Hansjoerg Auer

“The ability is the measure of what you are allowed to do,” the free climbing pioneer Paul Preuss (1886-1913) wrote – freely translated – more than a hundred years ago. Hansjoerg Auer is able to do a lot and is therefore a well-deserved winner of the “Paul Preuss Award”, which is annually given to an extraordinary climber in the tradition of the legendary Austrian. “Auer belongs undoubtedly to the best climbers in the world,” said Reinhold Messner during the award ceremony at the International Mountain Summit (IMS) in Bressanone last weekend. Meanwhile, Hansjoerg Auer has set off from his native Oetztal for a new adventure. In the far east of Nepal, the Austrian, along with his countryman Alex Bluemel, wants to first climb the North Face of the almost 7,000-meter-high Gimigela Chuli East. The mountain is hidden behind the eight-thousander Kangchenjunga, the third-highest mountain on earth.

Hansjoerg, do you take failure into account?

Of course. If you go off the trodden track on an expedition, so many things might go wrong. But that’s why it’s so much fun because you can not write the expedition report at the beginning.

But you may also experience nasty surprises – like on your last expedition to Annapurna III this spring, where you spent five weeks more or less in bad weather.

Nevertheless, we have not returned empty-handed. We have collected a lot of information about the project and we want to come back again. Next time we will do many things in another way and better. Maybe we are able to succeed. Often you have to approach to a goal by answering open questions. In difficult projects this can take several years. If I go on a frequently climbed mountain, I only need to google.

Masherbrum (in the centre)

One of the major unsolved problems in the Himalayas and Karakorum is the Northeast Face of Masherbrum (7,821 m) in Pakistan. David Lama, Peter Ortner and you have tried it in 2014 but have not been able to advance much further than to the bottom of the wall. Do you have this project still in mind or do you concentrate on more achievable goals?

If you are constantly going on expeditions, you can not always try very, very difficult projects. You have also to choose projects that are manageable to find your confirmation by success. If you’re going somewhere year by year, where the odds are very low, it will wear you down in the long run. But the Masherbrum project is still alive. Whenever we meet, we talk about it. The date when we’ll try it again is still open. But for me it’s clear that the wall is not climbable on the direct line we had originally planed. We will have to compromise. Masherbrum is really extremely dangerous. You can not try it every year. If you do so, you won’t come home someday.

In the South Face of Nilgiri South

About a year ago, you first climbed the Southface of Nilgiri South (6839 m) in Nepal, along with Alex Bluemel and Gerhard, called “Gerry” Fiegl. Gerry suffered from high altitude sickness and fell to death on the descent from the summit. Do you, for this reason, post the expedition as failed?

Of course, it is not a successful expedition, because that would mean that all climbers, who set off, later returned. We can not undo this accident. It was one of the saddest moments of my career. If a friend with whom you started to climb falls to death right in front of your eyes, it is horrible. But even on the summit, we hadn’t any feeling of happiness because we realized that something was wrong with Gerry. We had to traverse the summit because the descent via the ascent route was much too difficult. We had hoped that Gerry’s condition might change for the better due to the euphoria of having reached the summit. And we managed to descend relatively far down. But in the end the accident could not be avoided. These difficult climbs in high altitude are only possible by reduction: reduction of equipment, of weight – and of safety too. There is simply no longer a large safety buffer.

During the frist ascent of the 7000er Kunyang Chhish East in Pakistan

The public quickly forgets such accidents. But you have to live with it. Is it possible at all to come to terms with such an event?

I believe you can not forget it for the rest of your life. You are shaped by such an extreme experience. Gerry will also be missing in ten years. There are many memories, because we were so often together en route. It’s quite normal that the public forgets. But we don’t want to forget it. We have to accept it in a certain way. We were given someone with whom we were allowed to take many actions. We would have liked to do it longer, but maybe it was predetermined and just had to happen this way.

Has the incident made you more cautious?

It was, of course, a dramatic experience. It has made me reflecting about myself, but my basic personality is not so extremely influenced that I would say: I stop it. Finally climbing is my life. Of course, it was not easy to go on expedition to Annapurna III last spring. The moments are the same: the airport in Kathmandu, the hotel, the base camp. The mountain is located not far from Nilgiri South. And we have set off for climbing Annapurna III on the day exactly half a year after Gerry’s fall to death. You can not simply fade out these memories.

Free Solo in the Marmolada South Face

You are moving on a narrow ridge doing these extreme projects. If you climb free solo (Hansjoerg i.e. made headlines worldwide when he climbed the difficult Fish route through the South Face of Marmolada in the Dolomites for the first time free solo in 2007), almost any mistake inevitably would lead to death. Do you feel how far you can go?

I have started very early to climb solo. I have a good feeling for that. And only in this case I really do it. In high altitude it is much more difficult, because things can happen which you don’t expect. If you have not experienced it by yourself, it is, for example, hard to imagine how fast high altitude sickness can develop. Up there you are not allowed to live out your ambition excessively because that can lead to death. You have to be more honest with yourself than in the Dolomites or other mountains of the Alps.

In other words, you have to learn to put the brakes?

You have to know when it is enough. Of course I can not turn around at the first sign, otherwise I would never get far. But I must have to realize if it was the last sign.

Restrain ambition in high altitude

The projects are created in your head, you are planning them for a long time, you focus on them. Do you still have the sense to perceive the country and the people on your expeditions and to enjoy the fact that you are traveling in a foreign world?

Honestly, mostly not. I am so focused on my projects that there is little time left. But I have started to travel once a year, always in December, to a city in Europe for a weekend, without climbing equipment, simply to visit it. For me, this is a big step. Not only mountains, walls, shadow, ice, snow and rock.
If you are constantly en route for many years, you have to be careful not to lose your footing. You are so focused on your projects that you begin to believe they are necessary for life. You return from an expedition and feel that everyone should be interested in it. Of course adventure stories are always interesting, but you have to keep both feet on the ground and be aware: There are other important things.

At the summit: Fiegl, Bluemel, Auer (from l. to r.)

For sure, it was an amazing highlight of alpinism, but a shadow falls across. At the end of October – as reported – the Austrians Hansjoerg Auer, Alexander Bluemel and Gerhard Fiegl first climbed the South Face of the 6,839-meter-high Nilgiri South in the Annapurna massif in Nepal. Five previous expeditions, top climbers from Japan, Czech Republic and Slovakia, had failed to climb the wall. However, the success of the Austrian trio turned into a tragedy: While descending, Gerry, manifestly suffering from high altitude sickness, fell to his death several hundred meters deep, three days after his 27th birthday – while his friends were looking on in horror. A few days later, the search for Fiegl was abandoned.

Hansjoerg Auer sustained frostbite on six toes. Meanwhile the feeling in his toes has returned and he can climb again, the 31-year-old tells me. Next spring, he wants to set off along with his compatriot David Lama to a “cool, very difficult destination”. He doesn’t yet reveal, where it will be. I’ve talked to Hansjoerg about what happened in late October.

Hansjörg, you succeeded in making the amazing first ascent of the South Face of Nilgiri South. But on the descent your teammate Gerry Fiegl fell to his death. Does this tragic end make everything else fade into the backround?

At the moment of course yes, because only a positive outcome makes a mountain trip a good one. And Gerry’s death was the worst thing that could happen. Alex and I are trying to recall especially the ascent, when Gerry was still well. The line through the wall and the climbing was really outstanding.

On South Face at about 5,900 meters

Let’s first talk about this ascent. How were the conditions in the wall and which difficulties you had to overcome?

From the distance, the South Face looks as if it is free from ice, but inside there is a lot of so-called “black ice”. We have chosen our route in the right part of the wall, which is actually a shady West Face in the South Face. Therefore, there was a lot of ice and it was a very steep climb – much harder than for instance on Khunyang Chhish East. [In 2013, Hansjoerg succeeded in first climbing the 7,400-meter-high mountain in the Karakorum, along with his brother Matthias and the Swiss Simon Anthamatten.] The first day was tough. We didn’t find a suitable place for bivouacking below 6,500 meters, so we crept into our bivouac sacks not until 5 p.m. On the second day, we climbed an about 6,780-meter-high spire, which was higher than we had suspected. Then we had to cross a very exposed, steep ridge, partly abseiling. After another bivouac we reached the top of Nilgiri South, after a relatively short, technically not too difficult climb.
The descent via the Southwest Ridge was more difficult than we had expected. It’s always difficult when you have to break the golden rule on high mountains to descend on the same route you climbed up before. But on Nilgiri South it was not possible because the ascent was too difficult. In addition, in the lower parts of the wall the risk of rock fall was so high that we didn’t want to expose ourselves to this danger a second time.

You had to bivouac three times during the ascent. Were you on your last legs when you reached the summit?

Alex and I felt good. On the first day, we were all on our limits, but the other two days of ascent did not take such a long time. But in the end everything revolved around Gerry. We tried to find a way so that it was possible for him in his state of health.

On Nilgiri Spire (6780 m)

On the summit, Gerry was suddenly in very poor health. Were you then already aware that he was probably suffering from high altitude sickness?

In the morning of the summit day we noticed for the first time that something was wrong with him. At first we thought he was just exhausted. There were only about 200 meters in altitude left. We hoped that the euphoria of the summit success would help him and that we could then descend as quickly as possible on the other side. Gerry was an excellent mountaineer and climber, but that was no longer the powerful Gerry, as we knew him. We had to bivouac again at 6,500 meters.

You then tried to organize a rescue by helicopter. What was the problem?

On the summit day, the wind speed was 45 kilometers per hour, the day after 70 km/h. In addition, it was very, very cold. Under these conditions, a rescue on such an exposed ridge was simply impossible.

After the bivouac you continued the descent. How did the accident happen?

At night it was really bad. We tried our best to help Gerry, we realized that it would become very close. The next morning Gerry felt okay and we continued our descent on the steep, icy ridge. We could not just abseil but had to climb down the ridge. At a supposedly easy point he fell into depth. In retrospect, it’s almost astonishing that Gerry in his poor health managed to climb down from nearly 7,000 to about 6,000 meters. I think that was due his great performance and ambition.

Route of ascent (r.) and descent (l.)

Why wasn’t Gerry roped up?

We were climbing in Alpine style, which also means reducing equipment. Then you’re used to go without rope in easier terrain, so that you get ahead faster. If you rope up in a group of three, you have to secure everything. On the Southwest Ridge of Nilgiri South you can’t walk with a short rope as you do in the Alps.

Did you immediately know that Gerry could not have survived the fall?

Yes. But in the beginning you don’t want to believe it. You sit down and don’t know what to do. You cry, walk another hundred meters, sit down again and cry once more. You probably will not understand it for the rest of your life but you try to accept it. The risk is part of our sport.

Do you believe that the disaster will change your own risk-taking?

I don’ think so. In recent years I have intensively dealt with the theme of danger. You just have to, if you climb even free solo as I do, for instance this year on Heiligkreuzkofel. [On this mountain in the Dolomites Hansjoerg climbed the difficult route “Mephisto” for the first time solo and without rope.] Of course, I can’t simply carry on with the agenda. Gerry was a good friend, I miss him. But I hope it will get better with time. My passion for climbing is just so strong that I’ll go on expedition again.

Charly Gabl

“I’m retired, but not tired or unhappy”, says Karl, called “Charly” Gabl. “You should not slow down from hundred to one. As on the road, that would be fatal.” Four years ago, the Austrian meteorologist retired, but the 68-year-old weatherman is still advising many professional climbers during their expeditions in the Himalayas or Karakoram. “I’m doing this voluntarily. For example last summer, I advised the Huber brothers on Latok I where they did not succeed due to the warm weather and were almost killed by an ice avalanche”, Gabl told me when I met him at the Alpine Trade Fair in Innsbruck last weekend.

“No one is immune from stumbling”

The Austrian team led by Hansjoerg Auer that first climbed the South Face of the 6,839-meter-high Nilgiri South in the Annapurna massif at the end of October, had previously seeked advice from Charly too. On the descent – as reported – Gerry Fiegl, obviously suffering vom altitude sickness, lost his balance and fell to death. The weather was not to blame for the accident, says Gabl: “There was no precipitation, it was sunny, even though there was a strong wind. But stumbling is always possible.” Charly cites the example of a mountain guide colleague who fell to death on Annapurna Fang, a secondary peak of the eight-thousander, because his crampons entangled in his gaiters.“No one is immune from stumbling. This is one of the the biggest dangers in the mountains”, says Gabl.

Most accidents while hiking

The Tirolyan should know. For ten years now, he has been president of the “Austrian Council for Alpine Safety”. More and more people are killed in mountain accidents in the Alps. This is mainly due to the fact that so many people are going to the mountains, Gabl explains, adding that their number has finally increased tenfold since the 1950s. “Most of the dead are hikers, half of them dying after heart attacks. But it is precisely the hikers who are predestined to slip or stumble.”

Travel to Nepal!

Summit of Sarbibung (centre)

Why do professional climbers still contact him to get weather forecasts? “Because I am a high altitude climber too and know what the point is”, says Charly Gabl. In 1970, he skied down Noshaq (7,492 m), the highest mountain in Afghanistan, for the first time ever. “I have scaled almost 50 summits higher than 5,000 meters so far”, says the famous weatherman. Three years ago, he, aged 65, climbed to the top of Putha Hiunchuli (called Dhaulagiri VII too, 7,246 m) in Nepal (where, incidentally, I myself had to turn around in 2011, about a hundred meters below the summit). Just recently, Charly was back in Nepal again and reached the highest point of Saribung Peak (6,328 m), during a trek through the ancient kingdom of Mustang. “What a beautiful summit”, Charly enthuses about his trip to Nepal. Despite the devastating earthquake six months ago, the infrastructure was working properly, says Charlie. Everything was well organized. “I can only say: Guys, travel to Nepal! During these 18 days, I and my wife ensured jobs for ten people. This is very important.”

Route of the Austrian climbers on Nilgiri South

Anyone who has ever climbed a very high mountain knows about the dangers during the descent. Not the dangers of the mountain itself, but of your own body. Suddenly all adrenaline is used up, you feel the pain that you have pushed away during the ascent, you are exhausted, only want to get down quickly and run into danger of losing your concentration. It’s not for nothing that many accidents happen on descent – like on the 6,839-meter-high Nilgiri South in Nepal, where the Austrian Gerhard Fiegl fell several hundred meters into depth on Monday of last week and has been missing since then. As reported, the search for the 27-year-old was meanwhile abandoned.
According to the other two team members, Hansjoerg Auer and Alexander Bluemel, the trio earlier had “successfully reached the summit after climbing through the more than 1,500 meter high South Face”. It was the first climb via the difficult wall where several other expeditions had failed in the past few decades. At the summit they noticed that their friend Gerry was “very exhausted”, Hansjoerg and Alex say. Was it symptoms of High Altitude Sickness? Fiegl’s rapid drop in performance might indicate this. At that altitude, oxygen is pressed into the longs with around 40 percent less pressure than at sea level.

Unplanned bivouac

At the summit: Fiegl, Bluemek and Auer (r.to l.)

“At the summit, we were still lying in each others arms and rejoiced over the successful first climb of the South Face”, says Auer. “But within a short time the situation turned extremely tense due to Gerry’s condition.” A few hundred meters below the summit, the three climbers decided to bivouac. Down in Base Camp, the photographer Elias Holzknecht tried to organize a rescue operation. However, strong winds made helicopter flights impossible. The next morning, Gerry’s condition seemed to have improved slightly, the trio continued their descent. Later, at around 2 p.m. local time, Fiegl lost his balance on the Southwest Ridge and fell around 800 meters into depth while his friends were looking on in horror.

Helicopter search two days later

Hansjoerg and Alex climbed down to Base Camp. Heavy snowfall hampered the search that was started immediately, only two days after the accident a helicopter was able to take off. The search for Gerry was unsuccessful. On 1 November the other expedition members returned to Austria. “At the moment when a longtime friend falls to death before your eyes, everything else becomes unimportant”, says Hansjoerg Auer. “Our joint expedition could not have taken a worse end.” As well as Auer, Alexander Bluemel is “very sad about the loss of our friend. But nobody can take me away the memory of the intense time I experienced with Gerry.”

Gerhard Fiegl (1988-2015)

The worst fears turned into sad certainty. The Austrian climber Gerhard called “Gerry” Fiegl will not return. Reiner Gerstner, company spokesman for the outdoor sporting goods manufacturer Salewa, informed me, that the search for the missing 27-year-old was abandoned: “According to information from Nepal there is no longer any hope to find Gerry still alive.” In recent days, up to one and a half meter of fresh snow had fallen in the Annapurna region, Gerstner said. Last week on Monday, on the descent from the 6,839-meter-high Nilgiri South, Fiegl had fallen several hundred meters into depth. Previously Gerry – along with his compatriots Hansjoerg Auer and Alexander Bluemel – had first climbed the difficult South Face of the mountain where several expeditions had failed in past decades. “So an until then successful expedition came to a tragic end”, said Gerstner. “We mourn the death of a friend. Gerry was one of the best.”

Nonstop to the top of Fitz Roy

Gerry at the Wendenstoecke (last August)

Gerhard Fiegl was among the leading representatives of the young Austrian generation of climbers. In 2014, Gerry climbed along with his South Tyrolean friend Simon Gietl nonstop within just 21.5 hours to the summit of the legendary granite mountain Fitz Roy in Patagonia. After 31.5 hours, they were back at the starting point. Also with his climbing partners on Nilgiri South, Fiegl completed ambitious projects. So in 2013, along with Alex Bluemel, Gerry opened a new rock climbing route on Gargoyle in Alaska and in spring 2015, along with Hansjoerg Auer, an ambitious mixed route in his home Oetztal. Last summer, Fiegl completed his training as a mountain guide. “It may sound trite, but the most important thing in life are not mountains, climbs or levels of difficulty, but health and happiness”, Gerry wrote. “We all know that it is not self-evident to be healthy and fit and that this situation can change within a second.” R.I.P., Gerry. Or like American climbers say: Climb on.

One of the best

Last Thursday, Auer, Fiegl and Bluemel had set off to first climb the South Wall of Nilgiri South. According to a first statement of Auer they were successful and reached the summit on Sunday. The accident happened during the descent, Fiegl obviously slipped. Further details are not yet known. Gerhard called “Gerry” Fiegl is among the best young climbers in Austria. In March, he opened – along with his friend Hansjoerg Auer – a new difficult mixed route in his home Oetztal. In 2014, Gerry and the South Tyrolean Simon Gietl climbed to the summit of the legendary granite mountain Fitz Roy in Patagonia within only 21.5 hours (look at the video).

Fiegl also often climbed along with Alex Bluemel, for instance in 2013, when they did some amazing climbs in Alaska.

PS: Yesterday I deliberately refrained from disclosing the identity of the fallen climber. Austrian media were less restraint and now Gerry’s name is also mentioned in other countries. My thoughts are with the Austrian climber, his family and friends.

Nilgiri South

Sad news from the Austrian expedition to the South Face of the 6839-meter-high Nilgiri South in the Annapurna massif in Nepal: A spokesman of the Austrian Foreign Office confirmed to me that one of the three climbers who had started their first summit attempt last Thursday was missing. According to him, the climber slipped during the descent and fell about 800 meters deep while his two team mates were looking on in horror. The two climbers descended to Base Camp. Fog and snowfall hampered the helicopter rescue operation. The search was going on, the spokesman said. He gave no details about the climber who fell into the depth adding that they were in touch with his relatives.

The well-know Austrian climber Hansjoerg Auer and his compatriots Alexander Bluemel and Gerhard Fiegl, both mountain guides from Tyrol, had tried to first climb the South Face of Nilgiri South. The Foreign Office spokesman said, he did not know whether the three climbers were on their descent from the top or turned back before reaching the summit.
The mountain was first climbed on 10 October 1978 by a Japanese expedition that was led by Kazao Mitsui, the climbers ascended from North via the East Ridge to the top. In 2003, Japanese climbers succeeded in opening a new route via the West Col and the North Face. Since the 1980s there have been several attempts by Japanese, Czech and Slowenian climbers to reach the summit of Nilgiri South via the South Face but all failed. The most successful was the try of the Slowenian team led by Tadej Golob who climbed up to an altitude of 6,600 meters until they were forced back by strong winds, fog and snowfall.

Update: A representative of the Nepalese Tourism Ministry told AFP that the missed climber was 27 years old. Hansjoerg Auer is four years older. Although the name of the victim is already circulating on the Internet, I will publish it only if it is confirmed.

Nilgiri South

The push is on. The Austrian Team that tries to first climb the South Face of the 6839-meter-high Nilgiri South in the Annapurna massif in Nepal has set off for their first summit attempt. I was told this by a speaker of Hansjoerg Auer in Austria. On Wednesday Hansjoerg had tweeted that their acclimatization was coming to an end and that their first attempt was about to start. Auer is climbing along with his compatriots Alexander Bluemel and Gerhard Fiegl.

Successes by Japanese climbers

Nilgiri South was first climbed on 10 October 1978 by a Japanese expedition that was led by Kazao Mitsui, the climbers ascended from North via the East Ridge to the top. In 2003, Japanese climbers succeeded in opening a new route via the West Col and the North Face. Since the 1980s there have been several attempts by Japanese, Czech and Slowenian climbers to reach the summit of Nilgiri South via the South Face but all failed. The most successful was the try of the Slowenian team led by Tadej Golob who climbed up to an altitude of 6,600 meters until they were forced back by strong winds, fog and snowfall.

First ascent of Kunyang Chhish East

Hansjoerg Auer (in 2013)

The 31-year-old Hansjoerg Auer has made headlines with his free solo climbs like the difficult Fish route through the South Face of Marmolada in the Dolomites. In 2013, Hansjoerg – along with this brother Matthias and the Swiss Simon Anthamatten – first climbed Kunyang Chhish East (7,400 m) in Pakistan via the 2,700-meter-high Southwest Face. This first ascent was nominated for the Piolet d’Or 2014 but later not awarded.  Then Hansjoerg blamed the jury of having dealt “superficially with our adventure”.