Heading for Nepal: high-altitude adventure by Damien Arnaud
picture above : Mathurin Vauthier
pictures below : Zian Perrot-Couttet
After two wonderful expeditions in South America and India, it became unthinkable for me to put down my crampons anywhere but Nepal. For me, this country is the next step, and the Holy Grail for every mountaineer, a land of legends where the stories of the greatest climbers and skiers meet.
For two years now, I've been dreaming of the Himlung Himal region. It's home to three peaks over 7,000 metres, two of which are of particular interest to me. On the one hand, Himlung Himal (7,126 m), reputed to be not very technical, and on the other, Nemjung (7,146 m), a summit that is almost never climbed because of a nightmarish glacier riddled with crevasses. Of course, Nemjung, which has never been skied, particularly appeals to me.
The trek: from Kathmandu to base camp
Our mountain ‘ethic’ is simple: one porter each to the base camp, and then we do everything ourselves, without Sherpa or fixed ropes.
In Koto, we meet our porters. As we explore the area, we come across an old deaf man laboriously carrying wood. Using improvised sign language, we help him carry his load and spend the afternoon with him. In France, there are quite a few people with whom I share the same language, but despite that we don't understand each other. With him, it's the opposite.
The base camp: luxury, calm and... minimalism.
When we reached the base camp, we were in for a shock: a veritable small town with sleeping tents, cooks and every conceivable comfort. All that was missing were the masseurs! With our little assault tent in the middle of it all, we were quickly dubbed ‘Sunday campers’, which isn't entirely untrue, but I prefer to say we're minimalists, it sounds more serious.
First summit: Himlung Himal (7 ,126 m)
After a day of preparation, we decided to tackle Himlung Himal first, to test our abilities at 7,000 metres and observe the movements of the seracs on the Nemjung glacier.
Loaded like mules with 30kg each, we climbed to camp 1 (5,500m) where we spent a restless night. Zian had a headache and I hardly slept, but we persevered. The next day, we climb up to camp 2 (6,100 m), drop off our gear, then descend to base camp for two well-deserved days of rest. D-Day finally arrives. Fully motivated, we climbed the last 1,000 metres to the summit in seven hours, without a fixed rope. The wind slapped us in the face, but nothing could stop us. At the summit, we spent an hour in the shelter to warm up before skiing all the way down. The snow was hard but grippy. An hour and a half later, we were at the foot of the face, thrilled and exhausted.
Nemjung: the unfinished dream
After three days of observation, the decision was made: we had to give up. There was no lack of desire, but the mountain was in charge, and this year it said ‘NO’ in capital letters.
Conclusion: next time baby
The decision to return to the village was a tough one, but a wise one. At the age of 24, I suddenly found myself thinking that I was wise. Although new, it wasn't an unpleasant sensation (frustration hurts a little, but still a lot less than a 150 cubic metre block of serac in the face). We'll need more experience and better conditions for the Nemjung. One thing's for sure: we'll be back. Stronger, better prepared, and with the same passion that drives us to go higher.
