Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
CHAPTER 18
ALWAYS THE SUN
On 6 October, in one long haul up the glacier with Lech carrying some of the gear,
we arrived at dusk at the base of the wall and settled in. I felt magnificently at
home, our isolation complete. The face glinted in the icy starlight. At dawn, we
started up in two teams: Voytek and I, and Krzysztof and Alex. The first day was a
hauling day for us, having drawn the short straw. The five initial pitches we
climbed before, plus seven new ones, were done twice, since we each had two ruck-
sacks to carry. It was midnight before we had eaten and settled into our pits.
In the morning, a beautiful pink granite dihedral led up to the right. It was our
turn to lead. While cleaning the first pitch, I dislodged a block that dropped fifty
feet, clipping Krzysztof's shoulder on its way to the glacier. He screamed in pain. I
shouted apologies. No way could he haul a sack, so I was relegated to the ropes
again. That day we climbed only six pitches and weren't in bed until ten at night. I
was miserable reflecting on the enormity of what might have happened. How
many times could a big stone fall without it killing someone? I apologised again to
Krzysztof. He was okay. Voytek told me to just calm down and concentrate on what
we would have to do in the morning.
Day four: Now the routine begins to take hold. Leading is best, and exciting; haul-
ing offers only pain, hard work and the uncertainty of wondering if the lead pair
are choosing the best line. Each day around noon clouds begin to form and by mid-
afternoon a gentle snow falls, making every move tricky and the ropes icy. They
become stiff, almost unmanageable and scary to jumar. But every morning brings
clear blue skies and the sun breaking over the chaotic mass of peaks that ring the
Nanda Devi Sanctuary. Alex and I sort gear, grateful to be packing without freezing
our fingers. For a few glorious hours we can climb in comfort, before the noon
wind blows in the clouds and the snow begins to fall.
Alex leads steep mixed ground to the top of the initial buttress and I add two
hard pitches up the slabs above. The granite is incredibly compact and gear place-
ments marginal. Alex clears one of my belays, comprising three pegs, with two taps
of his hammer. The third peg he pulls out with his fingers. We warn the other pair
