangchenjunga.

 

The Chart below  shows their Final Ascent, and the date they ascended their first of the 14, and the date they ascended their last.

 

1

MESSNER

Reinhold

It

LHOTSE

27-Jun-70

16-Oct-86

2

KUKUCZKA

Jerzy

Pl

SHISHA PANGMA

4-Oct-79

18-Sep-87

3

LORETAN

Erhard

CH

KANGCHENJUNGA

10-Jun-82

5-Oct-95

4

CARSOLIO

Carlos

Mex

MANASLU

13-Jul-85

12-May-96

5

WIELICKI

Krzysztof

Pl

NANGA PARBAT

17-Feb-80

1-Sep-96

6

OIARZABAL

Juanito

E

ANNAPURNA

15-May-85

29-Apr-99

7

MARTINI

Sergio

It

LHOTSE

4-Aug-83

19-May-00

8

PARK

Young-Seok

SK

K 2

16-May-93

22-Jul-01

9

UM

Hong-Gil

SK

SHISHA PANGMA

26-Sep-88

21-Sep-01

10

IQURRATEGI

Alberto

E

ANNAPURNA

30-Sep-91

16-May-02

11

HAN

Wang-Yong

SK

BROAD PEAK

28-Sep-94

15-Jul-03

12

VIESTURS

Edmund

USA

ANNAPURNA

18-May-89

12-May-05

 

 

 

The ANNOTICO Reports Can be Viewed and are Fully Archived at:

Italia USA: http://www.ItaliaUSA.com (Formerly Italy at St Louis)

 

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Annotico Email: annotico@earthlink.net