| 2003
Mugs Stump Award Winners:
House/Przelj/Cartwright—North
Face Masherbrum
Dear
Mugs Stump Award,
Thank
you once again for supporting our project of attempting the
north buttress of Masherbrum in the Karakorum.
The
expedition went very well considering the conditions and the
risk level we were dealing with. We had a very dangerous snowpack
throughout the expedition and had a number of dangerous moments.
The weather through the summer also was not helpful. We had
consistently poor weather, with the longest spell of high
pressure lasting just 50 hours. We barely scratched the surface
of our intended route on Masherbrum, never getting past 5,900
meters on the snowy ridge which accessed the base of the pillar.
We did climb an unclimbed peak near basecamp named Biarchedi,
which was 6,781 meters. However, we did not possess a permit
for that peak and so we won't report the ascent directly.
That ascent did provide what I think we all three agreed was
the best day of the expedition. We spent 4 hours on Birachedi's
summit on a perfectly clear and windless morning. The skyline
was: (excluding minor summits) Masherbrum, K6(unclimbed),
K7, Chogolisa, Rimo peaks (in India), Saltoro Kangri, Gasherbrum
1,2,3,4,5,6,& 7, Broad Peak, K2, Mustag Tower, Cathedral,
Ogre, Latok group, Trango/Nameless Group, Paiyu Peak, and
Nanga Parbat floating on the horizon. Four hours certainly
wasn't enough to take it all in.
We
arrived in basecamp on May 31st with some difficulty due to
winter snow on the glacier which the porters did not like
to walk in. Indeed it was nasty walking, a breakable crust
over nearly-knee-deep slush. We elected to put our basecamp
on the Mandu Glacier at approximately 4,200 meters. There
were two options for basecamp, this location, and the next
glacier north, the Yermanendu Glacier. This would prove to
be an important decision since we eventually learned that
to access Masherbrum we had to get to the Yermanendu Glacier
first. Though our decision to basecamp on the Mandu was well-researched
through discussions with the leader of previous expedition
to Masherbrum. (R.Ranzler, Austrain Expedition 1985) Due to
different glacier conditions and an abundance of winter snow
we were to cross a small pass above basecamp many times to
get to and from the Yermanendu Glacier.
Marko
and I climbed a small 5,000 meter peak near basecamp after
a few days of rest. Here we triggered our first slide. A 12-18"
slab that ran down a steep couloir for 2,000 feet wiping our
our boot track on the way. We were surprised since in our
minds we were expecting to find a summer snow pack, but this
was the first clue that we were dealing with something different.
Our
next foray was up the southern flank of Birachedi which we
climbed to about 5,880 meters and slept for two nights. Marko
and Matic made an effort to climb higher. Matic and I didn't
feel too well, but Marko turned back at 6,000 meters due to
poor conditions. We descended to basecamp in a blustery storm.
A
few days later, on our first foray up the snowy ridge to access
the north buttress I was breaking trail through soft snow
and triggered another slide. This one was smaller, 30 feet
across and 8 inches deep, but it funneled right onto Marko
who was climbing on 50 degree ice at the time. Marko was swept
off his stance and tumbled about 250 vertical feet back down
the slope we had just ascended. Luckily he ended up on top
and the runout was safely into a small saddle. Marko was totally
unhurt and climbed back to us. For the rest of the trip we
belayed all snow climbing.
This
did wake us up, and we realized that the first slide wasn't
just a fluke and we weren't dealing with stable summer snow.
We were much more careful from here on out. Belaying snow
climbing, digging pits to learn what to look for, and generally
being more conservative. Then, later the same day Marko triggered
a 12" wind-slab and he seemed to run on top of it while
it broke into pieces and launched itself over a serac barrier.
His running saved him from the fall but left us all feeling
much less bold. The next day we came to a slope we were unwilling
to cross. It was several hundred feet across, 40 degrees,
and ended in a very large serac band. There was no exposed
ice (stable seracs) to make anchors from and the only anchor-option
was digging holes in the snow for belay seats. It was clear
that if the slope ripped you were going over the seracs to
your death(s). In getting to that point I had been in the
lead and had triggered 3 more slides already that morning.
After I failed attempt to climb the ridge crest Alaskan-style,
we made the decision to abandon Masherbrum until conditions
improved. At that time we still weren't adequately acclimitized.
We had wanted to climb to 7,000 meters before launching out
on our alpine-style attempt of Masherbrum, which is 7,855
meters high. There weren't any nearby peaks besides Masherbrum
that were so high. Biarchedi was the closest (6,781m) but
we didn't have a permit for that. We returned to basecamp
feeling downtrodden and casting about for safe options. It
seemed that the trip could be truly over, but all of us had
been on enough expeditions to know that things in the mountains
can change.
Nothing
changed in those last 3 weeks, but we did decide to climb
Biarchedi without a permit. Our Liason Officer, Major Mazhar,
was easily convinced that we were climbing somewhere on Masherbrum.
We disappeared over the col to the Yermanendu Glacier and
spent 4 days (1 storm day) climbing Birachedi and one day
descending.
After
Birachedi we had some good weather and thought that we might
have a chance at Masherbrum, though we were still not as acclimated
as we wanted to be. We had some hope that recent sun had stabilized
the dangerous slopes. We packed for the climb and before we
even got to sleep that night it started to rain very hard.
It rained for several days and we sent for the porters.
We
left basecamp three days earlier than planned. We had spent
a total of 7 weeks there. While we had a difficult time, we
considered ourselves to be successful. We approached the mountain
on our terms, in good style, accepted the risks, and mitigated
them well enough that we will all climb again. We all agreed
that this was the most dangerous expedition any of us had
been on. Largely due to our erroneous assumptions about the
snow conditions in the early stages of the expedition. We
were exposed to much more risk than we realized at first.
The
trek out proved to be mostly pleasant as we took three extra
days and explored the Charakusa and the Nangma Valleys which
yielded fantastic climbing venues for future trips. The Charakusa
inspired me to return for a brief solo expedition that I describe
below.
Thank
you for supporting us. Without your grant this trip would
have been impossible. Though we didn't get far on this attempt,
the line is so beautiful and so compelling that we will be
sure to go back at some point. Personally I think it is the
most amazing line on a big mountain that I have ever seen.
The north buttress of Masherbrum will someday be climbed (in
alpine style) and when that happens it will be one of the
great ascents of its age. We sincerely hope that for the sake
of this incredible peak that future suitors continue to respect
the mountain enough to attempt it in good style. Masherbrum
is certainly a diamond among gems in the Karakorum.
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