Valery Babanov and Vladimir Suviga about an expedition to Nuptse East

Valery Babanov and Vladimir Suviga

Virgin east summit of Nuptse (7804 m, Himalayas) attracts attention of best climbers with a supernatural power. There were many expeditions of leading mountaineers during last 17 years, but their failures have only been exciting next candidates to pioneers. Among those was one Russian – Valery Babanov, an owner of `Piolet d’Or – 2002’. This year it was his second attempt to climb the mountain. First one was a solo attempt and this time – in a duo with Valery Suviga.

This jubilee season the Himalayas met numerous expeditions of `conquerors’ with an offensive defense. Weather here has never been stable, but this season even Everest old-timers were surprised with abnormal storms that lasted till the end of May.

Thus on the last spring day Babanov and Suviga returned to Russia leaving in Himalayas an unclimbed beauty Nuptse East – the highest of virgin summits. For month and a half our climbers had been processing a hardest route up South-East ridge. They had fixed more than 1 kilometer of ropes, climbed a crux of the route and pitched they highest camp. They needed one weather window, but – there were no windows for them for a month. They tried to break through heavy snowfalls, but all in vain. A permit was expiring.

Cherished summit was so near: an apex was only 350 meters higher – just two days of climbing! But – as it uses to happen – when the team was at 7450, a heavy snowfall, which was alternating only with a storm wind, stopped climbers.

Valery Babanov (VB): We did all we could and even more. South-East ridge was climed and only weather terminated our final push to the summit. On the 22nd of May we descended to our base camp. The route was prepared. We were acclimatized; we recovered and were 100% ready for a final bid. We needed nothing but weather.

LM: How many bids did you make?

VB: For two months that we spent at Nuptse there were no more than five (sic!) really clear days that were ideal for a final push. In spite of uncertain weather we have attempted the summit four times (after we had completed processing the route). The last bid we made on the 19th of May when we had only one day till the end of a permit term. The last but unsuccessful –

LM: Truly speaking, we were very anxious about you when there was no news from you for a week. It was in early May – during your final attempt. How long had you been above 7000? What about your bivies there?

VB: Making use of a temporarily snapback of weather on the 5th of May we (once again) started upwards. First two days we spent in our advanced camp at 6700 meters, next five days we were above 7000. Three of them were used for an ascend and two for a descent. After it we need a pair of days to renew our strength in a base camp..

Vladimir Suviga (VS): We wished to reach summit for 4-5 days (to date from a base camp). Really we spent 17 hours to reach 6700 meters. We started on midnights to climb as much as we could till the `regular’ morning snowfall. At 6500 m a part of fixed ropes was cut with a broken serac, so we spent some time to repair them.

VB: It was exactly a snowfall that forced us to turn back when (on the 9th of May) we reached 7450 meters and there were no more than two days to the summit. ‘Twas such a heavy snowfall that it took two days to downclimb to a base camp. Our next bivy was in a bergschrund at 7100. We spent that night in a light tent designed by BASK especially for our expedition.

LM: Had your route (its conditions, grade) changed since your previous expedition? Had you fix any ropes above an advanced camp or did you choose an alpine style instead?

VB: When we returned to the South Face of Nuptse in March, I was puzzled with what I saw. At first glance I didn’t recognize the ridge – all its two kilometers were gray and absolutely dry. In autumn everything was covered with snow, which was blown down with stormy wind, while in spring we saw bare rocks. Though, general technical grade did not change: some segments became easier, some became harder. Some former iced segments required free climbing this time. A crux, so called `devil’s tower’ (6200 - 6400 m) may be characterized as ED (extremely difficult) or 6A (French grade). Above 6500 we followed alpine style: no preliminary processing of a route, two Beal ropes (Cobra rope for belaying) and light and durable cevlar Dyneema for rappelling.

VS: During two months of the expedition we had about 30 climb-outs and it seems I could climb our route blindfold now. I remember a climb of a similar grade: it was the West Face of
Dhaulagiri. Hard and overhanging rocks above 6000 meters. We used allclimbing techincs and all climbing gear. No (even moral) rest on this mountain, no spot where you may stop climb and may just scramble a little. The only segment that we could pass without alternating belaying was at 6900 m. It was 80 meters long and it was exactly the place where Hans Kammerlander pitched his camp.

LM: I know you were competing with an Italian team of Hans Kammerlander. I’m afraid it resulted in some tensions between you – two candidates to firstclimb the summit. What about it?

VB: On the contrary, we were on the best terms with Hans himself and with his team. It was Nuptse East that made us friends. The only problems in communications were related with a language barrier. When (on the 26th of April) Kammerlander’s expeditions approached Mt. Nuptse and pitched a camp in 300 meters from us we were ready for a final push to summit. Keeping in mind it and that all the route along the ridge was processed with us already, Kammerlander found it more ethic to choose another way. It was a route up a gully – it is easier, but of higher avalanche danger.

LM: In Kammerlander reports it is written much about a serious avalanche danger. Once an avalanche rushed down their gully in a few moments on their leaving it. It had demoralized one experienced member of Kammerlander’s ream. Had anything of the kind occurred with you?

VB: While Italyan team was climbing up a gully where we saw real snow rivers, our ridge was relatively safe as it was out of an avalanche zone. In spite of its difficultness it’s a unique eye-filling, logic and safe way to the summit.

Nevertheless above 6900 our routes coincided – further way crossed vast ice and snow fields were huge masses of snow had been accumulating. The slope was 50-700 steep and each snowfall resulted in avalanches. One of them caught us on our return from a final push. It went straight over me. Large field of snow unexpectedly moved out and, gathering speed, covered me and went further. Fortunately, the snow stake that I fixed for self-belay stood the stroke. It happened at 7100 on the 10th of May.

LM: In spite of the fact that Nuptse East is still unclimbed, your expedition can not be considered unsuccessful. For the first time Russians reached 7450 altitude, repeating the best result of a French expedition of 1994.

VS: First of all, we had climbed a crux. Secondly, we all are safe and sound. Thirdly, we are a second team that reached 7450 m (for the last 178 years none but French could do it). It’s not our fault that a permit had expired before weather changed. Much depends on luck here.

LM: When you were leaving the mountain there was expected a window in weather. Why did such a strong climber as Kammerlander not use that opportunity? Obviously, on your retreat he had good chances to become a pioneer.

VS: I think he just did not make his mind for an exhaustive struggle for the summit. Probably they were disappointed with their first failure. To that moment they saw themselves real dangers and real hardness of the route.

VB: I was surprised when Hans told me that they planned only 3-4 weeks for their expedition. It’s not serious for Nuptse. Besides, they were accompanied with a large camera-team. I’m afraid that an idea `at least to make a film even if we don’t summit the peak’ could relax the climbing team. On 6900 meter altitude, not long after our descent, they decided to terminate their expedition. Really, I got to know that Nuptse is the highest virgin summit from Hans (to be exact, from his advertisements).

LM: I know that famous Reinhold Messner had visited Kammerlander’s camp at Nuptse base. Had he visited you? What did he say concerning your route?

VB: We met on the 18th of May. Messner came there to visit his friend Hans and dropped in our camp. I immediately recognized though I didn’t knew him personally before. In spite of his 59 years he looked nice and was in good trim. Very qualified, well-informed about all events in our climbing world, he appreciated our route high and found our style (in a duo) optimal for this summit. Really success was very near.

LM: Valera, are you ready to return and to try the summit once again?

VB: Sure, I wish to return there this autumn. I’m absolutely positive that Nuptse East may be climbed in a duo. It would be pity to reject our project now, when so much is done already. South-West edge of Nuptse is the hardest and the most attractive route of those I’ve ever climbed. Extreme climbing at extreme height. It is extreme alpinism – the sport I’m so fond of.

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Valery Babanov and Vladimir Suviga were interviewed by Larisa Martynkina, company BASK.

17.06.2003