Nancy Hansen, in the background Praqpa Ri (7134 m)

It is raining – at 9 p.m. at 5,000 meters in the Karakoram. “It’s incredibly warm here,” Ralf Dujmovits, Germany’s most successful high altitude climber, tells me via satellite phone from the Base Camp at the foot of Praqpa Ri. “We sat together until late in the evening with an open tent.” The unusually warm weather has resulted in difficult conditions on the seven-thousander so that its summit remains virgin. Like before on the also unclimbed seven-thousander Gasherbrum VI the 54-year-old German and his 47-year-old Canadian partner Nancy Hansen had to abandon their summit attempt. “We fought for every meter on ascent,” says Ralf. In vain.

Ralf, how far up did you climb this time?

Highest point that Nancy reached

Up to 6,300 meters. We had changed our original plan. We wanted to climb via the left pillar, and then via the corniced ridge to the summit. We had hoped to be able to climb on the back of the overhanging cornices. But we didn’t come so far.

Did you choose the wrong route or were the conditions just too bad?

The snow conditions are extremely bad this year. We have found similar conditions like on Gasherbrum VI: much “sugar snow”, rotten snow you break into, partly groundless. We climbed partially in very steep terrain, 70 to 80 degrees, sometimes vertical.

Digging through the snow

There you could push the ice axe horizontally into the loose snow and your arm right behind. But then also blue ice again, covered with only half a meter of snow. Very changing and bad snow. In the steep passages, we have partially needed an hour for one pitch, because we had to balance ourselves up in the almost vertical sugar snow. We have just run out of time in these poor conditions.

What’s about the avalanche danger?

It was added. It’s an east ridge. From 4.30 a.m. it is in the sun. Not later than 9 a.m. there is acute danger of avalanches. Snow masses sweep down to the right and left of you. We ascended a slope covered with half a meter of sugar snow. Later the whole slope slid down. Now a huge area of blue ice is left there.

Freeze-dried food at 6,000 meters

What has made you finally turn back? Has it taken you just too long or was it like on Gasherbrum VI where you reached a point that you could not overcome?

We have reached a point, where Nancy said: “That’s too dangerous.” She stood 30 meters above me in the sugar snow, on top a thin crust of harder snow, 60 degrees steep. I probably would have turned around earlier.

So the conditions were the reason you turned back, not the route?

I think, in good conditions we would have moved forward significantly faster and could have reached further up.

If you compare the two attempts on Gasherbrum VI and Praqpa Ri, where have you been closer to success?

Actually you cannot say that. On both mountains we were still 600 or 800 meters below the summit. This is still quite far away. In both cases, it was simply too dangerous.

Simply dangerous

Again you have fought through the snow for six days, again you had to realize that there’s no point. How do you feel now?

We had a good time together and truly experienced it as a nice adventure, extremely exciting. Despite all the effort and hardship we enjoyed it and will take two beautiful mountain experiences back home.

And you have returned safe and sound.

Yes, especially on Praqpa Ri we were really happy at the end to have reached Base Camp unscathed. It was extremely precarious.

Nancy at 6,400 m at Gasherbrum VI

The seven-thousander Gasherbrum VI in the Karakoram in Pakistan remains unclimbed. 54-year-old Ralf Dujmovits, Germany’s most successful high-altitude climber, and 47-year-old Canadian Nancy Hansen abandoned their attempt to first climb the 6,973-meter-high mountain (other elevation: 7,004 meters) in the Karakoram. They turned around at an altitude of 6,400 meters. “We did our best,” Ralf tells me via satellite phone. “Nancy fought in the slabs like a bear. It just was not meant to be. Finally we don’t want to commit suicide.”

In the gully

Spectacular campground

Just getting from Base Camp to the Col at 6,197 meters was difficult. The 700-meter-high, up to 60 degrees steep snow and ice gully was interspersed with seracs, says Dujmovits, so far the only German who has scaled all 14 eight-thousanders. In their second try, Nancy and Ralf reached the Col, “with the view on Chogolisa, Masherbrum and Muztagh Tower, one of the most spectacular places where I have ever pitched my tent.”

Belaying was not possible

Ralf above the Col

The rock barrier above the Col was a too hard nut to crack for the two climbers. “We had hoped for a thicker snow or ice crust so that more ice climbing would have been possible,” says Ralf. “But the marble-like slabs, covered with a thin layer of ‘sugar’ snow, didn’t offer any opportunity to set even the thinnest knifeblade piton.” After two failed attempts, Dujmovits and Hansen decided reluctantly to abandon their attempt to first climb Gasherbrum VI. “It was exciting to enter unknown ground,” says Ralf. “Of course, we are a bit disappointed. We have invested a lot of time and effort into this project.”

Next goal: Praqpa Ri

Nancy Hansen (l.) and Ralf Dujmovits

There is yet another chance remaining. On Thursday, Ralf and Nancy will break their Base Camp at the foot of Gasherbrum VI and move it about nine hours’ walk away to a place near K 2. There they want to have a try on Praqpa Ri, another unclimbed seven-thousander (there are different altitude data: 7,134 and 7,152 meters). “There we will able to do more ice climbing,” says Dujmovits. After three nights at 6,200 meters on Gasherbrum VI, he and Nancy feel well acclimatized and in good health. “We remain positive and hope that it will work on Praqpa Ri.”

Gasherbrum VI seen from Base Camp

“Really annoying that this happened to me at the very beginning!” Ralf Dujmovits, Germany’s most successful high altitude climber, is upset that he has first suffered from diarrhea and then from a bad cold while trekking on the Baltoro Glacier. “Meanwhile I feel better, but I realize that I still lack power,” Ralf tells me, when I reach him on satellite phone during an exploration trip. The 54-year-old and his girlfriend, the 47-year-old Canadian climber Nancy Hansen, traveled to the Karakoram in order to try first ascents of two still unclimbed mountains: first Gasherbrum VI (the reported altitude varies between 6,973 and 7,004 meters), then, not far away, Praqpa Ri (different elevation data too: 7,134 or 7,152 meters). The two climbers have pitched up their Base Camp at the foot of Gasherbrum VI.

Ralf, how have you experienced Pakistan so far? The country is still said to be a risk area.

Nancy Hansen, in the background the 7000er Masherbrum

We have been warmly welcomed everywehre. When we visited a polo game in Skardu (city in northern Pakistan, starting point of most expeditions in Karakoram), people shouted: “Welcome!” Nancy was the only woman on the pitch. During our trekking all the porters welcomed us too. I feel the situation as very peaceful. There is great euphoria that this year finally once more nearly 30 expeditions have come to Pakistan.

This summer, more than 100 climbers have registered only for K 2. Have you noticed a lot of activity during your trekking on the Baltoro Glacier?

No. We met about 30 porters who carried equipment to K 2 Base Camp. But otherwise we didn’t notice anything of the heavy rush that is expected on K 2.

The last summers in the Karakoram were very warm. How is it now?

Today we have very nice weather again. However, we are slightly worried sitting here at an altitude of 5,000 meters in this scorching heat. We just had one and a half days of bad weather. At night, it snowed only for one hour, the other time it was always raining – early in June, at 5,000 meters! It’s just much too warm.

The Gasherbrum massif

You had a first look at your first destination, Gasherbrum VI. How was your impression?

Up to the col below the South Face, it looks quite good, covered with snow. It appears that we can find a way on the left side of the icefall which leads from the Baltoro Glacier into the little high valley where we want to go up. Then we’ll have to climb a 45 to 50 degrees steep slope to the col at 6,100 meters. But we were pretty flabbergasted when we saw the terrain further up: We’ll have to do a lot of rock climbing. We actually expected more ice climbing. In particular, a rock barrier above the col gives us food for thought. It straddles the entire South Face, in some parts even slightly overhanging. We still do not know how to come across this ledge. However, we have not yet seen the entire rock barrier. Perhaps there is a way through more to the right. Everywhere is much less snow and ice compared to what I remember from my last visits in this area.

Do you want to tackle the mountain in Alpine style?

We had originally intended to acclimatize on Snow Dome (a mountain near the seven-thousander Chogolisa). But in these conditions, we will probably have to work our way up Gasherbrum VI and to use a few meters of fixed ropes above the Col. I feel it’s unlikely that we’ll tackle our first summit in Alpine style. That will probably not be possible due to the quite challenging rocky slopes up there. We actually had planned to climb in a single push from the col to the summit. But it does not appear to be realistic.

Ralf Dujmovits (r., with Ashraf Aman, head of Adventure Tours Pakistan)

How much time will you take for Gasherbrum VI? After all, you want to climb Parqpa Ri, another unclimbed seven-thousander near K 2, afterwards.

Actually, we want to finish our climb on Gasherbrum IV until end of June. However, it will be no problem to stay longer, if health reasons or the difficulties in the upper part of the mountain should make it necessary. We have a sufficient margin, so that we are able to add a few days more on Gasherbrum VI. If you are a team of only two climbers, you can handle it quite flexible.

Are the two unclimbed seven-thousanders equally important goals or do you have a preference for one of them?

When we were planning the expedition, Nancy was rather enthusiastic about Parqpa Ri and I more about Gasherbrum VI. But I think the goals are quite balanced. We feel really motivated to do both. Especially Nancy who is in good shape now wants to make progress. Currently I am still slowing her down a bit. But the euphoria for both summits is there. And we have enough time for both goals.