THE LURE OF NUN

B. BARRY NEEDLE

IN 1946 Major R. Berry, Captain Ralph James and Major Tom Stobart1 (who was later to become the official photographer for the first successful expedition to climb Everest in 1953) used their six weeks leave from the British Army to attempt to make the first ascent of Nun 7135 m (23,410 ft). They made their attempt by the east ridge, but although climbing White Needle 6550 m (21,510 ft) on the way, were unable to reach the main summit, having run out of leave.2

Nun was first climbed in 1953 by a French expedition led by Bernard Pierre, via the west ridge, and has had several more ascents, but none by a British team. Steve Berry, son of Major Berry, led the 1981 Bristol team to Kashmir to follow in his father's footsteps, and to make a film of the ascent into which would be incorporated film taken on the 1946 attempt.

Also in the team were Richard Berry, second son of Major Berry and Norman Croucher, O.B.E. Despite having two artificial legs, following a railway accident, Norman has astonished mountaineers and non- mountaineers alike (including our porters from the Suru valley) with his ascents of amongst others the Matterhorn, the Eiger, Mont Blanc and led a successful expedition to the Peruvian Andes in 1978. This culminated in an ascent of 6654 m Huascaran. He was awarded the O.B.E. in 1977 for his voluntary work for the disabled. As 1981 was the International Year for the Disabled, it was particularly appropriate that Norman should be attempting his first Himalayan peak, Nun.

Steve Berry and Damian Carroll flew out to Delhi on 5 May to pave the way for the other five members who flew out one week later. A two-day journey by train to Jammu, then bus to Srinagar took us away from the debilitating heat of the plains. As the Zoji La was still closed by winter snow we flew to Leh, after purchasing the bulk of our food in Srinagar. I found the short flight enthralling as it gave us magnificent close-ups of Nun and Kun, and more distant shots of Nanga Parbat and the Karakoram giants. Our excitement was quickly dampened when plunged back into the ceaseless bargaining for onward transport, the local taxi-drivers trying to 'take us for a ride'. With the help of the police, all was settled after several hours of ever- changing arrangements. The equipment and food went by lorry and personnel by taxi over the 230 km to Kargil. Here the arguments started once again and the district magistrate had to be called in, and settled in our favour.

The next stage to Gulmatonga was terminated just short of Panikar when our lorry got stuck in the receding winter snow. This was offset somewhat by the first views from the ground of Nun, some fifteen miles and 3700 m away. Two days' walk took us to Gulmatonga. We waded across the Suru river to Moraine camp, and the following day reached the 1906 site used by the Bullock-Workman's during their early exploration, the horses doing an incredible journey up the moraine of the Shafat glacier. Base camp was established on 28 May at around 5000 m and advance base on the 29th 5600 m, just above and beyond 'Rabbit Rock', a prominent feature on a ridge coming down SE from the foot of the lowest of the pinnacles surrounding Kun.

 

That evening heavy snow signalled a change in tne weather which up to now had been good. Steve Monks and Damian had to retreat from A.B.C. and reported that some small animal had broken into a food dump and ruined some of our freeze-dried meals. It was thought that the alpine choughs were responsible, the damage being minimal when compared to a food and equipment dump later ravaged by a bear. The next four days were spent keeping the tents free from the heavy drifting snow, and digging the kitchen out each mealtime.

After several mediocre days and miserable hours breaking trail in the soft deep snow, we all moved up to A.B.C. on 6 June, after Steve Monks and Damian had established Camp 1, at 6000 m on the prominent SE Fariabad ridge leading) up to the flank of White Needle. This was a beautiful site, but we had to be careful when moving around. Two metres from the door on the Fariabad side the ground fell sheer away for some 1500 m. The ground at the other side of the tent held a bergschrund into which John once slipped up to his waist. The views to the south however, were enthralling.

Up to Camp 1 we had used skis for load-carrying, these proved ideal, but poor snow made it as much effort to ski back down. Norman found it very beneficial to use a pair of snowshoes.

On 7 June, Richard and I went up to Camp 1 on skis in less than two hours, intending to establish Camp 2 the following day. That night the wind became very strong and threatened to carry the tent down off the ridge on to the glacier below. Heavy drifting snow followed and the temperature dropped to 0°F. Inside the tent frozen condensation kept flaking off in the violent gusts, making life uncomfortable for the next twenty four hours.

The following day dawned good, and it took us an age to uncover the gear left outside the tent. The two of us set off up the often knife- edged ridge, but after 4| hours the weather closed in once more so the loads were dumped and a retreat made in whiteout to Camp 1 where Norman and John had now become established. Richard had received slight frostnip in his finger ends. Both he and I carried on down to A.B.C. and were very surprised to meet a 'Time-Life Magazine' reporter who had come all the way from Delhi to interview Norman. The weather remained poor and it was a further 24 hours before Norman and John were able to move up from Camp 1.

It was our intention to site Camp 2 on the col between White Needle and the east ridge of Nun. Norman and John decided the safest way to the col was over the summit of White Needle. On 12 June they reached the top and turned back in the face of driving snow and poor visibility. They found that the whole summit ridge was heavily corniced on the north side.

Steve Monks and Damian took over the lead once more, managing to traverse White Needle and descend the short distance to the col. Steve Berry and I attempted to carry essential loads up to them the following day by traversing the southern flanks direct to the col, but were forced to retreat under the real threat of avalanches. We both felt quite demoralized by this defeat, but along with Richard made the col the next day via the summit of White Needle. On finally reaching the col all three of us were overjoyed to discover that the two front runners were starting the assault.

In 1978 a Japanese team had made the first ascent of the east ridge from the Fariabad side, circumnavigating the first difficult section of rocky pillars and interconnecting corniced crests by dropping down from the col, then making a rising traverse across the south face of Nun, till they could rejoin the ridge after the difficulties. This was also the route Steve Monks and Damian had decided to follow.

Steve Berry, Richard and myself once more traversed back over the long summit crest of White Needle to Camp 1. Steve was visibly suffering from the effects of altitude and found the descent particularly harrowing.

Next day, 16 June, the two leaders could be seen leaving the bergschrund, where they had bivouacked and climbing slowly up to rejoin the east ridge. Then cloud obliterated any further observation and we returned to our load-carrying.

The two Berrys moved up to Camp 1 to start their bid for the top. Meanwhile the weather had begun to follow a pattern, fine mornings followed by snow from the west in the afternoon, the temperature dropping to around -10 °F at night as skies cleared again.

The 17th dawned good and Steve and Richard moved slowly towards Camp 2 whilst John, Norman and I following on behind made Camp 1 but then decided to push on further to make a midway camp. This was placed at the end of the Fariabad ridge where it levels out before the rising flank of White Needle. At long last we were all moving up to get to grips with Nun.

Whilst the tent was being erected at the midway site in driving snow, Steve Monks and Damian appeared caked and matted with snow, with the exciting news that they had made the top about 5 p.m. the previous day. They hurried on down leaving the three of us to spend a cramped night in the two-man tent. Breaking trail again up and over White Needle, we arrived at Camp 2 about mid afternoon and observed the two Berrys in front making their way up to the bergschrund bivi. At Camp 2 the stove would not work properly, so John very gallantly volunteered to go back over White Needle and down to the midway camp and return next day with another. Meanwhile Norman and I managed to coax the wayward stove into providing just adequate nourishment till John arrived back next day.

Late evening on the 19th, Steve and Richard were observed coming down the ridge reaching the bergschrund bivi just after 8 p.m.

Deciding to make our move, John, Norman and myself rose at 3 a.m. but found it too cold in the strong wind to do anything but put another brew on, and so it was 6 a.m. and daylight before we moved the short distance across the col to slide down the fixed rope. Traversing steep airy slopes unroped in partial white out, we followed the few small juniper twigs left by the others marking the route. About six hours out we met Steve and Richard on their way down. They also had made the top at 5 p.m. and were bubbling over with excitement. Four up, three to go!

We moved off from the bivi latish at 8 a.m., traversing along the lower lip of the bergschrund to the point where a fixed rope hung down from the slope above. I had great difficulty trying to surmount the bergschrund by prussiking; achieving success eventually after hammering a snow-stake in the upper lip and attaching a foot-loop. Belayed at the top of the pitch, I was witness to Norman's epic struggle to surmount the bergschrund.

Norman, after much debate, had decided to make an attempt on Nun, and John and I were quite happy with this decision. Having already climbed White Needle his spirits were naturally very high. From B.C and A.B.C this peak looked extremely elegant and having already climbed his first Himalayan peak he would not go home empty-handed. Earlier he had said, 'I wonder in the unlikely event of my joining a summit attempt, if I have what it takes to sacrifice my own chance should the need arise'. His ascent of White Needle made it easier to contemplate that option.

Norman deliberately delayed any decision about turning back until he had crossed the difficult bergschrund. Now that we were on the technical part of the climb, it was obviously going to be a long slow fight, and fearing that he would ruin our chances in the worsening weather he reluctantly retired back to the bivi, thereby giving John and myself the chance to go for the top.

It was a very sad moment and I felt strongly for him fully realizing just how much he was sacrificing. Despite his handicap Norman had carried loads equal to us all and although naturally slower always finished the distance.

The weather had deteriorated further, fresh snow sliding down the slopes around us, in small steady streams. Knowing we would be unlikely to reach the top in the daylight remaining, John and I hurriedly discussed the situation and decided to take our chance.

Four more pitches up poor snow took us to the razor-sharp crest of the east ridge. Pressing on in the gloom we felt our way up a steep ramp beyond, conscious of the exposure and a corniced edge on our left. Eventually the slope began to ease off and we reached the first likely bivi spot in a bergschrund around 5 p.m. Knowing the top could not be too far away, but unable to see much, we dug out headroom in the side of the bergschrund and settled down for the night.

At 7.15 a.m. on the 22nd we moved off on to the final ridge, reaching the summit 45 minutes later, The wind was bitingly cold and masses of cloud concealed a good many peaks and valleys below. However Nanga Parbat, K2 and the Karakoram peaks could just be seen above the clouds some 120 miles away, and Kun close at hand. We said a silent prayer for Amis Strapcans, one of the original team members who was killed on Mont Blanc the previous summer, and also wished that Norman Croucher could have stood with us, especially in this year, the International Year for the Disabled. But what an inspiration he should be to many, for Norman did reach 22,000 ft on Nun and climbed White Needle, no mean feat for any person with full faculties. Disabled people don't have to have limited horizons.

Addendum

Horses were used up to Bullock-Workman camp and porters to B.C. Above B.C. all loads were moved by ourselves. We used a total of four fixed ropes, two to provide assistance when load-carrying and two on the climb. Only one was left on the mountain.

All our litter was brought down to base camp and burnt. The tins, bottles, etc., were then carried down to the Bullock-Workman site and buried. We also spent time tidying up this site in general before descending to the valley.

We had heard of several expeditions having problems with the local bear population and so we were not surprised when a midway food and equipment dump was found scattered over a wide area, with footprint evidence. We were surprised however, on returning to B.C after the climb, to find the inside of our tent turned upside down and various items such as passports, money, clothes, film, whisky and Mars bars missing. Some bear! It transpired that an Austrian expedition had arrived in the area to attempt Kun, and finding our tent unoccupied had assumed it was abandoned. They had been told no other team was in the area, and finding a diary which had not been kept up-to-date, felt justified in their actions, believing no one had occupied the site for about a month. We quickly regained our possessions, and Anglo-Austrian relationships repaired, but we never felt able to do the same with the bear.

Members: 1981 Bristol Nun Kun expedition. Steven Berry (leader), Richard Berry, Damian Carroll, Steven Monks, Norman Croucher, John Margesson, Barry Needle.

 

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