Ralf Dujmovits

Two weeks have passed since Ralf Dujmovits has decided to abandon his winter expedition on Nanga Parbat due to the strong risk of icefall. Two weeks to reflect on his experiences in Pakistan and also to look ahead. I call the 52-year-old German climber at home, in the town of Buehl at the foot of the Black Forest.

Ralf, what does German winter feel like, compared with winter in Pakistan, in particular on Nanga Parbat?

I stood at Frankfurt airport and then at the stations in Mannheim and Karlsruhe wearing a short-sleeved shirt, all around me people wrapped up in winter clothes. I had to get used again to the warm temperatures. We have a very warm winter in Germany, a real contrast to what we had in Pakistan. Whatever, I feel that I`m arriving also mentally and I am enjoying the warmth again.

Has your disappointment blown over that you had to give up your plan to climb the mountain for the first time in winter already at 5500 meters?

I am still disappointed. Of course I’m sad that it did not work. On the other hand, if I view the images and see where I have climbed I must say it was certainly the right decision. And that we had a narrow escape from a large ice avalanche on the last day was a sign for us to pack up and leave. Therefore, this sadness is within limits.

Dangerous

You talked about the ice avalanche that went down after you had broken down your high camp. How close was it?

The last chunks of ice were about 15 meters away, some of them were as big as a fridge. We were really very lucky. We were running as fast as it was possible in the deep snow.

Did you feel confirmed by this incident that it was the right decision to abandon the expedition?

Yes, indeed.  I’m worried that the area where the ice avalanche started is threatening the normal way up to Camp 1 on the Kinshofer route. This makes me think for future expeditions. There must be a warning. Admittedly, during our expedition the icefall was really active. But whenever you want to climb to the summit via the normal route you have to pass underneath this icefall.

Your plan was to acclimatize elsewhere under easier conditions, to climb up and down quickly and depart. Have you paid dearly on Nanga Parbat?

The time slot to realize this plan is relatively short. Of course I knew that before. But I have learned the hard way that you are getting into trouble if the weather window doesn’t open as expected. You are asking yourself whether this will really work, whether you are really acclimatized well enough. Actually you should set a time slot of ten, maximum 14 days and stock up food only for this period. If it works, everything’s allright, if not, your are going home again. But of course in winter the weather must fit.

Ralf: People are conservative and fundamentalist

Or it takes a lot of patience – as you can see now on the other side of the mountain, where until now the teams have not climbed higher than 6000 meters.

Darek (Zaluski, Ralf’s companion on Nanga Parbat) told me that this was the normal process of winter expeditions: Climbers are working upwards slowly, fixing ropes, losing power more and more. That really takes it out of you. In this case, according to Darek, the chance to get beyond the key point of the route and to traverse to the Diamir side at 7400 meters is extremely low.

Before you started to Pakistan you told me that you wanted to give a signal that despite last summer’s terror attack at Diamir basecamp it was furthermore possible to go there on expedition. Can you still recommend it?

That’s a difficult question. On the one hand you have the problem with the Taliban in the far periphery of Nanga Parbat. But I think the greater problem results from the sociocultural situation right in the Diamir Valley above Chilas. The people living in this area are very conservative and fundamentalist. There are still many feuds. If someday grandfathers had a dispute, their grandchildren will carry it on. The people can barely be described as open to strangers. It’s not quite like feeling welcome. I am no longer one hundred percent sure that the assassination in the basecamp was really committed by the alleged Taliban. I am saying this quite frankly, I have strayed far from my original conviction.

What are you planning next?

This year I will be travelling a lot. At the end of February I will go to Tierra del Fuego to produce a TV documentary about the Indians living there. We (he, his wife Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner, Ralf Gantzhorn and Rainer Pircher) also want to climb Monte Sarmiento. After that I will stay two days at home before starting to Mount Everest .

North side of Mount Everest

In order to finally reach the summit without oxygen, in the fourth attempt?

It will definitely be my last attempt. I’ll try it again, this time on the north side .

As a member of an international expedition?

In the basecamp I ‘m probably with others, but on the mountain I want to act completely independently and to choose the route that fits best. I won’t put myself under any pressure. It would be great to climb up via the upper part of the Norton couloir, but I am keeping all options open. I am not worried about my fitness. I hope I will be successful this time. I’ll do my best.

Ralf is coming down

The decision was not taken ​​lightly. “After a careful weighing up of the risks – we had climbed up the glacier in deep snow for two hours again – I have decided to abandon the expedition“, Ralf Dujmovits writes in his final report of his winter expedition to Nanga Parbat. His Polish companion Darek Zaluski is supporting the decision, says Ralf: “I had expected a certain level of risks climbing up the Diamir side in winter, especially on the Messner Route. But not these incalculable risks that I ‘m not willing to take. The serious accident on K 2 in 2008, when a part of the large serac above the bottleneck broke, was one of many examples of accidents by ice avalanches that could have been prevented.” In 2008 eleven climbers had lost their lives on the second highest mountain of the world.

Like a sword of Damocles

Seracs (circles), depot (x), Camp 1 (little circle)

Ralf and Darek are thinking that it is too risky to climb underneath two mighty seracs which are hanging over the lower part of the Messner route like a sword of Damocles. “Both are torn towards the edge of the ice barrier and overhanging”, writes Ralf. “Exploring the route further up and of course also during a summit attempt and the descent it would be necessary to spend a lot of time in the direct line of slope.” Both climbers want to break down their camp at 4900 meters tomorrow and then leave the base camp in a few days. Their cook Essan has invited them to visit his family in Aliabad in the Hunza valley.

“Hard, wild and beautiful adventure”

All’s well that ends well – Darek is happy

Even if he could not realize his dream of climbing Nanga Parbat in winter, Ralf gives a positive review of the expedition: “We had a good, very cold and adventurous time here on Nanga Parbat in northern Pakistan”, writes Ralf. He and Darek “got on very well, in a really friendly atmosphere” with Essan, kitchen helper Karim and the three police officers at basecamp. The policemen were detailed to protect the expedition after terrorists had shot eleven climbers at Diamir basecamp last summer. With his expedition Ralf had also wanted to send the message not to turn our backs to the region after the terrible murder attack. “I’m leaving with nostalgia. It was a hard but also wild and beautiful adventure. My best wishes for 2014, the most important is health and to have people who love you. Hush raho! (In Urdu: Be happy!)“

Good luck and success!

When I talk to Ralf via satellite phone he adds that he is still convinced that his idea of a very fast winter expedition on the Diamir side with prior acclimatization on another high mountain could work. “But you need a lot of luck, and the conditions on the mountain have to fit,” says Ralf. “The idea is feasible, but I have to reflect in peace whether really I shall be the one to do it someday.” Ralf wishes the two winter expeditions on the Rupal side of Nanga Parbat “good luck and success”.

Ralf (during his first exploring trip)

That was not for the faint-hearted. “We have set off two big snow slabs”, says Ralf Dujmovits via satellite phone after returning to basecamp. In addition a large avalanche went down. “That has finished Darek off.” His Polish friend Dariusz Zaluski was pretty much in the bag, he had retreated into the tent immediately. After the night in the tent at 4900 meters Ralf and Darek had climbed up through the icefall on the Messner route. “We have made good progress”, says Ralf. “At 5500 meters we have made a depot. The location is also good for a camp.”

Up to the hips

Way back to basecamp

The way back was not only worrying but extremely exhausting. “The tracking job downwards was harder than upwards. Again and again we broke into snow holes up to our hips.” Because it has begun to snow again and the wind is still blowing strongly, now one or two rest days are planned at basecamp. Also the next time Ralf wants to climb up to the depot together with Darek. “The crevasses filled with snow make the lower part of the route very dangerous. You have to move roped up.” For the first days of the new year meteorologist Charly Gabl is predicting lower wind speeds and “partly cloudy, sunny and dry” weather. The temperature at the summit is expected to increase from minus 44 degrees Celsius on New Year’s Day to minus 38 degrees.

No competition

Ralf has no contact to the Polish winter expedition on the Rupal side of Nanga Parbat. He is considering neither the Polish climbers as competitors nor Italian Simone Moro and German David Goetler, who meanwhile have arrived in Pakistan too. “I have previously asked Simone and David which route they want to take”, says Ralf. “Under no circumstances I wanted to get into a competitive situation. I had my plan for a winter ascent of Nanga Parbat with prior acclimatization on Aconcagua in mind for many years.”

P.S. Ralf has not yet transmitted new images. Therefore I took these pictures taken during his first exploring trip.

Ralf during his first trip up

Even before Ralf speaks his first words into the satellite phone, I know what the weather on the mountain is like. The wind is shaking the small tent and tugging at it. A background noise that no one will forget who has experienced it before. Ralf Dujmovits and Darek Zaluski have pitched their tent at an altitude of about 4900 meters, below the usual place for Camp 1 on the Kinshofer route, exactly where the way branches off to the Messner route. “It was not so easy to pitch the tent in this storm,” says Ralf . “We have benefitted from our great experience of many expeditions.”

Almost overthrown

Darek passing a crevasse

The 52-year-old climber estimates the wind speed at 70 to 80 km/h. “The temperature is about minus 20 degrees Celsius. In combination with the wind it really hurts.” Both spend the night at the place to which they climbed up during their first exploration trip. “Our traces had disappeared meanwhile because of fresh or blowing snow. So we had to repeat the tracking job”, says Ralf. “Only where avalanches had come down, we found a hard surface.” The gusts of wind were partially so strong, “that we, carrying our backpacks, were almost overthrown.”

Comfortable

Darek (eating Christmas cookies at basecamp)

It’s no wonder that Darek Zaluski is enjoying the time in the tent. “Now we are very comfortable”, says the 54-year-old climber from Poland. Darek has already climbed five 8000ers, including Mount Everest and K 2. He attended three Polish winter expeditions, one of them to Nanga Parbat 16 years ago. He has recovered from his gastrointestinal infection, says Zaluski. “Let’s see how far I can move up.” The next morning both climbers want to look for a place for Camp 1 on the Messner route – provided that the wind allows to climb up. If not, Ralf and Darek will descend to basecamp not in the afternoon, but already in the morning.

Ready packed, for nothing

It is in the nature of plans that they sometimes have to be knocked on the head. Actually Ralf Dujmovits and Darek Zaluski wanted to climb up the Diamir face of Nanga Parbat today to bivouac at an altitude of 4850 meters and to look from there for a first camp on the Messner route. But this did not happen. When the two climbers met in the morning at the appointed hour, Darek told Ralf that it would be better if he stayed in basecamp. The climber from Poland has been infected by a gastrointestinal virus, a diet with rice and tea was necessary. “Meanwhile he’s already much better”, says Ralf in the (Pakistan) evening via satellite phone. “If the weather is fine, we could move up tomorrow.”

Snowfall all day

Minus 18 degrees Celsius

The temperature is still minus 18 degrees Celsius in the tent, outside of course a few degrees colder. His body has apparently got a bit accustomed to the permanent cold, says Ralf: “It’s crazy. On the first day at basecamp I was really cold when I made a satellite phone call outside. Now I’m sitting here without gloves.” Throughout the day it has been snowing, “not much, but constantly, about 15 centimeter of fresh snow.” Also because of the poor visibility an ascent to the planned bivouac site would have made little sense today. Finally, the 52-year-old climber wants to see exactly “how to come through the large ice barrier” before starting into the labyrinth of crevasses.

Storm at the summit

Cook Essan (l.) and kitchen helper Karim

The wind at basecamp is hardly worth mentioning, says Ralf. “But above it is blowing very strongly.” This is in line with the prediction of the Austrian meteorologist Charly Gabl who is supplying the climbers on Nanga Parbat with weather data. According to Gabl the wind at the 8125-meter-high summit will become a major storm within the next few days, with wind speeds up to 120 kilometers per hour. On the top of the mountain temperature is currently minus 43 degrees Celsius, says Gabl. Ralf realizes that he probably has to wait for a while until his first summit attempt: “The only solution is wait and see.”

P.S. Members of the Polish winter expedition on the Rupal side of Nanga Parbat have meanwhile climbed up to a height of 5500 meters.

First ascent

A winter expedition is not for wimps. Minus 18 degrees Celsius showed the thermometer of Ralf Dujmovits at the basecamp on the Diamir side of Nanga Parbat. Not outside, but inside the tent. “We have just only two and a half hours of sun per day here at the basecamp”, says Ralf Dujmovits. There was hardly time to warm up the computer and the satellite modem to operating temperature. Ralf and Darek Zaluski have returned from their first trip exploring the lower glacier areas. “That was a hard tracking job”, says Ralf. “On top we had powder snow, below a hard crust of old snow, which often broke when I stepped on it.”

Wonderful day

Summit in evening light

The two climbed up to a height of 4850 meters, “just below Camp 1 of the Kinshofer route”. The normal route will be out of the question as well as the variant that the Austrian climber Gerfried Goeschl had opened in 2009. “There is so much blue ice that many people would be necessary to fix ropes on these routes.” Ralf will probably try to climb the same route as Reinhold Messner did on his solo 1978. This is no walk in the park, says Ralf: “There are many crevasses and more steep slopes with blue ice than I expected. The many ice barriers in the lower part make it very complicated to find a way.” He wants to take another close look on the route. For their first trip Ralf and Darek had “a wonderful day, only a few clouds in the west, no wind at 4800 meters and also above not very much (from 40 to 50 km/h).”

Moment of silence for the victims

After the ceremony

After arrival at the basecamp the expedition team and the porters had kept silent for a minute in memory of the eleven climbers who had been murdered there by terrorists last summer. “It was a very moving ceremony”, says Ralf. In a short address he talked about the terrible event and expressed his hope that tourism would return to the region. Three armed policemen are detailed to protect Ralf, Darek, their cook Essan and kitchen helper Karim at the basecamp. “Three more who must be provided with food and heat.”

Police escort for mountaineers

Safety first on Nanga Parbat. “All the time we were driving on Karakoram Highway, we had a police escort,” says Ralf Dujmovits. “In front and behind of us there was a pickup each with two policemen sitting on a bench on the loading area. They held their Kalashnikovs in firing position.” Ralf calls me from Chilas, a small town on the Indus, about 50 km as the crow flies from 8000er Nanga Parbat. Because the baggage of his Polish companion Darek Zaluski did not arrive in time they had to stay in Islamabad one day longer than initially planned. On Saturday Ralf and Darek want to distribute the loads to their porters, who then shall set out to Diamir basecamp. “I think I will stay in Chilas tomorrow, because I still have to complete some formalities”, says Ralf. “If everything goes as scheduled, we will arrive at basecamp in three days.”

Policemen will stay in basecamp

At this place terrorists had shot eleven climbers at the end of June. The Diamir side had kept closed for expeditions all summer long. Dujmovits and Zaluski will be the first climbers who set up their tents at Diamir basecamp after the assassination. “Two to three policemen will accompany us”, Ralf reports. “And they will probably stay in basecamp throughout the expedition.” Ralf wants to use the first weather window to start a summit attempt. As reported the 52-year-old German has acclimatized on Aconcagua, the highest mountain in South America, for three weeks. Darek Zaluski will accompany him only in the first flatter glacier sections which are heavily crevassed. Above 5000 meters Ralf wants to climb solo. There have already been 17 winter expeditions to 8125-meter-high Nanga Parbat, all failed.