Everybody was ready, good in shape and very excited for summit push. According to our own weather forecast and the numerous weather forecasts circulating among the various expeditions present at the Manaslu base camp, a clear weather window was foreseen for 3 October 2013.
After some fresh snowfalls and a few days of bad weather, Norbu and Hillary went thus up to camp 3 to settle the tents on 29 September 2013. Starting after a good breakfast, Gilles and me joined them the day after in camp 1. The night was clear, we slept all very well, which was a good sign for our acclimatization. The sun woke us up by 6am. The atmosphere between us was very good and we started directly in direction of camp 3 at 6800m through the technical part with its numerous seracs and impressive crevasses. Arriving at camp 3, we could still enjoy the last sunny moments of the day before we jumped into our sleeping bags for the rest of the day.
After a cold night, the tent was even frozen from inside..., and several cups of teas, wearing our big down suits, as if we did not take off our sleeping bags, we went slowly slowly straight up the first 400m of elevation to reach the next step, 7000m. The weather was still good, even if the daily changes were at some parts of the day present as usual. We were walking like being in a sauna in our very fashionable down suits. Several hours later, under a perfect clear sky and a beautiful view on the summit, we reached very confident for the next day, camp 4 at 7450m. Whereas during the day, we would have been happy to take off our sexy down suits, there was not a small doubt about their necessity anymore while we were at this altitude. On this kind of Adventure, the human body has to adapt itself to many various and extreme situations. While during the day, you could be at some times happy and just dreaming of wearing some shorts even above 7000m, as soon as the sun is disappearing it would just turn into a nightmare. The same with the food, starving after hours of climbing, when you have finished a good plate of pasta and the envy would just to serve you once more, at these altitudes, you are already very happy if you are able to finish a small cup of food, which would look like an appetizer back home...
The start for the summit was foreseen at 2am, which would permit us to arrive for the sunrise at 8163m. A last check to the sky full of stars before each of us closed our eyes for a few hours the thoughts towards the summit, a few more hours and we could finally use all these weeks of acclimatization for the last big effort till our aim, whouah! Before 1am, all of us were awake getting delicately ready, thinking of not forgetting any of the essential thing we would need for the next hours. Less than 30' later, the tent was trembling from everywhere, the freezing small water condensation drops from inside the tent falling on our faces and clothes, a strong wind having started to blow...During all the time we have been here, we have learnt that during one day, there could been so many different weather situations, that everything can change from one hour to another, so we stayed confident, even more because of the different weather forecasts we had saying that on 3 October 2013 would be a good summit day.
However, at 2am the wind was getting stronger and stronger even one tent from another company get destroyed, the situation was getting more delicate. We decided to wait for a few more hours taking into account the time we would also need to come down from the summit. A short phone call to the weather forecast in the early morning, and the decision was the same for everyone present at this camp: go down as soon as possible, a new perturbation with heavy snowfalls was foreseen for the rest of the day. So close from our aim...but so dangerous could be the almost 3000m elevation descent till base camp if the steep flanks were surcharged with heavy fresh but humid snow...and the dramatic accident from last year, the huge avalanche killing 11 people, came also through the minds... The decision was taken, even it felt very hard when knowing we were so close from the summit and still in good shape, but there is no discussion with the mountain, its rules are the one which are applicable.
The day after we reached the base camp under snowfall in the late foggy afternoon, it was still coverd with snow and we could hear big avalanches coming down from all around, we were comforted in our decision.
This is life, this is the mountain and we have to respect it. We had already the chance to enjoy a great way till here so live it like it is and keep these beautiful moments in our minds.
Thank you from heart to everyone who has supported all of us along this fabulous Adventure! See you for further Adventures,
Namasté
Pics will follow shortly !
After some fresh snowfalls and a few days of bad weather, Norbu and Hillary went thus up to camp 3 to settle the tents on 29 September 2013. Starting after a good breakfast, Gilles and me joined them the day after in camp 1. The night was clear, we slept all very well, which was a good sign for our acclimatization. The sun woke us up by 6am. The atmosphere between us was very good and we started directly in direction of camp 3 at 6800m through the technical part with its numerous seracs and impressive crevasses. Arriving at camp 3, we could still enjoy the last sunny moments of the day before we jumped into our sleeping bags for the rest of the day.
After a cold night, the tent was even frozen from inside..., and several cups of teas, wearing our big down suits, as if we did not take off our sleeping bags, we went slowly slowly straight up the first 400m of elevation to reach the next step, 7000m. The weather was still good, even if the daily changes were at some parts of the day present as usual. We were walking like being in a sauna in our very fashionable down suits. Several hours later, under a perfect clear sky and a beautiful view on the summit, we reached very confident for the next day, camp 4 at 7450m. Whereas during the day, we would have been happy to take off our sexy down suits, there was not a small doubt about their necessity anymore while we were at this altitude. On this kind of Adventure, the human body has to adapt itself to many various and extreme situations. While during the day, you could be at some times happy and just dreaming of wearing some shorts even above 7000m, as soon as the sun is disappearing it would just turn into a nightmare. The same with the food, starving after hours of climbing, when you have finished a good plate of pasta and the envy would just to serve you once more, at these altitudes, you are already very happy if you are able to finish a small cup of food, which would look like an appetizer back home...
The start for the summit was foreseen at 2am, which would permit us to arrive for the sunrise at 8163m. A last check to the sky full of stars before each of us closed our eyes for a few hours the thoughts towards the summit, a few more hours and we could finally use all these weeks of acclimatization for the last big effort till our aim, whouah! Before 1am, all of us were awake getting delicately ready, thinking of not forgetting any of the essential thing we would need for the next hours. Less than 30' later, the tent was trembling from everywhere, the freezing small water condensation drops from inside the tent falling on our faces and clothes, a strong wind having started to blow...During all the time we have been here, we have learnt that during one day, there could been so many different weather situations, that everything can change from one hour to another, so we stayed confident, even more because of the different weather forecasts we had saying that on 3 October 2013 would be a good summit day.
However, at 2am the wind was getting stronger and stronger even one tent from another company get destroyed, the situation was getting more delicate. We decided to wait for a few more hours taking into account the time we would also need to come down from the summit. A short phone call to the weather forecast in the early morning, and the decision was the same for everyone present at this camp: go down as soon as possible, a new perturbation with heavy snowfalls was foreseen for the rest of the day. So close from our aim...but so dangerous could be the almost 3000m elevation descent till base camp if the steep flanks were surcharged with heavy fresh but humid snow...and the dramatic accident from last year, the huge avalanche killing 11 people, came also through the minds... The decision was taken, even it felt very hard when knowing we were so close from the summit and still in good shape, but there is no discussion with the mountain, its rules are the one which are applicable.
The day after we reached the base camp under snowfall in the late foggy afternoon, it was still coverd with snow and we could hear big avalanches coming down from all around, we were comforted in our decision.
This is life, this is the mountain and we have to respect it. We had already the chance to enjoy a great way till here so live it like it is and keep these beautiful moments in our minds.
Thank you from heart to everyone who has supported all of us along this fabulous Adventure! See you for further Adventures,
Namasté
Pics will follow shortly !
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