Together with photographer Robert Boesch and mountain guide Andy Waelchli, Ueli Steck left today for Nepal. The project Makalu west begins and will presumably last until the end of October.
The Makalu is with an altitude of 8463 meter the fifth highest mountain in the world. He lies easterly of Mount Everest at the border between Nepal and China. A French expedition of 9 alpinists first ascended Makalu in May 1955 under the leadership of Jean Franco. It was the first time that all expedition members summitted a mountain over 8000 meters. Mostly as first ascenders only the alpinists Lionel Terray and Jean Couzy are nominated, who reached the highest point on May 15. One day after Jean Franco, Guido Magnone and Sherpa Gyalzen Norbu reached the summit. And on May 17 the rest of the team with Jean Bouvier, Serge Coupé, Pierre Leroux and André Vialatte stood on the summit. The route headed over the Makalu La and is known today as „French route“.
In 1971 it was once more a French expedition who ascended the west pillar. A new route, which features enormous difficulties. Yannick Seigneur and Bernard Mellet realised this terrific and difficult line. Rating: VI / A2 and this at 7500 meters over sea: A milestone in alpinism.
The Makalu was first summitted - without additional oxygen - by Marjan Manfreda in 1975.
The west face of Makalu is from the point of view of mountaineering one of the biggest problems in Himalaja. The face has up to today never been ascended directly to the summit. The altitude, the coldness and the strong winds make this project to a big challenge. A route, such as the direct line to the summit of Annapurna Southface and this project, are the greatest challenges in today’s mountaineering.
Project Makalu west pillar solo – motivation und goals
Once again Ueli Steck is aiming to fulfill a great goal. This time it is not a first ascent which stands in the focus. His plan is to summit Makalu on the west pillar solo and without any kind of aid at the mountain. The west pillar really is a great route on a mountain over 8000 meters. To ascend solo such a route needs a lot of courage and experience. And this is what it is about in alpinism. The courage to try something, to deal with a possible success or a possible failure and to face up with this task. Up to today only a few alpinists succeed to climb solo a difficult and demanding route on a peak over 8000 meters. Pierre Béghin, Tomasz Humar or Reinhold Messner are alpinists, who were able to fulfill this dream. The exposure on this height is enormous and the psychological pressure immense. From 6000 meters upwards you get yourself in an area, where human being is completely left alone. In an age of satellite telephone you can be saved by helicopter from the south or north pole. As from 6000 meters a rescue by helicopter is not possible anymore. A rescue by alpinists is – on an exposed ridge such as the west pillar of Makalu – practically impossible. Ueli Steck wants to try something, what no one before him has achieved so far. The preparations for the Makalu Expedition were successful. Ueli Steck doesn’t want to rely on others. He must and wants to go new ways. He wants to push the limits, in order to reach the summit.
Acclimatisation Ueli Steck just returned from the Gasherbrum II expedition at the beginning of August. He travels to Nepal pretty well acclimatised. From Kathmandu a plane will bring them to Tumlingtar. After they will trek about 10 days before reaching base camp of Makalu.
The weather conditions will decide when a summit push will be reasonable. In this time of the year the air is more dry but colder. The winds are an important element and not to underestimate.
Expedition Makalu (8463m) west pillar solo
September 1, 2009 – Arrival at base camp (5250 meters above sea level)
Finally we reached the foot of the mountain. The 10 days lasting trekking was not always very comfortable. The monsoon is still fully in his element. So we mostly were humid and wet. Luckily the bloodsucker didn’t bother us too much. Totally I arrived at base camp with five of them.
Today we installed us here at 5250 meters. Part of our equipment is still at 4745 meters. The last stage of the trek takes you over the Barun glacier. For this ascent we have seven Sherpas who help us to carry up our material. These are about ten loads of 25 kg which have to be carried to the base camp.
For Robert, Andy and me the phase of acclimatisation starts. Röbi and Andy will try the route which was first ascended in 1955. My plan is still to go fort he west pillar solo and in the alpine style. Much will depend on the conditions and the weather. We would not bet he first ones to fail. But our motivation is big. We are looking forward to the time at the mountain. First of all we will install ourselves properly at BC and enjoy a couple of days of rest. Kaji – our cook – will spoil us with his culinary skills.
At the moment the weather forecast is quite unstable. This was predictable. We intentionally left so early. The weather should get more stable by mid of September. Until then we will have to accept with the humidity of the monsoon. In the meantime our body can get used to the altitude. As soon as the weather gets steady, we will be ready to move on higher. From mid October the winds at 8000 meters are mostly too strong to have a summit chance. This means: our chance to summit Makalu will presumably be between mid September and mid October. We hope the best.
Makalu
Robert Bösch and Andy Wälchli
Basecamp
Equipment
Expedition Makalu (8463m) west pillar solo
September 6, 2009 – Makalu base camp
On September 4, I reached 6700 meters on the west pillar. Before I spent a comfortable night underneath the Jumeaux I at 6000 meters. My motivation was immense. I felt very good and I am convinced, that I could benefit a lot from the Gasherbrum II expedition. I had the chance to study the pillar from very close. The route looks very difficult: steep rock and ice climbing on over 7500 meters. My joy was nearly boundless. The weather was good and the snow conditions sensational. After Meteotest transmitted me bad weather for Saturday, I descended the same day – Friday – to BC. It was a good trip to get well acclimatised and to study the route.
Today is Sunday. The whole night it has snowed. We are all sitting at BC. The weather forecast looks bad and it looks like we are damned to wait. This means: wait and see, read books and try not to loose the motivation. Through the fog we can hear very clearly „wumm“ sounds. A sign of bigger avalanches.
But sometimes the conditions will improve. Until then we have to wait.
Expedition Makalu west pillar solo (8463m)
September 9, 2009 – Makalu base camp
The daily base camp rhythm has caught me up again. We are sitting and we are awaiting the weather forecast. At the moment it looks desolate. We are sinking in the snow. Yesterday for a short time the sun shone. Thanks to the solar radiation the temperatures in the tent rose instantly up to 40 degrees! Up here at 5250 meters above sea level seldom we have comfortable conditions: either it is cold or hot. At the moment we are damned to read, eat and drink coffee. But the weather forecast let us hope. And I hope that not too much snow has fallen in the height. When I was at 6700 meters to get acclimatised, I found nearly perfect conditions. I am curious to know how it will look like up there.
Weather forecast report from Meteotest Switzerland of today, Sept. 9, 2009 „The profile shows for today Wednesday an intense supply of humidity from south. The weather should - until Sunday - get better from day to day (low risk of showers, less clouds, longer periods of sun). According to today’s update as from Monday, Sept. 14, the weather should become quite sunny with some cumulous clouds. Wind: the wind is and stays weak until Tuesday, Sept. 15 (up to 20-30 km/h middle wind). After the wind will increase. Until the end of next week the middle wind should reach at summit 40-50 km/h. I attached the wind levels of Everest, since the ones for Makalu are not available. The values should be also representative for Makalu.“
Base camp
Base camp
Expedition Makalu west pillar solo (8463m)
September 14, 2009 – Makalu base camp
Ueli is calling from the base camp
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I left BC to Makalu west pillar on Saturday morning at 00.30 am. I ascended directly to my small tent at 6700 meters. Basically it is more an overstepping than an ascent. The way to the actual west pillar passes over the two Jumeaux. Two summits: one of 6220 meters, then down and over the second one of 6462 meters before coming to the Makalu. A long way with a 20 kg heavy backpack. For the trek to my tent I needed solid 9 hours. Tired from the long ascent, I arrived a little late for mid-morning snack to my camp. The tent still looked out the snow. I had my doubts that I would ever find it again after the heavy snowfall of last week. For the time being I was happy to find everything intact. After a long day of waiting, a short night followed. I woke up on Sunday morning at 3 am and made myself breakfast. Coffee and muesli. At 4 am I continued my ascent. My plan was to climb up to 7600 meters, deposit the cooker and some gas and go back at 6700 meters. As from 6900 meters the snow masses increased drastically. Bottomless fresh snow. Also in the steep rock passages the rock was stuck together by thick snow layer. I had to properly dig the rock free to find some halt. In the couloir and on the snowfield I fell back exhaustingly in the powder snow. A nerve-racking matter. You never know why it stops in this loose underground. Such conditions let you get older faster than you would like to. At 7200 meters I had to give up definitively. Hopeless to try a summit attempt like this. I had to go down: back to 6700 meters. At the very first moment I was devastated. Tired. Completely exhausted. For 500 meters of altitude difference I needed 4 and a half hours. I was close to take all my equipment back to BC. I would have liked to fly back home the very next day! After a long seesaw I decided not to give up so fast! At the moment there is far too much fresh snow to climb a difficult route or even an easy one. The conditions at present make a summit attempt hopeless. But conditions can change! During my way back to BC I was in radio contact with Röbi and Andy. They are on the normal route. They were sinking in the deep snow, too! Today, Monday morning and after a 12 hours recreative sleep, I woke up at 8 am. My legs were very heavy. My motivation was quite down at zero. Now the world looks much better. For this week I can’t do very much. Nature will decide what will be next. All this deep snow first has to settle. So far I will be obliged to wait and do nothing.
Expedition Makalu west pillar solo (8463m)
September 20, 2009 – Makalu base camp
While I am writing these lines, I am sitting here, at 5250 meters over sea at Makalu base camp. Over me, the summit of Makalu, 8463 meters high. Exactly 3213 meters lie between me and my wishful dream.
Exactly one week ago I was at the foot of the west pillar. At 6700 meter I installed a camp. I was fully motivated. I wanted to complete this project. I am very well prepare for it. In the morning at 3 o’clock I started to climb. I was so sure: „Steck will now climb the west pillar. Solo and without fix ropes to the summit.“ But then everything was different. The considerable amounts of fresh snow showed me clearly where my limits were. But I fought. I did not give up. It’ not me to say so fast, that it doesn’t work. I know exactly: if I would not get out everything out of myself, if I would break off the whole thing and then sit in my warm living-room: I would feel ashamed for this! I properly waded through the snow. In the first part it was not really a problem. But then I came into these rock upward swings. The snow of the monsoon was actually stuck up to 30 centimeters in the vertical passages of the wall. I couldn’t do anything else than dug the snow away, to find the rock structures underneath, which gave me the necessary halt to go ahead climbing. At yet 7000 meters an exhausting matter of fact. This is like climbing the Eiger Northface by really bad conditions. I just thought that, would I be at home, climbing the Eiger under these conditions, I would instantly descend and go home, drink a cup of coffe and go climbing in the climbing hall in the afternoon.
The first rock step is done. Out of breath I stood up there. Now I moved to the right, from the ridge into an edge. A 45 to 50 degrees steep snow field. The snow was deep. I tried. The avalanche situation was for sure at the limit. The snow crystals were not bound to each other due to the cold. Just loose. I crawl, my strength nearly finished. But I moved on. 7100 meters. The edge ends in a steeper channel. I had to go over there. As soon as it got steeper I glide back into this loose mass of snow. Every time my hearts stood still. Sometimes I slided one meter. Sometimes two. Every single muscle in my body was stressed. Why it suddenly stopped? I had no idea. As soon as I stood still, the tension loosened and the pulse in my head started to beat. A breather. Then I started to ascend in this channel, which was like a playground slide in front of me. I try to move on. Again and again. My nerves were on the edge. The whole thing recurred again and again. Then the next rock passage. Again I had to remove the snow. After the rock passage again a snow slope. This slack mass wiped my psyche completely out. I never knew if I was standing firmly at the mountain or if I would glide out of the wall in the very next moment. I was in a permanent tension. The snow masses increased every meter. At 7200 meters I traversed back to the pillar edge hoping that there would lie less fresh snow. Over a rock upward swing I stood on a small precipitous platform. This allowed me to put down my backpack and to belay it at an ice axe. I allowed myself half a litre to drink and a muesli bar, hoping to get back my strength and to get some rest. The glance upwards was destructive. The pillar was lying in a deep winter coat. A quick glance on my watch told me that I needed four and a half hours for 500 meters of altitude difference. The weather: deep blue sky. My self confidence reached its lowest point. What shall I do? Continue? Go back? This uncertainty, never to know, what I was standing on, and if the snow would not draw back the very next moment, wore me down. To climb without rope is mentally very demanding. But I can evaluate my points of halt. I see grips and steps. Maybe I find myself a thousand meters above the abyss. My whole weight hangs on a 7 mm wide rock edge. I can see the rock edge. I can judge, if it is solid or not. I know if can get hold of it or not. It doesn’t matter how big it is. But I can judge the situation. Now I found myself for hours in this precarious environment. I definitively could not evaluate the situation anymore. I decided to descend! 7200 meters and I descend. The descent became a war of nerves, too. I lost the sense of time. I just realised how tense I climbed downwards. Once I arrived at my camp at 6700 meters I sat down in the snow. My euphoria of yesterday had gone. I drank something. Since a long time I found myself at a secure place. But there was no sign of relief at all. Now my thoughts started to rotate at full speed. What am I doing here? I thought about the past hours. I got angry about myself! It’s clear as daylight: under such conditions to climb such a difficult route is impossible. And again I think: „You are too weak!“, „Have you just got too little will?“ At least one hour I sat there. My biggest wish was to fly back home immediately the very next day. After one hour I started to pack my belongings. I just wanted to get down. And I would immediately stop doing alpinism. I didn’t see a reason why not! Half of the backpack was nearly filled and I started to strike my tent. But then I picked up courage again. “It is only Septeber 13”, I thought. I would have at least one more month time to go for Makalu summit. I started to unpack my backpack again. At that very moment I had no plan, how I could possibly climb the west pillar. But in a month a lot can change. I anchored my tent and deposited my material in it. Maybe the conditions would get better soon. Currently I did not believe this at all. I started my descent back to BC with mixed feelings. And I descended while the weather was beautiful! Is it really necessary to expose oneself to such risk? I felt depressed. Fully motivated and with plenty of confidence I got into this project. And now everything seems to be over. My thoughts continue to circulate. At 12 o’clock I had radio contact with Andy Waelchli. He and Robert Boesch were on the way to summit on the normal route. They sunk into the snow, too. A small consolation for me. They reached 6500 meters that day. Less high than I did. Robert went up the following day at 6800 meters before giving up too. So my decision was not completely wrong.
Back at BC I am relieved. I took a shower. I ate hot potatoes with chees and dry meat. I didn’t really know what to do. The next day Andy came down. And the other day Robert. We consult each other. We all agreed, that under these circumstances a summit ascent was hopeless. At least the weather was fine. The sun was shining and we had no precipitation anymore. This matter of fact seems even more unbearable: to sit here at BC and wait while the weather is gorgeous. In the night my thoughts bothered me. History of alpinism shows clearly that everything has to fit if you want to summit a mountain over 8000 meters. And fact is that nothing fits at the moment. Also my mental situation is not at its best. I consider many different options. Maybe a route over the southface? The sun radiation is much higher and the snow-transformation goes on much faster. I could just traverse from the west pillar. At the end I reject all these thoughts. If it doesn’t work on the west pillar, I won’t work also on the southface. I decided to go back to my small camp at 6700 meters. The actual traverse of two peaks over 6000 meters: Jumeaux one and Jumeaux two. Andy came with me. This was on Wednesday, September 16. The track of Sunday was still there. This meant: the snow situation had not changed at all. Withouth equipment we reached 6700 meter at 6 o’clock in the morning. It was bitter cold. The sun was still hidden behind Makalu. I pack fast, so that we did not have to stay too long in the cold. I was happy that Andy accompanied me. After a long time of thinking I came to the conclusion that a summit attempt on the west pillar is not possible under these conditions. On the normal route it is more likely to be possible. If… I left food, tent and cooker at 6700 meter. I took my down equipment back to BC. In this way I leave a tiny chance open for the west pillar. We descended.
Now I am sitting at BC and I am happy to have taken down my material. Now, I have open all possibilities. At the moment, the west pillar is an illusion. Just a dream. The normal route: if we are lucky, we have a chance. We have still three weeks to go until the jet stream let the winds increase at 8000 meters and make a summit attempt impossible. Three weeks... The most important thing is, that we come back home safe. And for sure we will be all richer of one more experience. I for myself got in touch with my limits up there.
Anxious we study the weather forecast. Actually Robert, Andy and I wanted to start on Saturday, so yesterday. The weather forecast looked as if it would get better. But then on Saturday the message of Meteotest told that the models would roll over. A disorder is coming in. Monday, Tuesday. Again break off. But the weather is not bad at all. Shall we believe the weather forecast or not? Again we wait. If Meteotest is right and if we ascend anyway, and if the forecasted precipitation really do come in, then we would be stuck up there. The avalanche situation would be acute. So we better wait, although the disorder is not too bad as presumed. We rather stay at BC and get nerved than be up there and the precipitation will come true. A weather forecast is always only a prediction. But these predictions can be essential. They can prevent us from critical and disagreeable situations.
Monday afternoon, September 21, 2009 sms message of Ueli: „Robert, Andy and I are on the way on the normal route. We reached camp 1 at 6000 meters. Tomorrow we move on to camp 2.“
Expedition Makalu west pillar solo (8463m)
September 25, 2009 – Summit success for Ueli Steck at Makalu (8463 Meter) over the normal route
Yesterday, Thursday September 24, 2009, Ueli Steck summited 8463 meter high Makalu over the normal route. The Makalu is the fifth highest mountain in the world. It lies easterly of Mount Everest at the border between Nepal and China.
Together with Robert Bösch he started on September 24 at 3 o’clock in the morning from camp 3 at 7350 meters. A lot of snow was lying. Robert Bösch returned at an altitude of approximately 7900 meters.
At about 3 o’clock in the afternoon of the same day Ueli Steck reached the summit. He descended the same day to camp 3 at 7350 meters.
Today, September 25, 2009 they were back at base camp of Makalu.
Expedition Makalu west pillar solo (8463m)- final report
Oktober 8, 2009
Since one week I am back in Switzerland. My frostbitten feet are getting slowly better and I have started again with my climbing work out. Every day life is getting back, slowly. Nevertheless: I need this rest badly. The Makalu has challenged me to the very end.
The expedition was a great success, although I did not reach the summit over the primarily planned route over the west pillar. The conditions on the normal route were already very difficult, so that an ascent over the west pillar was simply impossible.
From camp 2 at approx. 6500 meters Robert Boesch and I fighted towards summit. We kept tracking alternatively. Always we had to think where the fewest snow was lying. We looked where the sun has already shone for a long time, where the wind has blown away the snow, or – even better – where avalanches have already gone down. Like this we tracked us up to 7100 meters and descended back to camp 2, walking next the track we set while going up, in order not to destroy them. In this way the other day we would have good and solid ground under our feet. The following day Andy Waelchli decides not to go further up. His bodily ailments did not allow him to go further up. Robert and I ascend to camp 3. It’s the last camp we build. It’s at 7350 meters above sea level. From this point it is exactly 1113 meters to the summit. Again and again Robert and I fight through the snow masses, which are knee deep. It is pitch-dark. We left camp 3 at 3 o’clock in the morning. During a rest I must massage my feet. Robert looks after my right foot, which already feels very much like wood. Together we move on up to 7900 meters. There, Robert decides to descend. He says it’s too late for him. I give me time until 4 pm. If I am not on the summit until then I would descend too. I think, that I can descend also at night, since there is already my track I can follow. So I move on. Alone. Meter after meter. The sun blinds but does not really give warmth. I fight. I try to eat and drink. The air is thin. The ridge, which end straight on the summit - seems to be endless. I don’t even look up anymore. Then, finally I am there, on the summit. The summit is razor-sharp. This summit success doesn’t feel like being anything special. Quickly I make a selfportrait, I put on my thick gloves and I descend.
This mountain has challenged me to the very last. Again yet I feel the consequence of this enormous effort. Never in my life I have fought this way. At the end it was a simply matter of head. My reason had told me long before to set an end to this torture. But my will drove me to the summit.
Now we are all back sane at home. My feet do recover slowly. Thanks to Robert, which has done a great tracking job and who massaged my foot in such height, I summitted Makalu at the end. I really regret that he did not made it to the summit. It would have been a great collective success. Thanks also to Andy, who did also a great job so that I was able to summit Makalu.
Thank you very much for all your emails and your moral support during the last two expeditions!!
Once again Ueli Steck is aiming to fulfill a great goal. This time it is not a first ascent which stands in the focus. His plan is to summit Makalu on the west pillar solo and without any kind of aid at the mountain. The west pillar really is a great route on a mountain over 8000 meters. To ascend solo such a route needs a lot of courage and experience. And this is what it is about in alpinism. The courage to try something, to deal with a possible success or a possible failure and to face up with this task.
Finally we reached the foot of the mountain. The 10 days lasting trekking was not always very comfortable. The monsoon is still fully in his element. So we mostly were humid and wet. Luckily the bloodsucker didn’t bother us too much. Totally I arrived at base camp with five of them.
On September 4, I reached 6700 meters on the west pillar. Before I spent a comfortable night underneath the Jumeaux I at 6000 meters. My motivation was immense. I felt very good and I am convinced, that I could benefit a lot from the Gasherbrum II expedition. I had the chance to study the pillar from very close. The route looks very difficult: steep rock and ice climbing on over 7500 meters. My joy was nearly boundless. The weather was good and the snow conditions sensational. After Meteotest transmitted me bad weather for Saturday, I descended the same day – Friday – to BC.
The daily base camp rhythm has caught me up again. We are sitting and we are awaiting the weather forecast. At the moment it looks desolate. We are sinking in the snow. Yesterday for a short time the sun shone. Thanks to the solar radiation the temperatures in the tent rose instantly up to 40 degrees! Up here at 5250 meters above sea level seldom we have comfortable conditions: either it is cold or hot.
The first rock step is done. Out of breath I stood up there. Now I moved to the right, from the ridge into an edge. A 45 to 50 degrees steep snow field. The snow was deep. I tried. The avalanche situation was for sure at the limit. The snow crystals were not bound to each other due to the cold. Just loose. I crawl, my strength nearly finished. But I moved on. 7100 meters.
Yesterday, Thursday September 24, 2009, Ueli Steck summited 8463 meter high Makalu over the normal route. The Makalu is the fifth highest mountain in the world. It lies easterly of Mount Everest at the border between Nepal and China.
