Expensive rescue

“I am not in the government to wait and see”, Ananda Prasad Pokharel said in early November after his appointment as the new Nepalese Tourism Minister. “I am here to change.” However, one of his first initiatives concerning mountain tourism doesn’t testify his farsightedness but looks more like a crazy idea. Pokharel’s ministry plans to reduce the insurances for Nepalese staff on expeditions – by up to 60 percent on mountains that are lower than 6,500 meters. Thus mountain tourism should be stimulated again, it said. The visitor numbers in Nepal had slumped dramatically after the devastating earthquake in April and also because of the still existing blockade of the border with India.
Even many Nepalis shake their heads about the government’s plan. “As an owner of the agency Dreamers Destination Trek, I prefer reduction in every kind of insurance. It is good for my company and it is good for my clients”, Mingma Gyalje Sherpa writes to me. “But being myself a climber and born in a climber’s family, I wish an increment of insurances in favor of climbers.”

Barely able to make ends meet

Mingma Gyalje Sherpa

The 29-year-old, who has already climbed seven eight-thousanders and recently made headlines by solo climbing the difficult West Face of 6685-meter-high Chobutse for the first time, describes his father’s fate: He had been a top climber at his young age, but in 1983 on Everest, he had lost eight fingers due to frostbite. Afterwards his father had never been given the opportunity to participate in big expeditions and to earn good money. He had been barely able to make ends meet. “Those people who make rules should better take these points into consideration.”

“This is nothing at present time”

Mingma on Chobutse

Mingma considers the insurances, which are paid in case of death to the families of the victims, to be much too low: for expeditions on mountains higher than 6,500 meters, 15,000 US dollars for high altitude porters and mountain guides and $ 8,000 for Base Camp staff. “This is nothing at present time”, says Mingma. He argues to raise not only these insurances but also those for helicopter rescue, rather than reducing it. $ 10,000 on high mountains are by far not enough to cover the costs incurred in case of an accident, he says. A rescue flight above 7,000 meters will cost significantly more than $ 15,000. During his descent on Chobutse, Mingma himself had got in trouble and been flown out by helicopter: “My rescue charge war $ 15,400. I hardly get $ 10,000 from the insurance company, the remaining amount I have to pay out of my own pocket.”

2016 will decide the future

There are significantly more effective means to boost tourism in Nepal than cutting insurances, says Mingma. So the government should “provide a stable political situation”. In addition they should extend the 2015 climbing permits for further two to three years: “There are some climbers who were in Nepal for climbing Everest and Lhotse in 2014 and 2015. They have spent lots of money and must be frustrated and hopeless because of those two bad years.”
The Tourism Ministry should focus on showing that Nepal is a safe travel destination in every respect, says Mingma. “If the year 2016 goes well, the upcoming years will be good by itself.”

Mingma on his ascent on Chobutse

No trace of euphoria. On Wednesday last week, Mingma Gyalje Sherpa reached – as reported in my blog – the 6,685-meter-high summit of Chobutse in Rolwaling Valley in Nepal, solo climbing and for the first time via the West Face – a milestone in the history of Sherpa climbing. But instead of being cheerful the 29-year-old is simply happy that he survived his solo ascent.

Mingma, you have already been on top of Mount Everest, K 2 and five other eight-thousanders. How challenging was your solo ascent on Chobutse?

I have climbed Everest with bottled oxygen and the other six 8,000-meter- peaks without the use of oxygen. When I climbed these high mountains, I did it with partners and on routes with fixed ropes. But a solo ascent means climbing alone in free style, there isn’t any fixed rope or climbing partner to save you if you make a mistake. A mistake means the end of your life. So it is itself challenging. It took me three years to decide to go for a solo climb. Finally, I made it this year. Climbing Chobutse was my worst decision and mistake. I almost lost my life. After my summit success, I spent two nights and days without food, water or tent. I spent two threatening nights and a day at the same place in a whiteout waiting for the weather to clear up. My only satisfaction is that I made it to the summit, though it was the hardest climb of my life.

Chobutse

You and your Sherpa friends completed two amazing climbing projects within a month: a trilogy of first ascents by a pure Sherpa team and your first solo ascent of a Nepalese climber. What is the message that you want to send to the climbing world?

Firstly: After the earthquake, Nepal is suffering from an economic crisis and tourism is the main source of our income. Fewer tourists means we suffer. So our main goal was to spread the news that Nepal is still safe to trek and climb. Only writing on social media and websites was not enough because fewer people would believe it. So we thought it was a good idea to prove it by action. We made our plan in the first week of September and started and completed our projects in October.
Secondly, we wanted to raise interest for climbing among Nepalese youngsters. Usually Nepalese climbers have been working for foreign climbers but now it is changing. We do climb for ourselves too. We can say changing profession into hobby.
Thirdly, we all are from Rolwaling Valley in Nepal. Rolwaling is a very remote area without electricity, transportation, proper school or health post. The population of that area used to be more than 300 people but only about 50 are living there now. If the situation remains the same, the valley will get emptied within ten years. Because of life difficulty, the local people migrate to the capital city. So our concern is to make Rolwaling Valley more popular. We have spots there for ice and rock climbing. So many mountains remain to be climbed but still this valley is backward. If it gets popular, more tourists like to visit it. And more tourists mean more job opportunities. We hope our people may return back to our place.

Do you feel that many Western climbers have a false impression about what Sherpas are and should they change their attitude?

There is no doubt that Western climbers have a good impression of Sherpa. Otherwise, they won’t hire Sherpa for their safe and secure climbing. The demand for Nepalese Sherpa is increasing. Now Western climbers invite Nepalese Sherpa to climb with them in the Alps, Pakistan etc. 

You are also head of an expedition operator. Is it difficult for you to separate between business and your own climbing goals?

I run an expedition company, Dreamers’ Destination. But I usually go to mountains leading expeditions. My people believe on me and climbing with me, so I have to go on mountains. I make my goals considering my business and I have my staff to look after the company, so I have no difficulty.

What are you planning next?

Actually, I was looking to go for the first winter ascent on Nanga Parbat. But after my solo ascent, my parents refused to let me go for it. So I will lead an expedition to Kangchenjunga in April and May 2016. I already climbed it in 2013, so a few friends of mine want me to lead an expedition again in 2016. Then I will go to Nanga Parbat and Gasherbrum in June and July as a part of my remaining 8,000-meter-peaks. 

Is there any current or former climber who is an example for you?

I am big fan of my own cousin Lopsang Jangbu Sherpa who was a guide of Scott Fischer’s Everest expedition in spring 1996. (Lopsang tried to rescue Fischer from the South Summit but could not move him any more.) He climbed Everest four times, three times without bottled oxygen. He was very popular at that time. If he was still alive (He died in an avalanche on Everest in September 1996.), I am sure he would hold many records on Everest. People are still talking about him and his deeds during that time.

The route Mingma wanted to take on Chobutse

The next Sherpa coup in the Himalayas, again in Rolwaling Valley. After Nima Tenji Sherpa, Tashi Sherpa and Dawa Gyalje Sherpa – as reported – had first climbed three six-thousanders within three days at the beginning of October, Mingma Gyalje Sherpa now succeeded in doing an amazing solo ascent. The 29-year-old stated that he reached the 6685-meter-high summit of Chobutse (also called Tsoboje) climbing alone and for the first time through the West Face. He had two cold bivouacs in the wall causing frostbite at his leg. Chobutse was first climbed by the Germans Wolfgang Weinzierl, Peter Vogler, Gustav and Klaus Harder in spring 1972, via the Northeast Ridge. Several attempts to climb through the West Face had failed.

On top of seven eight-thousanders

Mingma Gyalje Sherpa

Mingma Gyalje Sherpa grew up in Rolwaling. He is the head of the Kathmandu-based expedition operator Dreamer’s Destination and one of the strongest climbers in Nepal. The list of his mountain achievements is long. He stood on top of Mount Everest four times, twice each from the Tibetan north (in 2007 and 2010) and the Nepalese south side (in 2011 and 2012). Mingma has climbed six other eight-thousanders so far: Manaslu (three times), Lhotse, Cho Oyu, Kangchenjunga, K2 and Annapurna. In addition he opened new challenging routes on the six-thousanders Cheki-Go and Bamongo.

Passion for climbing

Even before he set off, the 29-year-old called his solo climb on Chobutse “the most important for my entire life”. Never before a Nepalese climber had done a solo ascent, Mingma wrote: “Sherpa are well known for their hard job in the Himalayas. The trend is changing. There are many young Nepalese climbers who have been doing so many climbing for themselves.” Recently, Swiss top climber Ueli Steck also enthused about the strong young Sherpa climbers: “It’s nice to see how a ‘new’ generation of Sherpas is growing up, who are really interested in climbing and not just in business. I think that’s awesome!” I think so too.

P.S.: Ueli Steck has meanwhile returned from Nepal to Switzerland – after a failed attempt on the South Face of Nuptse. “Winds were too strong. There was a lot of drifting snow at 7,000 meters. It was hopeless”, Ueli writes to me.