Nanga Parbat: Rupal Face 2008: Photo Slide Show 10

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Nanga Parbat: Rupal Face 2008: Photo Slide Show 9

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Nanga Parbat: Rupal Face 2008: Photo Slide Show 8

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Nanga Parbat: Rupal Face 2008: Photo Slide Show 7

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Nanga Parbat: Rupal Face 2008: Photo Slide Show 6

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Nanga Parbat: Rupal Face 2008: Photo Slide Show 5

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Nanga Parbat: Rupal Face 2008: Photo Slide Show 4

Nanga Parbat: Rupal Face 2008: Photo Slide Show 3

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Nanga Parbat: Rupal Face 2008: Photo Slide Show 2

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Nanga Parbat: Rupal Face 2008: Photo Slide Show 1

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Nanga Parbat: Rupal Face : Final Thoughts

Rupal Face : Final Thoughts

Disappointment and frustration sum up the way I am feeling.

It sounds crazy but in only 16 climbing days out of the 34 total days we spent at Nanga Parbat we logged 14,200m of scree, snow, ice and rock climbing - and as Dave puts it "we only almost made 6000m". Crazy was all that could be said once we had done the math. We tried is all that can be said about our attempt. Perhaps one of the biggest reasons for alpine climbing is the feeling of smallness and insignificance one gets compared to the mountain and the forces of nature - especially those experienced on a mountain the scale of Nanga Parbat. Nanga is huge.

What could we have done differently is a question that all teams that fail have to ask themselves. I am still thinking of things that for sure I will do differently next year. But the real answer is we were just plain unlucky with the weather. We were on target to be done acclimatizing by the 1st - 5th of September if we had just had 3 more days of good weather in August. Only 4 perfect days in 5 weeks is hard to be successful with. We made the most of marginal days, most of the time working from early in the morning (4:30am starts) and finishing in the afternoon in snowstorms. We just got unlucky.

BREAKDOWN OF DAYS ON THE MOUNTAIN:
1. AUG 4th - Trip up Glacier to find way to Messner - 400m
2. AUG 7th - Trip to Korean ABC from 2nd Basecamp and return - 600m
3. AUG 8th - Trip to C1 (4700m) and return - 1200m
4. AUG 9th - Trip to C1 and return - 1200m
5. AUG 13th - Trip to C1 and stay - 1200m
6. AUG 14th - Trip to 5150m and return to C1 - 450m
7. AUG 17th - Trip to C1 and stay - 1200m
8. AUG 18th - Trip to 5300m and return C1 - 600m
9. AUG 19th- Trip to 5450m and return to C1 - 750m
10. AUG 20th - Trip to 5500m and return to C1 - 800m
11. AUG 24th - Trip to C1 and stay - 1200m
12. AUG 25th - Trip to Snowcave at 5650m and stay - 950m
13. AUG 26th - Trip to 5700m (C2, Snowcave) and stay - 50m
14. SEPT 2nd - Trip to C1 and stay - 1200m
15. SEPT 3rd - Trip to C2 and return to C1 - 1000m
16. Sept 6th - Trip to C1 and return Basecamp - 1200m

My first impressions of the wall were that of a train wreck, so many thousands of pounds of ice hanging over your head for so long - how could Anderson and House justify it were my initial thoughts. Tomaz was lucky to live, was all I could think. Sitting and watching the wall I started to to get a sense (as much is really possible with seracs) of the rhythms, the distances, the intricacies and the scale. It was just plain ugly to me for the first few days, then everything changed when we got a clear view of it all and the route we thought might go from studying photos and talking it over with Tomaz in Slovenia last winter. Looking at it in person we thought the wall was actually climbable by another new route.

I got inspired - the Rupal Face central pillar area got under my skin, as I am sure it does any body's that sits under it and stares at it long enough.

Once again, thank you so much to CAMP-USA, SCARPA North America, Marmot, CiloGear, Brian at Ames Adventure Outfitters for all the miscellaneous support, Scott at KNS Reps for the support with Jetboil Products, and all of the other individuals that make these types of trips possible - especially Ingemar from Sweden.

K2 - Remembering Friends

Sitting in an Internet cafe in Islamabad reading on Explorersweb the recap of the tragedy on K2 this season it took me four attempts to get through the whole article, with a few laps around the market to absorb the news between paragraphs. Shock is the only way to describe my mental state. We were sheltered at Nanga Parbat, we used the Slovenian phone to update the blog - by reading a hand written blog entry to a voice mail then later to be transcribed by someone I am greatly indebted to - and to keep in touch with family but only once a week. There was no time or money to recount the story and casualties.

Sitting in the Internet cafe and strolling through the market I was instantly drawn back to a day after a prolonged snowstorm on K2 in 2005 when Billy and Meherban and I sat on a rock outcropping to take a break from trail breaking up to C1 on the Abruzzi. Laughing and sharing food, Meherban made jokes about the team he was working for and shared plans about future climbs he would like - especially Nanga. Later in the season his team refused him payment for certain days claiming he made carries those days out of friendship and not employment. I went to bat for him and he received his due pay.

Rolf was so kind in 2005 - as was his whole team, especially Cecile. Bad weather days in base camp were never so fun as in there heated tent watching movies on a laptop and eating popcorn with 10 of us craning for a view of the screen. They invited me to Norway to ice climb, I eventually made it but did not see any of the team - a huge regret now.

Hugues and I last year at K2 would sit together and chat for hours in French for what he would call "my daily French lesson".He talked about an upcoming sailing holiday and his house in Chamonix - both of which sounded much better than the Baltoro at the time. He offered up his weather forecast in return for the rope we and the Czech team had fixed to the shoulder. I will remember him as a kind and intelligent man.

Gerard I never met, but via email and the phone I sent and described the Cesen to the shoulder from my photos from last summer. I sent him photos from the Bottleneck and traverse from when I went through them in 2000. He said had he summitted he would repay me with a bottle of my favorite Scotch. A bottle I will buy and drink in memory of him.

Too many other events from the summer: Karl, Pavle, the generosity of Tomaz and what can only be described as the whirlwind visit from Messner. Recover, train harder, find money again, focus and return are the only options for dealing the the loss and failure.

Pumori - The next trip: October 2008

The first week of October I will be back in Nepal, guiding on Pumori until the end of November. This week I am traveling but will update each previous Nanga Blog with corresponding photos.

Nanga Parbat - Rupal Face - Dispatch 7. The end

On the 3^rd of September we struggled back up to C2 to find that the 2-3 ft of fresh snow we had previously been caught in was now 4-5ft.We dug for hours to find most of C2, and we decided enough was enough.

 

We arrived at BC almost 5 weeks ago, and so far have only had 4 bluebird days. The forecast calls for more rain and snow. There is no chance to acclimatise for the face. We have decided to pack up and go home.

 

Yesterday, Saturday the 6^th, we retrieved all our gear from c1 in a blizzard. Billy, Dave and I are safe and sound back in BC where it has now been snowing for the last 24 hours.

 

Thank you very much to Marmot, CAMP, Scarpa and Cilogear, and all the individuals that helped us. I hope we work together next year again on my next trip, and next year when we return to the face.

Nanga Parbat Rupal Face - Dispatch 6 - The beginning of the end?

 

The Weather has been bad i.e. snowing and raining almost non-stop for the past 7 days. To be honest since we have been here at Rupal Face BC there has only been 2 days 100% precip free.The weather is not looking good but time is running out. We must go above 7000m this week or time will run out.

 

A big thanks to Tomaz Humar, he sent me tools from Skardu, good to be part of the CAMP family.

 

Wish us luck

Nanga Parbat Rupal Face - Dispatch 5 - Snow holes and missing axes!

The last few days have been uncomfortable to say the least. We spent 25^th, 26^th, and 27^th in a shallow hole dug in the snow at 5750m, the site of camp 2 with a tarp thrown over it to sit out three days of constant snowfall. Three days and not much sleep later we decided to descend. Me swearing constantly, as my Marmot bivvy sac worked the best, so I got the snowiest side of the hole. Billy staring at me in silence seemingly saying 'you are saying enough for 2', and Dave continually saying 'lets all go on vacation again next year, this is so much fun' with us all bursting out in fits of laughter, as our plight finally got old.

 

Two feet of fresh snow put a hold on acclimatization. Somehow on the ridge leading for the serac at camp 2, one of my axes ('CAMP-Awax' if anyone would like to send one- Address: Rupal Face, Nanga Parbat base camp, via Karakoram magic mountains trekking agency, Islamabad) got knocked off as we sorted ropes in the storm and took the 2000m tumble to the valley floor. Oh well, rest a few days and back to the original plan of being done acclimatised by the 5^th.

 

On a very tragic note, we have just been made aware of the likely death Pavle kozjek, we are deeply saddened for the loss of one of the greatest alpinists and people of all time.

Our condolences go to his family, and hope for a safe rescue of his team mates.

Avery sad day for all

 

Wish us luck

Nanaga Parbat Rupal Face - Dispatch 4 - The Messner invasion

This morning the 23^rd whilst scanning the upper mountain through the telescope, we heard the sound of approaching helicopters coming up the valley. Within minutes tents were threatening to fly out of BC and the ever present goats and donkeys ran for their lives. Messner and his film crew had arrived. They said a quick hello and took off again to try to fly above 6000m as the clouds had parted.

 

Interestingly, Messner was filming with the same pilot who rescued Humar from the Rupal Face. I suppose no better pilot to film the face with. They promised to return for lunch.

 

A few more touch downs to reload film cameras mounted to the outside of the helicopters, and as promised we sat for lunch. I did a very short interview for the cameras, and after we all discussed the physical changes in the Rupal Face since 1970, when Messner first climbed it.

 

Then with a quick good luck the show left town.

 

Tomorrow we go up for what we hope is a weeks worth of acclimatization to reach 7000m. Then we start to watch the route for our attempt.

 

That's the hope anyway, wish us luck….

Nanga Parbat Rupal Face - Dispatch 3 - Camp 2 ....and there's no snow

On the 17^th, 4 days of great weather started and we took full advantage of it. Billy Dave and I, alternated leading and fixing 1150m of rope up the traversing 45-60 degree ice between C1 and C2. Finally on the 20^th I led the last 300metres to the top of the couloir that leads to the serac that C2 sits on at 5500m. We finished at 5pm in a snow storm, which was the obvious end to the good weather.

 

For 2 Days of the good weather, a helicopter continuously circled between 4200m and 5000m.We wondered what was going on as we were aware that Musharaf had resigned as president. On the 20^th the helicopter got close enough for us to see a cameraman hanging out the door filming us. When we arrived back at BC we learned that Messner himself was filming us for an upcoming film he is producing on Nanga Parbat. He landed in BC twice to interview us, but we were on the mountain. The rumour is he will be back

 

Billy, Dave and I are tired, but feeling good after 4 days of strong effort. It is crazy to think that we have climbed 2000m above BC, but still have so much more to go before being done with acclimatizing for the face.

 

We are hoping to be done with the Messner route by the 1-15^th September, which will leave us 3 weeks for our planned route on the face.

 

More to come…

 

Wish us luck

Nanga Parbat Rupal Face - Dispatch 2 - Camp 1

On August 8th we finally made base camp in beautiful Kap meadow. On our way here, around the Bazhin glacier, we saw the Rupal face for the first time. It's amazing, so large, with no order but resounding beauty. There is no obvious line up the route, but if you crane your neck back to see the upper wall, you can piece together options. Our hats go off to Anderson and house. If you have not stood below the face and seen what they had climbed in person, it is really hard to gather from photos the severity of their route. They obviously have superior mental strength to hold it together for so long in such a threatening route.
 
We have had a lot of good luck since moving base camp. We established camp 1 on the Messner (our acclimatization route), the day after arriving. It is 1300 meters above base camp, all of the climb on terrible scree. We have made 4 trips to it now and have slept 2 nights there, pushing up to 5200 meters yesterday before being held back by terrible snowfall.
 
We now have to wait for better weather.
 
Wish us luck!

Nanga Parbat Rupal Face - Dispatch 2, Camp 1

On August 8th we finally made base camp in beautiful Kap meadow. On our way here, around the Bazhin glacier, we saw the Rupal face for the first time. It's amazing, so large, with no order but resounding beauty. If you crane your neck back to see the upper wall, you can piece together options. Our hats go off to Anderson and house. I f you have not stood below the face and seen what they had climbed in person, it is really hard to gather from photos the severity of their route. They obviously have superior mental strength to hold it together for so long in such a threatening route.

 

We have had a lot of good luck since moving base camp. We established camp 1 on the Messner (our acclimatization route), the day after arriving. It is 13,000 meters above base camp, all of the climb on terrible scree. We have made 4 trips to it now and have slept 2 nights there, pushing up to 52,000 meters yesterday before being held back by terrible snowfall.

 

We now have to wait for better weather.

 

Wish us luck!

Nanga Parbat - Rupal Face. Dispatch 1, Base Camp?

On August 5th, only 3 days after arriving in Islamabad, we trekked into Herligkoffer base camp which was the same launching spot as Humar had for the Rupal face. Our cook staff, also some of the same as Humar had, said it was only a half hour easy glacier crossing to reach the start of the Messner, our intended acclimatisation route.

7 hours of trying later, we realised that the glacier crossing was not possible without a ladder or 2 and a lot of fixed rope. This is amazing, given that our cook staff were here only 2 weeks ago with a trekking group, and managed to cross it easily.

When we returned after trying, we brought our cooks up onto the glacier, and they were amazed at the considerable change. More than a week of rain has changed the glacier significantly. This glacier was so easy to cross in 2005 that Humar used mules to transport gear and food to our intended ABC. It is now impassable.

We called for extra porters this evening as we must move our base camp further south, about 4 to 5 hours away to another grassy meadow, also 3500m. We pooled our money, unsure of what we will do when we need to return to get on the face proper in 1 month time.

I guess we will take it day by day. This starts the adventure again. We hope for better progres this week.

On a very sad note we heard by word of mouth, that there has been a huge accident on K2. We have friends there and hope that this rumour is false.

Wish us luck and happy climbing until our next update.

Nanga Parbat Rupal Face: Departure and Thanks

Billy, Dave and I start the long trip to Islamabad today.

 

Trips to the Rupal Face don't happen without alot of support from many people. The past few weeks have been so great for me; I really have felt the proverbial love from Chris, Kim and Gary at Scarpa, Andy and Jordan at Marmot, Jesse and Tommy at CAMP USA, Graham at CIlo Gear, and from great friends like Brian at Ames Adventure Outfitters, Scott at KNSReps for all the help with Jetboil stoves and Matt at Four Winds Himalayan Guiding. Everybody has gone above and beyond to help me out with last minute gear requests and logistics.

 

I must say that I would not have been able to train and focus as much on this trip for the past year without the support of Elizabeth and Tom who have been my Boulder base camp. Ingemar must be thanked as well as this trip would not happen without his financial support.

Thanks again everybody,

Wish us luck and check back for updates!