SURVIVING NANGA PARBAT
by Per Jerberyd ©
1997 - 2002 |
Nanga Parbat, also known as "the killer mountain"
is one of the worlds most dangerous mountains to climb.
Before Hermann Buhls first ascent in 1953, 31 people
had lost their lives attempting this avalanche dangerous
colossus. Each year the mountain takes it's toll. When
reading the statistics on the 8,000 meter mountains,
only Annapurna has a higher death ratio. More than any
other mountain, Nanga Parbat formed Reinhold Messner
into the outstanding mountaineerer he is.
1970 - THE RUPAL FACE
In 1970 the two brothers Reinhold and Günter Messner
participated in their first Himalayan expedition. They
successfully climbed the mixed route of the Rupal Flank
to the summit of Nanga Parbat. The route where hard
and the climb to the summit was a great feat itself.
Due to extreme weather, the late hour and that Günther
was extremely exhausted, they made the decision to descend
through unknown terrain by the less steep West Face.
After three days of descending, both brothers were near
total physical collapse. Especially Günther, who
found it very hard to keep up in Reinholds pace. Near
the foot at the mountain Reinhold was in front to scout
a way through the crevasses. When he returned back up
to meet Günter he had perished! Only a large avalanche
cone showed the place where Günther should be!
Reinhold searched desperately for his brother for a
whole day. He just couldn't believe that his brother,
together with whom he has shared so many climbing adventures
in the Alps together with was dead!
This was the first time that Reinhold got to know the
thin line between total mental, physical collapse and
madness. With his last powers he stumbled into base-camp.
Badly frotbitten, Reinhold had to amputate sex of his
toes and sevral fingertips. This was the third ever
ascent of Nanga Parbat. - And a personal catastrophe
for Reinhold Messner that took many, many years to get
over.
Until todays date (year 2002), the Rupal Face is still
waiting for a second ascent...
1971
- LOOKING FOR GÜNTHER
The following year, Reinhold returned to Nanga Parbat
to search for his missing brother. Not a trace was found...
1973 - A SOLO ATTEMPT
Again, in 1973, Reinhold returned to Nanga Partbat.
The mountain was by now always present in his mind and
dreams. He was totally obsessed with the idea to climb
it solo - and tried - and failed.
1977
- A SOLO ATTEMPT
In 1977, during a personal crisis, Reinhold once again
returned to "his" mountain, and once again
he planned to climb it solo. This time he never dared
to make a 100% committed try, because he was scared
that - "somewhere up there, I would freak out and
be unable to cope".
1978
- THE DAMIR FACE
Finally, with with a strong inner force and self-confidence
in his mind, Reinhold successfully solo climbed a new
route on the Damir Face.
The climb was done in pure Alpine style. No climbing
equipment except for his ice axe and crampons where
brought on the trip. This was the first time ever an
8,000 meter mountain was climbed solo. On the way up,
an earthquake triggered a massive avalanche that blocked
the possibility for any retreat down through the chosen
route. Reinhold immediately putted the avalanche behind
him in his mind; this time he was ready and he had never
a single thought about retreat.
On the third day Reinhold reached the top! The descent
was a masterpice itself, done through unknown terrain.
A new route up, a new route down - solo on Nanga Parbat
!
2000 - 30 YEARS
LATER
30 years after his first successful climb, in the summer
of year 2000 Reinhold once again returned to Nanga Parbat
to try an extremely hard and unclimbed route. With him
was his brother Hubert, Hans Peter Eisendle and Wolfgang
Thomaseth. As often with Reinhold's actions, there where
a lot of speculations from other people why he now chosed
to return to the high altitudes, the (probably false)
rumour said the intention of the expedition was to search
for his lost brother Günther. After reaching high
on the mountain wall, they found the summit ridge too
dangerous to continue.
"I even belive
that it would be no longer be possible for anyone to
traverse Nanga Parbat in the way I and Günther
did in 1970. Perhaps if a thousand climbers tried, one
might come through. I am sure that I could never survive
those days a second time."
More
about Reinhold Messner
» Reinhold
Messner - mainpage
» Reinhold
Messner - short biography
» Reinhold
Messner - the Manaslu tragedy
» Reinhold
Messner & Peter Habeler - Hidden Peak in alpine
style
» Reinhold
Messner & Hans Kammerlander - traversing the Gasherbrums
» Reinhold
Messner - breaking new limits on Mount Everest
Other mountaineering stories
» Tenzing
and his moment on the summit of the world
» K2
climbing history. From the first try to the Italian
success in 1954
» Hermann
Buhl and the first ascent of Nanga Parbat
» The
first ascent of Mont Blanc anno 1786
» A
tale from Lofoten, experienced and written by Per
Jerberyd
|
