Mountain Expeditions

K2 // Youtube Video!

I'm delighted to share my K2 Summit Video with everyone. It's been in the pipeline for a while tweaking and editing (thanks Ben!) and it's now up on YouTube for all to enjoy!

Lots of lovely comments and likes have been pouring in on YouTube and i'm delighted people are enjoying watching it.

You'll need a brew and a spare 45min to watch the whole things...every step from Basecamp the the Summit.

Please let me know what you think!

Enjoy!

K2 SUMMIT VIDEO (FULL) - Abruzzi Spur, House's Chimney, Black Pyramid, Bottle Neck! K2 SUMMIT VIDEO // Basecamp all the way to the Summit! Via Abruzzi Spur, House's Chimney, Black Pyramid, Bottle Neck...and the summit!These K2 videos are par...

Have set off from high camp 4 Makalu!! We’re going for the summit tonight!! The tracker is running … as always, you can follow our progress via the link:

http://www.mount-everest3d.com/jgupta

Live Tracking - Mount Everest 3D Follow expeditions on Mount Everest with our unique 3D Map. Track your own ascent and share it in real time with family and followers at home.

We (6 members + 6 Sherpa) are at high camp on Kanchenjunga and preparing for the summit push in a few hours.

Kanchenjunga is 3rd highest mountain in the world!

Leaving Camp 4 (7400m) at 21:00 (U.K. 16:15), should take around 10hrs to reach the summit all going well.

Follow our progress: www.mount-everest3d.com/jgupta

Live Tracking - Mount Everest 3D Follow expeditions on Mount Everest with our unique 3D Map. Track your own ascent and share it in real time with family and followers at home.

Kanchenjunga // Days 11 to 15: Basecamp life & acclimatisation to 6200m (Bananagrams, Snow & Puja!)

I stared intently at the upper mountain as the silence of the crisp morning air around me was momentarily broken by the murmurs coming from the cook tent. Surendra and Amrid were doing what they do best and preparing incredible meals for everyone.

After our monster final day trekking up the Yalung Glacier the day before it was a real treat to wake up in Basecamp to warm sunshine, surrounded by giant ice covered peaks and with no formal plans. Three full rest days were on the agenda.

These precious moments early in the morning are always magical. More often than not a vast blue sky is clear of clouds, and the first of the sun’s rays cast long shadows across the glaciers. These moments provide a little space to breath and think before all the team rise and Basecamp comes alive with the humdrum of activity.

Showers, unpacking, sorting, lunch, faffing, internet for the first time, more tent sorting and the first of many games. Bananagrams and Backgammon seem to be the expedition favourites so far. However, many of you will be pleased to know that Monopoly Deal, Scrabble and Rhummikub have all made an appearance as well as Yanif and other card games too.

As expedition leader one of my favourite things about these trips is to facilitate bringing everything together and letting it naturally evolve. Watching the team members cry with laughter at each other’s jokes and stories fills me with huge amounts of satisfaction. The best thing about this trip already is the team. The amazingly humble, determined and selfless Sherpa team as well as Tom, Matt, Nick, Adam and Rupert. The ingredients are in the mix for one of the best trips I’ve ever done, I am sure of it.

On the 27th we enjoyed our expedition Puja. An integral and special part of these big Himalayan expeditions where we all get together and pay our respects to the mountain and ask the gods for safe passage. I’ve enjoyed many Pujas over the years but this was definitely one of the best! Plenty of offerings and tossing rice and flower at each other. Even our porters were keen to get involved with the festivities, before descending the valley back to their homes.

The next day we went for an acclimatisation climb to Camp 1 at 6200m and back to basecamp. These days are so valuable for a multitude of reasons, not least to gain some altitude and further aid our acclimatisation. Although pretty hot and tough going in parts, we all climbed up to C1 and dropped off a load of kit before descending the route back to BC. That evening there was a new buzz in the camp (between the tired yawns) as for the first time it felt like we’d really got onto the mountain and the reality of what we are hoping to achieve was setting in. Both terrifying and incredibly exciting!

The route is really interesting and fun to climb with a mix of steeper snow slopes, traverses and shorter rocky steps. From C1 you can see 90% of the route to the summit. After a short time we turned and began the down climb back the way we had come. The weather soon deteriorated as we descended and it began snowing a little too. All good fun.

Afternoon clouds and snow seem to be a common pattern so far on Kanchenjunga. In fact we’ve had snow every day we’ve been here but it looks like some better weather may be coming…

Kanchenjunga // Day 4 to 7: Yamphudin - Basecamp!

With the Yaks and Porters loaded we left the beautiful Yamphudin behind and set off into the forest.

The low mountain forest (2000-3000m) in far Eastern Nepal is a really beautiful mix of huge old trees soaring over 100ft into the sky and dense rhododendrons, at this time of year in full flower. Up and up we went for nearly 1800m of unrelenting ascent until finally we reached a col and a tiny simple hut where we had some hot tea and devoured our packed lunches.

An easier descent saw us weaving our way down through the damp mossy forest accompanied by rain and hail to the valley bottom and the beautiful raging Yalong river before arriving at Torongton, a one lodge settlement. Incredible.

The team enjoyed a well earn brew sat by the open fire inside the lodge whist drying out wet kit. That was a big day to open the account of the trek to Basecamp!

The next day was sensational! A beautiful trail weaved through the forest never straying far from the rumbling river. A shorter and much easier day was throughly enjoyed by everyone and it wasn’t long before we arrived into Tseram (3900m) for an early lunch.

Over the course of the next 3 days based in Tseram we rested, washed clothes, did some yoga, acclimatised to 4700m and revelled in our situation. It felt very real and remote and we loved it. Evenings are spent playing games, watching films and an awful lot of laughing. (The team are getting on famously).

After saying our good byes we took to the trail again and a swift 3 hours later we arrived into Ramche (4500m). Ramche is the last inhabited settlement before Kanchenjunga Basecamp and although very basic it was a wonderful picturesque place to stay for a few nights.

Again we did an acclimatisation day, this time tagging 5000m, and a rest day pottering about playing games and enjoying the views in all directions. An improvised game of boules provided hours of competitive entertainment for the team. Then the Heli arrived with our 6th and final member - Adam - and we were complete!

The next day was the BIG day. 12 hours from Ramche to Basecamp, 11 of which were on the vast and broken Yalong Glacier. The terrain was incredibly slow doing and hard won. Overall it wasn’t much fun. Spirits were lifted after 6 hours when we met our Basecamp cook Surendra who’d come down to meet us with an incredible lunch.

Finally, eventually, we crawled into Basecamp in varying degrees of brokenness and collapsed into our tents. Our new home for the next 3-4 weeks.

Kanchenjunga // Day 1 to 3: Kathmandu to Yamphudin

Welcome along to our current expedition - live from Kanchenjunga!

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What an EPIC week we’ve had and we haven’t even started climbing yet! It feels incredible to be here at Kanchenjunga Basecamp after a truly wonderful trek in. I now have access to wifi so will begin updating our journey so far…(another post tomorrow)

Leaving Kathmandu (16th April) we flew east to Bhadrapour, close to the border with India, where we met our Jeep and driver for the next 2 days. In true expedition style we strapped our vast amounts of luggage to the roof and bundled in to the jeep - it felt like the adventure had truly begun! The journey took us through endless fields of unspoilt farmland green with life and full of character. The sense of being in an untouched part of Nepal felt very real and very special, I couldn’t help but smile as we drove towards the mountains. That evening we arrived into Phidim and celebrated Tom’s birthday with cake, beer and a sporting rendition of happy birthday (his is the first of four birthdays in this expedition!).

The next day we continued in the jeep for a few hours gaining our first glimpses of Kanchenjunga and Jannu way off in the distance. It looked big, beautiful and mildly terrifying at the same time! The Kanchenjunga Massif is huge.

The tarmac roads soon changed to dirt as we turned onto the never ending bumpy mountain roads. Any form of civilisation soon felt very far away. At 4pm we hit a road block as a landslide had cut the road off completely. Only an hour from our destination and the end of the road, Yamphudin, we portaged our luggage up and over the road block and transferred into our rescue vehicle - a tractor and trailer!

Rupert, Nick and Matt lay on the luggage in the trailer whilst Tom, Pemba and I sat in the tractor being defined by pumping Nepalese music blasting into our ears. As the last of the suns light faded we turned the final steep bumpy hair pin and arrived into the wonderful Yamphudim Guest House. What a cool day!

The following day we enjoyed a very relaxing rest day in perfect weather. Time was spent lying on the green grass under a warm sun, sorting our kit for portering, and playing backgammon. We even took a short walk to a near by river and took a very brisk dip in the icy water. The scenery was stunning and the dip, albeit quick, which was incredibly refreshing after two days on the dusty roads!

As I had hoped the team are getting on super well and I have a deep sense that this trip is going to be incredibly special. We are all looking froward to our 6th and final member - Adam - joining us in a few days time.

Interview // Alan Arnette

For many years now Alan has been blogging about the mountains, particularly Everest, but many other big mountains too.

A few days ago we sat down and had a fun chat about this year and the mountains I’ve been on.

We cover topics on Everest, Lhotse, Makalu, K2, Pobeda, Manaslu, Dhaulagiri and Ama Dablam!

It’s available on his website, as a podcast and here on YouTube.

I hope you enjoy it!

2021 Himayalya Climbs: Interview with Jon Gupta: Everest, K2, Manaslu Controversy, and more I caught up with British climbing Guide, Jon Gupta of Mountain Expeditions to discuss his amazing 2021 where he guided mostly one client, fellow Brit Rebecca...

Life at 8000m // The Magic of Time

There are special moments in life when time seemingly stands still. In this brief pause, we take a mental photograph and hold onto this memory forever. Its vividness etched into our mind and heart for eternity. These moments are flawlessly clear. They resonate with a purity and unfiltered clarity. Everything is amplified and full of colour. Noises dissipate. The metaphorical blinkers are removed. The thoughts inside your head are calm and clear. It is a complete, unparalleled and unfettered focus. It is moments such as this that we try to hold onto and store in both our hearts and heads and draw on and reflect upon in the future.

Time on expedition can often feel slow. It’s like a parallel world where life is both quiet, leisurely, and simplified. Time is measured in days and weeks, not minutes or hours. Many decisions have to be considered and are made with a sense of purpose yet very few time constraints. However, there is still an awareness and knowledge that outside of this bubble of almost nomadic expedition existence, life keeps moving forward with ever increasing speed.

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As one fantastic moment in my life was drawing to a close, a new one was about to open. I’m not that sad Manaslu is over, nor do I wish to linger longer on the mountain. Moreover, I feel a deep sense of pride in what we just achieved. We were committed, calm and relished the challenges that climbing on these big mountains brought. Climbing 8000m mountains is never an easy task, yet this one we negotiated with very few difficulties.

The day after we summited Manaslu, the helicopter arrived at 07:45 and our small team were shuttled down to Samagaun before taking off towards Pokhara for a brief refuelling. Perched precariously on large duffel bags in the back of the Heli with Siddhi and Lhakpa Sherpa, my eyes were locked on the mountains below and little settlements of rural Nepal. The mountains seemed greener and richer than we had ever seen. Water cascaded down the many deep gorges, falling effortlessly into the abyss below. Mesmerisingly beautiful. I head pressed gently against the vibrating window and a sense of calm wash over me knowing we’d collectively climbed Manaslu both well and safely. The team of four worked incredibly well.

Our little flying time machine touched down momentarily in Pokhara to re-fuel. We jumped out briefly onto the baking tarmac to be welcomed by the warm humid air. After nearly over a month spent at high altitude in cold, glacial environs, the warmth felt strangely alien but very welcome. For one brief, fleeting moment as we stood on the tarmac in Pokhara, we had returned to normal speed. Life suddenly snapped back to normality as the planes and helicopters whirred around us. People busied themselves, fuel splashed on the floor and fast, frantic chatter surrounded the helicopter. Very soon, we were once again back in the air and en route to the familiar territory of a base camp, where we re-entered the parallel world of 8000m mountains, catapulted back to a place where time simplifies and slows down.

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A few days ago, we stood at 7959m on Dhaulagiri. The worlds 7th highest mountain. We were the only four people on the summit push – the highest people in the world at the moment - and everything was going really well. The weather was perfect, and we were all moving well. Lhakpa and Sidhhi were ahead breaking trail through deep snow. They were in their element as they blazed trails climbing with their usual grace and admirable confidence and competence.

However, at 7900m the ropes stopped and a distinct change in environment ensued. What then awaited us was waist deep snow on a 20 degree slope for 350m. Challenging to say the least!
As we slowly but tirelessly continued on, the sun rose and fully emerged, bathing these majestic Himalayan mountains in that early morning alpenglow, and with it a little warmth. We all pushed as hard as we could. Three hours later we glanced back and could see that we had only come a mere 60m. Time had ebbed away rapidly, yet our world had barely changed for three hours. It is in these moments where I feel so incredibly far removed from the normal world.

Our teams’ resources were being consumed by the mountain and eventually the odds were no longer in our favour. With one last longing glance at the summit (only a mere 200m above) we made the collective decision to turn back as a team. Slowly as we descended back down the mountain towards Basecamp, the blinkers drop and the haze begins to lift. Disappointment hangs heavily. It was a long day full of many hours but we all made it safely to Basecamp.

The juxtaposition of high mountain life versus normal life never fails to get me. Of course, I am accustomed to it. I’ve done it many times. Yet, it still, and always will remain a strange period of adjustment as I transition from life in this metaphorical high definition back to feeling like life happens in a wind tunnel.

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The next afternoon, we’re all back in Kathmandu and the inevitable reflection phase begins in earnest. We’re back to normal time. The familiar cacophony of noise surround us - people talking, cars and mopeds and street vendors vying for our attention. Yet, although it feels like it, it is not in fast forward. This world is not strange or unfamiliar, just at present incredibly different. This time it might well just take a little longer to come back to normality.

Dhaulagiri // Summit Push!!

Shortly we will be attempting to reach the summit of Dhaulagiri, standing at 8167m, making it the 7th highest mountain in the world.

3D Tracker will be running live as always - https://mount-everest3d.com/live-tracking/

Currently - we are at Camp 3 (7230m). It's been cloudy with light snow all day, which isn't ideal, but not too much.

No summits today which means we'll be doing some trail breaking!

It's a big summit day (over 900m) and it's just the 4 of us (Becks, Lhakpa, Siddhi and myself). Hopefully the weather will be kind and the snow drifts won't be too deep. It's been a super climb to this point and we all really want this summit.

Look forward to posting soon.

Manaslu // Summit Success!!

Yesterday at 07:15 we stood on the summit of the 8th highest mountain in the world!

Huge thanks to Lhakpa and Siddhi for always being by our aside. Congratulations to Becks for another incredible climb, you cruised it!

More to come soon....

Manaslu // Summit Push & Live Tracker!!

Currently leaving Camp 4 (7430m), it’s around 3am Nepal time and we hope to be on summit of Manaslu (8163m) for 8-9am!
We have just been Drinking tea, trying to eat, getting out down suits, hardness on etc. There’s a lovely big bright moon out tonight too, and a blanket of clouds down below at around 6000m.

Live 3D Tracker running, please see the following:

https://mount-everest3d.com/live-tracking/

We're both really well. We completed our trek from Camp 3 (6750m) up to Camp 4 (7430m) today and went smoothly. We're above the clouds, wind is dropping... it's perfect!!

Hope you you can join me on the tracker.

Live Tracking - Mount Everest 3D Follow expeditions to Mount Everest or track your own expedition with our 3D live tracking service on the unique 3D map of Mount Everest

Manaslu // Summit Push

It’s a funny thing packing for the summit push on an 8000m peak.

After months of waiting and anticipation, weeks of preparation and acclimatisation, it all comes down to the next few days.

My client and I are completely ready. Our two Sherpa are happy and excited. It’s time to make this happen.

Follow the LIVE 3D TRACKER - https://mount-everest3d.com/live-tracking/

Manaslu // After the rain comes sun

So far our expedition on Manaslu (8163m) has been dominated by almost persistent rain. I was forewarned by many it was a rainy mountain but it seems to be relentless! During rare pauses in the rain and drizzle, we’ve glimpsed incredible, awe inspiring views down the lush green valley and of Manaslu’s beautiful pointy summit 3700m above us.

Umbrellas seem to be the most valuable commodity here in Basecamp and those without them suffer the consequences. Ironically, in Pakistan we also used umbrellas for the trek in...but mainly to hide from the hot sun! Quite the contrast!

Since arriving into Basecamp six days ago, we’ve enjoyed a short hike to crampon point (about an hour from Basecamp) and a day trip up to Camp 1 (5750m) and back. We also enjoyed Becks’s birthday (where the sun made a rare appearance) with renditions of happy birthday sang in English, French, Romanian and Nepali thanks to our fellow climbers with whom we are sharing Basecamp.

As the rain has stopped play for the past few days, we’ve been resting in Basecamp. There has been some avid reading, competitive Scrabble and Rummikub as well as watching numerous films. All a part of the ‘rock and roll’ life of 8000m expeditions. At slightly higher altitudes, rain has been falling as snow, and these big accumulations have been releasing their wrath and cascading down the steep rock walls close to Basecamp. Although not at danger here, their impressive size and noise can’t be ignored.

However, after the rain comes sun, and tomorrow the forecast suggests that the big orange fire ball in the sky will finally reappear and, all going well, stay around for a fair few days. So we’re heading up back onto the mountain for our main acclimatisation rotation.

Our plan is to spend four nights on the mountain gaining altitude and hopefully reaching an altitude close to 7000m before returning to Basecamp to rest and recover. The climbing above Camp 1 is new to us and we’re all very excited to get going.

Once again, I am indebted to our two Sherpas working with us - Lhakpa and Siddhi. Both of these silent heroes were with us on Everest and K2 - Lhakpa also with us on Lhotse and Makalu too. Without them, we wouldn’t make it very far but together we have every chance of being successful.

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The TRACKER will be up and running with the incredible 3D Reality Maps very soon, but until then it’s still running here: https://share.garmin.com/mollie

The post TITLE - can you name the band and song containing the lyrics?

Transition // Changing of the Guards

Precisely one week ago, I sat in Manas International Airport (Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan) where I was about to embark on the long journey home. It heralded the end of two back-to-back, utterly incredible, wondrous expeditions - one to K2 (Pakistan) and the second, to Pobeda (Kyrgyzstan). I have now spent one hundred and forty two days of my life on expedition this year alone.

K2 was monumentally special. It was my first time in Pakistan, and the entire trip went so smoothly. My client and I summited on the 28th July on what was the most perceptibly glorious day. Conditions were beyond perfect. Pobeda and I on the other hand, have considerable history. In 2014 I narrowly avoided death after being hit on the head by rockfall, knocked unconscious and helicoptered to hospital. Fast forward to 2021 where my friend Rob and I gave it absolutely everything we had, alpine style, to 7220 metres, and still we were forced to retreat just a mere two hundred metres below the summit. Agonisingly and tantalisingly close. Although both were very different in style, they were still incredibly special to me.

My journey home is temporarily halted in Dubai where I wait for my connecting flight. In my exhausted, depleted and slightly delirious state, I take refuge in a quiet corner of the lounge and begin the familiar process of eating vast quantities of food. I find myself constantly hungry with an insatiable appetite. When I am travelling, I live in my large noise cancelling headphones. The moment I put them on, I am transported into a familiar territory of calm and tranquility. I can feel my mind and body slowly beginning to make the indescribably large transition from expedition life back to normality. The mountain life gradually ebbs away and civility is restored. This process can take days, or sometimes, even weeks after these huge expeditions. It is something I have frequently discussed and one which I have become so familiar with. The more that I give of myself to the expedition, the longer the recovery. Quite simply, this is for me, the ‘post expedition comedown’.

The juxtaposition between life in ‘high altitude HD’ and the blur of sea level analogue existence is again, not unfamiliar territory. Yet the initial jolt of transition is different each time. Over time, the fog dissipates and clarity is restored. The spring in my step returns stronger than ever. Yet in this transitional phase, I am tired. My body feels in a state of flux after such an arduous, long, intense and sustained effort. My mind is similarly jaded with the continuous decision making - something that sometimes can make the difference between life or death. I find that I am slowly closing this chapter and looking forward to what comes next, yet I remain fully present, able to enjoy the here and now and still appreciative and grateful for what has been and what may be.

The time comes for my connecting flight from Dubai and we board. Tired and weary, I wait patiently as a mother in-front of me grapples with her two very excitable young children and their luggage into the over-head lockers. I offer to help. The music in my ears is familiar. It is comforting, and yet melancholy. It envelopes me in a warm hug. The post expedition comedown has started in earnest as my eye-lids desperately try to close. I feel like I am in a vortex of past, present and future.

Success could be measured in summits. Yet, this does not seem fair. We had summited K2, yet came away empty handed from Pobeda. However, both were incredibly successful. Really, I believe that success should be measured in the experiences we gain, the people we encounter and the life skills that this also yields as a consequence. It is multifaceted and so much more than simply summiting. Moreover, it is about coming home in tact with all your fingers and toes and as really good friends. However hard I may try, it is simply impossible for me to articulate in words, the experience I have just had on both these magnificent mountains but especially on Pobeda.

Landing in London, I take a taxi home. The final leg. The final chapter. The car cruises along the smooth motorways. I gaze adoringly as the sun sets on the verdant fields of beautiful English countryside as it flashes past. Summer is drawing to a close and autumn is nearly upon us. There’s a crispness to the late evening air that heralds this all too familiar transition. I always love coming home. There is quite simply nothing else like it.

The driver, Andrei is really lovely. A friendly man and by total coincidence he is playing some of my favourite, chilled drum and base music. This is just the tonic I need. He asks, and I tell him briefly about what I’ve just done. Yet, as with many people who are not involved in any way with climbing, he didn’t quite really understand or have any inkling what it all really meant. This is of course, absolutely fine. Some experiences resonate on a deeply personal level that is unquantifiable and unexplainable in so many ways.

Finally, we turn off the busy main roads and start heading towards the mountains and the wonderfully familiar territory of home. A few short miles after, we turn the corner into my little village. Despite my fatigue, I feel a sense of happiness and calm. I am home.

Laden down with almost fifty kilograms of kit, I walk the final metres along the path and open the front door to my house. I pause, and walk in over my doorstep. Home. Finally. I’m incredibly tired yet also feel like I have the adrenaline and the buzz of travel still surging through my body. I pass ten minutes or so just pottering around the garden, where I say no words to anyone. My brain is alive with thoughts, plans, ideas and the future, yet conversation is silent. I relish this stillness.

This journey home is always the best. I absolutely love it. One more expedition concludes and I look once again to the future. Nothing else feels quite like home though. The smells, the familiarity, the community all provide security and reassurance. It is the archetypal warm hug and I am inordinately grateful for it.

My head and heart feel gratitude and contentment. I am home again. Finally.

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Yesterday, I found myself at Manchester Airport, enjoying a cold beer in the lounge before boarding a flight to Nepal. Today I woke up in Kathmandu.

The pages turn and the next chapter begins...Manaslu, Dhaulagiri, Island Peak and Ama Dablam await. Mega.

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Photo: Rob leading a beautiful snow crest ~7100m on Pobeda summit day.

POBEDA // Summit - Heartache & Promises: Two sides of every story.

How does it feel when you give absolutely everything of yourself to one thing, and yet, it is simply just not enough? Here are my words, in two parts, which hopefully describe my feelings after a herculean eight day push on the colossal Peak Pobeda.

HEARTACHE.

A few days ago, I once again walked away empty handed* from Pobeda. This time, we were just a mere two hundred metres and a couple more hours of climbing from the 7439m summit.

With our heads bowed, we embarked on our descent. The next morning, leaving our high camp at 6920m for what would prove to be a very long, complex, emotional and arduous climb back towards base camp. The overwhelming feeling of failure sat heavy in the pit of my stomach. After an hour or so, I stopped solid in my tracks, turned around and glanced back a little forlornly at the majestic summit. I could clearly see the exact spot we had reached just the day before. Agonisingly close, yet so incredibly far. An overwhelming sense of melancholy and failure reverberated about my body.

Gutted? Most certainly. Disappointed? Extremely so. Does it hurt and feel completely and utterly s**t? Unquestionably yes. I could feel the tears of frustration welling up from within me. Every fibre of my being seemed to ache with frustrations. Retracing our steps back along the three kilometre ridge, my emotions felt like they were running amok. I really felt like I was a mess. There was an overwhelming sense of anger, sadness and frustration yet this was coupled with a sense of pride as I revelled in this distinctly remarkable situation I found myself in. We were high above the clouds, and from this vantage point, the views were utterly spellbinding.

Pobeda has been in my life now since 2012. She is the final summit for me in the elusive ‘Snow Leopard Award’ and by far the hardest mountain of her four 7000m companions. Pobeda is undoubtedly one of the most difficult mountains I’ve ever tried to climb.

Initially, we had planned on a five day rotation. However, we arrived back into base camp on day eight. We were broken. I wanted so much to summit this mountain. Every day, we gave it absolutely everything we had. And more. Yet, everyday, Pobeda beat us down. We kept pushing as hard as we both physically and mentally could. Ten hour days followed eleven hour days which followed twelve hour days. We were also entirely self sufficient, carrying everything we needed. Both Rob Smith, my climbing partner and I had grossly underestimated just how hard this mountain would be. Pobeda is unrelentingly and unforgivingly steep with a plethora of technical sections. And then, there is the weather. The weather is constantly changing which makes it volatile and even more challenging than most other mountains. It is also notoriously cold. With temperatures at seven thousand metres around minus twenty degrees Celsius, it is almost impossible not to feel beaten, bruised and at a very low ebb.

Each day we dug as deep as was humanly possible to reach the summit. We utilised every skill and lesson we had learnt from a lifetime spent at high altitude. As if living in a single skin tent wasn’t challenging enough, Pobeda continuously tried to make everything as difficult as possible for us. We valiantly and fastidiously carried on with simple but life preserving tasks such as melting snow. Even this felt significantly harder than normal. We did everything meticulously, never once switching off despite our fatigue.

Every once in a while, an experience challenges you to your core. It pushes your limits and some, occasionally, set new boundaries of what may or may not be possible. We continuously strived to make good decisions, utilising our combined experience of over twenty five, eight thousand metre (plus) expeditions and a multitude of others. Yet, this year, regrettably, it was just not meant to be. As much as this stings and hurts me to my very core, the valuable lessons we learnt and take away from this will invariably make us better informed and understanding mountain leaders and high altitude guides.

The final two hundred metres, I am yet to see of this mountain. I am told that the vast majority of technicalities were all but over. It is my hope that one day, I will take those much longed for final few steps over this revered mountain.

Once again, I witness and experience the microscopically fine line between success and failure. There seems to be a juxtaposition between the two. How can it be that the most magical moments can come so close to be being the most disappointing?

Pobeda, you broke my heart. I gave you my everything, and more. For this reason, I am unsure when I will return to take those much yearned for final few steps onto your summit.

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PROMISES. (The Other Side).

A Day Later.

Today, my feelings have changed. I feel nothing short of admiration and utmost respect for Pobeda. The reality is that the mountain has actually treated us perfectly and offered us everything that we, as climbers, were searching for. Pobeda has challenged us in ways we could only have dreamt of. As alpinists and climbers, we have spent many years training and honing our skills to be on a mountain such as this. It is not Pobeda’s fault that we failed to reach the summit. The problem is entirely ours.

Although Pobeda is not the most aesthetically pleasing mountain to look at, the climbing is sublime, transcendent even. The three kilometre horizontal ridge at seven thousand metres between camp five and six is simply sensational, yet it remains the only appetiser for the alluring summit ridge yet to come. Mighty soaring knife-edge snow crests, interspersed with granite towers sculpted by centuries of torrid winds. It’s lack of defects make it picture-perfect climbing at this altitude. All in alpine style. It is wondrous. Immersive. Liberating. All consuming. If this three kilometre ridge and five hundred metre high summit ridge were placed in the Alps, it would undoubtedly become a classic. As you can tell, this really did totally blow me away!

At seven thousand two hundred metres, inching my way along hyper exposed steep snow crests on tiptoes, Pobeda commanded every iota of my concentration. I totally relished every single moment. My heart was full. I felt alive. My mind absorbed in the task. This is what I live for. Moments like this. Fall and I’m gone. I was totally immersed in feeling every millimetre of movement through my crampons and ice axes. I was engrossed, engaged and yet fully present. I could not have given anymore.

At times Pobeda really pushed us with the weather and snow conditions. Other times, it would flicker with glimpses of utter perfection, letting us know it was always watching but not pushing us too far. A seeming helping hand. I will be eternally grateful for these past eight days that I’ve spent on this magnificent, omnipresent mountain.

Mountains are very special places to me. They have become my entire life both personally and professionally. I wasn’t sure after my first visit in 2014, if I would ever return. However, after this expedition and the time I have just spent climbing on Pobeda, I can say with certainty that I will return to close this chapter as soon as I possibly can. Quite simply, Pobeda and I have too much history and I am a little enamoured by her. I actually cannot wait to return.

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‘Mountains are not stadiums where I satisfy my ambition to achieve, they are the cathedrals where I practice my religion’
Anatoli Boukreev

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Photo: Rob descending from ~7200m on our summit push.