This is a online interview I have done with Michael Kennedy Alpinist editor in chief who was part of the 1978 expedition to Latok and Carol McDermott CRUX Founder and expedition leader of the 1991 Latok expedition. Despite some 25 plus attempts on the North Ridge of Latok no one has been higher than the 1978 US expedition composed by Jim Donini, Michael Kennedy (Canadian by birth but resident in the U.S.), Jeff Lowe, and George Lowe attempt the 8000-foot North Ridge, climbing capsule-style and spending 26 days on the route. They reach a high point of about 23,000 feet. June-July. What will it take to unlock this great line? What's the history of this Mountain? In this mini series of postings I have tried to find a few answers.
Firs out Michel Kennedy
- Given the elusive history of the North Ridge, more than 30 years and about the same number of failed attempts. What is the key to pull it off? I mean some of the best of the best have been there and yet no one has bag it.
- When would you go for a summit bid? June, July or August?
- If one assume this is "holy" ground and the FA will be done with out "raping" the ridge what number of climbers is the ideal team composed of?
- Pure alpine style or Capsule style? Pros and cons?
- Is this a readpoint project or can one get luck on the first go?
- This summer Collin Haley tried "left" hand start whats your take on ideal line?
- What's it like above the magic 6000 meter bivy? Where will this route weight in? WI? M? 5.10????
- When you where there in 78 did you understand how futuristic this line was?
- I have looked at weather data over 20 years and in my opinion there is a trade off to be made between going early and have a snow start and risking mushrooms on the ridge but have cold and good ice on the top section with no falling debris or going late and have good clear rock but risking heat stroke and bad ice on the upper parts.
- Do you know any other project in Himalaya that has been tried so many times and still no one has bagged it? Or do you agree with me when I say its "the" or one of the greatest unsolved problem in Himalaya?
- Trip advice?
Light & fast may not work on this one. You might have to go "old-school" - maybe a team of three with 10 or 12 days food & fuel, so you can sit out a few days of storm.
CRUX founder Carol McDermott on Latok
- Some background on you and your fellow expedition members from 1991? (when, who, strategy, impression etc)
The expedition was late-May to mid-July 1991. The team consisted of: Carol McDermott (leader – New Zealand)
Dave Wills (New Zealand) Andy MacFarlane (New Zealand) Andy MacNae (British).
Wills and MacFarlane where on their first expedition (to anywhere), MacNae on his second to the Greater Ranges. I was by far the most experienced with about 8 6000’ers in Peru, G2, Bhagarathi III, Shivling, Ama Dablam, Caucasus, Patagonia under my belt. (Despite this, I have no hesitation in saying that both Wills and MacFarlane were better alpine climbers than me. MacNae was about my standard).
Strategy – basically, I am a great believer in time. Time for acclimitisation, time for weather. I booked the trip for 12 weeks, but was disappointed that the others only went for 6 weeks. This was a mistake because I think we could’ve done it. We warmed up on some smaller peaks (MacFarlane and I climbed a very nice peak opposite whose name eludes me at the moment). The others wanted to go straight on the route. We camped at the last grassy knoll where the Panmah is joined by the Sim Gang – about 4 hours down from a high camp opposite the base of the route.
We had 3 attempts. First was after 4 weeks starting on the rock buttress to the right, but this proved slow and awkward. Climbing would have been very easy in rockshoes, desperate in plastics (very slabby, compact rock). We got to the top of the first buttress and then descended (I can’t remember why). We descended down the gully to the left during which MacFarlane was hit by a falling rock. He was very badly bruised (and lucky to be alive – 1 foot more and his head would’ve been taken off). We retired to BC and it was clear that MacFarlane’s expedition was over. He went out with our LO.
Second attempt was a threesome, and we decided to go straight up the gully in a real alpine start (being terrified of rockfall). About 2 pitches below the ridge where one tops out of the gully, MacNae collapsed with some weird kind of oedema. Wills and I had to lower him down and assist him to BC where he started to recover. He decided to stop at this point.
Third attempt was Wills and myself. We did a really hard appraisal of how to do it and went ultralight – no tent or anything, about 6 days food. First day we climbed the gully where the exit pitch (in my opinion) was very hard – about WI 6. (Anchors were terrifyingly poor. Wills lead, I belayed). We bivvied on a snow mushroom. The second day was spent climbing up a long fluted ridge to the base of the rock/mixed climbing. Although the line looks quite well-defined from below, its not quite the same up there (or it could’ve been the weather that closed in on us mid afternoon obscured the line). We did about 6 pitches up mixed ground, but nothing really hard. The rock is much better here. Bivvied in cut-out seats and it snowed heavily all night and the next morning. Going as ultralight as we were, our strategy was “go up, or go down, but don’t hang around”. We descended – about 40 raps, 20 hours in abysmal conditions. The last 8 or so were already wired after our descent with the ill MacNae.
Wills had to go – I had another 6 weeks. I went to Islamabad to meet my girlfriend (now my wife) and a week later we started a Hispar-Snow Lake-Sim Gang- Baltoro-Hushe trek. We had 3 weeks of near-perfect weather. I was so frustrated - we could’ve done it. (Wills was also to go back and attempt Latok 2 more times in the following years with Brendan Murphy. Brendan was later to die on Changabang).
Impression – the route is big. I don’t believe it is technically that hard, but it goes on and on, and it is sure as hell harder than Magic Line on K2 or Makalu. One is truly committed. The line is compelling, long, straight, and high – there are very few around to match it (West face of G4 definitely).
- Given the elusive history of the North Ridge, more than 30 years and about the same number of failed attempts. What is the key to pull it off? Some of the best of the best have been there and yet no one has bag it.
The key is to go very light and very fast. For the descent, you’re looking at 80 odd rappels, so I would start off with a lot of material and wire the rap points on the way up – it was a life-saver for us to find the last 8 set-up after 18 hours of descent in snow and wind. The key? Perseverance – this has got me far further than any climbing ability. Also, you need to LOVE the stark, remote, barren isolation of the Karakorum. I think the others on my trip found spending 6 weeks in this environment quite tough psychologically speaking.
- When would you go for a summit bid? June, July or August?
Arrive mid-May, be ready early June. I think you would be very unlucky not to get a window if you gave yourself 8-10 weeks to attempt an ascent. The gully is easier early on, but rock higher up is cleaner later on. August the weather is less reliable.
- If we assume this is "holy" ground and the FA will be done with out raping the ridge what number of climbers is the ideal team composed of?
Two
- Pure alpine style or Capsule style? Pros and cons?
Alpine style.
- Is this a "readpoint" project or can one get luck on the first go?
Onsight! Reading won’t help, getting the weather will, and to get the weather, you need to put in the time(Mind you, does reading a lot of novels count?)
- This summer Collin Haley tried "left" hand start whats your take on ideal line?
I’m not sure what the left hand start is. For us there were really only two options – the gully (left) or the buttress (right). I think the “purest” line would be the buttress on the right. We compromised on the gully in this respect, but got a lot further and quicker.
- What's it like above the magic 6000 meter bivy? Where will this route weight in? WI? M? 5.10????
The climbing is steady. Bit of route-finding to find the way of least resistance. I think the climb’s difficulty is not in a technical grade, but in the majesty of its size, the constraints of the altitude, the commitment it demands, and once you’ve reached the summit, you’re only halfway!
- When you where there did you understand how futuristic this line was?
I was simply drawn by the line and the sheer size of it. I’m not a visionary when it comes to climbing – I climb what I like the look of (and could possibly do, technically speaking). I call M12, F9b+ or whatever utterly futuristic, but I don’t think this really applies to big mountains.
- I have looked at weather data over 20 years and in my opinion there is a trade off to be made between going early and have a snow start and risking mushrooms on the ridge but have cold and good ice on the top section with no falling debris or going late and have good clear rock but risking heat stroke and bad ice on the upper parts.
As above.
- Do you know any other project in Himalaya that has been tried so many times and still no one has bagged it? Or do you agree with me when I say its THE or one of the GREATEST unsolved problem in Himalaya?
I remember Nuptse South Pillar rejected a few, as did Jannu. To be honest, I am surprised Latok N Ridge is still unclimbed actually, given the number of attempts and the quality of many of the climbers (most win a way higher league than me). I would say it is THE biggest unsolved problem in the Greater Ranges (not being in the Himalaya!). There are 2 climbs that really stood out for me in the 80’s – the South Face of Annapurna, and the West Face of G4. After this, yes there have been harder climbs done, but they lacked the sheer speed, simplicity and audacity of these 2 climbs (both done by 2 people in alpine style, moreorless).
- Trip advice?
I don’t think you need any!
