With jet stream winds forecast to hit Nanga Parbat hard until February 10, Herve Barmasse and David Gottler have all but given up this year’s winter attempt.
The Italian and the German reached Base Camp in mid-December but have only managed to venture up the Schell route twice. Their high point was 6,200m.
David Gottler (left) and Herve Barmasse on a rare sunny day on Nanga Parbat. Photo: David Gottler
The climbers have flexible airline tickets home scheduled for the end of January and do not intend to prolong their stay in Pakistan. They are still willing to launch another push if next week’s forecasts prove wrong. But “honestly, that is very unlikely,” Barmasse admitted.
Yesterday, Simone Moro analyzed the Schell route on the Rupal Face of Nanga Parbat in an interview with ExplorersWeb. The Italian winter expert was not optimistic about his friends’ chances for an alpine-style attempt. Moro was especially concerned about the long upper section of the route. It would require either a very fast ascent or difficult bivouacs on the shadowy Diamir side of the mountain.
