Manaslu spring 2008
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Manaslu (8,163 m), Nepal |
Dutch team
To climb an eight-thousander with a small, close-knit Dutch team was the dream of Katja and her husband and climbing partner Henk for years. In 2008 it was time. A team of five prepared for months in advance for the ascent of Shisha Pangma (8,013) in Tibet. In China, the Olympic Games were to take place a few months later. Then, just 10 days before the team’s departure, some unrest developed in Llasa, the capital of Tibet, and it looked like the Chinese government would close the Tibetan border to foreigners for a while. What to do? The team prepared Plan B, in case of possible difficulties getting into Tibet from Nepal.
Plan B was to climb the eight-thousander Manaslu, in Nepal. The mountain is 150 metres higher than Shisha Pangma, and technically a little more difficult. Up to the moment of their departure the team worked frantically to gather information about this new target, and create a shadow website, just in case...
On arrival in Nepal we discovered that it was indeed impossible to enter Tibet, and Plan B became reality. That meant a turnaround of 180 degrees in terms of the logistics, as well as the climb itself. For Shisha Pangma, hundreds of kilos of baggage would have been brought close to the mountain by lorry. For the last 20 kilometres we would have used yaks to carry the load to base camp. In the case of Manaslu, everything would have to be carried by porters (taking 9 days), or flown in by helicopter.
Manaslu: mountain of the spirit
Manaslu is the seventh highest mountain in the world, situated in a remote Buddhist part of Nepal, close to the Tibetan border. Dutch climbers (including Bart Vos’s solo in 1999 and an expedition led by the guide Robert Steenmeijer, in 2003) had not previously been successful in climbing this peak. There had been a Dutch expedition in 1964 which got as far as the 7,000 m subsidiary peak, the north summit (also known as Manaslu II); a spectacular performance.
Team
Alongside Henk and Katja, the climbing team comprised the strong young Dutch climbers Miriam Knepper and Niels van Veen, for whom a climb above 6,500 m was a new experience. The photographer Menno Boermans supported the team at base camp. Menno had previously climbed on the Broad Peak eight-thousander in Pakistan.
The main idea had been to climb Shisha Pangma, without the help of Sherpas. However, suddenly faced with a completely different climb without thorough preparation – also given Miriam and Niels’ lack of experience at very high altitudes – the team decided on the support of two additional climbers strengthen our team for the Manaslu expedition: the climbing Sherpas Lakpa and Nuru.
Approaching the mountain
A couple of days in Kathmandu, and everything was arranged. According to plan, the team departed for the Khumbu area to spend time to acclimatizing up to 5,000 metres. Afterwards, the team and the baggage was to be transported by helicopter to the foot of Manaslu.
On the afternoon before our departure, the team’s capacity for improvisation was once again put to the test. China had apparently issued a new ruling: no flights with westerners were permitted in the neighbourhood of the Tibetan border. There was no other alternative but to walk to the base camp: the team had a 5-day hike to the mountain, through the 5,100 m Larkya pass. Our previous acclimatisation was excellent preparation for this, because it’s a direct route to Manaslu over this high pass. And it turned out to be an enchanting trek.
The ascent
On 17 April 2008 the team arrived at base camp. The usual climbing rounds took place during the following weeks, setting up the higher camps and getting used to the increasingly thin air at altitude. Everything went pretty well, apart from the usual infections suffered by some of the team members. It was wonderful to have Menno to support the team at base camp, together with Lobsang and Ang Dawa, our cooks.
On 12 May the Dutch team began to set up the highest camp, together with two other teams. This meant fixing 500 metres of rope in a steep face; a time-consuming task which entailed a lot of standing around in the cold. For this reason the teams only reached 7,450 m to set up the tent at 5 pm. Such a late arrival is not exactly ideal preparation for a climb to the summit, when sufficient rest and fluid intake, in particular, are critically important. But this was not our greatest concern; it was Miriam’s health. She had suffered hypothermia from the long waits during the climb. Later that night, when we were ready to start the climb to the summit, it became obvious that she could not continue the climb. On discussion, it was decided that Henk, Katja, and Sherpa Nuru would start the last part of the climb. But at 7,700 m they too decided to turn back. Concern for Miriam – health is more important than anything – drew our energy away from the summit. What good is it to reach the peak, when one of the team members is suffering? You can only reach the peak of an eight-thousander when your focus is at 100%. When everything is right. That was not the case; and not only that: the weather was far from ideal because of the stormy winds.
N.B. Because of the weather, finally all the climbers that day, turned around without success.
Disappointment
Deeply disappointed, the team returned to base camp. We had achieved a result of 7,700 metres. In the end, we still had something to be proud of, and a certain measure of satisfaction. No other Dutch climbers had ever previously come so far on this mountain. After all the unimaginable improvisation that had been required, it was a particularly impressive expedition: our unexpected hike, the wonderful climb, and above all the marvellous time we had, including all the ups and downs.
The team spirit is put to its greatest test when the intended goal is not reached. It was tough for a few days, naturally. But even during the hike back to the everyday world, we continued to maintain cooperation and a good team spirit. And that might well have been our most important achievement.
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