Ski course in Nepal

Certainly they won’t be the most elegant skiers on Mera Peak, but motivation and enthusiasm will surely not be missing. Six Nepalese mountain guides have set out to ski down the 6476-meter-high “trekking peak” in Nepal in September. They will be accompanied by two ski instructors from Europe, German Julius Seidenader and Austrian Michael Moik. What’s remarkable: The Nepalese have been for the very first time on skis only last February. “I am confident that they will be able to ski down along with us,” says Julius.

Adolescent folly

These Nepalese mountain guides have already gained their first skiing experience at an “almost six-thousander”. After their three-week ski training near the village Naa at 4,200 meters in Rolwaling in February, they ascended the 5,925-meter-high Ramdung Go with touring skis and skied from the summit to the valley. “They did a good job,” told me Julius, who had mounted the ski course along with some Nepalese friends. “It was certainly a bit of adolescent folly to ski down their first 6000er after only three weeks training. But they managed it without broken bones and all reached the valley unhurt.”

Totally motivated

Julius Seidenader

The 24-year-old is one of the founding members of the “Ski and Snowboarding Foundation Nepal”, which has set the goal of teaching young Nepali skiing, snowboarding and ski touring. “I’m not a crazy European who enforces his ideas on Nepali people,” Julius makes clear. “It was a Nepalese idea and it will be implemented there. The guys are totally motivated.” His Nepalese friend Utsav Pathak, who is studying tourism in Kathmandu, had told him his idea, says Seidenader: “We wanted to work with young people and to teach also girls skiing and snowboarding what has happened never before in Nepal.” So last February in Rolwaling, about 30 young Nepali were standing for the very first time on skis, under the guidance of five ski instructors from Germany, Austria and Switzerland, in rather bad snow conditions. “The first ski school in Nepal and the highest in the world,” the initiators of the project cheered. The equipment, 25 pairs of used skis and four snowboards, had been donated.

Nepali people want to work as ski guides

The young people involved in the project dream of opening up a new branch of tourism for Nepal. “We don’t want ski alpinism as we have here in Europe with ski lifts and snow cannons,” says Julius, who comes from Munich and is now studying in Vienna. “We are striving for sustainable tourism and focus on ski touring.” Their long-term goal is to train Nepali people as ski instructors and also to offer skiing skills to local mountain guides. “Nepali people find it cool if they, in the long term, get the opportunity to work as ski guides,” says Seidenader.

There are already trekking agencies who offer ski expeditions in Nepal, for example on Mera Peak. But they are not led by local but by foreign mountain guides with ski experience. There are many options for ski touring in Nepal, for instance in Dolpo in the far west of the country, but there still lacks the necessary infrastructure, says Julius. “We need the ability to sit still and be patient” – and they need money: The “Ski and Snowboarding Foundation Nepal” has launched a crowdfunding for their project on the Internet.

Before Julius will return to Nepal in September, he will make a stopover in Dubai. The head of the local skiing hall contacted him: “He said there were already Nepalese ski instructors: in his skiing hall. And they would like to work in a ski school in Nepal for a few weeks per year. For free!”

Mingma on his ascent on Chobutse

No trace of euphoria. On Wednesday last week, Mingma Gyalje Sherpa reached – as reported in my blog – the 6,685-meter-high summit of Chobutse in Rolwaling Valley in Nepal, solo climbing and for the first time via the West Face – a milestone in the history of Sherpa climbing. But instead of being cheerful the 29-year-old is simply happy that he survived his solo ascent.

Mingma, you have already been on top of Mount Everest, K 2 and five other eight-thousanders. How challenging was your solo ascent on Chobutse?

I have climbed Everest with bottled oxygen and the other six 8,000-meter- peaks without the use of oxygen. When I climbed these high mountains, I did it with partners and on routes with fixed ropes. But a solo ascent means climbing alone in free style, there isn’t any fixed rope or climbing partner to save you if you make a mistake. A mistake means the end of your life. So it is itself challenging. It took me three years to decide to go for a solo climb. Finally, I made it this year. Climbing Chobutse was my worst decision and mistake. I almost lost my life. After my summit success, I spent two nights and days without food, water or tent. I spent two threatening nights and a day at the same place in a whiteout waiting for the weather to clear up. My only satisfaction is that I made it to the summit, though it was the hardest climb of my life.

Chobutse

You and your Sherpa friends completed two amazing climbing projects within a month: a trilogy of first ascents by a pure Sherpa team and your first solo ascent of a Nepalese climber. What is the message that you want to send to the climbing world?

Firstly: After the earthquake, Nepal is suffering from an economic crisis and tourism is the main source of our income. Fewer tourists means we suffer. So our main goal was to spread the news that Nepal is still safe to trek and climb. Only writing on social media and websites was not enough because fewer people would believe it. So we thought it was a good idea to prove it by action. We made our plan in the first week of September and started and completed our projects in October.
Secondly, we wanted to raise interest for climbing among Nepalese youngsters. Usually Nepalese climbers have been working for foreign climbers but now it is changing. We do climb for ourselves too. We can say changing profession into hobby.
Thirdly, we all are from Rolwaling Valley in Nepal. Rolwaling is a very remote area without electricity, transportation, proper school or health post. The population of that area used to be more than 300 people but only about 50 are living there now. If the situation remains the same, the valley will get emptied within ten years. Because of life difficulty, the local people migrate to the capital city. So our concern is to make Rolwaling Valley more popular. We have spots there for ice and rock climbing. So many mountains remain to be climbed but still this valley is backward. If it gets popular, more tourists like to visit it. And more tourists mean more job opportunities. We hope our people may return back to our place.

Do you feel that many Western climbers have a false impression about what Sherpas are and should they change their attitude?

There is no doubt that Western climbers have a good impression of Sherpa. Otherwise, they won’t hire Sherpa for their safe and secure climbing. The demand for Nepalese Sherpa is increasing. Now Western climbers invite Nepalese Sherpa to climb with them in the Alps, Pakistan etc. 

You are also head of an expedition operator. Is it difficult for you to separate between business and your own climbing goals?

I run an expedition company, Dreamers’ Destination. But I usually go to mountains leading expeditions. My people believe on me and climbing with me, so I have to go on mountains. I make my goals considering my business and I have my staff to look after the company, so I have no difficulty.

What are you planning next?

Actually, I was looking to go for the first winter ascent on Nanga Parbat. But after my solo ascent, my parents refused to let me go for it. So I will lead an expedition to Kangchenjunga in April and May 2016. I already climbed it in 2013, so a few friends of mine want me to lead an expedition again in 2016. Then I will go to Nanga Parbat and Gasherbrum in June and July as a part of my remaining 8,000-meter-peaks. 

Is there any current or former climber who is an example for you?

I am big fan of my own cousin Lopsang Jangbu Sherpa who was a guide of Scott Fischer’s Everest expedition in spring 1996. (Lopsang tried to rescue Fischer from the South Summit but could not move him any more.) He climbed Everest four times, three times without bottled oxygen. He was very popular at that time. If he was still alive (He died in an avalanche on Everest in September 1996.), I am sure he would hold many records on Everest. People are still talking about him and his deeds during that time.

The route Mingma wanted to take on Chobutse

The next Sherpa coup in the Himalayas, again in Rolwaling Valley. After Nima Tenji Sherpa, Tashi Sherpa and Dawa Gyalje Sherpa – as reported – had first climbed three six-thousanders within three days at the beginning of October, Mingma Gyalje Sherpa now succeeded in doing an amazing solo ascent. The 29-year-old stated that he reached the 6685-meter-high summit of Chobutse (also called Tsoboje) climbing alone and for the first time through the West Face. He had two cold bivouacs in the wall causing frostbite at his leg. Chobutse was first climbed by the Germans Wolfgang Weinzierl, Peter Vogler, Gustav and Klaus Harder in spring 1972, via the Northeast Ridge. Several attempts to climb through the West Face had failed.

On top of seven eight-thousanders

Mingma Gyalje Sherpa

Mingma Gyalje Sherpa grew up in Rolwaling. He is the head of the Kathmandu-based expedition operator Dreamer’s Destination and one of the strongest climbers in Nepal. The list of his mountain achievements is long. He stood on top of Mount Everest four times, twice each from the Tibetan north (in 2007 and 2010) and the Nepalese south side (in 2011 and 2012). Mingma has climbed six other eight-thousanders so far: Manaslu (three times), Lhotse, Cho Oyu, Kangchenjunga, K2 and Annapurna. In addition he opened new challenging routes on the six-thousanders Cheki-Go and Bamongo.

Passion for climbing

Even before he set off, the 29-year-old called his solo climb on Chobutse “the most important for my entire life”. Never before a Nepalese climber had done a solo ascent, Mingma wrote: “Sherpa are well known for their hard job in the Himalayas. The trend is changing. There are many young Nepalese climbers who have been doing so many climbing for themselves.” Recently, Swiss top climber Ueli Steck also enthused about the strong young Sherpa climbers: “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!” I think so too.

P.S.: Ueli Steck has meanwhile returned from Nepal to Switzerland – after a failed attempt on the South Face of Nuptse. “Winds were too strong. There was a lot of drifting snow at 7,000 meters. It was hopeless”, Ueli writes to me.

The Cho Rolpa glacier lake in Rolwaling

Anyone who has ever climbed with Sherpas knows: There are many powerful, really good climbers among them, who can make western climbers look quite old. It is no wonder that there have been Sherpas as team members in many first ascents of the world’s highest mountains in the Himalayas and the Karakoram – like Tenzing Norgay on Mount Everest in 1953, Pasang Dawa Lama on Cho Oyu in 1954 or Gyalzen Norbu on Manaslu in 1956. But always along with foreign mountaineers. That has now changed.

In Alpine style

Dawa Gyalje Sherpa (l.) and Tashi Sherpa

In Rolwaling Himal, Nima Sherpa Tenji, Tashi Sherpa and Dawa Sherpa Gyalje reached three previously unclimbed summits of six-thousanders within three days, all of them in Alpine style. On Sunday, the Sherpa team succeeded in first climbing Mount Raungsiyar (6,224 meters), on Monday Mount Langdak (6,220 meters) and today the trio completed the trilogy by first climbing Mount Thakar-Go East (6152 meters). A remarkable performance – but hardly surprising when you look at the climbing achievements of the three Sherpas.

Beautiful view

Nima Tenji Sherpa

The Sherpa trio collected in total 23 ascents of Mount Everest and eleven ascents of other eight-thousanders before. Tashi summited Everest nine times, Dawa Gyalje did it eight, Nima Tenji seven times. The three Sherpas are living in Rolwaling area, so they made their first ascents more or less “on the doorstep”. Raungsiyar, Langdak and Thakar-Go East were on a list of 104 mountains that had been given free for climbing by the Nepalese government in spring 2014.  The three mountains that have now been first climbed by the pure Sherpa team should be interesting for commercial operators too. Expedition leader Nima Tenji described Langdak as the “best view point” he ever climbed. From the summit, he saw six eight-thousanders: Everest, Lhotse, Makalu, Cho Oyu, Shishapangma and Kangchenjunga.

Temba Tsheri Sherpa

Temba Tsheri reached the summit of Mount Everest when he was 16 years and 14 days old. The Nepalese schoolboy from Rolwaling Valley had joined a French team that climbed from the Tibetan north side to the top of Everest. Then, in 2001, he was the youngest climber ever who had scaled the highest mountain on earth. (Nine years later he was followed by 13-year-old American Jordan Romero.) In spring 2000, Temba had tried to climb Everest from the south side. Just below the summit he had had to return, because he had lost too much time because of a traffic jam at the Hillary Step. He had lost five fingers due to frostbite.

Later Temba Tsheri Sherpa studied at the University of Wuhan in China and started his own business, organizing expeditions. When the devastating earthquake struck Nepal on 25 April, he was the managing director of “Dreamers Destination”, an operator based in Kathmandu that had a large expedition group on Everest. The huge avalanche from Pumori, that was triggered by the earthquake and hit Everest Base Camp, killed three of Temba’s foreign clients and two Nepali staff members. I asked the 30-year-old Sherpa about the situation in his homeland after the earthquake.

Temba, what is your personal balance of the earthquake disaster – or in other words: What have you lost?

I am facing this kind of disaster for the first time in my life. I never thought of it. We lost two houses, one in the village Tashinam-Gauri Shankar where I was born, one in Jagat, where my parents were running a small guesthouse for trekkers. Secondly I lost my business, my friends and clients in Everest Base Camp. I lost all the gear and equipment for which we had worked for five years.

Base Camp after the avalanche from Pumori

What does that mean for your future and for the future of your operator “Dreamers Destination”?

I am a little worried trekkers and travelers might be scared that Nepal is not safe to go. But I am sure that everything will get better. We still have many things that tourists can enjoy. Now our small country is more famous, and people know more about Nepal after this disaster. So I am sure that more people are interested to come. But I am not working with “Dreamers Destination” any more, for personal reasons.

You are living in Kathmandu but you come from Rolwaling Valley and you have contacts to people all over the country. What is the situation like, a month after the devastating earthquake?

People are still scared, they are living outside in tents. Every day we feel tremors, buildings are still collapsing, people are dying. Roads are blocked. There is no proper aid to my family members who are in village. They will be running out of food soon. They are really worried because monsoon is very near.

Destroyed house in Sangachok

Does the aid get to the places where it is needed most? If not, why?

Frankly speaking, I didn’t spend much time with the aid theme because I was too busy with the Everest issue. I had to take care of injured persons, I had to handle this matter, I am still working on it. But I heard many things about the aid, that people are not getting proper aid where it is needed. I know there are many INGOs (International Non-Governmental Organizations) and NGOs (Non-Governmental Organizations) who want to help. But they are only able to help where they can take vehicles to reach the places and to transport the aid supplies. Some people are taking advantages: They collect money and aid, then they distribute it to their families.

Last year the season on Everest ended after an avalanche that killed 16 Nepalese climbers. This year it was finished prematurely due to the quake and the following avalanche that hit the Base Camp and killed 19 people. No climbing, that means no income for so many families. How is the mood in the Sherpa community?

In this situation they are more worried about the earthquake, because they are homeless now.

Two disasters in two consecutive years, what’s about the future of climbing Everest from the Nepalese side?

I think there will be no negative effect for climbing. People still like to climb and will continue doing it because everybody knows that climbing is risky and might cost lives. Every year people are dying,  maybe last year and this year more compared to other times. But every year people are dying in avalanches.

The new Nepalese Tourism Minister (Kripa Sur Sherpa was appointed last Friday) is – like you – a Sherpa. What do you expect him to do?

I hope that he will fight for Sherpa climbers. Sherpa people have been climbing for ages. They are risking their lives and others take the profit,while we are only known as porters, which is wrong. They lost their lives, and nobody takes care of their families and kids. I want the government to provide them proper homes and education for the kids.