TWO ALPINISTS ON THE RUPAL WALL

Translated by T, Viguer, S.J.

LUIS FRAGA

Introduction

THE OBJECT of this article is to describe broadly the development of the Spanish-German expedition, which in 1980 had as its basic aim to pave a new way to climb the Nanga Parbat Rupal Wall (8125 m).

We also mention the activities of other expeditions which together with our group also tried to find new ways to climb this wall, supposed to be, and justly so, the highest and most difficult one in the world.

The aim of this group was not to prove that a project of this kind was possible, viz., 8000er through a difficult cliff between two mountains, but rather its purpose was simple enough, to climb the said wall in a more personal style, out of traditional considerations and by no means it being of a historical or competitive type. The fact, however, that other expeditions with a larger number of members could not go beyond the highest point reached by Karl and Fraga is very significant all the more if we appraise the probabilities a small group has vis-a-vis a large one. By probabilities we understand not only those which help to achieve the end but also those others which make the group meet with accidents. These probabilities are larger in a large group. If these probabilities increase in accordance with the size of the group, such a group will find it very difficult to reach the peak. This may be concluded from the facts that took place at Nanga Parbat. Yet to this mathematical approach which weighs the scale in favour of small or light expeditions, the argument may be brought in that a large expedition enjoys better security arrangements than a small one.

The report does not try to draw conclusions or offer opinions. It does not utter value-judgments. The line of thought expressed through it may however suggest them. In any case, the new forthcoming expeditionary projects and the international alpinism of this decade will have the last word. The leader of the Franco-Italian-German expedition to Nanga Parbat in 1980 and leader of the French at K2 which failed in 1979 to reach its western point, with a large group and some 3000 porters came into contact with a mountaineer who was with expedition to Nanga, Parbat in 1980. His purpose was to open a new way to the up-to-now virgin southern side of K2. The group will climb in alpine style. The members will be restricted to three or four at most. For this reason, the expedition to Nanga Parbat may perhaps be considered to be an integral part of the Himalayan prelude which has a new dimension: more of the individuals than of organizations, stronger and for this reason no less beautiful.

June, 17th-29th

Arrival in Rawalpindi Pakistan. Preparatory activities. Distribution of loads to porters. Serious bureaucratic and administrative problems. (Permission had been refused because the two members belonged to different nationalities. Besides there was no precedent of a two- member group in that zone). Capt Liaquat Ali is appointed liaison officer.

From the Diary of the expedition to Rupal Wall

June, 30th

The expedition leaves Rawalpindi towards Gilgit.

July, 1st

Solution of bureaucratic and border problems (Gilgit is close to the ceasefire line). Last preparations.

July, 2nd

By jeep close to Haripur. Preliminary march towards the objective. The weather is bad.

July, 3rd

We reach the meadows just below the wall. Base camp is established.

July, 4th-5th

Acclimatization, initial reconnaissance of the SE route. Bad weather.

July 6th

SE ridge definitively discarded. Persistent bad weather.

July, 7th

Good weather in the morning, We climb up 5100 m by the Rupal side. Camp 1 is established. By noon the weather turns bad. Back to base camp.

July, 8th

Change in the route upwards. Thought to be easier than that followed yesterday though more dangerous.

July, 9^th

We begin the first real trial up the wall. We reach 5100 m again. We intend to remain here and not to go down again until we reach the peak.

July, 10th

At 1.30 a.m. we begin climbing the wall. We decide to take a new route by the side of that laid by Schell. This was also followed by the British expedition same year. First we successfully cover a corridor of ice and mixed ground. A slope of 400 m and 60 degrees inclination. We soon reach a cropping rock which leads us through mixed terrain to another ice deposit (I called it 'the Shield') which at its highest point reaches 70 degrees. Mixed terrain follows (with small crossings similar to those found at the upper side of N of les Droites). We reach the edge of Schell route. We follow this edge. At 6200 m we set up a tent and then we go down. Tomorrow we shall proceed towards the peak. To reach the Schell edge we use a fixed rope which had been placed there by the British expedition.

July, 11th

Reinhart and myself climb again up to 6200 m. A little before reaching the tent set up by us the previous day there is a change in the weather. We rest for a while and think it better to return to the 5100 m. By noon there is a snowfall. By 5 p.m. we see the three British alpinists who climb down the ropes they had set in the Schell route. They had failed to reach the summit during the three days of good weather. Weather goes on worsening and it snows continually the whole night.

July, 12th

The snow persists. We have to fight against it the whole day. Not far away snow avalanches fall on 'our' corridor and on the Schell route,

July, 13th

The snow continues to fall. By4 noon it subsides for a while and we return to base camp. The avalanches sweep the wall and the entrance to the corridor within a few metres from us.

July, 14th

Base camp. Bad weather. The British expedition members decide t© withdraw definitively.

July, 15th

The weather clears up somehow. We take this opportunity to climb up again to the 5100 m point and to proceed further. The night is clear and without clouds.

July, 16th

We wake up at early dawn and begin to prepare ourselves for the climb. As we start our way up the sky darkens. By 5 a.m. it is already snowing. It goes on for the whole day.

July, 17th

The oncoming day looks bright. The brightness lasts for a very short time. Clouds come followed by snow. No further change during the day.

July, 18th

My diary reads, . . I wake up at 2.45 a.m., the weather seems good and we pack our haversacks. The weather turns bad by 3. At 11 it does not show any improvement!

July, 19th

The alarm clock calls us at 2.45 a.m. The snow falls. Everything is covered up. We are lucky that our tent upholds the weight of the same. It is useless to plan so I don't wake up Reinhart. 10.30: for the last five days he has been unable to move on. We decide to return to base camp. To our surprise we meet there the Franco-German- Italian expedition. They have been there for the last five days.

July, 20th

Not a single cloud above. We get ready for the last push. Soon we reach the 5100 m again.

July, 21st

At 2.30 a.m. we start climbing the corridor. The conditions have changed to a very large extent and the snow is much more dangerous than it was before. At 6000 m we are compelled not to use the fixed ropes. They are completely frozen. We reach 6200 m. The tent is still the tent, the boots, which fortunately were made of plastic, are the most important elements while at the heights. The snowfall lasted the whole night. Everything is under it. We dig for a while up to one metre in depth. We find the tent completely undamaged and ready for use. We intend taking this tent up to the highest point.

July, 22nd

We hoped to start at 4 a.m. This is not possible. The snow is very deep. There is also great danger of avalanches. At noon Y. Seignieur and P. Berhault arrive after following the route opened by us. They put their tent at a little distance below ours.

July, 23rd

A little before dawn, Reinhart and myself start climbing. We cross a 40-50 degree slope. We had already crossed it before. Seignieur and Berhault follow us some 20 m behind. Reinhart and myself find the going hard. Each step on the snow sinks to a depth of one metre. Berhault seems to be affected by the height. There is something definitely wrong with him.

A little before reaching 7000 m the sky darkens and snow begins to fall. We prepare two platforms and the tents are placed. At 4.00 there is a blizzard with strong wind and lightning. It lasts for a little over 14 hours. Reinhart and myself use our tent (that which we unearthed before), Seignieur and Berhault occupy their own. Seignieur comes to see us. Their tent has ventilation problems with the consequent lack of oxygen and they cannot melt snow. He tells us that Berhault seems to suffer pulmonary edema. Hence they decide to return immediately. Yet to survive pulmonary edema? Hence they decide to return immediately. Yet this is not feasible because of the storm. There is no change during the night. It snows continuously. The temperature decreases. The winds attain a speed of 100 km per hour.

July, 24th

Cold but clear weather. Reinhart and myself get ready for the climb. We expect to reach the summit by evening or early morning tomorrow. What remains to be done offers no technical problems.

'Patrick is in a very poor shape, extremely poor *. .' says Yannick in his most pessimistic tone. 'His kidneys have failed and he cannot even stand up.'

Patrick Berhault was suffering from acute kidney failure compounded with mountain sickness. A period of four hours or even less might have proved fatal to him. He had to be taken down, yet it was no easy matter. We managed. It would however be too complicated to go into all details, delicate manoeuvres with the rope, pendulum, seeking the less difficult places to go down. . . . Twentyfour hours after the descent* Berhault was not able to keep himself standing. His psychological reserves and zest for life were, however, present throughout till we reached base camp. His psychological strength had been previously put to test during his Alpine ascents.

In spite of all this the expedition was not deemed to be ended. B. Karl preferred to abandon it. In his opinion (later proved correct) bad luck made us waste the only available period of time. (Actually the Franco-Italian-German group besieged the mountain for another full month. Without the help of Berhault and that of another Frenchman, Lassagne who returned to civilization with us, the group could not at any moment surpass the point at which we spent the stormy night of 23rd to 24th).

If I say that this expedition had not yet come to an end it is because on the 29th or 30th July (I don't remember* which) I returned to dismantle the camp at 5000 m. I availed myself of the short span of good weather in accordance with yearly monsoon pattern. This however turned to be very brief (how otherwise?). I was climbing a rocky corridor known to me from past experience, which offered little difficulty though the terrain was mixed. Suddenly there was thunderous noise (which I remember well) followed by the whistling of hundreds of rocks. A granitic tower disintegrated into thousands of fragments which fell through the corridor I was climbing. I had only time to press myself against a crevasse while the stones went by, too near to me. My left foot was wounded., I had fractured the metatarsus in two different places, though I came to know of it one week after, having walked more than 40 km through glaciers, meadows, ravines in real bad weather and reached Rawalpindi. I can now cooly say, 'all quiet . . ‘

By the beginning of August, Karl returned to Europe with Berhault and Lassagne who needed medical treatment. I had to remain for a while to solve the problems connected with the Pakistani authorities and its bureaucracy.

 

⇑ Top