RETURN TO THE SHINING MOUNTAIN

ROGER PAYNE

IN 1996 A FIRST attempt on Changabang’s north face ended prematurely when illness struck Andy Perkins on the central icefield.1 However, the outstanding quality of the climbing in such a magnificent setting, kept it foremost in our minds as an objective that could not be left unfinished. That led us a year later to return as a team of six. From the original expedition there was Brendan Murphy, my wife Julie-Ann Clyma, and myself; and we were joined by friends Andy Cave, Steve Sustad and Mick Fowler. The original attempt had been made in ‘capsule’ style with four of us working co-operatively as a single team. However, the knowledge gained on that attempt led us to change our approach, so that in 1997 we intended to climb as three independent pairs in Alpine style.

The expedition was planned for the pre-monsoon season to make the most of the warmer temperatures, and we arrived in New Delhi on 3 May. After a briefing with the IMF, a two day road journey took us to Joshimath where we purchased most of our food and hired our porters. A brief spell of good weather coincided with the two day walk-in to the mountains, and we set up base camp at c. 4550 m, on grassy meadows on the true right bank of the Bagini glacier on the 10 May. Once at base camp each pair of climbers made their own plans for acclimatisation and climbing the route. Over the next 10 days we all covered similar ground, moving food and equipment up to an ABC site at c.5150 m on the Bagini glacier opposite the north face of Changabang, and then climbing up to c.5700 m on a spur beneath Purbi Dunagiri to sleep high.

On the 21 May, everyone was back at base camp together. From our reconnaissance it was clear that the ice route of the 1996 attempt was not completely formed, but two other striking mixed grooves on the left side of a large buttress jutting from the left side of the north face looked very promising. There were major concerns over these lines however — first, an approach beneath a huge serac; second, the likelihood of being hit by ice and rock knocked off by other team-mates; and third, the lack of tent sites.

Footnote

  1. See H.J. Vol. 53, p. 254.

Colour Plate 3

 

To minimise problems it was agreed that our start on the routes should be staggered, with each team leaving a day or two apart. A lot of discussion also centred on alternatives for the descent. The obvious way to descend would be to abseil the length of the north face down familiar ground, but with the prospect of up to 30 abseils, the possibility of making a serious mistake led to a consideration of other options. An alternative was to descend the south side of the mountain via the normal ascent route. This was an appealing prospect as the route covers easier angled, relatively straightforward terrain. The drawback was that on reaching the Changabang glacier, a return to base camp would entail either a circumnavigation of the mountain, crossing both the Shipton col and the Bagini col; or a descent down the Rishi gorge to exit at the village of Lata — either route being undertaken unseen. All options had obvious benefits and drawbacks, and it was decided to go prepared for anything — the final decision depending on conditions at the time.

Brendan and Andy were the first away from base camp, leaving on 22 May, and starting their route on the 23rd. Steve and Mick were just behind, leaving base camp on the 23rd, but giving the lead pair an extra day on the climb to put more distance between them, and starting on the same line on the 25th. Julie-Ann and I set out from base camp on the 24th, and also took a rest day at advance base camp before setting out on an independent start to the left of the others on the 26th. The route we had chosen gave superb, sustained mixed climbing over the first four days. There was enough snow and ice for good tool placements, and the rock was mainly sound, giving adequate protection. Unfortunately the weather throughout the climb was very poor, and there was snowfall every day. Late in the afternoon of our first day on the route we were pinned down by torrential spindrift avalanches pouring off the upper face. We spent a couple of hours standing trapped in the open, unable to move, and then when we did manage to get together on a small ledge we spent another couple of hours standing with the tent pulled over our heads for protection. It was not until 8 p.m. that the snow stopped and we managed to excavate a small ledge for an uncomfortable open bivouac. The weather pattern for the next few days became fixed, and we had to make the most of clear cold mornings, before increasingly wild storms blew in each afternoon. The climbing was steep and technical, and the route finding totally absorbing. We moved back and forth, following the most obvious line, linking up runnels of ice and torqueing through difficult rock passages. By the end of the fourth day we were at the foot of the central ice field — our high point of 1996. The following day (30 May) brought climbing of a very different nature. Now we were on hard, green ice and the climbing was precarious and exhausting. It was difficult to get placements for ice tools and crampons, and a fight to get the ice screws to go in more than half way. It was critical at the end of the icefield to break through a rock spur before we could reach another obvious snow patch for camping the night. Unfortunately, we were only at the foot of the rock when the afternoon storm arrived, and we had a repeat experience of standing waiting for an easing in the weather with the tent over our heads. By 4 p.m. however, it was clear there was to be no reprieve, and so we just had to prepare to climb through the storm. The pitches that followed were the hardest on the route, and with gathering darkness and freezing temperatures the climb was starting to feel like a major epic. Finally, at 11 p.m. we arrived at the tent ledges cut by the others, and the following day we took a well deserved rest.

Map of Bagini Glacier and Peaks

Map of Bagini Glacier and Peaks

Given the difficult conditions we had already been climbing in, and suffering from frost-nip, we felt it was imperative that we see some improvement in the weather before attempting the final part of the route. This comprised a conspicuous tongue of ice that led up into a mixed groove line exiting onto the east ridge, and we believed would be the crux of the climb. Rather than improving however, the weather worsened, with snow becoming constant throughout the following days. In all we spent five nights on this platform. During the first three days we still entertained ideas of going up, despite problems making the stove work and Julie-Ann increasingly ill with what looked like bronchitis. But after the third night when three avalanches poured over the top of and dislodged the back of the tent, just getting back down in one piece became the prime objective. On the fourth day we tried to start the descent, but this was abandoned before the first abseil was completed because of the avalanche activity and we were forced back up to the tent platform. Eventually on 4 June we started back down the north face, and after one bivouac reached advance base camp late on the 5th. There was no sign of the others, but assuming that after so long they must have reached the top and then descended the south side, we left for base camp on the 6th.

During the time we had been stuck at our high camp, we wondered and worried about the other members of the team. We had been able to see and hear the other two pairs climbing in the upper groove, and we could only imagine how grim the conditions were. It was only when we were all back at base camp that we heard just how bad. The ice tongue above our high point had been fixed by Andy and Brendan on the 28 May, and then they climbed it and the upper groove over three more days, exiting onto the east ridge on 31 May. The climbing was extremely difficult, with the added disadvantage of the deteriorating weather and loose rock. They then went to the summit, having run out of food, on 1 June. Mick and Steve followed the same line and exited onto the east ridge on 1 June. Unfortunately, on reaching the ridge Steve slipped on badly balled-up crampons and the pair fell 60 m with Steve sustaining three broken ribs. When Brendan and Andy descended back down the ridge from the summit, the plight of the other two soon became apparent, and the four teamed up to start their descent the next day down the normal route on the south face. By the 3rd, they had traversed a large glacial shelf running across under the south face of Kalanka. At the end of this an abseil is required in order to gain a gully line leading down to the Changabang glacier. At this point, while trying to set up the abseil, an avalanche released from the upper slopes of Kalanka, hitting Brendan and narrowly missing the others. The avalanche swept Brendan down over 500 m and it was not possible to either locate or recover his body. Andy, Mick and Steve after another bivouac, reached the Changabang glacier on the 4th. Exhausted by the long ordeal and lack of food, they nevertheless managed to continue on to cross the Shipton col on the 5th, and the Bagini col on the 6th to reach advance base camp. Andy left almost immediately to try and reach base camp with the news of Brendan’s death, but exhausted, had to bivouac on the edge of the glacier and reached base camp early on the morning of the 7th. Mick and Steve arrived soon after, at midday. On learning the terrible news, our liaison officer went down to Dunagiri village to summon the porters, and we were able to leave base camp the next day.

The ascent of Changabang’s north face encompassed the very best and the very worst of the climbing experience. None of us will forget the struggle and the exhilaration of the climbing, but we have lost a companion, and everything else becomes meaningless in the face of that fact. We can only take some small comfort that Brendan climbed his sacred summit and rests in a beautiful place, looked over by the goddess, Devi.

SUMMARY

An ascent of Changabang (6864 m) by north face by a British team. Summit was reached on 1 June 1997. While returning one of the summiters, Brendan Murphy was killed in an avalanche.

 

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