Seattle climber retreats from Annapurna

[freeclimb9]

Alberto Inurrategui and JC Lafaille summitted Annapurna today to make the second ascent of the technical east ridge. Expedition partners Ed Viesturs and Veikka Gustafsson turned around yesterday at about 7300m due to avalanche danger beyond their comfort zone (Ed turned away from Nanga Parbat last year for similar reasons). The fift expedition member, Jon Beloki, had turned around before camp 3 due to fatigue and doubt about being able to traverse so long at such a high elevation (above 7000m). It was JC Lafaille's fourth attempt on Annapurna (his partner was killed on his first attempt and a Sherpa was killed on another). Alberto Inurrategui has completed his quest for climbing the world's 14 peaks over 8000m with the Annpurna summit.

Maybe next year, Ed.

information gathered from www.desnivel.com and www.mountainzone.com

[David_Parker]

I'm sorry to hear of this sad news, but Ed is going to make his 14 summits eventually. I was with Ed in his garage with all his gear just before he left and he truly has an exemplary attitude towards this high altitude climbing. He has a wonderful wife and two beautiful children and I'm sure his thoughts were mostly about them when he made the decision to turn around. If you want more information about his climb on Annapurna, go to:

 

http://www.annapurna2002.com/dispatch/dispatch5_14.html

 

I believe Ed returns later this year to Nanga Parbat for another try. #13 is proving to be difficult and elusive and we should all wish him luck!!!

 

Here's the most recent post from that website:

 

Hi, its Ed Viesturs calling, it’s May 15th. And Veikka and myself, we are now at Base Camp. After spending the day yesterday camped below the steep face of Roc Noir and observing and discussing and deliberating and evaluating the risks involved, both Veikka and I decided not to continue further - either to climb the face of Roc Noir, which is an 800 foot snow face of about 45 degrees with very avalanche prone snow and then to continue on the ridge beyond we felt, in our own evaluation, that the level of risk was increasing and the margin of safety was decreasing. It’s a tough call to make when you spend four or five weeks on an expedition like this to get so close and then are faced with an assessment like that. I’ve done it before, when it feels bad and my gut instinct is telling me it is bad, then I know it’s bad.

 

Not to say that what Jean Christophe and Alberto are doing is wrong, their level of risk may be greater. They did continue on the ridge, they are now camped between the East and the Middle Summit of Annapurna. And hopefully tomorrow, weather and conditions permitting, they will reach the summit of Annapurna tomorrow. And I will let you know as soon as possible. We are hoping for the best, we hope they do reach the summit, they deserve it, they worked very hard, and we’re very excited if they do make it to the summit.

 

But again, Veikka and I spent all day yesterday watching the snow face. We had more snow while we were observing the face. It was avalanching during the day. And we then decided that it wasn’t worth the risk for us to climb the face. JC and Alberto also told us that above the face on the ridge itself was a very steep and dangerous ice traverse which they managed to accomplish. Once we heard of that, that added on to the fact that the dangers above on the ridge were compounding, not only would you have to climb that on the way to the summit, but then also retreat and climb back down on the way back. So Veikka and I thought long and hard, we discussed hour after hour and it was a tough call but we both felt good once we made the decision to return and that’s what we did.

 

So this morning we got up at five o’clock. We were camped just below the East Ridge, we packed up all of our gear and we started descending at around six am. And it took us about ten hours to descend through all the camps, picking up all of our gear and equipment as we came down. And the difficult part was between Camp Two and Camp One where we had three thousand feet of rope to repel with eighty-five pound packs. It was very difficult, very physically tiring and after about ten hours we finally managed to get back here to Base Camp. I think I’m about two inches shorter simply because of the loads we had today. But we cleared all of our camps. We removed everything that we took up, we brought it all back down.

 

And here we are safe and sound at Base Camp, obviously slightly disappointed that we didn’t climb Annapurna. But it’s one of these things where there are some risks involved when you climb these mountains, but at the same time its ultra important that you have a very conservative attitude.

So in closing I just wanted to say that Veikka and I are very tired, it was a long day. In many of the places that we descended where originally was snow, especially on the buttress climbing the West Face of Singu Chuli, now there is rock - very loose, egg shell type rock. And with large packs, coming down the fixed rope was very tedious and very demanding. So we’re very, very relieved to be here at Base Camp where it’s flat, there’s grass, it’s warm and it’s extremely safe. But please stayed tuned, tomorrow should be an exciting day if we hear news about Jean Christophe and Alberto reaching the summit, I will let you know as soon as possible. They’re going to start their final ascent at about five o’clock in the morning and it’s hard to guess how long it will take them to reach the summit if the weather holds. So I will let you know as soon as possible.

 

So thanks for following us on this expedition. It was long; it was physically very demanding for us, exciting climbing and all I can say is it’s good to be here safe and sound back at Base Camp.

 

Ed Viesturs signing out from Annapurna Base Camp.

 

[ 05-16-2002, 10:32 AM: Message edited by: David Parker ]

[dick_savage]

I wish Ed luck and admire him for putting safety before pride. He's a good man.

[freeclimb9]

I've known of climbers being outright hostile when team-mates make a summit and they don't. It's a sign of class in Ed Viesturs that he is gracious in reporting of JC's and Alberto's success.

If you read the reports, the conditions at Roc Noir went from marginal to poor while they deliberated. JC and Alberto had been hours ahead, and climbed the slope before solar warming.

[David_Parker]

UPDATE:

 

5/16/02

Part 1

Part 2

 

Part 1: JC and Alberto Both Reach the Summit

 

Hi, it’s Ed Viesturs calling from Annapurna Base Camp, Thursday, May 16th at about 1 pm in the afternoon. We have some very exciting news, as of 9:45 am today Jean Christophe Lafaille and Alberto both reached the summit of Annapurna. They had a difficult time climbing for about five hours from their high camp between the East and Central Summit, but they climbed this morning on difficult, rocky, steep terrain. But they did safely and successfully then reach the summit of Annapurna. They radioed down, very excited, from the top. It was a beautiful day, some clouds and a little bit of wind. But Jean Christophe said it was one of the most beautiful summits he had ever stood on, but it was also very difficult and arduous terrain today. It was very dry, not a lot of snow cover, so they had some steep and somewhat dangerous rocky traverses to do to reach the summit of Annapurna.

 

We are waiting for their call again. We will have our radios open until they safely return back to their high camp between the East and Central Summit. So we are waiting for them to check in again. … (sat phone signal fades) … and they know that as well. They said they were going to be very safe and very cautious and retrace their steps maintaining their focus knowing that they have to be very safe and slowly retreat back to high camp.

 

So, very exciting news here. All of us here are very happy for them. Now we are just going to be highly concerned that they can safely come all the way back down. We hope that they will be back here at Base Camp on Saturday.

 

I’ll call once again once they return to high camp and let us know that everything is fine. We’re all very happy, we all worked hard together on this and we’re so excited that at least two of our climbers reached the summit. For Jean Christophe this is his eighth 8000 meter peak and for Alberto his final and fourteenth 8000 meter peak. So for him a great day for him to stand on the summit of Annapurna and complete the fourteen peaks.

 

Everything is fine here at Base Camp.

 

Part 2: JC and Alberto Safely Camped Further Down the Ridge

Hi, Ed Viesturs calling from Annapurna Base Camp. As of 5 pm today we have word that Jean Christophe and Alberto are further down along the ridge. They are now camped for the night and they’re very, very tired but happy. And we’ve been talking to them on the radio for the last hour, they are very alert and coherent, very happy but very, very tired. They are going to spend the night. And in the morning as soon as they can, start descending further along the ridge … (sat phone signal fades) …

 

Hi, Ed Viesturs, I think I got cut off. I was just repeating that Jean Christophe and Alberto are doing well. They are halfway – or least along the ridge – and camped for the night, very tired but very happy. And tomorrow after about six hours of climbing, they hope to be at Camp Three. And the following day on Saturday, they should be here at Base Camp.

 

So we’re very excited and we’re very happy. We were on pins and needles all day waiting to hear from them as far as their descent was concerned. But we’re happy to report that they’re camped safely now for the night and all is well. It’s been a great, interesting day waiting for them, listening, hoping that they were coming back down safely. And they are now safe at camp and we’ll let you know more tomorrow as they make their way down to Camp Three. So an exciting day for us, we’re all very happy that two of our team members reached the summit of Annapurna. And for Alberto Inurrategi - his fourteenth 8000 meter peak, and for Jean Christophe Lafaille - his eighth 8000 meter peak.

 

So that’s it here from Annapurna Base Camp. I’ll be calling in again tomorrow.

[glen]

I can't speak to his judgement as I wasn't there and don't know him. In his game, climbers with bad judgement pay a heavy toll and there is a lot to be said for a conservative approach. Kudos for packing out all camp materials though. A good standard to set and follow.