Nicholas Rice: Archived Expedition Dispatches

Archived Expedition Dispatches

Expedition Dispatches From Past Expeditions

2007 Aconcagua Expedition

In February, 2007 Nicholas Rice participated in an independent expedition to the highest mountain in the southern and western hemispheres, Aconcagua. Aconcagua is located in the Andes Range in Argentina and is one of the seven summits (highest mountain on each of the seven continents). The team didn’t make it to the summit due to high winds (gusting 100mph) and time constraints. The team was planning to attempt the polish direct route.

2006 Solo Gasherbrum II Expedition

In June, 2006 Nicholas Rice departed for a solo expedition to the 13th highest mountain in the world, Gasherbrum II located in the Karakorum Range of Pakistan. Gasherbrum II is one of the fourteen 8000 meter peaks in the world at 8035 meters or 26,360 feet elevation. Nick reached the summit on July 25th.

2005 Gasherbrum I and II Expedition

In 2005, Nicholas Rice participated in the US and Canada GI and GII Expedition guided by Charlie Fowler of Mountain Madness. 2005 was a horrible year for expeditions climbing in the Karakorum because of unseasonably bad weather which made for extremely hazardous avalanche conditions. Nick’s expedition was forced to abandon their summit attempt after topping out at camp II on Gasherbrum II.

2004 Cho Oyu Expedition

In the fall of 2004, Nicholas Rice participated in a commercial expedition to Cho Oyu in Tibet, the sixth highest mountain in the world. Nicholas and a Sherpa summitted together in three hours from Camp III and returned to Base Camp the same day. This was Nick’s first 8000 meter peak.

2003 McKinley Expedition

In the summer of 2003, Nicholas Rice participated in a commercial expedition to Mount McKinley in Alaska, the highest mountain in North America (one of the seven summits). Nicholas and his team summitted together on July 7th, 2003. This was Nick’s first expedition. Upon reaching the summit, Nick knew that climbing was the sport he would continue to pursue for the rest of his life.

2007 Broad Peak Expedition

In June, 2007 Nicholas Rice led an expedition on Broad Peak, the 12th highest mountain in the world at a height of 8047 meters or 26,300 feet. Broad Peak is located in the Karakorum Range in Northern Pakistan on the border of Tibet. It is named for it’s 1.5 km long summit ridge and is composed of three summits. The team was partially successful putting four members on the summit, however, Nicholas Rice turned back at the col (the start of the summit ridge) due to high winds and impending bad weather. The team was climbing via the normal route. Nicholas intends to return in 2008 to make another attempt.

2007 Shishapangma Expedition

In August, 2007 Nicholas Rice went on a solo expedition to Shishapangma, the 14th highest mountain in the world at a height of 8013 meters or 26,289 feet. It is the only 8000 meter peak located entirely in Tibet. The name Shishapangma means “crest above the grassy plains” and accurately describes the mountains’ prominence above the Tibetan plateau. It is the highest peak in the Jugal Himal range, a sub-range of the Langtang Himal. The team was climbing via the normal route. Click here for the album.

Text Box: 2008 K2 South-Southeast Spur Expedition *EXPEDITION COMPLETE* Nicholas Rice cancelled his 2008 Spring Everest North Face summit bid due to injuries sustained in Morocco on training climbs and instead planned an expedition to attempt Broad Peak and K2 in Pakistan in the summer of 2008. After realizing that the conditions were too dangerous on Broad Peak, Nick focused on K2, the second highest mountain in the world standing at 8,611 meters or 28,251 feet. K2 is the highest of the five 8000 meter peaks in Pakistan and thought to be one of the most dangerous mountains of the fourteen 8000 meter peaks with a fatality rate of 27.77%. Fewer than 300 climbers have reached the summit of K2 and of those 53 have died. Nick attempted K2 by the South-Southeast Spur Route. This was Nick’s fourth consecutive expedition in Pakistan. He turned back from his summit bid at 8,200 meters due to impending frostbite and dangerous conditions in the bottleneck that resulted in the deaths of 11 other climbers. Dispatches

Text Box: 2009 Manaslu Solo Expedition *EXPEDITION COMPLETE* SUMMIT! Nicholas Rice reached the summit of Manaslu at 11:30am on May 19th, 2009 without Sherpa support or supplemental oxygen after nearly two months in base camp waiting for a weather window. Manaslu (मनास्लु) is the eighth highest mountain in the world, located in the Mansiri Himal, part of the Nepalese Himalayas. The word “Manaslu” is derived from the Sanskrit word Manasa and is translated as "Mountain of the Spirit". Manaslu is the highest peak in the Gorkha district and is located about forty miles east of Annapurna, the tenth highest mountain. The mountain's long ridges and valley glaciers offer feasible approaches from all directions, and culminate in a peak that towers steeply above its surrounding landscape, and is a dominant feature when viewed from afar. Manaslu was first climbed on May 9, 1956 by Toshio Imanishi and Gyalzen Norbu, members of a Japanese expedition. Nick attempted the mountain solo by the Japanese Route without Oxygen or Sherpa Support. Click here for dispatches. Photo Section coming soon!

Text Box: 2009 Shishapangma Expedition *NORTH SUMMIT* After a successful expedition on Manaslu in the Spring of 2009 (8th highest mountain in the world), Nicholas Rice has teamed up with Mario Panzeri (Italy) for his second attempt on Shishapangma in the Fall of 2009. Shishapangma is the 14th highest mountain in the world and is located in Tibet. It is the only 8000 meter peak located entirely in Tibet. The name Shishapangma means “crest above the grassy plains” and accurately describes the mountains’ prominence above the Tibetan plateau. It is the highest peak in the Jugal Himal range, a sub-range of the Langtang Himal. The team will attempt the mountain by the Iňaki variation on the normal route on the north face. In 2007, sustained bad weather coupled with dangerous avalanche conditions forced Nick off the mountain. No one summitted that season. Dispatches will be posted daily. Click Here