Posted: Nov 29, 2005 09:38 am EST
(K2climb.net) In Pakistan climbing, 2005 was the year of Nanga Parbat's Rupal face. No less than 4 dramas unfolded on the mighty wall, from it's base all the way to the summit. The players were American, Korean, Slovenian and Italian. Two were climbers lost to the mountain a long time ago.

Three expeditions were set for the face this year. A Korean team spent 3 months on the Rupal side and were the first to summit, on July 15. Lee Hyun Jo and Kim Chang Ho repeated the Messner brothers route of 1970.

Incidentally, Messner would return to the mountain only one month after the Korean's repetition of his and Gunther's route. He didn't come to celebrate. On August 28, Reinhold burned what he alleged were the remains of his brother - creating controversy as the act is illegal. Moreover - Messner risked a mix-up: ExWeb had warned the climber that another old body had been located at the same place at the same time - July 17 this year. In a weird twist of fate, this "second body" was not only found at almost the exact time of the recent Korean summit - the remains were suspected to belong to a Korean climber.

Korean Traverse

Lee Hyun Jo and Kim Chang Ho were members of a larger Korean team who opened and fixed a 6000m route, partially running parallel to the Messner line. Bad weather got them stuck in C3 at 7100m for two days. One by one, the other climbers turned back. All except for Lee and Kim, who proceeded up on Thursday, July 14th. The pair climbed the SSE spur in light style, got to the base off the summit pyramid and traversed to Bazhin Col, in order to spend the night on the Diamir’s side. From there, they climbed up to the summit, topping at 11:00 pm, in the middle of a snow storm, with strong wind and -22ºC. They spent nine days on the summit push.

Slovenian ill-fate

Early August, it was Tomaz Humar's turn. The Slovenian climber had attempted a new route on the wall several times before. This year, he got trapped between seracs and was helicoptered to safety early morning August 10. In reply to a question by ExWeb why he didn't ask the other climbers for help, Tomaz said: "The American's base camp was close to ours. They even dropped by a couple of times to see how where things going, so of course they were perfectly aware of the situation I was in. What they did and what they didn’t, and - most of all - why, is something you have to ask to Steve and Vince, not me.”

So ExWeb asked, Steve and Vince replying that they were one hour away from Humar's BC, and were not entirely aware of the situation. In addition, even if they had known, there was not much they could have done for Tomaz anyway.

Dark horse

On September 6, shortly after the smoke from Messner's burning had vanished into Nanga Parbat's thin air, and long after the other climbers had left for home, House and Vince Anderson pioneered a new route on the Rupal face. Steve had attempted the same goal already last year, with Bruce Miller. Steve had been hooked to open a new route on the mountain since he first visited it as a 20 year old member of a Slovenian expedition. After the failed attempt in 2004, Steve obtained a Mugs Stump grant for a new try with Slovenian Marko Prezejl for partner. The pair climbed a new route on Cayesh, Peruvian Andes in June together - but then Steve turned up on Nanga with a dark horse - Vince Anderson.

Alpine Style

The American climb took six days up and two days to descend, in alpine style. The ascent was touted as the first alpine style ascent of the Rupal Face. Some readers pointed out to ExWeb that Oscar Cadiach (K2 Magic Line) and Jordi Mariñá climbed the face already back in the eighties. AdventureStats rules that the Spaniards went in alpine style only from Camp 1, making their climb "semi-alpine".

Vince and Steve went in one go, except for gear cached at the glacier 2 hours from BC. Extreme 'purists' have it that pure alpine style means a climb in one go on a route virgin to the climber. As Vince and Steve followed Steve's 2004 route up to 7500m, Steve told ExWeb in reply: "The route was the same for the first two days, but that does not make it non-alpine style. Alpine style does not mean 'on-sight' but rather no fixed ropes, fixed camps, high-altitude porters, no Oxygen, etc.”

The climb

Steve and Vince reported that it was very difficult to recover during the effort and the summit day lasted 24 hours.

The climbers left BC Sept. 1 at 4:00 am with a 7 day good weather forecast. The climb was hard. Several couloirs where avalanches were running greeted them at once. Ice sections required them to belay several hundred feet. At the crux of the route, the pitch consisted of a snow-filled steep corner and the rock was covered with a new glazing of ice. The ice was not thick enough, or solid enough, for screws and often picks would shear through it. The snow covered the underlying rock which made it difficult to dry-tool and find protection. The weather was hot and there was constant rock fall. Steve finished the crux pitch dry-tooling a section of loose and slopey rock (5.9).

"Steve puked at the belay afterwards"

The third day took 18 hours and this is where the climbers diverged from the 2004 route. "We decided to do that because the 2004 route seemed dangerous due to high snow levels in 2005 and direct pillar is a more aesthetic and difficult line. The excitement of trying a new line that had some serious question-marks about it won out," reports Vince in his debrief.

The climbers continued climbing into the night, now pitch by pitch. "We encountered one difficult mixed pitch of snow and steep loose rock. Steve led this pitch and puked at the belay afterwards." A traverse took them right onto the hanging glacier which is one of the keys to this route. "We found a wild, but safe, bivy under a serac. It was 11:00 pm and we were both very tired from the effort. We were at approximately 6,200 meters."

"A single tool placement in snow saved him"

At the end of the following day, Steve tried to find a good snow to make a tent platform. As he mounted his steed, a large piece of it fell out beneath him. A single tool placement in snow saved him from a huge whipper and large chunks of snow hammered Vince. "A bit further on, we found a spot on the ridge that could be leveled to the width of the tent, barely. The ledge was tiny and precarious, so we stayed tied in for the night should the snow underneath cut loose. We were at approx. 7,000 m."

The day before summit, there was easy ice on the upper snow slopes of the ramp system the climbers were on. But the altitude affect was obvious here and they were moving slow. The day ended on the upper snow slopes very near to where Steve and Bruce had turned back the previous year, right above the Merkl Ice field. The guys made their final high camp here at 7,400 meters.

Summit day to the beat of drums - joining Messner and Koreans

Summit day September 6, the men set off at 3:30 am with one light pack between the two of them with 3 liters of water, 2 liters of spiz, several packs of GU each and 50 m. of 5 mm cord. 100 m of deep, steep, unconsolidated, facetted snow followed until the snow surface had strengthened enough to allow travel on top:

"The weather was superb, it was even slightly hot. By mid day, we joined the upper Messner route at around 7,900 m. We could see faint hints of the Korean climbers' tracks from July. This eventually brought us to easy snow and by 4:00 pm we arrived at the fore-summit (foreskin?)." There, at 8,000 m. Steve took off his boots to dry off his socks in the sun and Vince took a 5 min. nap.

The climbers arrived at the summit 5:45 pm and left again at 6:00 pm, making it down the easy summit snow fields before darkness caught up. At 3:00 am, 24 hours after starting, they hit camp, made some water and promptly went to sleep. The descent took two days, lit by bonfires from below and sounds of the local villagers drumming in celebration.

ExWeb interview: Vince Anderson

A few weeks back, ExWeb caught up with Vince, to get up, close and personal with the Rupal Wall "dark horse" climber.

A certified IFMGA (UIAGM in French) Ski and Mountain Guide, Vince has done his homework. The IFMGA is issued by UIAA (International Union of Alpinism Associations) and not required in the US, but in Europe. The certification is an internationally recognized standard and highest level of certification available to professional mountain guides. Vince is also certified by the American Mountain Guides’ Association as an Alpine Guide, a Rock Guide, and a Ski Mountaineering Guide. He holds a Level III Avalanche certification, and is also certified as a Wilderness First Responder. In other words - a great rope mate to bring up a tough mountain.

ExWeb: Nanga Parbat was your first high-altitude climb in Pakistan. How was it different from climbing in Alaska, Alps and Andes?

Vince: "Nanga Parbat felt much warmer for the altitude than any other place I have been. It was much warmer for me than climbing in Tibet on Shishapangma. It was WAY warmer than climbing Denali in Alaska. It was certainly much bigger in relief than any other place I have been with the possible exception of Mount St. Elias in Alaska."

Which was the greatest climb of your life? And the worst? Why?

"Climbing the Rupal Face was the greatest climb of my life. I don't think that it needs much explanation. I think that climbing in Indian Creek last weekend among the hordes of people that the new guide book seems to have attracted there may rank with one of my worst climbing experience. It used to be much more secluded and less frequented. As with many areas it was too good for its own good and now it is discovered."

How did you end up being Steve's mate on Nanga Parbat?

"Steve is a friend of mine and he was out visiting me last winter for some ice climbing. I asked him what adventure awaited him the next summer and he said that he wanted to try NP again. He then asked if I was interested."

What did you think when he suggested the climb?

"I was thrilled, honored and chomping at the bit."

Have you climbed much with Steve before?

"I have not climbed with Steve much. We had tried to get out and do some alpine routes in Canada a few times, but were shut down by weather every time. We have been out rock climbing and ice climbing together a little bit. We took our Rock Guides' exam together in 1998."

In your 'rules of the game', you mention honesty and politeness. Let's take an example: Messner and Kukuczka. If you had to choose one, who would be your favorite?

"I am not sure how that question relates to honesty and politeness. To be honest, I am not sure that I have a favorite. I have tremendous respect for each of them (I think that was putting it politely.)"

About honesty: 'Pure' climbers and alpine magazines often keep tight-lipped when it comes to speaking up about wrongdoings in the mountains (theft, not helping climbers in need, crime). We have seen situations where climbers have been left to die and other climbers have refused to talk about it to relatives and investigative media - whilst debates have raged about whether a piece of rope has been removed or not on a mountain.

You state that "When I get up in the morning I don't want to be ashamed of who is looking back at me from the mirror." What does that mean to you, exactly?

"Wrongdoings in the mountains are no different than wrongdoings elsewhere in my opinion. It is important to behave like a moral human being regardless of your location. The statement you are quoting refers to my interest in being honest with myself and others and to live my life in a way that I can be proud of. I don't want to compromise my integrity for profit, promotion or anything else. Integrity and virtue are very important to me, hence my interest in style and aesthetics with regard to climbing."

There's a "war" between alpine style climbers and siege climbers. Alpine style mountaineers are often British, American and French Alpinists choosing fast climbs on lower peaks - the siege climbers are often East Europeans and Asians spending a long time using brutal methods on high altitude. The approaches mirror the two different cultures and lifestyles of East/West. "Style is ultimately a personal choice" you write. So do you think they should be compared at all?

"You may have me there. Style is ultimately a personal choice; however there are still some things that are universal, virtue being one. I think that climbing, like everyday life, should be conducted as a virtuous activity. In that, I find it important to have a sense of aesthetics about and respect for style. One extreme would be going up on a climb with no regard for safety and basically being suicidal about it."

"The other would be taking every possible measure to eliminate all the unknowns, risk and maximize the chances of achieving the goal. Somewhere in between the two extremes is a balance point that we should aim for. It is a personal choice where that is, but always opens to debate."

"For me, siege climbing tries to eliminate too many variables and makes the experience more about summitting than anything else. It takes the fun out of it and robs the experience of its depth and virtue. I think that ultimately, most of the high altitude big wall stuff that seems to be the objective of siege climbers will be climbed in alpine style by future, better prepared climbers. As far as a difference between east and west goes: I am not sure that I buy that. There is plenty of crappy ethics among climbers here in America and there are a lot of climbs being done in impeccable style by many eastern Europeans. I don't really see a trend."

After climbing the Rupal face - are you going back for more on higher mountains, or you rather return to rock and ice routes in Alps and America? In other words, what do you want to do next? And what would be your dream climb?

"I am hungry for more. I will still climb in Alaska. It is my favorite place and the mountains are big, just not high. I have no specific plans at the moment but would like to return to the high mountains of Asia soon. As for a dream climb, I would love to climb Mount St. Elias in some similar fashion to that of the Duke of Abruzzi in 1897, though perhaps by a different route."

Vince Anderson, 35, is a mountain guide residing of Ridgway, Colorado. He is married, has a dog, and runs Colorado-based company Skyward Mountaineering. The company offers trips and courses, mainly Rock Climbing in Colorado and Mountaineering in the European Alps. Vince's hobbies outside of mountaineering are listening to music, reading classic literature, and cooking. He loves hardcore music, good olive oil, and cooking multi-course meals. His favorite band right now is "Darkthrone" and current favorite recipe is Braised Pork Tenderloin, Arugula salad w/Asiago, fresh ground black pepper, olive oil and balsamic Amarone wine with 85% dark chocolate w/ground black pepper.

Vince’s ‘Rules of the Game’:

"We all play games, stockbrokers, politicians, prostitutes and even climbers. The rules we choose to play with dictate the style, and the style defines our experience. Being somewhat of an anarchist at heart, I like to think that the rules I use to govern the game of climbing are 'that there are no rules,' but I know that this is not true. There are rules -- many different types -- and I play by them. Perhaps mine are loosely defined, then again maybe not. Sometimes I even change them to suit my particular event."

Rule #1: Honesty matters. When I get up in the morning I don't want to be ashamed of who is looking back at me from the mirror. If I play by a different set of rules than someone else I am honest about it. I don't pretend that we are all playing equally.

Rule #2: Be polite. Style is ultimately a personal choice, but I try to consider how my actions (and words) will affect the experience of others.

Rule #3: Risk is inherent. Sometimes the rules we play by can be very unforgiving. Death is permanent (I guess this depends on one's personal beliefs), so I'm careful.

Rule #4: Play the game. To spray without having played should be a crime.

Rule #5: Have fun!"

Steve House started climbing near his home in Oregon, but he earned a 'masters degree' in Europe. One year as an exchange student in Slovenia left a deep impact on him: Steve came back climbing faster, bolder and lighter. A Mountain Guide certified by the Swiss UIAGM confirms the 'old continent' influence on Steve.

One of his 2004 Pakistan climbs got him nominated for the prestigious Piolet d’Or award: A solo speed climb on K7, in super-light style (his backpack weighed just 4 kg). Steve obtained a Mugs Stump grant to attempt a new route in alpine Style on Nanga's Rupal face. These grants oblige the climbers to attempt the proposed goals within a year of obtaining the awarded funds.

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