June 2023 - Adventure Mountain

29. June 202329. June 2023

Nanga Parbat: Göttler and Védrines turn back at 7,500 meters

“Failed successfully” – that’s how I described my failure on the seven-thousander Putha Hiunchuli in western Nepal more than a decade ago, where I turned around 150 meters below the summit – completely exhausted. I knew at that moment and afterwards that it was the only possible and correct decision for me. I did not struggle with it. It was rather my environment that did that.

Perhaps David Göttler will have a similar experience. The German top mountaineer had planned to climb the eight-thousander Nanga Parbat together with the Frenchman Benjamin Védrines in alpine style – i.e. without bottled oxygen, without fixed high camps, without high altitude porters and without fixed ropes. Through the Rupal Face, via the so-called “Schell route” (named after the Austrian Hanns Schell, who climbed it in 1976). At 7,500 meters, already on the Diamir side of Nanga Parbat, Göttler and Védrines turned around.

26. June 202326. June 2023

Summit successes reported from Nanga Parbat

The first eight-thousander summit successes of commercial expeditions this summer in Pakistan were achieved today on Nanga Parbat. About two dozen climbers reportedly reached the summit of the ninth highest mountain on earth at 8,125 meters. Among them was the Pakistani Sajid Ali Sadpara, who, according to his own information, climbed without bottled oxygen and was part of the rope-fixing team.

For the 25-year-old son of the legendary Muhammad Ali Sadpara (1976-2021), it was the seventh of the 14 eight-thousanders. Sajid climbed six of them without breathing mask: Gasherbrum I and II, as well as Manaslu in 2022, Annapurna, Mount Everest and now Nanga Parbat in 2023. Only on his two ascents of K2 (in 2019 and 2022) did he use bottled oxygen. Sajid’s stated goal is to scale all 14 eight-thousanders without breathing mask.

21. June 202321. June 2023

How the helicopters in the Himalayas became mosquitoes

“Khumbu mosquitoes” – that’s what legendary Austrian expedition leader Wolfgang Nairz called the helicopters in the Everest region some time ago when we were talking about the increasing aircraft noise in the Khumbu. “It’s a constant whirring in the air,” the 78-year-old told me. Among others, Nairz led that Everest expedition in spring 1978, during which Reinhold Messner and Peter Habeler became the first people to reach the summit at 8,849 meters without bottled oxygen, and during which Reinhard Karl – using a breathing mask – also became the first German to stand on the highest point on earth.

I was in the Khumbu for the first time more than 20 years ago. I count the increase in aircraft noise as one of the most noticeable changes in the region around the highest mountain on earth. Without helicopters, there seems to be very little going on in the Khumbu.

12. June 202312. June 2023

“School up – far west”: The second school building is under construction

Outdoor lessons, in front of the building shell

Construction continues in the small mountain village of Rama in the far west of Nepal. The shell of the first school building is almost finished. It was made possible with your donations for my aid project “School up – far west”. Now the second building wing with eight rooms is under construction.

In addition, the local government financed a protective wall behind the school to prevent the slope from sliding. One of the landslides that occur repeatedly in Humla District had meant that Rama’s old school could no longer be used. “We are so worried that our children have had to be taught in the open for the past two years,” says Jamuna Thapa. “So I would like to ask that the building be constructed as soon as possible.”

6. June 202312. June 2023

Kristin Harila: 14 eight-thousanders in three months?

Even if you might turn up your nose at the alpinistic value of the project, Kristin Harila shows what is possible on the eight-thousanders in terms of time – if one gathers around oneself not just one but many strong companions, has the necessary fitness and determination, climbs with bottled oxygen and via the normal routes, uses infrastructure such as helicopters and, of course, also has the necessary small change.

Yesterday, Monday, the 37-year-old Norwegian stood on the 8,091-meter-high summit of Annapurna I. Kristin was accompanied at this summit success by seven Nepalese climbers: Tenjen (Lama) Sherpa, Pasang Nurbu Sherpa, Lakpa Temba Sherpa, Mingma Tenjing Sherpa, Pasang Sherpa, Lakpa Gyaljen Sherpa and Tashi Sherpa. For Harila and Tenjen Sherpa it was the eighth eight-thousander summit within 40 days.