About 20 climbers from several teams had planned to start their summit push on Dhaulagiri today, and conditions couldn’t be better: bluebird skies, low wind, and setting snow. So why are climbers stuck at Camp 2? And why are they so angry?
“We are…stuck here at Camp 2 waiting for the route above us to be fixed,” Paul Clarke of Australia texted to ExplorersWeb this morning.
Not enough rich clients?
As Clarke explained, the Sherpa team from Seven Summit Treks assigned to fix the route on Dhaulagiri this year refuses to lay ropes on the last sections above Camp 3.
“From what we are being told here at Camp 2, SST’s VVIP clients are no longer planning to climb higher,” Clarke said. “As a result, the company has little motivation to continue fixing the route for the remaining climbers.
The rope-fixing team had laid ropes until some 400m above Camp 3 earlier last week. The SST leader, Makalu Sherpa, shared his latest update on Friday. At that time, he reported everything was going well. The rope-fixing team made good progress while the clients waited at Camp 2. Neither SST nor 14 Peaks Expeditions has updated about Dhaulagiri since then. There have been no safety concerns reported during the current push.
Camp 2 yesterday. Photo: Xenia Santha
In recent years, 8,000m peaks have been fixed either by a dedicated team assigned by the Expedition Operators Association of Nepal or by agreement among the companies on the mountain. They assign the rope fixing to a team of volunteers, whom the other operators all chip in to pay. Most 8,000m clients these days lack the skills to climb on their own and depend entirely on fixed ropes (and a packed trail) prepared by Sherpas.
The assigned rope-fixing team may stop for safety reasons, such as bad weather or risky conditions. We are waiting for further statements to clarify the situation. For now, unless a different group of Sherpas takes over, there will be no summit push.
Frustration and retreat
This has frustrated those like Clarke and his climbing partner, Xenia Santha of Hungary. The pair patiently remained at Base Camp during the storm two weeks ago and have been at Camp 2 for five days, waiting for their moment. It’s mid-October, and there will probably be no further opportunities for them.
Today, Anni Penttila of Finland posted a text in Finnish on Instagram that translates to:
“Nothing came of it this time, either. It’s so disappointing that there’s really nothing to say at this point. Everyone turned back to Base Camp today.”
Anni Penttila’s story today from Dhaulagiri.
As the clients all retreat, Andrzej Bargiel remains at Base Camp with his large support and film team. The Polish skier intends to climb and ski down Dhaulagiri without oxygen. He has already skied eight other 8,000m peaks in that style, including Everest.
