Ueli Steck and David Goettler in Shishapangma South Face

It was one of the most exciting climbing projects of this spring’s season in the Himalayas. Swiss top climber Ueli Steck and German David Goettler initially planned to open a new direct route through the South Face of 8,027-meter-high Shishapangma. But they were not able to put it into practice. They “only” climbed the so called “Corredor Girona” route, opened by a Spanish team in 1995, up to the ridge at 7,800 meters and in their last attempt the route of the British first-ascenders of the South Face in 1982, Doug Scott, Alex MacIntyre and Roger Baxter-Jones, up to 7,600 meters. Even though they failed to climb a new route, Ueli and David didn’t return empty-handed from Tibet. I called the 39-year-old Swiss and the 37-year-old German in their hotel in the Nepalese capital Kathmandu.

Satisfied, disappointed or some of both? How do you feel after this expedition?

Ueli Steck (l.) and David Goettler

(David) More satisfied. Of course, you think: If the weather and the conditions had been a bit more on our side, we certainly would have reached the summit. This is slightly shining through. But the more time passes, the more positive is our view on the expedition. We have learned a lot, we were constantly on the move, we were not sitting idle. Compared with other expeditions, we’ve done a lot.

Actually you had planned to climb a new route through Shishapangma South Face. What was the main reason that you failed?

(Ueli) If you want to make such a first ascent, you need stable weather for at least two to three days. But we just never had. If you try it nevertheless, maybe you are able to climb 300, 400 meters high but then you have to abseil again. Therefore, it was unrealistic. But you must be clear about it: If you want to make a first ascent on an eight-thousander, in such a wall, many things must fit together. You must also have the courage to go there more than once, to try again and again and wait for good fortune.

Windy South Face

When you were at the foot of the wall for the first time, you told me that the conditions were looking really good. When did you realize that it would not be possible?

(David) Actually until the end, the last weather window around 22 May, we had the option to start climbing the route, if there had been three or four days of good weather. To the end we had deposited all our climbing equipment in ABC (Advanced Base Camp). And til the end we believed it would be possible. When we were at the foot of the wall for the first time, the conditions looked really perfect. There was only too much wind and it was brutally cold. Towards the end of the expedition, before the last weather window, it proved to be just too unstable. Even Karl (Gabl, meteorologist from Austria), who provided us the weather reports, said he had never experienced such a wet and unstable pre-monsoon time in Tibet – on the side of the Himalayas, on which it is normally rather dry. So, actually this dream disappeared at the end.

At your last attempt, you chose the route of the British climbers who first climbed the South Wall. Had you already written off the new route at the time?

(Ueli) At the end the weather window lasted just only half a day. So the decision was clear to focus on the British route. At this time, we did not know whether we might stay longer. Theoretically, we could have waited for another weather window until the end of the month. But in the end it made no sense.

Difficult conditions

Quick and light – that was your tactics. What does it presuppose?

(Ueli) First of all, the basic fitness of both must be right, otherwise it’s impossible. If you are not trained enough to climb 2,000 meters high at this altitude and in this technical area, it is impossible. But you must also be willing to play the game uncompromisingly. There is no “Maybe I’ll take even a sleeping bag and a stove with me”, so that you could still bivouac. You have to be able to say: We don’t take anything with us, maybe it works or not. You must also be aware of how exposed you are. Both times we were forced to decide: Now we have to descend, otherwise it will be uncomfortable and dangerous. You are limited. You can not just wait and go to the summit the next day.

Except for you, no one was on the south side of Shishapangma. Did you enjoy the solitude?

(David) That was really one of the very special things on this eight-thousander expedition. The Base Camp lies on a meadow with a small lake in front of it, an awesome beautiful place. And we had it for ourselves. We also did not have this pressure when several teams are climbing the same route on a mountain, what can influence each other in their decisions and easily leads to more pressure. Being without all this, has been really luxury for both of us. We enjoyed it very much.

You have been together on the road for two months now. Under these circumstances it’s possible to jar on each other’s nerves. Did you ever have a kind of cabin fever?

David on the Shishapangma Ridge

(David) No, it was totally relaxed. We got on well because we work very similar in many ways, and because we were always on the move. On our rest days, Ueli bouldered, I did Yoga. So everyone let off steam. And then we went back to the mountain. There were almost no days when we were sitting idle so that a cabin fever could have occurred. For me, it was something new on an expedition to be always on the move. For Ueli it’s normal. But I think he enjoyed it too.

Have you postponed or canceled your project of a new route through Shishapangma South Face?

(Ueli) Never say never! If you want to do something like this, you must have the courage and accept that it is necessary to keep the ball and that it probably will not work the first time. I would rather say it is postponed.

Have you grown as a team so close that you say: We will do it once again?

(David) Yes, for my part. (Both laugh)
(Ueli) It was awesome. We were together on expedition for the first time, and it worked so brilliant. We will hopefully make many more expeditions together. I’ve rarely experienced that it worked so well with a partner and, moreover, both have the same attitude.

Ueli Steck (l.) and David Goettler

He couldn’t stop thinking about it. When the Swiss top climber Ueli Steck solo climbed the South Face of 8027-meter- high Shishapangma in only ten and a half hours five years ago, he discovered a possible new direct line. This spring, the 39-year-old – along with the 37-year-old German professional climber David Goettler – returned to the 2000-meter-high wall to have a try at the new route. If everything works perfectly, they plan to descend from the summit via the north side, thus traversing the eight-thousander.

Before heading off to Tibet, Ueli and David acclimatized in the Everest region in Nepal – including trail-running over extremely long distances. I sent them five questions to their Base Camp at the foot of Shishapangma South Face.

Ueli and David, the pictures which you published on Facebook in recent weeks, remind me of Speedy Gonzales or Road Runner, two cartoon characters of my childhood: continuously in high speed mode, because hunted. At the same time each of you let us know that the other is really, really fit. Honestly, who of you is actually rushing whom? Or from what are you trying to escape?

Fast en route

Question back, who of us is Speedy Gonzales and who is Road Runner? We are not at all on the run. We just have a lot of fun together! It’s fun to be together on the road. We both know that we are similar fit. No one must prove or hide anything from the other. We have a great positive energy in the team. It just works. And it creates an ingenious dynamics!

Most high-altitude climbers do acclimatizing  according to the motto: Conserve your strength so that you have enough power left for the actual goal. Instead, you have run in the Khumbu region a distance of 57 kilometers over several passes in 12 three-quarter hours. What is the logic behind this high-speed acclimatization?

Most climbers do high altitude mountaineering as in the days of Messner. I personally (Ueli) do not see much progress. Of course you have to be careful, because e.g. at 5,000 meters, the regeneration takes longer, and actually each climber behaves very individually in high altitude. Kilian Jornet (a professional Spanish ski mountaineer and mountain trail runner), for example, believes that you can run 50 kilometers every day! I am still far away from that, but it shows what could be possible. In the end you just have to know your body. And everyone has to make decisions for himself and to assess how high his personal performance is, and how fast he is able to ascend or move in high altitude. We both have considerable experience in high altitude and can check out what can be optimized without actually losing all our power.

You have pitched up your Base Camp below Shishapangma South Face. How are the conditions in the wall where you want to climb a new route?

We have already been at the bottom of South Face. Quite simply, it looks awesome. Now we hope it remains like this until the suitable weather window opens.

What will be the main focus of your planned first ascent, possibly including the traverse of the mountain: the aesthetic of the line, difficulty, fun…?

Ueli’s route through Shishapangma South Face that he climbed in 2011

The route speaks for itself. A direct logical line on an eight-thousander, that’s truly fascinating. In the first place we want to climb via this route to the summit and go home healthy. We’ll see how fast we are, this depends on the technical difficulties. We will belay normally, with rope and pitons. It doesn’t matter whether we need two days or one or three. But we are not very motivated to spend as many nights as possible on the mountain. The traverse would certainly be the icing on the cake.

Last Monday was the first anniversary of the devastating earthquake in Nepal. How have you experienced the people in the Himalayas during the past weeks?

People got used to the aftershocks and the situation. It’s impressive how the Nepali have got accustomed to the little tremors, which also happened again when we were traveling in Khumbu. But they have no other choice than to take it as it is. And it’s really great how everything is back to normal and works.