Ueli in the North Face of Cholatse

The fall season in the Himalayas is not over yet. Although the expedition on Mount Everest as well as those on the eight-thousanders Makalu, Dhaulagiri and Annapurna were recently canceled due to dangerous conditions on the mountains, there are still a few climbers under way on the highest mountains. So the team of South Korean Sung Taek Hong, who wants to tackle the Lhotse South Face again, decided in favor of a later expedition start. And also Swiss climber Ueli Steck and American Colin Haley have just completed their acclimatization. They did it on separate ways. Steck climbed along with Tenji Sherpa through the North Face of the 6,640-meter-high Cholatse. “That was pretty cool. He is the first Sherpa who climbed this wall”, Ueli writes to me. “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!” Steck and Haley want to first repeat the extremely difficult route via the Southeast Pillar to the summit of the 7,804-meter-high Nuptse East which was opened in in 2003 – but contrary to the first climbers, the Russians Valerij Babanov and Yuri Kosholenko, in Alpine style. I sent Ueli three questions to Base Camp.

Acclimatization typical of “Speedy” Ueli

Ueli, expeditions on Everest, Makalu and Dhaulagiri were canceled during the last two weeks because of too much snow and high risk of avalanches. What’s about the conditions on Nuptse?

The expedition on Everest was canceled too? On Cholatse, a week ago, we really had perfect conditions. I have climbed the wall three times so far, and never before I had such good conditions. It was like a dream. Now here on Nuptse, it looks a bit different. The wall was extremely dry, as it was very warm. Now the weather is very unstable, and there has been some precipitation everyday. I think it’s not very good, but we don’t just throw in the towel!

In the pictures that you have sent from Khumbu region, you always look top fit and good-humored. In contrast your climbing partner for this ambitious project on Nuptse, Colin Haley, had health problems. What happens if he doesn’t become as fit as you obviously are?

Colin is on track. I feel very comfortable in high altitude, and I get used to the thin air very quickly. We had to complete our acclimatization each with our own program. Therefore, I went to Cholatse, along with Tenji. But Colin is now ready too. Let’s see how it works.

The earthquake in Nepal is about half a year back. How do you experience the people and the situation in the Khumbu region?

It is impressive to see how the people deal with it. The Khumbu is already completely rebuilt. If you did not know that there was an earthquake in spring, you would not notice. It is striking how few tourists are here. But as always the local people have a very positive attitude. The country has more problems than just the consequences of the earthquake – currently no more fuel reaching Nepal. I think the whole policy is causing more suffering.

Ueli Steck

There are only 20 days left until Ueli Steck will return to Nepal. To the country where the 38-year-old Swiss top climber in the same year celebrated his probably most spectacular success as an extreme climber as well as the greatest fear of death that had nothing to do with mountain dangers. In spring 2013, a group of angry Sherpas attacked Ueli and his teammates Simone Moro and Jonathan Griffith in Everest high camp and threatened them with death. In fall 2013, Steck reached the 8091-meter-high summit of Annapurna, the eight-thousander with the highest fatality rate: solo, via the extremely dangerous South Face, on a partly new route, as always without bottled oxygen. It took Ueli only 28 hours to climb up and down.

This summer, he proved once again that he is able to climb mountains lickety-split, when he – as reported in my blog – scaled all 82 four-thousanders of the Alps within 62 days and overcame the distance between the mountains without engine power: by hiking, cycling or paragliding. I talked to Ueli about his tour de force through the Alps – and also about his upcoming exciting project in Nepal: on Nuptse, within sight of Mount Everest.

Ueli during his “82 Summits” project

Ueli, before starting your project “82 Summits” you told me that you wanted to turn back the screw of risk a bit and to have just fun. Did you experience this fun in the 62 days you needed to climb all four-thousanders of the Alps?

It was actually one of the best projects I’ve ever done. Every day it was fun. In addition I was extremely lucky with the weather.

How great were the physical strain and thus the sporting value for you?

At the end I had made 117,000 meters of altitude which means a certain amount of physical stress. The sporting value is still difficult to assess at the moment. But it has a rather great value for me, because I always had everything under control. I always was able to recover well and never had any problems with my body.

Your original partner for the project, the German climber Michi Wohlleben, had to give up early, because he got injured while attempting to land after a paragliding flight. Afterwards you climbed with many different partners, among others with your wife Nicole. Did you enjoy that?

Actually, this has led the project in a completely different direction. It was really awesome to climb with such different people. For instance, when I was climbing with my wife, it had priority to enjoy a beautiful mountain trip. When I climbed with Andy Steindl I could speed up. Thus I had every day a different approach.

Now you’re really well trained, you have often enough been higher than 4,000 meters, so that you are well acclimatized – ideal conditions to tackle the very high mountains.

Yes, I do believe that I now have a solid basis and a good physical condition to go to Nepal.

Nuptse peaks from the south

Are you still planning to climb along with the American Colin Haley the so called “Babanov-Route” on the 7,804-meter-high Nuptse East in Alpine style this fall?

Exactly. We fly to Nepal on 22 September. And then we’ll see what happens.

What does this project make so appealing for you?

It is a technically challenging route that has never been repeated. When Valeri Babanov and Yuri Kosholenko first climbed this route (via the Southeast Pillar in 2003), they used fixed ropes. I have a feeling that it is now really possible to tackle this difficult route in Alpine style. And that excites me.

You will set off with a climbing partner. How high is the probability that it turns again to be a solo project at the end?

(He laughs) No, that’s finished for me. During my “82 Summits” project, it was once again so that Michi had to leave. But no, I will no longer do such actions as on Annapurna.

It will be your return to a region where you had anything but good experiences in spring 2013. You were attacked in Everest high camp by angry Sherpas. Do you still have a queasy feeling?

Of course, I will never forget this. It’s in my mind. But I had several years now to think about it, to talk to people about it and to get to grips with the whole thing. There were just a few extremists. But there are a few odd people anywhere in the world. For me it’s finished, and I look forward.

Ueli on Annapurna

In the meantime, a lot has happened in Nepal: two deadly avalanches on Everest; the devastating earthquake; as a consequence few trekking tourists and expeditions this fall. Do you also want to give a signal with your project: Guys, I’m not afraid to go there?

Of course, I am still a bit scared: Will there be another strong earthquake? It’s not funny when you’re in the mountains then. On the other hand it is the only way I can really help the people in Nepal: by traveling there, giving them jobs and thus creating opportunities for them that life goes on.

Do you feel a particular responsibility as a professional climber who was often in Nepal to give the country something back in this difficult situation?

For me it is a matter of course that I try to help as much as I can. I do not think that it is enough to send aid only. At the end of the day, that doesn’t bring a country like Nepal anything. In the beginning it was important, of course, and it did happen. But now people must have jobs, so that they have income. That has always been important to me, and it was the reason that I’ve come to Nepal again and again: to ensure that the life of the people I know and who I have supported goes on.

P.S. May I remind you of our donation campaign “School up!” to rebuild the school in Thulosirubari in the Nepalese district Sindhupalchowk that was destroyed by the 25 April earthquake. You find all details on the right side of the blog and reports at the top bar.

Ueli Steck at the ISPO

Actually, Ueli Steck only wanted to do an active holiday in Tibet in autumn 2014. The 38-year-old top climber from Switzerland planned to climb the eight-thousander Shishapangma with his wife Nicole via the normal route. It soon became clear that it would not be as easy as it seemed first because there was too much snow on the mountain. “But just sitting around in the base camp, that’s really not my thing”, Ueli told me last week at the trade fair ISPO in Munich. “Thus I accompanied the guys in their summit attempt.” These guys were the German ski mountaineers Benedikt Boehm, Sebastian Haag and Martin Maier and the Italian Andrea Zambaldi. In the summit area, an avalanche descended: Haag and Zambaldi died, Maier survived seriously injured. Only Steck and Boehm were not swept away by the avalanche. Reason enough to talk with Ueli about risk and luck:

Ueli, people say, a cat has nine lives. How many lives do you have?

Oh, how many lives? I have already been very lucky a few times. But I don’t count these experiences because that makes you just crazy. When you go to the mountains, you run a certain risk. And you just have to accept it.

Advanced Base Camp on Shishapangma

Last fall on Shishapangma, an avalanche that went off in the summit area killed the ski mountaineers Sebastian Haag and Andrea Zambaldi. You were there, how close was it for you?

It was only luck that Beni (Boehm) and I were standing a bit further up. We also stood in the avalanche zone, but just a little bit on the side where not so much snow slipped away. We didn’t lose our footing, while the others were swept away. It was very close.

In a situation like this, how much is luck, how much instinct?

It’s difficult to say. Instinct means making decisions unconsciously. That’s something you can’t measure. There are really people doing almost always the right thing, and people say, they are always lucky. But what is luck? Maybe you make the right decision instinctively and stand on the right place. I wouldn’t necessarily say I survived due to my instinct. But I would neither say it was just pure luck. I simply can’t explain it.

You’ve already experienced several situations such as this. For example in 2007, when you were hit by a stone on your head at the Annapurna South Face and fell down unconscious several hundred meters.

That was pure luck. The only misfortune in this situation was being hit by the stone, the rest was pure luck. This had nothing to do with instinct or whatever.

Ueli in the Annapurna South Face

How do you deal with such an experience? Do you have a professional handling so that you can start the next project free from bias or do you reflect it like a layman would do?

I am very concerned about it. I must admit, that the Annapurna story in 2013 (Ueli risked much as he soloed the South Face on a route that had not yet been completed until then. It took him only 28 hours for ascent and descent.) threw me right off the track. Actually, it is very simple: When we climb mountains we try to take good decisions and not to run too much risk. In the end, however, we just have to make it clear that once we go to the mountains, no matter on what level, we risk an accident. For me, it’s only either black or white. Either I just accept it or not. If I don’t accept it, I can’t go to the mountains. But climbing and all the experiences when I do it are simply too important for me and give me too much. Therefore I accept the risk.

Are you as a professional climber forced to take a greater risk to be recognized?

No, I‘m absolutely not forced to anything. I can do whatever I want. I make my decisions for myself. When I set off, I have prepared the project for so long that it is feasible. I don’t have in mind: If I survive, I make a profitable business out of it. If I set off, I want to come back. This is a decisive factor. But of course I am in a different league compared to those who make an easy hike. On this high-end level, the risk is automatically much higher.

Alone in the tent

You always try to push your personal limits. Is there no danger of stripping the screw? Is it possible to say at some point: Enough is enough, that was the riskiest thing I’ve done, now I turn back the screw a bit?

That is exactly what is so difficult, and I’m aware of that. For example Annapurna: I reflected what happened there, and I was concerned about it. Actually, I’m the only one who can really judge how much risk I took and how much commitment I put into the climb. And let me tell you, it was much. I even accepted that I probably would not come back alive. And that’s too much. It’s easy to say here at the table, I turn back the screw a bit. But it’s a huge process really to feel it, to be able to hold your horses without thinking you should go even further. Just now I can’t say: I will no longer go to the Himalayas. And I know, if I’m in this situation again, I will make the same decision as I did on Annapurna and accept that risk.

Not too long ago, you said that due to the high risk the time of your solo-climbs was over and that you would henceforth prefer climbing in teams. In 2011, you left for Shishapangma in twos, but in the end you climbed solo through the South Face. The same on Annapurna in 2013. Is it difficult for you to find equally strong partners?

At least I try. (laughs) It didn’t work twice. It’s difficult to find someone who is at the same level and can also translate it into action. I have just this experience of solo climbs, thus it is always an option. That will always be the same in my life. It also happened to me when I wanted to climb the Eiger North Face with a friend. At the foot of the wall he said he felt bad and wouldn’t join me. Then I had the option to say: The weather is nice, I’ll climb anyway. See you for a drink at the Kleine Scheidegg station buffet in the afternoon!

Others would turn around.

Yes, because they do not have this option. Therefore, I find myself in these situations again and again.

What will you do next?

I really try to turn back the screw a bit. I plan a traverse in the Alps, all four-thousanders, with (the German climber) Michi Wohlleben. We just want to have fun to climb. In fall, I’ll go to Nuptse where I and Colin Haley want to repeat the route of Valery Babanov in Alpine style.

For explanation: In 2003, the Russians Valery Babanov and Yuri Kosholenko for the first time succeeded in reaching the summit of 7,804-meter-high Nuptse East (in the neighborhood of Mount Everest) via the South Pillar. They fixed ropes up to 6,400 meters – what resulted in a heated debate about their style of climbing. The route “had been desecrated by bolts and fixed ropes”, criticized US-climber Steve House, who had reached an altitude of 7,200 meters on the same route in Alpine Style in 2002. Babanov countered: “The mountain is waiting, you just need to go there and climb it!” That’s exactly what Ueli wants to do now.