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Americans to Attempt a Ski Descent of Lhotse Couloir

American skiers Hilaree Nelson and Jim Morrison are heading up Lhotse, the fourth highest mountain in the world, to ski the famous Lhotse Couloir.

The steep 50-degree couloir is about 700 metres long and hangs above a nearly 1,500-metre face that ends at the Western Cwm.

For the past few decades, a few dozen skiers have skied variations on the Lhotse Face, but never the couloir.

Many big line skiers consider it one of the last few great ski lines in the Himalayas that is accessible.

Jamie Laidlaw, a top American skier, nearly completed the run a decade ago, but his oxygen supply wasn’t working properly.

One of the biggest problems with skiing at altitude is that you burn out after a few dozen turns.

The turns are fast and smooth like you see in ski movies, high-altitude skiers take their time and pace the descent.

Morrison has skied on Everest and Nelson has climbed Everest and Lhotse, and the pair has skied big lines together for years.

They are currently heading up Lhotse for their attempt. Stay tuned for updates.

@nickkalisz and @dutchsimpson emerging through the top of the icefall two days ago. We made pretty standard mistakes of carrying too much weight and starting a little too late. Nonetheless these two guys crushed it their first time in such an inhospitable environment. Yesterday we moved with Sherpa from Camp 1 to just beyond the bread loaves before Sherpa turned round. Weather was a whiteout and snowing. The four of us, @jimwmorrison, myself, Nick and Dutch waited out the weather and pushed on to camp 2 getting here just before dark. It was a fairly intense day all in all but so happy to wake up this am to blue skies, surrounded by Lhotse, Everest and Nuptse. #lhotseski2018 @thenorthface @clifbar @msr_gear #sufferfest #assaulttent #rooftopoftheworld

A post shared by Hilaree Nelson (ONeill) (@hilareenelson) on

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