Danielle Fisher Tops Out On Shisha Pangma–Only Shisha Summit of the Season!

October 17, 2007

After weeks of heavy snow and high winds, teams turning around and heading back off of Shisha Pangma, we are getting word that there has FINALLY been a Summit!

Danielle Fisher and Alpine Ascents’ Lhakpa Sherpa have claimed the first and only summit of the world’s 14th tallest peak this fall season.

On Oct. 14 WE SUMMITTED!!! We started at 3:30 a.m. in the dark and in our down suits. It was about -30 degrees. When the sun came out it quickly warmed up and I took my down suit off.

With many teams heading back due to high avalanche risk ect., Danielle and Lhakpa Sherpa were able to top out by side-stepping a risky ridge. Rather than climbing over it to the central summit, they climbed around it.

The summit push would take close to 12 hours from beginning to end in freezing temperatures and high winds.

At 22 years old, Danielle Fisher has quickly been making a name for herself in the mountain climbing community. She has already pulled off the Seven Summits–and became the youngest person to ever do so in the process. Her last peak, Mt. Everest, was ticked off in 2005 when Danielle was just 20 years old.

Other News From Shisha

Alan Arnette, a good friend of mine whom I was following quite extensively on Shisha Pangma this season, has arrived back home safe and sound.

He has put up a new post on his own site informing us of his early return home and his collection of over 2000 photos that he took along the way

If you want to checkout Alan’s great photography of Tibet and Shisha Pangma, click one of the following links:

Climbing Shisha Pangma
Faces of Tibet (Alan’s Personal Favorite)
Scenes of Tibet
Lhasa
My Teammates and I

I am sure Alan was a bit dissappointed in not being able to make a successful summit of Shisha Pangma this year, but he did manage to get to over 7,000 meters without any kind of problems from the high altitude. To Alan, the experience is worth more than the summit anyways.

Alan is currently on a year long quest that will land him back on Mt. Everest next spring. The recent Shisha Pangma expedition was just an acclimatization and training climb for Everest, and with this in mind, the climb was definately a success! Way to go Alan! Glad your back home! (sorry, had to fit that in there someplace.)

Alan is currently climbing for a cause. His Road Back To Everest is being done solely on his own funds. Alan is trying to raise Awareness and funds for the Cure Alzheimer’s Fund. The Cure Alzheimer’s fund gives 100% of it’s donations straight to the doctors and researchers helping to win the war on this terrible disease.

Stop by, look at Alan’s photos–listen to his story, then show the love and make a small donation to help his cause. I know Alan would appreciate it.