Picture from: http://www.summitpost.org
Creating history is not always a good thing... Over the weekend a true mountaineers mountain was victimized and forever lost part of its glory. Yet an other mountain has been lost to the profit hunger of commercial expedition organizers. Nuptse has always been a true challenge for the best alpinists in the world. The list of outstanding alpinists whom have tried and some times successfully managed to forge lines up Nuptse is long. Its a list of who is who when it comes to climbing hard lines in alpine style.
Some controversy was sparked when Babanov finished
the much-desired South Pillar on Nuptse East and Steve House protested against
the Piolet D'Or the ascent received by distancing himself from the event.
Babanov and his partner fixed the start of the long and exposed route all
though several strong teams had attempted the route in pure alpine style. Many
argued that Babanov and his partner lowered the standards in order to be first
and thought of it as bad judgement and lack of style.
At that time I don't think any one in the climbing
world thought it would be possible to buy a summit of Nuptse. Now that has
sadly happened. And on the back of the commercial expedition some “uncool”
tagged along and pulled off some kind of ascent.
The Everest shit show is spilling over to
Nuptse
This season marks an all time low in the Everest
region. Everest is a can of worms and literally the floodgates are wide open
for any one with a big enough wallet to get to the summit of what ever they
desire. Its pathetic, sad and tragic that one of the most distinguished of all
Himalayan peaks have fallen victim to a guided commercial expedition.
The responsible organizer placed a team of about 10
to 12 clients and guides on the summit after fixing ropes all the way to the
summit. I frankly think it’s an irresponsible decision to offer Nuptse to
paying clients. What is next? A Via Ferata up Great Trango Tower?
Will the elusive North Ridge of Latok become a
victim of a team blinded by ambition or a commercial organizer keen to do some
thing spectacular for its paying clients? Or worse will it succumb to a team of
climbers looking at the Everest shit show and deciding that it’s ok to reach
the summit by any means?
Is it really necessary for HIMEX to pollute every
single mountain they can? It all boils down to scale of economics; by offering
some thing extra with in reach of Everest BC they can use its army of Sherpa’s
and its supreme logistic power to squeeze even more business out of the Everest
season.
Have they no sense of understanding and respect for
the climbing history on Nuptse?
Profit and peak bagging before dignity that is how
we have to view this ascent. A truly hart breaking event.
© Copyright 2013 - All Rights Reserved David Falt
© Copyright 2013 - All Rights Reserved David Falt
