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the-south-asian.com July / August 2006 |
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August/September Contents
Sufis
- wisdom against 50
years of mountain Heritage cities:
Cotton - the fibre of
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Page
6 of 7
50 years of Climbing –
Everest, K2, & Nanga Parbat by
Salman Minhas
First published January 2004 Pakistan's Hunza & Balti Climbers
Pakistani summiteer
Nazir Sabir comes from Raminji village in the remotest Chapurson Valley of
Gojal, Northern Hunza. Up to the 1970s, there was not even a primary
school. Nazir started off his climbing career with a Japanese expedition to
the 7284 meter high Passu peak in Hunza in 1974. In 1975 he attempted Nanga
Parbat (8125 m) with a German Expedition. In 1976 July 17 he along with
Lt.Col. Manzoor Hussain climbed with the first Alpine Club Expedition to
6600 meter high, Mt. Paiyu.
In 1977 Nazir
Sabir and another climber from Hunza, Ashraf Aman teamed up for the first
Pakistan - Japanese expedition to K-2, attempting the traditional South East
Abruzzi ridge. However Nazir Sabir’s first assault team had to turn back due
to bad weather. Ashraf Aman as part of the No.3 summit assault team
became the first Pakistani to summit K-2 and along with Ichiro Yoshizawa
became the 9th K2- climbers. Till then only two mountaineers of
the 1954 successful Italian expedition had stepped on the K-2 Summit. It was
a huge expedition, using bottled oxygen; this team had an army of 1500
porters and 52 members. In 1980, Nazir Sabir lost his elder brother, who was
buried under an ice avalanche while attempting Diran peak with an Army
expedition. Nazir Sabir got the chance to climb K2 in 1981 by accompanying a Japanese Waseda University Expedition to K-2 attempting the West and South West ridge rather than the usual Abruzzi ridge. The Duke of Abruzzi had in 1909, surveyed K-2 from all its sides. He felt that K-2 could only be assailed from the South West ridge, which was to be named Abruzzi ridge. The route to the West and North West ridges of K-2 is via Savoia glacier. This is north of Godwin Austen glacier and the traditional K-2 Base Camp. It involves difficult grade, ice and rock climb at higher elevations with winds at 100+ kms. In 1978 famous British climber Chris Bonington made his first attempt on this route. Nick Estcourt, part of this team, was swept by a slab avalanche above their Camp I.
Nazir followed by Eiho
Otani reached the K-2 summit on 7 August 1981. Nazir created history
by successfully climbing K-2's South West ridge for the first time. He was
the second Pakistani to stand on K-2 summit and the fourth in the world. A
documentary film of the climb, shown all over Japan, made Nazir Sabir a
house hold name in Japan.
In due course Nazir had also picked up Japanese language and could speak it
fluently. Later in 1986 he was to marry a Japanese girl. Nazir Sabir in 1982, along with Sher Khan joined the famous Italian mountaineer Reinhold Messner in his attempt to scale Broad Peak (8047 m) and Gasherbrum II (8035 m) in one attempt. Both Gasherbrum II and Broad Peak were done in Alpine style in a period of just one week! For his outstanding achievements, he was honored with President's Medal for Pride of Performance in the sports of Mountaineering in 1982. Campaigning for the Hunza seat in the 1994 elections for the Northern Area Council, for a five year term, he defeated his opponent from the traditional Mir of Hunza family with a wide margin. He was elated as Advisor on Education and Tourism for the Northern Area. He fell about 400 meters while going to Nanga Parbat in 1985
Nazir Sabir’s attempt on
the Everest in 1997 resulted in failure., but on 17 May 2000, climbing in a
full moon in the night to avoid high winds he reached Everest at 0730
hours.
Ashraf Aman comes from
Aliabad, in Hunza. He studied at Karachi N.E.D University and graduated with
a B.Tech degree in Electrical Engineering. In 1977, he climbed with the
Joint Expedition of Pakistan/Japan. In total there were 35 climbers from
Japan and five from Pakistan. Three Japanese climbers succeeded in first
attempt. The Second attempt with one Pakistani [ Nazir Sabir ] and three
Japanese had no success. In the 3rd attempt three Japanese and
Ashraf Aman climbed K2 successfully. As a result he was awarded President's
Medal, Pride of performance. Of his climb in 1977 he says:
“The days in 1977, we
didn't have plastic boots, we had only leather shoes and heavy high altitude
cloth, now climbing is very easy due to modern equipment and communication
helicopter facilities. I had frost bite. There was no helicopter to rescue.
I had to walk up to Dasso. Every day my doctor had to bandage my toes, I
was walking by help of ski poles.” He worked as Liaison Officer with the first Pakistani K-2 Winter Expedition from December 1987 to March 1988 led by Mr. A. Zawada from Poland .In addition he has been a technical engineer, manager and liaison officer and been on many [ about 20 ] expeditions from a host of countries .He now runs a professional climbing tour company called ‘ Adventure Tours Pakistan’ ] [see http://www.k2news.com/amanqa.htm for a complete list of Ashraf Aman climbing Ashraf
Aman’s views on the comparison between Balti Porters and Nepalese Sherpas is
also presented in the above interview .
“…Pakistani high porters are also allowed to climb the K-2. But as compared
to Sherpas, Pakistani high porters are not skilled enough. They are not
trained properly. As we compare K-2 with Everest we hardly have 5 to 8
expeditions every year and few of them take high altitude porters with them.
This is also a reason of being a small number of local K-2 climbers. While
on the other eight thousand peaks in Pakistan there are many good climbers
who are ready to climb. So far there has not been a Pakistani expedition
organized to K-2.
On the subject of
present day climbing of K2 , Ashraf Aman feels that K-2 is now very easy [
relative to how good the climber is ] . All one needs is modern equipment,
good weather and experience, plus professional guidance. Karim - Balti Snow Leopard [Nameless
Towers & Climbers]
http://classic.mountainzone.com/climbing
What follows below is a
brief version of Greg Mortenson’s story [for exact story see the above
link],
In 1960, Karim made a
friend in the American climber Dick Emerson, who climbed Masherbrum [7,821
meters]. Emerson returned 3 times to the Karakorams and lived in Karim’s
house in the village of Hushe.
When Emerson needed a
climbing partner, Karim [5 ft. 2 inches tall, 110 pounds] at the age of 16
jumped, picked him on his shoulders and walked around the village.
In 1976, a Swiss
expedition came to climb Yaholla Peak
[7000+meters, an Urdukas tower]. A female Swiss climber slipped into the
Chapko Canyon. It was here that Karim was to exhibit his legendary prowess
as a human being and a climber. As Mortensen wrote in his dispatches, “With
one “Bismillah” [in the name of Allah], he jumped in and saved her “. The
Swiss then had Karim carry no loads, doubled his pay. Karim basically only
had to jump into rivers, and carry the rope to lead the Swiss.
In 1978, Karim competed
with 1800 porters for a job on the Chris Bonnington and Doug Scott’s K2 West
Ridge expedition. Bonington apparently laughed at Karim, at which point
Karim carried Bonington by the thighs and carried him in front of the
cheering porters. In the same year Karim went on the American West Ridge K2
climb using Bonington’s and Emerson’s credentials. Then came 1979 and the
French used Karim to carry loads to their high camps including 30 kgs to
8200 meters. In 1981 Karim carried gas, food, oxygen to the Japanese and
Nazir Sabir [Pakistani climber] to 8100 meters in 6 hours.
“Little
Karim”- King of the Karakoram”
[see
dispatches by Greg Mortensen,
www.mountainzone.com ] “In 1982, Karim contributed significantly to Reinhold Messner, Sher Khan, and Nazir Sabir's successful climbs of Broad Peak (8,047 meters) and Gasherbrum II (8,035 meters), by hauling several huge loads to the lower camp. Karim joined a Spanish K2 West Ridge expedition in 1983. He carried loads to Camp IV at 7,600 meters. Two weeks of bad weather made most of the team decide to leave K2. The leader, Antonio Trabado, was without a partner and asked Karim for help, "You go to summit with me, no problem. We go alpine style." At 8,350 meters on their summit bid, Trabado became psychotic. Karim recalls the day, "He make crazy, he talk everything, and his eyes look like yak. I carry him to Base Camp and he no die."
The next
year, in 1984, Karim helped Messner and Klinehander successfully complete
their five day alpine-style traverse of Gasherbrum
I (8,068 meters) and Gasherbrum II (8,035 meters). …” …The stories go on, but it seems that a point can be made here. In a humble way, this small man from a tiny village has touched the lives and hearts of thousands of climbers and trekkers worldwide. Although he has been above 8,000 meters perhaps more than 20 times in his own backyard, his favorite moments are not summit days. What he enjoys and gives him the greatest joy are the smiles and happy faces of satisfied "clients." Ironically, Karim has little to show for his career in the mountains. Often, he says he is not paid or underpaid by his clients or travel agencies. Indeed, $8 to $10 per day seems absurd for a chance to walk or climb with this King of the Karakoram. In the winter, his children sometimes go hungry, for lack of rupees and food. He sells off precious land every year to pay for his subsistence lifestyle. His youngest daughter, Zakhiria, is three years old. She is paralyzed in the right arm and never received treatment or therapy for lack of funds. Yet, Zakhira does not seem to mind and her huge smile echoes the spirit of famed father. No climber in the world deserves more respect than Little Karim. He brings the highest ethics and honor to the sport called mountaineering. But my heart is pained to see what he has received in return for his efforts. Certainly, when Little Karim's time comes, his Allah Almighty will reward him a throne more worthy and a summit higher than any mountain he has climbed.
Until next
time, this is Greg Mortenson signing off from Little Karim's kitchen, where
paiyu cha (Balti salt tea) is now being served. “
—
Greg Mortenson, MountainZone.com Correspondent
– Greg went to climb K2 in 1993 and has stayed back ever since, establishing
about 80 projects setting up schools, hospitals, in the Karakoram area, with
his base camp office “Central Asia Institute in Skardu. He has overcome the
skepticism of the ISI, the local mullahs and has along with
Geoff Tabin, MD [ Dr.
Tabin is an University of Vermont opthamalogist ] helped in the local eye
care programs, tree planting ecology , setting up porter latrines/ porter
hygiene education training for the Baltoro Glacier, two women’s
vocational training / school centers, men’s training centers ,etc ] . Greg
also feels that in comparison with the Nepal and India’s Himalayan
Mountain areas, the Karakorams is a much neglected area for humanitarian aid
projects.
—
[See also
www.Mountainzone.com for some excellent accounts of climbing eastern
Karakorams Rock Towers – in the Kondus valley, and Nangmah valleys, namely
the Amin Brakk Tower and the Satulpa Spire & Tahir Tower.
—
Check the link :
http://classic.mountainzone.com/climbing/99/karakoram/ and in it
http://classic.mountainzone.com/climbing/2000/forbidden/ - for many
interesting /amusing dispatches and accounts of the rock-climbing there as
well as their interactions with the local flora /fauna and species of the
Team - Brady
Robinson, Steph Davis, Jimmy Chin, Dave Anderson
]. — Climbing the Fathi Peak, which Chin did after consulting with Galen Rowell in 199, this is what Chin had to say about the Fathi Peak: “The first sight of Fathi Peak's ominous north wall overwhelmed them. "It blew me away. El Capitan [Yosemite, Cal, USA] seemed like a boulder in comparison," said Chen.
The New Wave or Extreme Adventure – the Purist / Alpinist Climbers In an effort to pit human endurance against more strenuous targets, the so-called “edge of the envelope”, climbers have begun to break new ground and find more dangerous/difficult routes to the highest peaks. Starting in the 1970s, among the mountain climbers, increasing emphasis was placed on climbing these peaks in more daring ways. The Alpinist or purist climbing is characterized with no oxygen, with minimal equipment, with no satellite phones, climbing solo without porters, finding the most difficult of routes to these peaks, and also climbing in winter.
Of these new wave
climbers who follow this purist /alpinist approach of climbing without
oxygen, solo and using the unclimbed formerly considered dangerous
approaches, the list is also growing. The outstanding names are Reinhold
Messner [Italian born in
Brixen,
South Tyrol, Italy, on 17th September 1944. He grew up in the Villnöss
Valley in the Dolomites and later studied at the University of Padua.
Messner has crossed the Arctic and the Antarctica Poles solo and is
currently a member of the Greens Political party in Germany],
Peter Habeler [Reinhold’s climbing companion] , Gunther Messner [ who died
climbing Nanga Parbat with Reinhold’s brother ], Jerry Kukutza from Poland .
Other names that have erupted in the last two years include those of Simone
Moro, Tomas Hummer,
Messner who pioneered
the solo, oxygen-less climbs, has put his point of view very well in a
recent classic interview in the newspaper Guardian that carried a series of
interviews celebrating the Everest ascents of 1953. A few of his words speak
for themselves. Messner climbed Nanga Parbat
solo using the Diamir face [north]. As he was coming down, an earthquake
triggered an avalanche, which blocked his route down the same route. He
descended using another route. Messner’s climbing achievements are probably
unmatchable and legendary. He has gone on to cross the North and South Pole
solo. Nevertheless he speaks of Shackleton’s failures as more important than
successes. Messner’s climb/traverse of Gasherbrum
[Hidden Peak]
I and II with Hans Kammerlander is probably the most dangerous climb he
rates. He fell into space and then turned in midair to manage to land on
steep rocks.
“…When
you're high on a mountain you cannot be anything but what you are. …Mallory
said he climbed Everest because it was there. I think we go up so we can
come back down again. … We are not made for it, this loneliness and cold.
When you come back you feel reborn, you have a new chance. The experience is
so strong you want to have it again and again, but you have to suffer for
it. It's addictive. … This is what I had got as a child, without even
thinking: I could find a good route, understand the weather quickly, know
that this rock is good, if this gully will go to the left. I had learnt the
structure of the mountain. …On Nanga Parbat I understood the reality of my
own death. I had not eaten or drunk anything for days, I was hallucinating,
my toes were black from frostbite and my brother was lost in the avalanche.
…When I lost seven of my toes on Nanga Parbat and small parts of my
fingertips I knew I'd never be a great rock climber. So I specialized in
high-altitude climbing. It's a totally different game… High-altitude
climbing is about suffering, it's about being afraid. I don't believe anyone
who says there's a lot of pleasure in climbing the biggest peaks. It's
dangerous, especially if there are no Sherpas or fixed ropes and camps. If
you make one mistake, you die. … I was elected an MEP for the Green Party.
Politics and climbing are exact opposites. But they're both games.
If the world's leaders could spend a few days climbing a mountain together,
then things would go better.”
-----
[http://www.guardian.co.uk/everest/story/0,13321,955914,00.html
].
Nanga Parbat - the Killer Mountain K2 - the most difficult mountain to climb Women on Nanga Parbat, K2, and Mt.Everest Pakistan's Hunza and Balti climbers Ecological Nightmare on Big Tops & Conclusion
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