ANNAPURNA III, SOUTH FACE

The Cumbria Himalayan Expedition, 1979

RON and LINDA RUTLAND

THE CUMBRIA HIMALAYAN EXPEDITION 1979 (UK) comprised seven members: Ron Rutland (leader), Linda Rutland (Mrs), Spider Penman, John Whittock, Alan Deakin, Robin Whittam and Peter Melling. The unclimbed South Face of Annapurna III, 24,787 ft, was chosen as our objective when permission was refused to climb Annapurna Fang, an Italian Expedition having been already granted permission to attempt this peak.

On 3 October, 1979 all seven expedition members met in Kathmandu, three members having arrived earlier in order to obtain extra supplies and arrange final details. We were constantly reminded that we were starting late but is we intended to climb Alpine-style without fixed camps, Sherpas or oxygen we knew that we would be able to weather and conditions. Several of the on previous expeditions and for some it was their fourth major Himalayan venture.

By 5 October the expedition, including twenty-six porters, liaison officer, Sirdar and cook, was able to leave Kathmatulu by bus to Pokhra. The walk in to Annapurna Base Camp went according to plan until on 10 October Peter Melling slipped and fell from the track into the Modi Khola Gorge. This fall of some sixty feet down a waterfall resulted in him sustaining a broken leg, pelvis and badly dislocated shoulder. He was subsequently moved up to the site of the old Machapuchare base camp at 11,500 ft on a makeshift stretcher, where seven days later a helicopter landed and evacuated him to Kathmandu for a six week stay in hospital.

It was not until 18 October that the expedition was able to get under way again. Base camp proper was established at the old Italian Annapurna III Expedition site at 13,000 ft. All porters with the exception of one, who was retained for a few days, were paid off. The Sirdar and liaison officer remained at Machapuchare Base Camp tlir site or returned to lower altitudes.

The six expedition members now set about establishing two further camps, Camps 1 and 2 at 15,000 ft and 17,000 ft respectively. Throughout this period the weather had remained stable but very cold. Only light snow showers materialized in the afternoons. A way through the lower glacier was soon found and Camp 2 stocked ready for pushing on. It was proposed to use Camp 2 as an advance base from which our lightweight Alpine-style attempt would be made.

Above Camp 2 was a heavily crevassed glacier culminating in a steep icefall. Despite five days of continuous hard route-finding it was not possible to penetrate this glacier and the only sane solution was to abandon the route through the glacier and attempt to climb a very steep rock buttress leading to the upper part of the face.

On 26 October all six climbers left Camp 2 at 17,000 ft with ten days' food and bivouac equipment for an Alpine-style push to the summit of Annapurna III. The first pitches were fairly steep rock intermingled with snow and ice leading to a flat area on top of the first tier of the rock buttress. The following day the climbing became very steep (Grade V UIAA) but we were fortunate in discovering some American fixed rope in place which assisted our passage. That night we bivouacked on top of the rock buttress after two very hard but satisfying days. Our bivouac equipment consisted of down sleeping- bags in Gortex outer shell covers. We had one Troll two-man bivouac tent and a special light alloy snow shovel.

Alan Deakin suffered a miserable night and decided that he would probably have to descend and in the morning, his condition not having improved, he descended. The five of us continued on up an ice ridge. The weather deteriorated and the lead pair were often obliterated from view by heavy cloud and swirling snowflakes. At the top of the ice ridge we discovered a large hollow in which we hung the bivouac tent and constructed an igloo from snow blocks. Our multi- fuel stove performed well and we soon had a hot meal prepared.

In the distance Machapuchare dominated the scene, majestically towering over the Modi Khola gorge. The sun slipped away and the cold of the night crept towards us as the sun's rays melted away over the horizon. The cold grey dawn brought further problems when Robin Whittam decided that he was not acclimatizing sufficiently well to continue. In view of our fast ascent it would obviously be unwise of him to climb higher without further acclimatization time. Having taken this decision he descended.

The previous two days' exertions had resulted in the remaining four of us suffering from a lack of energy and so we decided on an 'easy day'. We took some food and equipment and pioneered the route through the upper glacier, leaving a cache and then returning to our bivouac site. Our position was now precarious to say the least as the four of us had only a limited supply of food, we had no lines of communication or means of assistance should anything go wrong.

Next day we ploughed through deep snow, collected the food and equipment from the cache, and continued. Avalanche-prone slopes caused a mid-afternoon halt and a search for a suitable bivouac site. Gangapurna loomed dramatically above and only the occasional avalanche broke the intense silence. After a good night's rest the route- finding became easier as we slowly made our way towards the bergschrund leading to the steep slope which in turn led to the final ridge. That night we rested in a snow hole below the bergschrund. The date was 30 October, and the height c. 22,000 ft.

That night we assessed our chances, there were 3000 ft to go but our meagre supplies of food would be unlikely to support four climbers for the length of time required. In addition John's neoprene overboot zip had broken and he was in danger of frostbite. Linda and John were going the strongest and I therefore suggested that Spider and I

Go down without food and this was agreed. Linda and John were to push hard for the summit and rejoin us in a few days at camp lower down the mountain. The next day Spider and I descended and Linda takes over the story of the summit climb.

After a day's rest John and I made a dawn start for the couloir,arriving its base by 10.30 a.m. We took a belay at the foot of the bregschrund John teetered out on crumbling snow to pull himself over a bulge on to a uniform slope of 50 degrees. Good neve. A rhythmic penetration of axes and crampons followed, that is, in between bouts of heavy breathing. My tired body screamed out for a rest but I knew that if I was to achieve my goal I could not relent.

I hated John because he seemed to be going so well. Optimistic John announced that it would only take half-an-hour to reach the col. Who is he trying to kid, does he think that I am a fool? I felt it wise my thoughts to myself. I said nothing.

At 5.30 p.m. with one hour of daylight left I suggested that we should bivouac. John would not hear of it.

It’s only another fifteen minutes.'

I was too exhausted to argue. We pressed on following a steepening snow arete. 9.30 p.m. saw us on desperate water ice where crampons and ice-axe refused to penetrate. Above were greater difficulties in the form of steep icy seracs. I reached the grey blur (John) and slumped into a carved out stance, gasping after my effort.

‘Lets bivouac here’. I said. It was almost a plea.

‘Where he replied with a sigh of relief. He was now showing signsb of weakening to my suggestion. I hacked at a crack in the serac uncovered an ice-tunnel into which we both dived to escape the cold, cutting spindrift. We organized food and drink then sleep. Not a blissful slumber but it was so good just to stop.

I belayed John from inside the ice-tunnel. The rope was hardly moving.

‘Watch the rope,’ urgent voice from above. ‘Can't do it, it is at least grade V.’

Two diagonal abseils later we hit better ice and the route looked more feasible. Two hours of hell and we were level with our previous nights bivouac. The way ahead looked clear of problems, today we should reach the col. The couloir dragged on, the scale was so deceptive. Finally the angle succumbed and the ice merged with snow and we emerged on to the soft snow of the col. We looked at each other in knee deep snow. If it's like this all the way we will probably run of steam, I thought. Had all our efforts been for nothing?

We moved on to the lee side and found a site to hang our Troll bivouac tent on ice screws and axes. It was 5.30 p.m. and time for eating. A sleeping tablet blotted out the discomfort and we both slept well. Tomarrow was to be our summit bid.

I awoke at 6.15 a.m. feeling cold and miserable but forced myself to make the effort to drink and eat. We stumbled out of the bivouac tent and sorted out our equipment. Suddenly without warning I lost my footing and slipped down the slope, I knew that this slope ended in ice-cliffs a short distance below. I attempted to dig in my hands and feet but my nylon mitts and neoprene overboots did not help. Just as suddenly I stopped just above the ice-cliffs. I looked up, John had not even noticed my meteoric slide. I cursed my stupidity and wondered if this was an omen of things to come.

Sleeping-bags and Gortex bag covers were all we packed. We discarded the stove and our only food was four crumbled digestive biscuits. Our hopes were raised when we moved on to the wind-packed arete of snow. We moved together on the solid snow keeping a steady pace. Several hours later, after what seemed a lifetime, I could just make out in the fading light what appeared to be the summit of Anna- purna III. In the interests of photography we decided to bivouac where we were so that it would be daylight on the summit. There was a bitter cold wind and if we were to survive 100 ft from the summit we would have to find shelter. There were some strange snow encrustations which provided a natural shelter. We broke off slabs of snow to improve it. We huddled in a shivering heap under the claustrophobic slabs of snow and I prayed that the weather would not deteriorate. Sleeping tablets again blotted out the main of the discomforts but it was still a long dark dismal night.

Frozen clumps of down dug into my back. I shifted my weight as the sun's rays made their way along the col towards us. We looked towards the summit and rejected our sleeping-bags in favour of an icy blasting wind. Facing the wind it was impossible to breathe. We fastened our crampons with icy fingers and started out for the summit.

The final cornice was aerified and eventually I could go no further without fear of it collapsing. John took one picture and we headed down. It had been nothing like I imagined, no sense of achievement, only a sense of relief.

Summary

An account of the Cumbria Himalayan Expedition 1979 to Anna- purna III, South Face, Alpine Style, without Sherpas or oxygen. John Whittock and Mrs. Linda Rutland endured fourteen consecutive bivouacs at sub-zero temperatures on their climb from 17,000 ft reaching the summit on 6 November, 1979. Both suffered second-degree frostbite.

 

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