Satellite picture of Kangchenjunga

No matter whether you curse it, praise it to the skies or just use it pragmatically, no one will deny: the Internet has changed our lives and actually we can hardly imagine life without it. This also applies to mountain adventurers. Almost forgotten are the ancient times of Himalayan mountaineering, when expeditions were sent out, which were intended only to explore alpine destinations. Many of today’s best climbers prepare their projects on the screen – and make no secret of it. “I’ve looked a bit on Google Earth and more or less ‘found’ this mountain,” Austrian top climber Hansjoerg Auer told me before he set off to the almost 7,000-meter-high Gimigela Chuli East in Nepal. Along with his countryman Alex Bluemel, Auer wants to tackle the North Face of the mountain, which is located near the eight-thousander Kangchenjunga: “It’s not possible without a picture. Then I check out: How does the access look? Is it mega-dangerous or is the risk acceptable? What does the Base Camp look like?” Auer has not yet returned, but already now this fall season in the Himalayas once more proves: The mountaineering highlights are currently set even more on unknown five-, six- or seven-thousanders than on the eight-thousanders.

Candidates for next Piolet d’Or

Russian direttissima on Thalay Sagar

Thus Russians Sergey Nilov, Dmitry Grigoriev and Dmitry Golovchenko succeeded a new route via the North Face of the 6,904-meter-high Thalay Sagar in the Indian Himalayas, which really deserves the description “direttissima”. Not in such a straight line, but not less spectacular, was the first ascent, which – as reported – the British Paul Ramsden and Nick Bullock succeeded in the North Face of Nyainqentangla Southeast (7,046 meters) in Tibet. British ‘old masters’ Mick Fowler (60 years old) and Victor Saunders (aged 66) also demonstrated that they haven’t forgotten anything: their first ascent of the North Buttress of the 6100-meter-high Sersank in North India will – like the above-mentioned successes –probably be on the shortlist for the next Piolet d’Or, the “Oscar of the mountaineers”. This also applies to the pioneering climb of German Ines Papert and Slovenian Luka Lindic, who – as reported – completed an often attempted route through the difficult Southeast Face of the 5842-meter-high Kyzyl Asker in the Tian Shan mountains.

More goals, thicker air and loneliness

Mick Fowler climbing the North Buttress of Sersank

Of course, there are still unsolved problems on eight-thousanders too, such as the direct Makalu West Face or the “Phantasy Ridge” on the very rarely attempted east side of Mount Everest, the Kangchung Face. But the slightly lower mountains have some undeniable advantages: Even more virgin walls and ridges are still waiting there. In addition, climbers need less time to acclimatize, making the expeditions shorter. Compared with eight-thousanders, the air is thicker so that more extreme climbing is possible. And, last but not least, the mountaineers can experience lonesomeness on these often hidden mountains and feel more easily like real adventurers. Therefore, a previous look at the digital mountain world is worthwhile.

Piolet d’Or winners Mick Fowler (r.) and Paul Ramsden

The tireless have done it again. The British Mick Fowler and Paul Ramsden once again set climbing highlights, but, for a change, they were separately under way, with other team partners. Fowler, meanwhile 60 years (!) old, succeeded, along with his countryman Victor Saunders, the first ascent of the North Buttress of the 6100-meter-high Sersank in the North-Indian part of the Himalayas. Paul Ramsden and Nick Bullock climbed the North Face of the 7046-meter-high Nyainqentangla South East in Tibet for the first time. Last April, Fowler and Ramsden had won the Piolet d’Or, the “Oscar of the climbers”, for their first ascent of the 6571-meter-high Gave Ding, a remote mountain in northwestern Nepal. It was already the third “Golden Ice Axe” for the successful British team of two.

Reunited after 29 years

Fowler and Saunders (l.) on top of Spantik in 1987

“Sersank ticked,” Fowler wrote from the North Indian city of Manali in the state of Himachal Pradesh. “Five days to climb the north buttress and an eight day round trip from base camp. Absolutely brilliant.” 29 years ago, Fowler and Saunders had climbed together for the last time: In 1987, they succeeded the first ascent of the so-called “Golden Pillar” (which really looks golden in the sun), the Northwest Pillar of the 7027-meter-high Spantik in Pakistan. Then they went their separate ways. Saunders later climbed Mount Everest six times as a mountain guide. Working on a book project, Mick and Vic reunited and decided to climb together again.

Monster Matterhorn

Summit selfie of Ramsden and Bullock (r.)

It took Ramsden (born in 1969) and 50-year-old Bullock five days to first climb the North Face of Nyainqentangla South East. The wall “was almost impossible to describe without using superlatives,” Nick wrote on his website. “It was a dream, it had runnels, ice, fields of snow, arêtes – the face twisted and turned in some warped massive monster Matterhorn way”. Nick called the face a “mouth-puckering 1600 m”. On the fifth day after leaving Base Camp, the British team reached the summit and needed another day for the descent via the East Ridge. The first ascent of Nyainqentangla South East had been made by the Austrians Stefan and Erich Gatt via the south side of the mountain in 2001.