04 - 05.2007
8000 mt, solo, without oxygen
» Ueli's diary
The Annapurna Peak was the first of 14 mountains over 8000m ever to be summited by climbers and is today one of the most feared.
The story of Maurice Herzog and his companions over 50 years ago is a legend; unique and still not an entirely undisputed issue.
They climbed from the north side through endless snow faces up to the summit. This route is still the easiest ascent and will be my descent from the peak.
The South Face of Annapurna is, at 3000m, one of the steepest and highest faces on a mountain over 8000m. The steepness and airiness of the face makes it one of the biggest adventures around. It was first climbed by a british expedition lead by Chris Bonington in 1970. The team of twelve used oxygen and fixed ropes. The direct route to the main peak was attempted in 1992 by two Frenchmen, Pierre Béghin and Christophe Lafaille. However, bad weather at 7500m caused the two alpinists to turn around.
My goal is to complete this never-finished route, solo and in alpine-style. Why solo?
Reality and my experience in the Himalayas and the Alps distinctly show that an individual climber moves much faster than a group in this terrain. In this case, speed is equal to safety.
The South Face of Annapurna is definitely one of the greatest challenges around. Until now, no climber alone has been able to climb such a technical, steep face on an 8000m peak.
In September 2006, I already explored the bottom of this fortress made of rock and ice. Risks and weather can be calculated. Meteo Test Switzerland will play a key role in this project and will follow success or defeat step by step. My experience also shows that weather can be predicted to the exact hour, to Swiss perfection of course. During my expedition, Swiss Meteo Test will provide special weather reports at a regular basis.
As for me, six months remain for perfect preparation towards the project Annapurna 2007, keeping in mind that in the end, it may cost me more than one expedition. Weather and conditions are still the Nature.
I am ready for and am also looking forward to taking on this great challenge!
Expedition: April and May 2007
Style: Alpine-style and solo, without oxygen
Annapurna diary
October 2006 – May 2007
October 10, 2006 – Annapurna (Himalaya)
8 days have passed since I saw the huge wall of Annapurna South. 3,000 m tall, an overwhelming rock and ice wall. For me it’s the perfect solo region. Nevertheless I am fully aware that I must prepare myself perfectly if I want to have a chance to get up there. All I need is a couple of days of stable and nice weather and speed. If you evidence this in a mathematical formula, it would look like this:
speed = endurance + right technique + low weight
The route I am supposed to take looks protected and objectively secure. The wall is oriented fully towards south. The sun shines from 6 in the morning until sunset – of course only if the weather is fine.
Advantage: it’s warm.
Disadvantage: avalanches, broken stones and great temperature fluctuations between day and night.
December 14, 2006
Jogging – cross country skiing – climbing: this is how my daily workout looks like and it proceeds good. I feel fitter than I have ever felt before in my life.
February 21, 2007 – Eiger Speed
Although I have been training very hard the past weeks, I am never sure, if my work out is efficient enough. With my today’s speed record at the Eiger North Face in 3 hours and 54 minutes I am absolutely sure that I’ m on the right way as far as my preparation for Annapurna is concerned. I have had this idea for about two years. Finally I could succeed. The good weather conditions made this speed record perfect. Two days before I climbed the same route with Nicole. Mentally and physically I feel stronger than ever. Further this speed record is an important success in my career as a climber.
Eiger Northface difficult crack
March 21, 2007
Finally. I am back in the Himalaya. In Muscat we had an unplanned stop over of 4 hours and in Kathmandu our luggage was missing. On day later as planned we arrived in Phakding (Khumbu Valley), it’s raining. It can’t get worse…
March 23, 2007
Dohle, 4078m. We are in the valley of Gokio. It’s not far anymore to Cholatse and I am exciting to meet this mountain soon. Two years have passed since I stood on the summit of Cholatse. A great feeling. I have time until April 25 to get acclimatised as well as possible for Annapurna. We are surrounded by huge, beautiful mountains with steep walls. But, I have a tiny little problem: the permissions…
March, 26 2007
We reach Cholatse basecamp. Yesterday I had to rest in Na. The “great climber” was seriously mountain sick. Today I feel much better. The place we found at the foot of Cholatse (6640m) is breathtaking. To experience all this with Nicole makes my days perfect. We sit comfortably in our tent and drink Milktea. For lunch we have a tipical swiss meal called “Gschwellti” (hot potatoes) with cheese. Of course a good cup of coffee makes this lunch perfect.
March 30, 2007
2.30 in the morning. Slowly we move towards the glacier. Soon I know, why the Americans call this glacier “Little Khumbu Icefall”. The line on the GPS moves terribly in a “zic zac”. At 10 we camp at 5600m. The sun is very intense and we have to try to find our way in the rocks.
April 1, 2007
What a horrible night. However we start our way up at 4 in the morning. At 6.30 we reach the upper end of the triangular rock. The area is very technical to climb. We are too tired and we decide to return to the base camp.
April 2, 2007
We grant us a day of rest. I am surprised as Nicole asked me to give the Cholatse climb a second try. I am happy about this idea, as I am convinced that we should always try again. The weather stays good, although the wind is quite strong.
April 4, 2007
4 o’clock. We drink tea in our sleeping bags. We leave the base camp and try to reach the summit of Cholatse in a second attempt. This time the climb goes easier. At 6157m, just beneath the Cholatse peak, we install our bivouac.
April 5, 2007
3 o’clock. My Suunto watch tears me up and out of my dreams. I boil water and go back in my sleeping bag. The water boils too fast. This means: off we go. It’s very cold and we feel terribly stiff. It’s not easy to keep the ice axe in our hands. At 7 o’clock we reach the summit of Cholatse. We make it back in one day. At the end of a long journey our two Sherpas welcome us with a juice at the foot of the glacier. What a great climb. What a great day.
April 8, 2007
Namche Bazer Lodge. Nicole is on her way back to Switzerland. By chance I meet Kenton Cool, my friend from the UK. I join him to the Everest basecamp.
April 13, 2007 (Friday!)
24 hours up and down for 1400 meters of ice and rock
To be honest: this is not a good day to climb. I am fully aware of the date. The weather is bad. I leave Gorak Shep, a small village at 5100 meters at 11am. My aim is to climb Pumori West. Pumori is located approximately 8 km from Mount Everest and stays at the boarder between Tibet and Nepal. Pumori was the first mountain I ever climbed in the Himalaya region. I was there in 2001 together with my friend Ueli Bühler. We first climbed the west side of the Pumori. At 7000 meters we had to bivouac, without having a sleeping bag.
I swore to myself, that this would not happen again. Although the bad weather climbing goes on quiet well, I need a break at 6600m. I find a good bivy spot at 6600m. I eat and drink something to get my energy back. The weather is now miserable and it is terribly cold. At 3 o’clock I move on. I find myself climbing in the middle of a snowstorm. Sometimes in the middle of the night I reach the summit. I try to get my camera started. She is completely frozen. A few moments later I’m on my way back down. The same way I climbed up. 1400 meters of wall with 50 meters rope. 24 hours later I am back in the lodge. Fast but not easy!
Pumori 7161 m
April 17, 2007
I am tired. The trip up to the Pumori was hard work. Actually I should be very proud of my achievement of the solo at Pumori. Many alpinists would now leave, go home and look back to a great expedition. My goal is still in front of me. This is only the beginning.
ANNAPURNA = GODDESS OF HARVEST
April 24, 2007
I am back in Kathmandu. I check the material and forward it to Annapurna. Finally I have time to get some rest. I enjoy my days with swimming, eating pizzas and drinking coffee. My preparation so far was perfect. Now I must see how the conditions will be at Annapurna.
April 28, 2007
All my friends, who will accompany me to Annapurna arrived in Kathmandu. We look more like a tourist trekking group than an expedition. I am happy to have them all here and I am sure we are going to have a good time together. The journey starts tomorrow. Finally!
May 5, 2007
We reached Annapurna basecamp two days ago. The first impression was frightening. The wall is huge, terribly steep and somehow unfriendly. Slowly I get used to the appearance of the Annapurna. All my thoughts are focussed on this wall. I must pay attention that suddenly the wall is not going to be steeper and more dangerous than she really is.
I receive my daily weather forecast. It looks good. It might be that I could have a go around May 10. All the material I need is ready. My backpack is far too heavy. But I need all this gear for my climb.
May 9, 2007
We were at the ABC yesterday. It was too foggy and the day before yesterday it snowed a lot so we could not get to close to the wall. Avalanches just crashed upon the wall. I need absolutely stable and nice weather, otherwise I will be lost. I am back at the base camp and think. I get nervous. I would be the happiest person if only I could start.
May 12, 2007
Thunderstorm and snowstorm. People from the weather forecast told me something else. Nothing fits. Röbi and I were back at the rock face at 5740 m. We filmed and made some really good photos. I am bit more relaxed than the days before. The first part of the wall is not as steep as I thought.
May 14, 2007
We notice day 11 at the basecamp. For the first time in all these days it did not snow. The wall is still there, looking at me, still steep and high as all the days before. The weather seems to stay unstable for the next days. Kenton Cool planned to reach the summit of the Everest on the 17th. Will he succeed?
May 15, 2007
One more day at the basecamp. I am really nervous. This unconsciousness towards the weather tears me apart. Success or failure of my climb depend nearly only upon the weather. I try to get some more forecast information. By chance I receive the news that Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner was trapped in an avalanche. She could dig herself out and was forced back. We are all relieved that she is alive.
May 16, 2007
I am still waiting. If I could, I would leave immediately. The wind is coming in from the south. I hope it will not bring us too much snow.
May 17, 2007
Same procedure as every day. Although the weather seems clear in the morning, fog and snowfall come in too early in the day. No chance for me to leave.
May 18, 2007
If only I could switch off my feelings for a moment. If I would not write down all the weather data every day, I would not believe that all this is really happening to me. We forget so easily. I receive another update. Finally the weather seems to move into the right direction.
May 19, 2007
Same forecast as yesterday. It seems that I can start.
May 20, 2007
Röbi and I move to the ABC. The weather is still cloudy. I am decided not to miss the good weather.
May 21, 2007
One o’clock at night. My watch wakes me up. I didn’t really sleep. I am very excited. The weather is still bad. I turn the alarm at 2 o’clock. Still bad. On the contrary: it is snowing. I decide to leave at 4. Foggy. Too risky to move over the glacier. I give up and decide to leave tomorrow.
The sunshine wakes me up at 7 o’clock. I feel strange. I leave - accompanied by Röbi - and decide to go as far as possible. Röbi is doing all the tracking job. In his opinion I should stay behind and save my energy for later. 11 o’clock. Röbi secures me over the huge crevasse of the glacier. He returns to the base camp. Now I am alone.
On my way towards the wall the snow conditions are nearly perfect. The last time I was here I left 100 meter of my Dyneema rope at the crevasse. The rope is not there anymore. Probably the crevasse fell and buried my rope. I have 50 meter of a 9mm rope with me. I decide that this would be enough for the Annapurna Southface. I start to climb. What a great feeling. I am sure that I will make it up to 6500m and then install my first bivouac. Then I would move on at 7000m…
Suddenly between 5800m and 5900m I have no memories anymore. Everything is just black. In the next moment everything is white. Where am I? What happened? I am head first in the snow. I am shivering. Terribly shivering. I feel so lost. I was hit by a stone. My helmet is completely destroyed. I must have fallen unconscious. I move my legs. Nothing seems to be broken. I can feel no blood on my head. I contact Röbi. I realise that I must have fallen between 200 and 300 meters. I must go back. Somehow I find my way back to the ABC, shivering, falling 2 or 3 times in a crevasse. Without breathing I walk over the dangerous crevasse of the glacier, where Röbi secured me a couple of hours earlier. Finally I see Röbi coming closer. We walk back together to the base camp. Later Oswald makes a first diagnosis: head concussion and some contusions. What a run of bad luck. Hidden by a stone which loosened at an altitude of maybe 7000 meters and which falls straight on my head. It seems to be impossible, but it happened. I have a strong headache. Back and neck feel terribly stiff.
May 23, 2007
We leave the Annapurna basecamp. My head feels like I was having a hangover. Oswald gives me some beautiful looking rose pills. They work miracles.
June, 21, 2007
One month has passed since the accident at Annapurna. I have been thinking a lot. It was a run of bad luck, that a stone hit me straight on my head. Otherwiese I can say that the expedition was perfect. I feel that I am closer than any other alpinist to climb this wall. I will try again.
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