Amphu Laptsa Middle - First Ascent

Dr. Olaf Rieck

What is the special thing about mountaineering? What is it that moves us to start again and forget all the strain? Maybe it is the fact that every step expands our view of everything? Or is it the new horizon that one sees if one reaches the top? It is also possible that the fun of risk is the motivation even when it gets more dangerous and difficult. I am sure that my reason for climbing mountains is the possibility of all these special experiences. I guess everybody has some reason and often it is a little bit of everything. But most of all, it is the attraction of the unknown that makes for a very unique experience. Particularly, a first ascent!

My second home is the Khumbu in northeast Nepal where I have spent many years. This affinity did not happen by accident. Hardly any other mountain region in the world, maybe except the Karakoram in the north of Pakistan can be compared to the Khumbu. The possibilities for mountaineering seem to be endless - even the possibility of stepping on untouched ground!

For many years I had looked at a special ridge close to Ama Dablam and the Everest. It was not the summit with a height of 6238 m (which is of course, an important part of the mountain) - it was the ridge that I got addicted to. But after investigating I found that this was a never before climbed mountain, had no name and was not on the list of permitted peaks in Ministry of Tourism and Aviation. And so I decided to forget the idea of climbing there. It would be too difficult and would take too much time to obtain permits.

Some years passed then suddenly Lakpa, a good Sherpa friend, informed me that this mountain could be climbed now as the peak was on the list. So I applied officially for a climbing permit last year. But soon it came out that Lakpa was wrong. It was not our mountain that was on the list but a nearby mountain. But now we continued our efforts to get a permit and we succeeded. The name of the mountain was now officially 'Amphu Laptsa Middle' because the main summit is one of three and stands in the middle.

As usual it was now time to find a team and organise money. Even the preparation was different from other expeditions. We spent a lot of time studying the route. In 2007, I went with Alexander Graeber and Lakpa to the foot of the mountain to take photos which we evaluated later at home. What awaited us? We had to answer this question. On one hand we had to estimate the climbing difficulties and on the other hand we had to clarify our need for equipment. We also had to decide the style of ascent and whether we would use fixed ropes or not. We decided to use the classic expedition style and install fixed ropes along the route. We thought that this way we would have the best chances of success.

On 1 April, 2008 we started. Only six days after leaving Kathmandu we were at the foot of the mountain and began our search for a convenient place to set up base camp. We earlier thought that Chukhung could be our base camp but discovered that it was too far from the foot of the mountain. So we found a good alternative but even that was quite far from the start of the climb. On the other hand we had a base camp that was safe, close to the water and had the sun for a long time.

The next stage was the trip from base camp to the beginning of the climb. For hours and hours we balanced over boulders carrying heavy bags. One false step on these tilting rocks and god knows what would happen. All of us hated this part which was much longer than we had estimated. After the boulders was the most awkward part. The beginning of the climb was through a channel situated under seracs with hanging rocks on them. A dangerous mix of ready-to-fall stones and ice threatened us in the first 150 m of climbing. Now speed was essential. Thank god the sun did not shine in this couloir until early afternoon. Being there at this time would mean danger to life. Three pitches, climbing full of fear, but on firm and blank ice between 40 and 70 degrees took us up to our dream-ridge. On 14 April we reached the ridge at a height of 5700 m for the first time.

On this day we were enthused because of the dreamlike panorama. The next day, Alex, Karin and I moved to this place again and into our tents. Now I was sure that I had never before been on a more exciting place. The setting around us with Everest, Lhotse, Makalu, Cho Oyu and dozens of other Himalayan giants was just terrific. The pictures I took there are for sure some of the most exceptional ones ever.

In the meantime we'd spent six days for advance and six days for carrying loads to the base camp and the depot at the beginning of the climb. It took us two days to fix ropes up to the ridge. Anyway, I advocated for continuing to install ropes on the ridge because the conditions were perfect and the weather could not have been better.



During the first day on the ridge we made good progress because it was not difficult climbing except a 20 m crumbly rock part. This took a lot of time on the second day and the growing wind became a big problem. The danger of frostbite increased as hands and feet got ice cold. My belaying partner Christian and Alex who was filming the expedition were struck by the cold. From this day on we called this part of the route on the ridge 'Bounty'!

Because of the fact that we went back to the high camp at midday, I wanted to achieve a better results the next day in order to get close to the summit. But next day we reached a point where the second rock part started - approximately 130 m. This was a 130 m long nightmare.

I have been to many climbing spots in my life and climbed a lot of mountains but I have never seen such breaking and crumbling rock. It was nearly impossible to find holds or take stance. As I wanted Alex and Christian to follow me, I had to haul them up because I ran out of rope. So I decided to take stance with two unsafe wedges. After passing the whole rock part that took much more time then we had estimated, we headed back to the high camp. It was not possible for me to lead any longer that day.

Again I had not reached the goal I wanted and so I decided to go even faster the next day. But even reaching the end of the installed ropes took about three hours. After Alex and I reached the highest point from the day before, the route went up a steep ice face. Then we had to balance upon the ridge. Everything worked well and I became more and more confident. But as you can guess, mountains always punish presumptions. I climbed up another ice face very quickly and suddenly I had to stop in front of a big ice crack. It seemed to be the end of the climb. And so we had to make a detour away from the ridge onto the west face. Again we lost time. But our consistency in climbing everyday without resting and pushing the route up the ridge with no excuses took us quite close to the summit. Now we were not more than 100 m below it.

Alex and I started the next day in a very good mood since we had made it so far the day before. May be this was the reason why we moved so fast. As we arrived at the top most point of the day before I saw that it would not be possible to get to the summit directly. Somehow we had to find a way around the snow mushroom at the top. At least the equipment we had with us did not enable me to climb vertical on the mutant ice wall with several holes in it. I tried the north side but here we found nothing but groundless deep snow - something we had not faced until now. Again there was no possibility for taking stance. But we kept continuing to climb. I stuck my ice tool into the snow and started to push myself through the snow. Sometimes it led me along the ridge and sometimes I found myself climbing on the north face. The altimeter showed me that we could not be far away from the top now. The last barrier was a big snow cornice. But we crossed this, too.

Now we stood on an almost football-field-sized plateau and on it another small ridge went up. Arriving at the end of this small ridge we were overwhelmed. Physically we were both in good condition. At first it was a big satisfaction that there would be no more exertion. No more leading and no more climbing up. No more danger or fear of climbing down because we had installed ropes. And again we did not have to worry about the weather so now it was our time to enjoy this moment. We hugged each other, took some pictures, filmed the panorama and enjoyed the great view.



But while up there, the next day came into my mind. The second group wanted to start their attempt to summit and on the way down they wanted to uninstall the ropes too. So the excitement wasn't completely over. But my worries were without reason. Karin Mehlhase and Chritian Pech from Cottbus and Erik Jahn from Dresden reached the top of our mountain. Only Vera Morche had to turn back a few hundred metres below the summit because of cold. On the way down Christian and Eric removed a major part of the fixed ropes. Only at the dangerous rock part they left the rope untouched. For abseiling they used my Abalakov ice sand glasses. Most of the 1400 m rope was removed at the end.

What will remain at the end of this enterprise? Vera as a professional musician wanted to preserve all the sounds she heard on the mountain in her mind. That is her passion. To lead and organise expeditions is mine. And for me this project will stay in memory as an enterprise that was almost perfect. Was there a secret formula this time that I now had to understand and conserve for future trips? The team worked well together, the equipment was complete and nothing was missing - even the time we had planned seemed to be perfect. At first sight, it was a perfect expedition - much of it, because of our luck. Looking back at this climb, I see how much we alpinists depend on the weather. If we had had even three days of bad weather, we'd have come into great trouble. Ten centimetres of snow and the crumbly rock part would have been impossible to negotiate and in the lower part of the route were the danger of avalanches. Not a big change of weather, even a little bit of snow and we would have been bound to our tents and reaching the summit would not be possible. But we had luck and this is really part of mountaineering I would say!

So it seems that our expedition was, regarding the time we had planned, a little too lean. But everything worked really well. All the things we had searched for were found: a great experience together with friends, the success of summiting a wonderful, never-before- climbed mountain! But now it is over and I am already looking forward to my next project, the Fitz Roy in Patagonia!

In a few weeks, I will start preparing myself in the Alps.

Summary :

First ascent of Amphu Laptsa Middle (6238 m) in the Nepal Himalaya.