F e a t u r e s
Drawing Parallels
by Squadron Leader Colin Scott A
t first glance any similarity between a mountaineering expedition to one of the
world’s highest mountains and an Operational Deployment may seem difficult to grasp. However, perhaps more than in other adventurous activities the challenges involved in high altitude mountaineering demand many of the same disciplines, making it an ideal vehicle for preparing personnel facing the rigours of ops.
Makalu, at 8463m (27,700ft) is the fifth highest mountain in the world and ranks as one of the most challenging to climb. Indeed, on first seeing the mountain in 1952 Sir Edmund Hilary described it as ‘without doubt one of the hardest propositions of all’. The peak, in the Nepalese Himalaya, sits on the border of Nepal and Tibet in the heart of the Makalu-Barun Conservation Area, a remote and rugged region to the northeast of Nepal’s capital city, Kathmandu.
In contrast to neighbouring Everest the mountain stands alone, its impressive bulk dominating the skyline increasing the visual impact of seeing the mountain for the first time. Our objective was an ascent of the mountain’s South East Ridge, a route first climbed in1970 but repeated only once, in 1976, and still without a Brit being involved. At over 10 kilometres long and with much of the difficulty above 7000m an ascent of this knife-edged ridge presented a truly daunting challenge. Organised under the auspices of Joint Services Adventure Training the team comprised eight personnel drawn from across all ranks and branches of the three Services.
12 Envoy Winter 2010
From the capital Kathmandu our journey to the mountain involved a short flight to an airstrip at Tumlingtar followed by a demanding 8-day trek through the foothills to reach Base Camp at 4800m. The trek formed an important phase of the expedition. Not only was it an integral part of the vital acclimatisation process, but also gave a period of focus for the team on the challenge ahead.
On reaching Base Camp we spent two days acclimatising and consolidating the camp before beginning the climb. Being four days walk from the nearest major village, in a region where evacuation by helicopter was both expensive and subject to the vagaries of the weather conditions, it was essential that we were self-sufficient and well organised from the outset.
During the weeks that followed we established a series of camps at intervals along the mountain route, a task that required all team members to complete several arduous load-carries of food and equipment to stock the camps. Climbing in pairs, teams of four or occasionally alone, storm-force winds, poor visibility and sub-zero temperatures were frequent companions as we battled our way up and down the mountain. The risk of frostbite or cold injury to extremities was ever- present. The emphasis was on establishing the camp infrastructure to enable one or two members to push for the summit – anything more would be a bonus.
The key section of the lower part of the mountain is steep and exposed, a knife-edge ridge extending for 4km and rising over 700m in height. Camps 1 and 2 were located at either end of this ridge with climbing time
between the two varying from 7 to 10 hours dependant of the snow and ice conditions. Exposed to the unrelenting winds pouring from Everest, the ridge was not a place for the faint hearted, often a maelstrom of blowing snow and ice. Indeed, whilst traversing the ridge two members found themselves stormbound and without shelter, their tent poles breaking under the force of the wind. Too late in the day to descend to Camp 1 their only chance of survival was to abseil 20m down a near vertical ice gully and shelter behind a small rock buttress, enduring a cold and uncomfortable bivouac perched precariously on the side of the mountain. But in this situation, the extreme conditions only served to increase the tenacity and determination of the team and within a few days we had established Camp 2 at 6800m. Timing was of the essence as nearby an American climber whose climbing route crossed our own was showing signs of altitude related illness. With helicopter rescue impossible because of the altitude and extreme weather, the team at Camp 2 set about assisting him down the mountain, an epic 14-hour descent through knee-deep snow and whiteout conditions. It was an exhausted group that reached Base Camp at nightfall.
At the first opportunity we were back on the mountain and from our high point three days of concerted effort saw Camp 3 established at 7300m (23,949ft). This was to be our launch pad for our summit bids, a point from which we would move extremely lightweight, carrying only enough food and fuel for three days and the minimum of clothing and equipment to survive. At these extreme altitudes every extra ounce carried would slow us down exponentially, eroding any slim safety margin that exists at 8000m. Above Camp 3
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