Below is the exact E-mail reply I recieved from my friend Ian Wall, Country Representative of Community Action Nepal and resident in Kathmandu. Ian, or Old Git as i like to call him has made some fairly straight down the line comments and observations about the post below written by me. Ian's comments make very interesting reading, well all of them apart from the first one wondering why I wasnt climbing on a bank holiday. To answer that question is easy, I have just returned from 7 days (6 of them climbing) in Ireland.
Hey Nick .. a few thoughts of mine .. Bank Holiday Monday and you not on a crag somewhere? .. Or is it not BH Monday, have I got that wrong as well?!
Firstly, excellent PDF blogspot.
Shit what about the use of GPS, sat phones, mobiles ..and even map/compasses, research on the internet .. – to do a Tilman/Shipton in the true meaning of the phrase (and you should be in some of ya great granddad’s kit as well) .. then we should abandon GPS and sat weather forecasts broadcast high up the mountains and the depth of knowledge available to us today – all these technologies help individuals avoid danger .. but not heard many people complain about GPS or refuse the benefit of information provided by weather forecasts.
If you want to take it to the limit everyone in exploration history has in most cases gone out of their way to avoid danger or at least minimize it – the appropriate time of day to start a climb, the best time of year to take advantage of the best conditions, even Tilman chose his tides appropriately.
In real terms the majority of small modern technical gismos help us to AVOID danger and I bet many of your critics use them .. and it’s the use of GPS, sat nav etc that actually replace a skill. The use of a heli to get in would not be replacing a skill, it would be like Tilman using the tides and his tide tables to reach the point of max potential danger when everything was in his favour to the best of his knowledge and equipment at that time.
It’s just a matter of size .. a GPS or heli both help avoid danger, one replaces a skill and subjective danger the other objective danger and luck.
So it’s not a question of to use or not it is a question to go or not.
Anyway, onto the thoughts of Chairman Moa! What I wrote was a bit tongue in cheek but if the cap fits… so for me to go further… and dissect your blub ..
The most obvious answer would be to forget about the ridge and move on, move on to something new, but when has climbing ever been about doing the sensible thing? And the ridge is one of the most compelling objectives for an alpinist, made more compelling and intriguing by the mystique and aura surrounding it.
Firstly, you did the sensible thing, you retreated without any harm, I assume, to anyone.
But why forget and move on .. it’s not a good shag .. What if Mallory, Mummery, Bull, Whymper, Scott and even Bullock to name just a few just turned a blind eye .. in 5 years time someone will come along and do just that .. heli in, look .. Greg Child did not turn back at the final pitch on Lobsang Spire - why? .. No, they used bat hooks – to reach the summit.
As you say ‘they’ use to walk in from Kathmandu now they fly to Lukla etc. Before that they would walk from Darjeeling or where ever. Before that it was a boat from Southampton. Where do you draw the line? I contradict your previous statement (above) .. you are doing the sensible thing and climbing is about doing the sensible things, using your skill and knowledge, push it yes, but you try to avoid dropping bollocks .. every time there is an advance in technology whether it be equipment or modes of transport .. it is seen as an advance in the sport and gets used on future trips .. why not this .. heli ski-ing cuts out the ball ache, when we stopped using knots in rope to lop into a crack .. that was not ‘sport’ (and before you say anything yes I also used that technique) .. go through the hole range of developments .. all to give added protection and a safer traverse of the terrain .. whether it be vertical or the Fuchs/Hillary’s tractors across the Antarctica .. they first did that crossing on foot.
The most obvious argument I can come up with for flying is it will avoid the death of a local and I was under no doubt that this would have happened if Matt and myself had not called a halt to the first attempt.
This shows the humility of the guy, not a selfish point of getting to the summit at all costs .. look at the picture in ‘Tigers of the Snow’ – the story of the mountaineering development of the Sherpa people .. consider the two pictures 24/25 – the top one of the posed shot of the Germans on Nanga Parbat in 1934, Aschenbrenner and co .. then look at the bottom one .. a collection of Egyptian Mummies, the Sherpas who were not looked after all hands and feet swathed in bandages ..who got the bollocking in the latter years for not looking after ‘the expedition members’? The expedition is everyone who helps the goal being achieved from the kitchen boy to lead climbing Sherpa.
The Sherpas are risking their lives to fix rope, carry oxygen, carry tents, food, clothing etc, to molly-coddle and if called upon, to rescue… they do this for a wage which gives them a high standard of living in a third world country
These are proud people and deserve the dignity this role (profession and skill) gives them .. why demote them to disposable items of equipment. Why should they not work and earn to their potential .. it is only a crime if they are exploited by whatever means like crossing dangerous ground unprotected .. you could argue that by not going at all you would be doing some guys out of a potential income .. whether Loban, the porter (not sure if you will use any if you go by heli) .. or the local girls!
Also remember the small wage of the average trekking porter not only sustains himself during the lean months but also his family both immediate and extended .. a wage for these guys goes a long way and to ‘kill off the wage earner’ is a devastating outcome for any Nepalese family and a friggin crime against these people. A porter discarded by his trekking group has this season died in Langtang, a criminal act .. and if you are from that trekking group ..we’ll find out!
My main concern here is the precedent we will be setting. In years to come will rich climbers from developed countries fly into all base camps because of me and my decision now?
Precedents have already been set ..as I mentioned heli skiing .. but what about pegs, bolts, chalk, oxygen on Everest, GPS and mountain weather forecasts .. if they want the summit they use them .. Apa Sherpa used oxygen on his 20th summit climb .. so did that little 13 year old .. now there’s a precedent .. apparently now age is no barrier .. the next thing will be conception on the summit .. (remember those words!)
An argument against flying may be our use of a limited resource, (the helicopter), for our selfish reasons and in using the helicopter we are delaying the more important work, of lets say, building bridges.
Bollocks!
it just isn’t very Shipton/Tilman.
No .. but what expeditions are carried out these days in true Shipton/Tilman style
. I’m starting to think that once we are actually climbing, this will be the easy part. (Said very tongue in cheek)
Maybe .. exchange the words ‘easy’ for safer’!
His report has been added to the blog, it’s very thought provoking and has convinced me of my decision for the autumn.
Does this now mean you won’t fly or will fly? OK Shipton/Tilman went in probably with a little knowledge of the area .. but they had a great deal more when they came out .. you could do all this arse about tit .. you fly in over a possible exit route you might come out on .. but the real route finding will be on the way out .. I always think going up is easy from a route finding perspective .. getting down is much harder .. especially if knackered .. or worse.
Is this not like heli skiing down a slope you have not climbed up? Or skiing the Valley Blanche from the cable car? How many times have your critics done that or similar?
As you have covered nearly all these points .. in a nut shell
You achieve your objective (maybe)
You will not put others at risk on the approach route
You will not desecrate the mountain .. like with pegs bolts etc as happens on many other mountains .. what about ladders in the ice fall, and higher on Everest .. do fixed ropes come into this debate?
You may achieve your goal .. rather than have someone else doing the thing in a few years time. Only a few have said .. I can’t climb it I’ll not bolt it/pull on gear etc .. but far more have used the opposite way of thinking to reach their goal .. even if there are good wire placements right next to the bolt.
In reality you are making the right decision for a variety of reasons .. it is just your conscience you have to contend with .. and maybe a rough tongue from a few of the climbing fraternity .. but why .. check them out, have they always played the Tilman/Shipton game .. even going into a crag on a mountain bike, chair lifts in the Alps, GPS and weather forecasts. .. it’ll all break down to the lowest common denominator.
Just about every other sport has rules that safe guard participants – Formula 1, high tackles in football, boxing, even skiing (I believe they breath test you on certain slopes in the Alps now) bob sleigh
I wonder if the guys who came up with the idea of seat belts and drink driving laws .. were drivers?
If porters had the powers to make the rules what would they do .. make heli access compulsory on dangerous approaches, refuse to go even for mega bucks, or just trust to fate? Unfortunately the $ sign has persuasive power for the boys … but you talk to their women folk and families as I do … and you would soon find out their choice.
Whatever you do Nick I guess you will need a LO, and maybe a couple of boys to keep an eye on things while you’re off playing .. if you have a real problem with the porters missing out on wages (which I think is the only real concern) then donate a wedge to KEEP Porter Clothing Bank (see their website) !!!!
Heli in or a few dead porters .. no choice
Go by heli ..and have an epic walking out .. that’ll keep them all happy! If the glacier was there many years ago .. would they use snow shoes or skis .. this could go on and on
You have my support anyway and I’ll defend your corner on the issue if I have to in Nepal
Cheers me young mucker
OG
Monday, 31 May 2010
Thoughts 2 by Nick Bullock and a link For Blog Annapurna 3 Thoughts and Suggestions by Rob Fairley.
Earth and grass and rock smell of damp. The rain has only just stopped. The hut, my home, is empty. I have been in North Wales for two weeks. The mornings have been crisp and snow lingers on the tops refusing to accept summer. I sleep in my green Berlingo van. The Llanberis Pass is quiet, apart from the sheep. The sheep baa and wake me. I turn and wrap my sleeping bag around my shoulders before yelling “shuuuutuuuup” In desperation after another bout of BAAAA’S, I open the rear doors and throw stones. Wrapping myself again, I revel in the chill and the clear air and the thrill of climbing rock with friends.
Since my return from Nepal I have questioned our philosophy. Is it right to consider going back to Annapurna III Southeast ridge by helicopter? I don’t think there is a day goes by without me thinking about our plan. In fact, I don’t think there is an hour I have not thought about the ridge and the dilemma surrounding the approach. As one of my friends said, “Taking a chopper is not very Shipton/Tilman.”
The most obvious answer would be to forget about the ridge and move on, move on to something new, but when has climbing ever been about doing the sensible thing? And the ridge is one of the most compelling objectives for an alpinist, made more compelling and intriguing by the mystique and aura surrounding it.
The more I think about taking a helicopter to base camp, the more I think it is the correct decision (apart from not going of course). The most obvious argument I can come up with for flying is it will avoid the death of a local and I was under no doubt that this would have happened if Matt and myself had not called a halt to the first attempt. One of my main arguments against commercial climbs of big hills is the use of high altitude climbing Sherpas. This I know is also full of confliction. The Sherpas are risking their lives to fix rope, carry oxygen, carry tents, food, clothing etc, to molly-coddle and if called upon, to rescue… they do this for a wage which gives them a high standard of living in a third world country. It’s a job, but is it a job worth loosing you’re life for. I wonder how many of the people on commercial trips actually consider their dream climb could end up in the death of a local. Do they even care? I would find it very difficult to live with myself if someone had been killed as a direct result of my playing in the mountains.
Is our flying to Annapurna III BC any different than the hundreds of climbers that fly every year to Denali, or any of the other ranges in the Alaskan mountains. Is it different than the climbers who fly to Antarctica, Baffin, Logan, Lukla, Skardu, Everest BC, or climbers that take motorised transport into Greenland, or a skidoo into an ice climb in Canada? My main concern here is the precedent we will be setting. In years to come will rich climbers from developed countries fly into all base camps because of me and my decision now? Did Chris Bonington stop to consider his ethics when he took a plane into the Grand Jorasses? Did Destivelle and Lowe wonder long and hard about flying to the base and from the top of the Losar icefall opposite Namche Bazaar, did Will Gadd think twice before flying a chopper to Tengkang Poche?
Another concern would be the loss of earnings by porters, but I do not think this is a valid concern as the track into the south side of Annapurna III is hardly a trade route. 10 expeditions have attempted to go into this side of Annapurna III since 1981 and at least 3 (maybe 5 but there is some confusion with the info available) didn’t make it to BC. If we had managed to continue on our approach to the Southeast Ridge, 14 of the 20 porters were leaving anyway, (also a common theme for Annapurna III south side) which given time constraints and the way ahead would have made it virtually impossible for us to continue.
An argument against flying may be our use of a limited resource, (the helicopter), for our selfish reasons and in using the helicopter we are delaying the more important work, of lets say, building bridges. This is not the case anymore with companies like Fishtail Air who are a privately owned company and in the business of making money by people chartering their helicopters.
So apart from setting a precedent which I don’t think it is as the few examples above show this sort of thing has been going on for years, my main concern is it just isn’t very Shipton/Tilman. Try as hard as I may to justify and reason with myself, the feeling of not taking on the full challenge is a tad overwhelming. But will it stop me from going to attempt the Southeast ridge? Or to be more clear, will it stop me flying to BC which all said and done is only the start of the difficulties. Talking to Rob Fairley (a member of the 1988 Annapurna III expedition) it sounds like approaching the ridge from BC is also filled with danger, or at least it was in the 80’s. (Let’s hope global warming has worked in our favour here) When he was there he thought the dangers were so real he refused to attempt the ridge but was almost killed by an avalanche crossing at night to try another objective. I’m starting to think that once we are actually climbing, this will be the easy part. (Said very tongue in cheek)
Since writing the above I have received a very interesting and surprising e-mail from Rob Fairley. When I first contacted Rob, on our return from Nepal, I told him we were thinking of flying in to BC in October. Rob’s reply was that he didn’t think flying in was the correct decision. I immediately assumed it was because of some of the ethical reasons I have stated above, but it appears that Rob thinks that taking a chopper in and out again, without knowing the way by foot is too committing. A link to his report has been added below, it’s very thought provoking and has convinced me of my decision for the autumn.
Nick.
For Blog Annapurna 3 Thoughts and Suggestions
Since my return from Nepal I have questioned our philosophy. Is it right to consider going back to Annapurna III Southeast ridge by helicopter? I don’t think there is a day goes by without me thinking about our plan. In fact, I don’t think there is an hour I have not thought about the ridge and the dilemma surrounding the approach. As one of my friends said, “Taking a chopper is not very Shipton/Tilman.”
The most obvious answer would be to forget about the ridge and move on, move on to something new, but when has climbing ever been about doing the sensible thing? And the ridge is one of the most compelling objectives for an alpinist, made more compelling and intriguing by the mystique and aura surrounding it.
The more I think about taking a helicopter to base camp, the more I think it is the correct decision (apart from not going of course). The most obvious argument I can come up with for flying is it will avoid the death of a local and I was under no doubt that this would have happened if Matt and myself had not called a halt to the first attempt. One of my main arguments against commercial climbs of big hills is the use of high altitude climbing Sherpas. This I know is also full of confliction. The Sherpas are risking their lives to fix rope, carry oxygen, carry tents, food, clothing etc, to molly-coddle and if called upon, to rescue… they do this for a wage which gives them a high standard of living in a third world country. It’s a job, but is it a job worth loosing you’re life for. I wonder how many of the people on commercial trips actually consider their dream climb could end up in the death of a local. Do they even care? I would find it very difficult to live with myself if someone had been killed as a direct result of my playing in the mountains.
Is our flying to Annapurna III BC any different than the hundreds of climbers that fly every year to Denali, or any of the other ranges in the Alaskan mountains. Is it different than the climbers who fly to Antarctica, Baffin, Logan, Lukla, Skardu, Everest BC, or climbers that take motorised transport into Greenland, or a skidoo into an ice climb in Canada? My main concern here is the precedent we will be setting. In years to come will rich climbers from developed countries fly into all base camps because of me and my decision now? Did Chris Bonington stop to consider his ethics when he took a plane into the Grand Jorasses? Did Destivelle and Lowe wonder long and hard about flying to the base and from the top of the Losar icefall opposite Namche Bazaar, did Will Gadd think twice before flying a chopper to Tengkang Poche?
Another concern would be the loss of earnings by porters, but I do not think this is a valid concern as the track into the south side of Annapurna III is hardly a trade route. 10 expeditions have attempted to go into this side of Annapurna III since 1981 and at least 3 (maybe 5 but there is some confusion with the info available) didn’t make it to BC. If we had managed to continue on our approach to the Southeast Ridge, 14 of the 20 porters were leaving anyway, (also a common theme for Annapurna III south side) which given time constraints and the way ahead would have made it virtually impossible for us to continue.
An argument against flying may be our use of a limited resource, (the helicopter), for our selfish reasons and in using the helicopter we are delaying the more important work, of lets say, building bridges. This is not the case anymore with companies like Fishtail Air who are a privately owned company and in the business of making money by people chartering their helicopters.
So apart from setting a precedent which I don’t think it is as the few examples above show this sort of thing has been going on for years, my main concern is it just isn’t very Shipton/Tilman. Try as hard as I may to justify and reason with myself, the feeling of not taking on the full challenge is a tad overwhelming. But will it stop me from going to attempt the Southeast ridge? Or to be more clear, will it stop me flying to BC which all said and done is only the start of the difficulties. Talking to Rob Fairley (a member of the 1988 Annapurna III expedition) it sounds like approaching the ridge from BC is also filled with danger, or at least it was in the 80’s. (Let’s hope global warming has worked in our favour here) When he was there he thought the dangers were so real he refused to attempt the ridge but was almost killed by an avalanche crossing at night to try another objective. I’m starting to think that once we are actually climbing, this will be the easy part. (Said very tongue in cheek)
Since writing the above I have received a very interesting and surprising e-mail from Rob Fairley. When I first contacted Rob, on our return from Nepal, I told him we were thinking of flying in to BC in October. Rob’s reply was that he didn’t think flying in was the correct decision. I immediately assumed it was because of some of the ethical reasons I have stated above, but it appears that Rob thinks that taking a chopper in and out again, without knowing the way by foot is too committing. A link to his report has been added below, it’s very thought provoking and has convinced me of my decision for the autumn.
Nick.
For Blog Annapurna 3 Thoughts and Suggestions
Wednesday, 5 May 2010
At last we see A3. Posted by Matt
So having not even seen the mountain on our recce, we where treated/teased with a glimpse of Annapurna III from the plane on the flight out of Kathmandu. the SE Pillar looked amazing, can't wait for Oct.
Annapurna III is the highest peak in the picture Camera: Samsung NX10
Thursday, 29 April 2010
Monkey Business!! Posted by Matt Helliker
So after all the shenanigans over the last few weeks, we have been back in Kathmandu trying to savage any costs from this quite expensive but worthwhile recce, we headed to the ministry yesterday and as suspected got nothing back for our peak fee or LO, we didn't go down easily and at one stage were taken into a room, sat down with tea in front of 14 head government officials, explaining the fact that we will be back, but all we need is just a postponement, but things out here in Nepal are very black and white," this is law", he said with a grin on his face, Mmm yeah! so you kept telling us.
So all the equipment has been packed up, logged and been put into storage at Loben's Pad ready for the return match in Oct, whilst doing this Bullock decided to try and befriend a wild Monkey, that appeared on the hotel balcony. Monkey was the size off a Rottweiler and wasn't falling for the bullock charm, Nick soon realised that his David Attenborough approach to attempt to connect with one of our own was going wrong, and fast! Monkey jumped down from his top spot and was on the case to spoil the bullocks day! Nick looked round for a weapon, "Mmm, Mini Gun, no! that was back in his room, Pepper pot, no!" but i could see his thinking! then in a moment of desperation as Monkey was heading in for a cheeky undercut, he grabbed the smallest, most useless, wooden chair you can possibly imagine and proceeded to fend off monkey with chair whilst squealing like a 5 year old girl on the big dipper at Blackpool, all at same time. This was all very funny, as I was viewing this from about 100m away at the time.
So after all that excitement, today we are off to meet with the Helicopter boys, to see if it really is possible to get us into BC in Oct we let you know how we get on later.
We fly back to UK on the 30th April, but watch this space as will be attaching a short film of the story so far, very soon.
So all the equipment has been packed up, logged and been put into storage at Loben's Pad ready for the return match in Oct, whilst doing this Bullock decided to try and befriend a wild Monkey, that appeared on the hotel balcony. Monkey was the size off a Rottweiler and wasn't falling for the bullock charm, Nick soon realised that his David Attenborough approach to attempt to connect with one of our own was going wrong, and fast! Monkey jumped down from his top spot and was on the case to spoil the bullocks day! Nick looked round for a weapon, "Mmm, Mini Gun, no! that was back in his room, Pepper pot, no!" but i could see his thinking! then in a moment of desperation as Monkey was heading in for a cheeky undercut, he grabbed the smallest, most useless, wooden chair you can possibly imagine and proceeded to fend off monkey with chair whilst squealing like a 5 year old girl on the big dipper at Blackpool, all at same time. This was all very funny, as I was viewing this from about 100m away at the time.
So after all that excitement, today we are off to meet with the Helicopter boys, to see if it really is possible to get us into BC in Oct we let you know how we get on later.
We fly back to UK on the 30th April, but watch this space as will be attaching a short film of the story so far, very soon.
Wednesday, 28 April 2010
A Collection of Clichés by Nick Bullock.
The trouble with expeditions is you never can tell how it’s all going to work out...
(pic Matt Helliker on the walk-in, day 1. Credit NB camera Samsung NX 10.)
It's the beauty and the pain, the agony and the ecstasy, it's taking the rough with the smooth...
...If it were easy, everyone would do it right?
High above Pokhara, late afternoon the blond god and I reached the dead end of the rough rubble road. The wind picked up and stirred dust into dervishes. The chewed field looked like an inner city football pitch, ragged and raw and scuffed, litter strewn. Tents pitched, brew on, dark descended and with it heavy drops of thunder-rain thud into the dust.
We were on our way. The morning would be the start of the walk in. Well, that was if we had enough porters, three had already bailed and apart from the four who had travelled with us from Kathmandu, the rest were shouting and haranguing Katak, one of our guide/serdars.
The bad feeling I had from the start of this expedition remained. Bracey had pulled out ten days before flying due to circumstances beyond his control. Pete Benson came on-board only to be delayed along with the camera man Ian Burton, Laura, Pete’s wife, Helliker’s boots and all of the electrical gadgetry due to volcanic ash. They were hopefully going to join us at BC but delay after delay after delay and still no take off date.
The rain pounded lifting the dust. The porters shouted and the voice in my head joined in ‘We should have delayed, we should have delayed, it all feels wrong, volcanic dust, Bracey bailed, kit strewn everywhere around the world, climbers strewn everywhere around the world’, but expeditions take a lot of organisation and once they have momentum they are like steam rollers, difficult to stop, difficult to control, crushing all in their path, including ego and ambition and best laid plans.
The morning arrived abrupt; dawn lifted above the surrounding tree covered hills. Our camp sparkled bright and clear and fresh. My mind felt cleansed and the imminent arrival of exercise made me positive. At last we were leaving behind all of the mishap and mayhem.
Paddy fields, ploughed steppe, vibrant purple flowers and cheerful locals… And in the afternoon we stopped in a field bordering the forest. A very steep spur covered in jungle now confronted our band which had decreased by another 7 porters, but that was for tomorrow, for now, the relaxing meadow with chickens and cows, exotic bird song and fresh green grass felt friendly and relaxing.
The second day of the walk-in was steep, humid, and physical. Our band of happy (the cook, the two guides and the four porters from Kathmandu) took on the challenge, smiling and laughing and singing. In direct comparison the local Pokhara porters complained and looked sullen. Later cloud swirled, rain and hail hit, the wind gusted… I shouted and whistled to help guide the porters to our shrouded camp which was a boggy flat spot cut in the spur. A pool of stagnant water was the water supply. Quickly we set up a large BC tent for the porters, then another for the cook and the kitchen boys, then our own. It was like a rough night out in the Welsh hills… Matt and I ate outside with feet lifted off the ground; the leaches were hungry. Matt grabbed the cutlery and popcorn and salt and pepper pots as they blew from the table… We had to laugh, it was a sorry situation but the weather was far from convincing… Helliker had received a text earlier in the day saying the volcanic ash stranded trio were due to fly on the 26th. Another kick in the teeth as this meant they would not reach BC for an age putting our acclimatisation out of sync and the film of the walk-in lost and Helliker without boots for acclimatisation.
Day three started clear, but soon the clouds rolled in and the hail began. Juggernaut, (pronounced juggernat but we thought that Juggernaut suited him better) was a tall well dressed (smart brown cords, stripy orange shirt) wiry porter from Kathmandu who sported a Lee Van Cleef moustache attached to a gaunt face with deep knowing eyes. Juggernaut was as strong as an Ox. He smiled readily even though he was now carrying a double load as the Pokhara porters were ditching gear quicker than seeds blew from a Dandelion head. The caravan of cheerful and sad, of singing and grumpy stretched along a misty cold moor until we found a dribble of water and an exposed camp site. Hail pummelled through the night and thunder rattled the tents.
(First pic above is THE Juggernaut, credit NB. The second shot is Camp 3 looking at the Fishtail/Machhapuchhre morning of day 3, credit MH. The shot below is one of the female porters with the Fishtail behind, credit MH. All shots taken with a Samsung NX 10.)
“STOP, STOP NOW!” Matt screamed at the cook and the local guide (a guy who had been employed as he had convinced our agent’s men,a month previous on their original fact finding mission that he regularly completed the walk to Annapurna III BC) who were cutting steps into a small steep snow patch as Matt and I and several porters stood in the middle of a terminal moraine slope. Boulders tumbled and dirt flowed. Above us rocks rattled. The problem was after the snow patch a smooth steep glaciated wall of rubble continued for another 50 metres. The chances of getting across this safely were minimal, the chances of getting across with a 25 kilo load were impossible. The local guide sunk into soft snow nearly falling and screamed and turned… “Looks like he has eventually come to the same decision as us then!” Both he and the cook decided enough was enough for one day and tomorrow things would look better.
WRONG!
In the cloud and the swirling snow Matt and I checked out all other possibilities and decided there were none that could be attempted without fatality. We were then informed that 14 of the porters were leaving in the morning, only leaving six porters to carry twenty-one loads across a death couloir then onto, and over, a steep technical ridge followed by a 4400 metre snow covered col before dropping into the Seti Khola valley and BC… Hmm, game over!
It took 2 days to return to Pokhara from our ice encrust camp. A roof-top bus ride – swaying, screaming, jostling, laughing, ducking electrical cables, singing, mingling with the locals was the highlight of the whole trip…
(Nick Bullock on the roof of the bus returning to Pokhara. Credit MH taken with a Samsung NX 10.)
“We need to come back in October, it can’t be left like this, we cant just give up?”
(Above, Matt Helliker on the roof of the bus. Below, clearing the electric cables on the roof of the bus. Credit NB and MH Taken with a Samsung NX 10.)
“Yeh mate, but how do we get in to the mountain…?”
“Helicopter, we can hire a helicopter!”
Back in Kathmandu we will visit the ministry later today. It looks very doubtful they will postpone our permit until October, (it’s against the law they say!) so $2800 for nothing. $2000 for the LO even though he didn’t go in as he was waiting for the half of the team which were volcano affected, looks to be lost also, (but he was booked they say!). £1200 for two flights, £600 for change of flight costs, approximately $14000 for agent fees, (hopefully we will come to some arrangement over a part of this, although travel and cook services and porters and guides and porter insurance and Lobens time, etc, etc, etc has been used)… it’s a pretty big bill for a 5 day reccy that told us nothing apart from you cant get in the original way due to a glacier that no longer exists.
… But hey, never say never and when the going gets tough the tough get going, its never over till its over, try, try and try again, where there’s a will there’s a way… and one of my own, don’t let the bas***ds grind you down… (OK, maybe someone else used that one before)… but watch this space, October isn’t that far away and already we have permission for the express way in!
Wednesday, 21 April 2010
Ashmageddon by Pete
So, the whole world has stopped spinning on it’s axis because of a wee bit of volcanic ash in the air, which has now been shown to be perfectly safe, and always was safe.
Pete, Laura and Ian are now scheduled to fly to Kathmandu on Monday, and they will head straight to Pokhara and trek into base camp. As they will be travelling as a smaller party, they should be able to complete the trek to base camp in a few days, which will put them 2-3 days behind Matt and Nick. Well that is the plan. We shall see.
Matt has managed to bounce a mobile signal off a nearby mountain and has sent this update from the trek to base camp.
Matt writes:
Day 2 of the trek to base camp and we have already lost 10 porters, but fortunately the plucky porters from Kathmandu have been carrying double loads, and we have picked up some more local porters to fill the gasps. We have left the very hot and steamy jungle and only have 400m of height to gain till base camp which we should be able to complete in 2 days. Weather is very hot with massive thunder storms each night.
Pete, Laura and Ian are now scheduled to fly to Kathmandu on Monday, and they will head straight to Pokhara and trek into base camp. As they will be travelling as a smaller party, they should be able to complete the trek to base camp in a few days, which will put them 2-3 days behind Matt and Nick. Well that is the plan. We shall see.
Matt has managed to bounce a mobile signal off a nearby mountain and has sent this update from the trek to base camp.
Matt writes:
Day 2 of the trek to base camp and we have already lost 10 porters, but fortunately the plucky porters from Kathmandu have been carrying double loads, and we have picked up some more local porters to fill the gasps. We have left the very hot and steamy jungle and only have 400m of height to gain till base camp which we should be able to complete in 2 days. Weather is very hot with massive thunder storms each night.
Sunday, 18 April 2010
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