I went to South America to get some experience on 6000 m peaks, then the following year to India to test myself on a 7000 m.
I think I’m ready!
I talked to Zian Perrot-Couttet, who is also highly motivated, and the expedition is now underway.
At last, I’m going to explore the beautiful Nepalese valleys.
Our “ethics” for the mountains motivate us to hire one porter each to carry our gear to base camp, and after that, for the ascent, to do everything ourselves without Sherpas or fixed ropes.
Once we arrive in Nepal, everything moves pretty quickly: we leave Kathmandu for Koto, the last village before our trek to base camp. Normally, it only takes one day, but due to massive floods, it takes us two. It’s not a big deal—it gives us a chance to see more of the country.
We arrive in Koto and meet the porters. While walking around the area, we meet an elderly man struggling to carry wood he had just cut. We realize he is deaf, but with some improvised sign language, we manage to help him carry the load and spend the afternoon with him.
The next day, we start our trek with 19 km on the agenda. The scenery is stunning; it’s a feast for our eyes… and our legs! :)
The following day, we have a similar journey to Phu, the last village at 4,000 meters before base camp, where we take a rest day as recommended.
During this rest day, we meet some of the village’s youth, bond with them, and spend a great day repairing the water pipes to restore the village’s water supply!
The next day, we head to base camp and arrive around noon. And that’s when we realize that the base camp is absolutely massive. We’d never seen anything like it: tent rooms, cooks… all it was missing were masseurs 😂.
With our small assault tent in the middle of this “little city,” we quickly earn the nickname “the hobos.” It’s pretty funny!
After a day spent at base camp to prepare for the next step, we decide to head first to Himlung (7126m) to reach 7000m for the first time and observe how the Nemjung glacier’s seracs are moving.
We plan a first ascent with all our gear to Camp 2, where we will leave our ski equipment, warm clothes, and food. So here we are, each carrying 30kg for two long days.
On the first day, we climb to Camp 1 at 5500m to spend the night. It goes well, although the backpacks are really heavy. Upon waking up, Zian has a headache, and I must admit I didn’t sleep very well either.
We decide to leave the tent and sleeping bags at Camp 1 and do a round trip to Camp 2 in a single day.
The hike to Camp 2 is quite laborious, crossing a scree field and reaching the glacier where we climb.
The Nepalis look at us strangely with our massive backpacks and wearing our Rapid GTX shoe on a glacier at 6100m.
We bury our gear at Camp 2 and head back down to base camp.
Two well-deserved rest days at base camp allow us to get to know the Sherpas, and we also attend a prayer ceremony.
Fully recharged, we set off for our summit push.
Taking the same route, we spend one night at Camp 1 and another good night at Camp 2.
Everyone tells us to set up a Camp 3, as it’s too far to reach the summit directly, but I feel great and we decide to attempt the summit from Camp 2. We estimate it will take 10 hours, but honestly, the Nepalis who recently summited don’t believe it’s possible, especially without using fixed ropes.
By now, we’ve spent several days carefully observing the movements of the Nemjung glacier, and the signs aren’t good: seracs fall every day, and avalanches sweep the glacier… Moreover, the face is really dry, so we’re determined to secure this summit first.
We set up camp around noon and plan to leave at 1 a.m. After drinking a few liters of water and eating a bad freeze-dried meal, we go to bed around 5 p.m. At that moment, I realize my mattress is completely deflated, so I spend the night on the snow.
But I recently read an account of an expedition that endured far worse, so I wait patiently without sleeping until midnight, when it’s time to wake up.
The alarm rings, and Zian hasn’t slept either because of a terrible headache. To be honest, we weren’t the freshest fish in the tank :)
But I’ve been waiting for this moment for so long—it’s time to measure myself against a 7000m peak in the Himalayas. I’m super motivated. We make quick progress to the spot where the Sherpas suggested setting up Camp 3. The wind picks up strongly, but at that point, nothing could stop us.
I feel incredibly strong, as if the higher I go, the better I feel. I take the lead and wait for Zian from time to time, but we are way ahead of schedule, so I decide to take a break to wait for him and rest about 200m below the summit. After that, we’ll be on the summit ridge and fully exposed to the wind.
We cross the ridge together, and as expected, the wind is brutal, knocking us to the ground with every gust. In the end, the last few meters take longer than expected, but with patience and determination, we make steady progress.
We see the summit—and more importantly, just 5 meters below it, a massive cornice sheltered from the wind, which gives us extra motivation!
We reach the summit after 7 hours from Camp 2, without fixed ropes.
We stay almost an hour in the wind shelter to warm up a bit. After taking a few photos, we ski from the summit.
The snow is very hard but provides decent grip.
1.5 hours later, we’re at the base of the face, enjoying the sun.
We then return to Camp 2, where a few people congratulate us, and Zian and I celebrate a little at Camp 2. Afterward, we grab our massive backpacks and descend to spend the night at Camp 1.
The next morning, we head back to base camp, completely exhausted from carrying the packs.
There’s a celebration upon our return to base camp, as we are the first climbers after the Nepali team to summit this year.
After a good night at base camp, we look toward Nemjung and plan to leave in two days. But from that moment on, seracs start falling all over the glacier, and no “safe” camp is possible.
After three days of reflection, observation, and realization, the face has deteriorated too much, and the glacier worsens every day, leaving us no chance.
We decide to return to the village—it’s too late, and there hasn’t been enough snow this year.
The decision is tough, but it’s the best one to make. We’ll need more experience, but one thing is certain—we will be back.
Stronger.