We headed back down from camp 4 to basecamp in worsening weather, we were tired and beaten up, but we still had hope to get up that mountain. On our way down, just before basecamp we saw two teams going up , a Japanese (Heron) solo climber and a Canadian (Pascale and her friend) 2 party team. In basecamp we saw more people hanging out and the climbing rangers where arriving too. The weather wasn’t great so people got stuck at basecamp before heading out. My mattress started to delaminate and I was looking for people who where heading out of basecamp so I could buy theirs. We met a team from Seattle that was willing to do that and even offered us their leftover food. We where so hungry and desperate that this was amazing! We took their food with great enthusiasm and stuffed ourselves with new energy. We really needed to get in some extra calories, rest and social interactions. Many thanks to Glenn, Trevor and Micha for the food sharing, great time together and the mattress!
New energy coming up
After a few days rest we planned to head back up again. We knew 2 teams ahead of us, and the park rangers were heading up too. As we were acclimated we hoped to catch up. We wanted to be the first summiteers of the season, and after the hard work on the headwall earlier, we wanted to finish that job of the rope fixing too. From basecamp Micha and Trevor suggested to accompany us to camp 1 and help us carry our heavy supplies. Just before leaving I got to meet Arnaud, a Dutch climber I’ve been in contact with for a while, but finally we got to meet. Because we were acclimated, and with the help of our new friends we quickly arrived in camp 1. The same day we went up to camp 2 to spend a night there. The next day we arrived easily in Camp 3. We hoped our platform was not taken, but the Canadian team took that spot (which is very normal to do). Sadly Pascale’s partner got injured in the back and they couldn’t go up any more, trying to find a way down the mountain. Luckily they made it safely back down a few days later.
Not alone
We spent a night in camp 3 and took it easy the next day to go to camp 4. As we where about to leave, the rangers and Heron were preparing to go higher. When he started off before all of us, I wanted to let him know about the crevasses on route, mainly because he was climbing solo and we already fell in a couple of them. He immediately decided to wait and stay behind us so he knew where to go, a good decision.
It was fun going up with the rangers, they’re highly qualified and experienced climbers, so this gave us an extra safe feeling. Julien and I were already very well adapted to the altitude, but they were going up pretty strong on the whole section. By the end of the day we reach camp 4 and seeing our platform there felt like coming home. Things where looking good for us. We talk a bit more with the rangers and they offered us to use one of their technical ice axes, we only had brought one with us that Trevor gave us on the way up. But then they tell us that in their camp supplies (which get helicoptered in to camp 4) is a sledgehammer. We could borrow that too to chop out the ropes of the head wall, if we wanted. After a bit of hesitation, we decide that this might be crucial to free the lines.
Sufferfest
Julien and I made a plan to get up the head wall on the fixed lines we already freed. Then Julien would climb up (in a belay) to the next anchor and I would chop out the fixed lines as a follower. This would take a lot of time, but make it safe as no ice would be falling down on anyone. We did that the next day, and oh boy, it was a day of extremely hard work! Carrying a sledgehammer from 4300 m on a steep snow slope, then climb an ice wall half the way up to 4500m. There Julien climbing a pitch to the next anchor, in less than a minute or so. Then chopping would take 10 minutes a pitch or more. At this altitude it takes a lot of effort to even lift the damn hammer. It got cold, as we would have to do a lot of rope management and it got foggy, that meant temperatures down to -30°C. Utterly exhausting it was, but we where having fun at first. Our goal of the day was reaching the top of the head wall. After lot’s of hours we finally made it to the top. The wind was picking up and we got really cold. Very quickly we left our food up behind a rock as our hands started to freeze quickly.
We sufferd on that last part of the day. The descent we did carefully but went pretty smooth as we could rappel the fixed lines, walking down was not an option as it was just a straight line of hard blue ice. When we got back in camp 4 it was almost dark, we still had to melt snow for water and food and went quickly to bed.
Stressing out
The next day we took a day off, trying to rest as much as possible. We went to talk to the rangers and met some other climbers who were just arriving in camp 4. Most people heard about our adventures out here, the rangers in Talkeetna told most climbers about these crazy Belgians going up and now fixing the lines. We felt like everyone was really appreciative about what we were doing there. It felt great to get the acknowledgement and this gave us more energy to push on!
The weather report Marc was sending us started to look great all of a sudden, so we decided to prepare ourselves up to camp 5 very soon. I had a lot of things going on in my head. I was so far now and, for years I’ve been working hard to get there. All the cycling (+15.000km) , rowing, sailing +11.000 km) and climbing to get to this point, near the summit. I had a hard time figuring out if I’m making the right decisions.
“So much emotions going on, I’m stoked to go up and do a summit push. But at the same time this mountain scares me. Such a beast, we’re out here alone. My head is raging this morning, is it good to go? Or should we wait? The weather looks fine, I feel good, but exhausted from the past months. I can’t go on like this for long, I need rest, being home. I’ve been away for too long and suffering every day with little comfort. Am I going too fast, do I need more rest, I’m getting impatient, breathe Jelle, breathe!”
We decide to head to camp 5 with our tent and all supplies. The plan was to climb there, see how it feels, look at the autobahn. That’s a last big potential obstacle where no mistakes can be made, a fall could easily mean serious injury or worse.
Up the cold
The next day we head out, up the head wall, this time it’s easier to get up, but our heavy packs slow us down. It is a beautiful climb though, from the head wall we follow a ridge to Washburns thumb, regularly we find old snow stakes anchored in the hard snow and we’re happy to use for our safety. Just before my trip, Petzl started to sponsor me and I took the Ange quickdraws to use as runners. Honestly, they worked great! I’m not obligated to write this, but to handle them with gloves was really good, I didn’t expect it to be so easy to handle. After an amazing beautiful day of climbing we arrive in the not so beautiful camp 5 at 5200m. It’s cold and very desolate. We quickly pitch our tent and go to bed. Late in the evening our Czech friends (Dismanteam) arrive in C5 as well.
The final push!
The next day we get up in calm weather and Julien and I decide to go out and check the autobahn, if things look good we continue to the summit. As there is no trail we have to find everything ourselves, but by that time we are pretty good in what we’er doing there. Soon we find ourselves on the autobahn. Luckily it’s not too icy, but firm snow, giving us the confidence to carry on. Carefully we traverse this section, a fall would be fatal here. We take a break after this and head on, slowly but with confidence. It’s beautiful and regularly I feel myself getting emotional. For 3 years I’ve been pushing myself to get here, the summit is getting closer. The weather is great, it is -40°c, but hardly any wind and full on sun. I feel good and the higher we go the better I feel.
At about the last 3rd of the way to the summit, Julien has a hard moment. From there all the technical climbing is relatively over and he says: I’m too tired, just go alone, I’m slowing you down. I appreciate that he thinks about my success, but I felt he had more in him. The weather was good enough, and it was the first day of a good weather spell that would last 3 days. This meant that later in the day, or night, chances of bad weather would be low. I pushed him to go on because we don’t need to rush here!
The last hill up to the summit ridge creates a little obstacle that we overcome and finally after hours of climbing we’re at the ridge. It goes on for a long time until we reach the summit and tears are welling up the whole time. I’m reliving all the cycling, rowing, sailing, walking, hardships, beautiful moments,… the whole time till I finally reach the summit. I fall on my knees and immediately start to cry! I made it!!!!! We did it! Such an explosion of emotions go all the way through my body. Still here, writing this post I’m crying of what I’ve done there.
Julien arrives a few moments later, we hug and thank each other. We stay on the summit for some pictures and enjoying the view. Still we have a long and dangerous way down.
Going down
After the obligatory pictures we head down with great care. We’re getting tired and want to get safely back. Still, we feel great and while suffering, we enjoy the walk down. It’s until the autobahn we get pretty good progress, but there we take it extremely easy. This is one last obstacle before we can rest in our tents in camp 5. Very slowly we traverse this section, only to stop a couple of times to see the extremely beautiful sunset. Amazing moments and as we get closer to the camp we start to feel that we’ve done it! At least this part. We arrive in camp, where we enjoy a great but cold sleep. The moist from our bodies in the past weeks has accumulated in the sleeping bags and creates some ice cubes. Luckily we were prepared and have an extra layer of syntehical insulation to cover that.
The next day we see the Czech team heading up, we wish them luck and we pack our gear to head down to camp 4. Because we planned right, we had an easy day heading down. We were more cold still, probably a result of our bodies being exhausted. In camp 4 we take our platform again to see more and more people in the camps. There’s even a Polish team giving us a small bottle of liquor to celebrate our summit!
Gratitude!
After a good sleep we head all the way down to basecamp. We feel victorious and meet many people along the way. They’re all heading up and we haven’t seen this many people in 5 weeks! Some talk to us as they recognise us as the crazy Belgians, we chat a bit, give them advices, wish them luck and head down. By late afternoon we arrive in Basecamp and organise our flight out there te next day
Early morning we start packing our gear to leave the mountain after 5 weeks, we look forward to meet Brian and Diane. After a beautiful flight over the terrain we covered for the past 5 weeks we land and there’s Brian, Diane and Jim. Many tears flow as we feel we really made it and all the way back safely. I couldn’t thank them enough for all the help and information, without them this journey would’ve been a lot more