SAMAYA x PAULO GROBEL

 

 

Paulo Grobel and his fellow climbers have returned to the Himalayas in autumn 2023, with Tukuche Peak as their main objective. Faced with worsening weather conditions, the group had to make a choice: attempt the summit at all costs, or pull out?

 

"At Dhampus Pass in Nepal, the panorama is finally revealed, at 5244 metres. To the right, Tukuche Peak and the tapering ridges of Sita Chuchura. To the north, the great mineral plain of the Hidden Valley flows into gorges that appear to be very deep. In the center, a series of peaks stretch out in a long, snow-covered ridge. There's no name on the map, yet in the distance, a snowy pyramid catches the eye. It's a perfect triangle, immediately reminiscent of the triangular blade of a Phurba, the ritual dagger used in the esoteric practices of Ningmapa Buddhism. We'll call it the Phurba Kang!

 

The objective of our trip is Tukuche Peak, an aesthetically pleasing peak of almost 7,000 metres at the foot of the Dhaulagiri. Its ascent, although classic, does not attract the crowds. It's just a few metres short of the Himlung Himal in the neighbouring massif.

 

The base camp, isolated in the Hidden Valley, already requires a certain commitment. From Marpha, we have to cross the Dhampus Pass at over 5,000 meters and stay there for the time needed to acclimatize. When we arrived, it snowed for two days, closing the pass for good. The Hidden Valley has changed seasons, and we're now in winter with over 50 centimetres of snow. In the distance, we see a small group of trekkers on the Dhaulagiri tour being evacuated by helicopter.

 

Here we are, alone on the mountain.

 

Our aim is to set up a final high camp at a col between the two Tukuche peaks, so that we can climb the real summit without fixed ropes and in small groups of two. Our ultra-light Samaya tents are designed to sleep so high up.

 

As is often the case in the Himalayas, the weather plays tricks on us. At Camp 1, at 5500 metres, the wind has invited itself into our daily routine. It takes up all our space. The noise is deafening and our little Samaya is shaken in all directions. It's both terribly impressive and worrying. It's going to be a rough night. Our Samaya2.5 has held up well, but our determination is in tatters. Above all, the temperatures forecast for the next few days are far too negative to contemplate continuing our ascent. It's impossible to make any headway without exposing ourselves to severe frostbite.

 

"Le vent se lève... Il faut tenter de vivre," murmured Paul Valéry.

 

A decision has to be made: become warriors, and only a tiny part of the group may make it to the summit, or radically change plans for an alternative at lower altitude and on a more welcoming slope.

 

Regrouped in the wind-tossed Samaya Basecamp, we have to rebuild a new adventure. In front of us, a small chain of peaks at over 6000 metres stretches out its arms to us. The game is different, but just as committed, and the Nepalese team will accompany us as best they can. Crossing peaks is not a common practice in the Himalayas, even less so on unknown summits. This is exploratory mountaineering, just a stone's throw from some prestigious peaks.

 

 

We set up a first camp to approach the mountain, then a second camp directly on the ridge of Sanu Phurba at 6339 metres, after crossing three summits. In the early hours of the morning, it's hard not to be a little worried about the progress of the climb. The snow slopes are steep, very exposed and we're so far from anywhere.

 

In my head, the questions keep coming... Is the group comfortable enough in snow? Will we be able to make a comfortable and safe track?

 

This route on the south ridge of Phurba Kang has proved to be a pure mountaineering marvel, well worth the trip in itself.

 

We cautiously returned to Camp 2 for a good afternoon's rest.

 

Now it's time for the second part of the project, with 4 climbers forming two roped parties. We're carrying our Samaya4.0 and minimal equipment.

  

Only a quarter of an hour after the start, I fell into a crevasse in a flat area, a simple one-meter-wide crack hidden under the snow. I emerged with a badly bruised chest and difficulty breathing. The snow conditions and the 30° slope made the climb more complex and challenging than expected! Because of the wind, the access slope to the glacial cirque below Phurba Kang has localized accumulations that we have to work around. Once on the glacier, the crevasses are clearly visible.

 

The tension is palpable.

 

A final rimaye goes more smoothly and we finally reach the first summit, the Chenrezig, at 6292 m. The rest of our progression is simplified, with "just" a few large snow domes to cross.

 

There's no time to dawdle at the summit, as the traverse is still long and the wind is once again quite strong. At 4pm, we find ourselves on a large pass between Manjushri and Cima Giannetti. It's a flat spot and we're really tired: we set up camp 3 here, before embarking on the traverse of Cima Gianetti.

 

This last summit is no mere formality. We have to be careful to avoid crevasses on the summit glacier.

 

Once back down from the summit, we find ourselves euphoric from our respective adventures. We still have the Dhampus Pass to cross. The last gateway to the Hidden Valley is about to close, and the clouds are already rolling in over the pass.

 

With my wife Isa, in our Samaya4.0 palace, we have to decide what to do with the last week of our adventure.

  

François Damilano reminds us that "there is no mountaineering without a story", and I would add that there is no journey without a map, and that it is necessary to name summits in order to be able to talk about them.

 

Our desire to circumnavigate Dhaulagiri is taking shape, in order to document it and rectify the map of Himalayan Map House, Nepal's only registered map publisher.

 

Since the dawn of time, Homo Sapiens has scribbled representations of a world yet to be discovered. Today, this exploratory adventure is still possible. There are incredible achievements in terms of aesthetics and high-level commitment, but also all the little summits hidden in the interstices of the Himalayan massifs. Crossing summits, inventing itineraries, immersing oneself as long as possible at altitude, getting lost in unknown valleys... The game of exploratory mountaineering is incredibly vast. I hope that, soon, a new map will be available to inspire other high-altitude journeys."