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In autumn 2025, two ice streams formed on the northern wall of Pik Korona. The first ascent of the right stream (rated 5A in the Russian classification) was made by Aleksandr Parfyonov's team in early 2026. The first ascent of the left stream was made by Konstantin Markevich with Aleksey Pototskiy in the second half of March 2026. Further, according to Aleksey:

Last year was very hot in July. And as a result of this circumstance, two new routes formed on the northern wall of Pik Korona. The charm of these routes is that this year or next, such conditions may not happen, and these routes may not exist. But while they are there - we have to climb 😁 And we did. One route was climbed by Parfyonov with a partner in February, and the second one - Kostya Markevich and I last week.

Honest 5B and this is the coolest ice in the area. The icicle itself is 170 m of 87-degree lace cascade ice. And before that, there's another 30 meters of A3 ice climbing. The lower part is 450 m of gentle ice at 55-70 degrees.

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Work on the route

People often ask about the weather in Ala-Archa, when the best season is, and when it's safe to ice climb. I've decided to put this information into a micro-article.

January

Stable weather, many sunny days, often calm. The temperature at Ratschek hut is -10 to -20°C with rare deviations from this range. However, there's only 2 hours of sunlight per day, not enough to warm up.

February

Almost like January, but towards the end of the month, stability is lost – March is approaching.

March

Very unstable weather. Stormy winds can last for 2 consecutive days, and fog can hang for 2 weeks. Heavy snowfalls are rare but possible. On good days, even in early March, it's sometimes possible to walk in a T-shirt when the sun is out. Daytime temperatures range from -10 to +5°C.

April

The same March winds, but it gets warmer.

May

Two years after the first free ascent of the legendary Riders on the Storm route on Torres del Paine's Central Tower, Stefano Ragazzo accomplished the impossible: the first solo ascent of the route. The Italian spent 15 days alone on the wall, tackling technically very challenging sections, terrible weather, and a problem with frostbitten toes. Ragazzo climbed from February 21 to March 7. "For the first time in my life, I fought for something more than just the summit: for my life, or rather, for the constant thought, the desire to return to my girlfriend's arms," Ragazzo confessed on social media. "This thought kept me alive and was probably the main reason I can write these words now."

A Most Challenging Route

The Riders on the Storm route, first climbed in 1991 by Germans Kurt Albert, Bernd Arnold, Norbert Bätz, Peter Dittrich, and Wolfgang Güllich, is a 38-pitch, 1300-meter line on the east face of Torres del Paine's Central Tower in Patagonia. The route's difficulty is rated VI 5.12d (European scale 7c), A3. Frequent rockfall and icefall significantly increase the danger. The route includes a complex section using ITO, followed by a large pendulum across a smooth wall on pitch 16, and a huge overhang on pitch 26. In the 35 years since the first ascent, the route has been repeated only three times. Only a powerful team consisting of Sean Villanueva O'Driscoll, Nico Favresse, Sibbe Vanhee, and photographer Drew Smith managed to finally climb it free. All this suggests that the route is challenging enough to deter many top teams. A solo ascent seemed impossible.

Miraculously Avoiding Death

A query from a reader (ExplorersWeb's reader — editor's note) planning a trip to Upper Mustang drew our attention to the hurdles independent climbers face when planning their Himalayan projects, especially solo ascents or attempts on unclimbed peaks in restricted areas. We reached out to a Nepalese tour operator for clarification on obtaining such permits.

Q&A

Matt Powell from the US asked:

I was hoping you could provide me with some clarification regarding Nepal's rules for solo climbers, particularly in restricted areas such as Upper Mustang and the Nar Phu valley. Is it possible for a single climber (myself) to obtain a permit to climb a peak in a restricted area if I use the services of a Nepalese guide? And if so, how do I go about it? Dawa Stephen Sherpa clarified that it is possible. However, he added, the climber must obtain the permit through a registered and certified trekking agency in Nepal. The main question, however, lies in what permits the climber needs and what are the requirements for each. It turns out that it depends on the height of the peak and involves various permits and procedures.

Expedition Peaks

Peaks above 6,500 m are considered expedition peaks and require a permit and the presence of a sirdar/guide and liaison officer on the expedition, increasing the cost. Permits for these peaks are issued by the Department of Tourism, under the Ministry of Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation of Nepal. Once the climber has paid for the permit, the agency receives a letter from the Department of Tourism, which must be presented to the immigration department, issuing a second permit: the Restricted Area Permit (RAP). This allows the climber to enter the restricted zone at no additional cost, since they have already paid for the climbing permit.

Mirko Grasso from Italy and Jernej Kruder from Czechia have established a new route in Chile's Cochamo Valley. The 750-meter route has a difficulty of up to 7c. Cochamo Valley, despite its growing popularity, remains wild and offers excellent opportunities for climbers. A great illustration of Patagonia's potential beyond the well-known peaks such as Torres del Paine and Fitz Roy. Grasso and Kruder set up base camp in La Junta, in the heart of the valley, at the beginning of the year. La Junta is a two-hour drive from the Chilean town of Puerto Montt and a three-hour walk along the trail. During a short weather window, the climbers identified a suitable line on the summit of Cerro Valvalun, which they described as the most imposing peak in the area. When establishing the route, the climbers used different styles. At first, they placed bolts and pitons, and then climbed the route free solo. It took them two weather windows to achieve their goal. During the first, they climbed the route with bolts in three days. The route can be divided into two parts: the first passes through smooth, technically complex slabs and requires thoughtful protection and careful climbing, the second part is characterized by cracks and corners, as well as reliable climbing on granite. "The upper part is a pleasure: incredible cracks, always available for climbing, never boring," the climbers noted. On the first ascent, they used 29 bolts and 15 pitons for advancement and protection, as well as classic protection points.

Unless you live in Siberia or Canada's Arctic, you likely don't know cold like Maciej Berbeka, a Polish computer science specialist and traveler who has been undertaking solo climbs for over a decade in what he calls some of the coldest and most inaccessible mountain ranges and plateaus on Earth. Berbeka's latest expedition took place in February. It was the first winter solo ascent of https://summitx.info/ru/objects/peaks/12625907/about, and it perfectly illustrates his longstanding interest in extreme cold and autonomous travel.

The Coldest Mountain on the Planet?

Pobeda, the highest peak in Yakutia, was previously climbed in winter in 2018 by climbers Simone Moro and Tamara Lunger. Moro called it "the coldest climb in history, on the coldest mountain on the planet," as temperatures as low as -70˚C have been recorded in the region. Berbeka started his winter solo from the same point as Moro and Lunger. He ascended in a single day, tracing a line through deep, loose snow all the way. "Of all my solo winter ascents in North Siberia, this was definitely the most challenging," he said. "Others were just as cold, maybe even colder, but none were even close in terms of technical difficulties and snow conditions," he added. Berbeka reached the start of the route on skis, then switched to crampons and ascended via the south wall, repeating the route through the central couloir taken in 2018.

Summiting in the Dark

Borge Ousland, the greatest polar explorer of the last 30 years, shared the composition of his first-aid kit. This list was used by him to cross Ellesmere Island from north to south in 2025. It seemed to me that some ideas would be useful in expedition alpinism as well. The first-aid kit is compiled based on the actual problems that Ousland or his partners faced. Always consult a doctor before using any medication. Note that some medications are banned from free circulation in most countries!

• Apocillin 660 mg, 50 tablets. Broad-spectrum antibiotic, particularly useful for joint infections.
• Flagyl 400 mg, 10 tablets. Antibiotic used to treat bacterial and parasitic infections. Also useful for preventing appendix and dental problems.
• Azitromax 500 mg, 6 tablets. Antibiotic used to treat various bacterial infections, especially respiratory ones, such as pneumonia and bronchitis.
• Doxylin 100 mg, 18 tablets. Broad-spectrum antibiotic, effective for skin infections.
• Paralgin Forte, 50 tablets. Analgesic for moderate to severe pain relief.
• Paracetamol, 50 tablets. Over-the-counter analgesic for mild to moderate pain relief.
• Ibux 400 mg, 40 tablets. Relieves headache, rheumatic, and muscular pain.
• Acetylsalicylic acid, 1 tablet per day. Aspirin.

In a beautiful video, Sasha Moroz describes his impressions of Nepal, and also talks in detail about the trek to Mera Peak via the pass https://summitx.info/ru/objects/passes/12617730/about, and the ascent to the summit. Further plans include climbing https://summitx.info/ru/objects/peaks/12763468/about via the American Direct route on the west wall.

Connor Herson from the USA has set a new standard in trad climbing by ascending the route Drifter’s Escape in Squamish, British Columbia. The route, which he graded 5.15a (9a+ in the European classification), is claiming the title of the world's most challenging trad route. The route follows meager cracks on https://summitx.info/ru/objects/peaks/17292453/about, a 700-meter granite monolith. It is a very popular wall with numerous multi-pitches. A key moment in Drifter’s Escape is a complex dynamic move called the "chase". "I didn't grade the route for several months after the ascent," Herson said. Herson announced the grade only in spring 2026 to draw media attention ahead of a film about his ascent and other notable achievements in 2025. The four-part series Born From the Climbing Life, filmed by Erik Bissell, will air next month on Black Diamond channels. Additionally, the director's cut of the first ascent of Drifter’s Escape will be featured as part of the Mellow Film Tour, starting February 27 in Boulder, Colorado. Source: ExplorersWeb, Angela Benavides