Freeride in the Death Zone. Himalaya, Annapurna-2018

Annapurna, 8091 m. Here is the story about deathzonefreeride.com project & expedition to 8-thousander, and how alpinists were nearly put in a Nepalese prison. Vitaliy Lazo, from the first-person point of view.

It was less than two months after our Manaslu expedition, when we began to carry out plans for Y2018. We thought about two mountains: Dhaulagiri and Annapurna. And the choice has been made in the honor of Annapurna, rare climbed peak, maybe the most dangerous of all 8-thousanders (“Goddess of Fertility” in translation from Sanskrit).

From the very beginning we understand, that with a high degree of probability we will work on the mountain alone. But this fact didn’t frighten us at all, on the contrary, this was what attracted.

There were several complicated issues:

-        ascent without bottled oxygen

-        ride down the mountain on skis

-        make the new route (whenever possible)

-        shoot a video about the ascent (our strong point)

-        made a movie after the descending.

Start. ¡No pasarán! Or: chicken, go home!

The “adventures” began at Pokhara airport, from where we had to start by helicopter to base camp at 4,300 m altitude. At first we spend a several nervy days of waiting and attempts to obtain the copter. The receiving party (tour operator) did not charter a helicopter for us, and always drunk tour manager just made gestures of “Tomorrow, tomorrow”. With grief in half, finally we contact their director and agreed on a partial refund to hire a helie by ourselves.

Day four. Embarkation at last!

The last check-out at the airport, and two crates had been stopped: one with bottled gas, the other with… frozen chicken! We cannot live on the mountain without gas, so we started to sweet-talked security to allow it. Solved the question for three hours, but at last the inspectors were persuaded!

After that I return to take the second crate with chicken meat (stopped by mistake, I think). Like hell! “It is prohibited to transport the frozen chicken onboard”, – said the guard. “Good joke!” – I reply, and try to put the crate into helicopter. But the guard is totally serious. Anton and I are in shock, it’s funny but it’s sad. In this case, the reasons were not given. Simply: “Forbidden”.

But we were not accustomed to retreat, and “begged” the airport workers for help. As a result, our “accomplices” carried the forbidden box aboard a helicopter by secret passage. After the disembarkation we store the meat in a glacier, call point “butcher shop” and periodically visit the place in order to take some foodstuff.

Base Camp Description. 4,300 m

Because of Pokhara delay and oncoming bad weather we had a three-days window. With a good acclimatization after the Elbrus mountain ascending, on the day after arrival to Base Camp we trek to Camp 1 on 5,100 meters’ altitude. The route goes through sheepback rocks: we viewed the road from BC with the help of a telescope (the necessary thing on such events). We climb almost to the touch, in some places encountering traces of old expeditions: hooks, pieces of rope.

According to the plan, we were going to establish two camps in a couple of days, 5,100 and 5,700, and work in a hurry. Therefore, a lot of equipment was taken, the backpacks were 35 kg each. We went out with ski equipment, cameras and other tourist tat.

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Camp 1 was located next to glacier, on a rock: place is cozy, and the entire wall is clearly visible from the camp. We again appealed to the telescope, choosing the ascent line.

All night long the mountain rumbled, several times huge volumes of ice flew off the wall, cover the place of the supposed Camp 2 at 5,600 m with a dust cloud. The next day, without incidents, we climbed up to 5,700, made a storage and (oh, miracle!) understand that we are not alone: on the rocks, covered with snow, we find traces, traces of snow leopard! It was evident that the beast ran up and down and it was completely incomprehensible what he could search here? Only rocks, ice and snow around.

Weather become worse and we return to BC to rest. On the way down from Camp 1, on sheepback rocks, while shooting with GoPro, I drop stabilizer and camera... Twosome flies down steep rock about 50 meters down. Wham! Minus stabilizer, minus camera! Upset badly. But I remember the last year, when I lost my phone and was even glad about this: “Mountain took the sacrifice, it means everything will be fine”. This time we began to bargain in the same manner. What a surprise it was, when we find the camera: after the 50-meters fly to a rock, it switched on and worked properly, despite tatters and scratches!

Bad weather came, and we spent 4 days in BC, delighting ourselves with chicken soup, and listening to “The Master and Margarita” audiobook.

Sprint in 6,000-meter altitude

This is not a mountain at all! This is hell! The death zone on Annapurna (Y2018, in the fall) began not at 8000 m, but from 5,800. Of course, this is not the “death zone” that is commonly understood in a mountaineering community. However, in terms of its meaning, from 5,800 m the risk level was beyond limits.

On October, 25, 2018 we went back to the route. Plan was: route dogging, setting up Camp 3 (6500 m) and made an acclimatization exit to 7,000 – 7,200 m.

The only logical and less risky route run along the side of the couloir, through which “ice trains” were sweeping – this is how we called the huge masses of ice that splatted off from the ice shifts in its upper part. To get to the side of couloir, we have to cross avalanche zone: a large area on the glacier, where huge masses of snow and ice falls from several corridors and the northeast wall of Annapurna.

Before the start to Camp 2 (5,600 m) we go out to prepare the trail on skis (ski-tour). Uprising is quite hollow; the glacier is closed (almost all crevasses packed by avalanches). Task is to prepare the route for tomorrow and think about the crossing line of the most dangerous section. Our thought was to do it, losing the altitude, as quickly as possible.

Sunny weather is gorgeous. I step lively, listen to the music, and admire the scenery: a beautiful mountain, and not a soul! But while approaching the zone of required “sprint” to 6,000 m, animal fear wakes up in me. On the one hand, this fear is a reverence for the great power of Annapurna, on the other – desire to get out of this place quickly. I turn off the music and move with constantly raised head, listening.

Anton and I calculated, that if avalanche collapse, we have only 10 seconds: that is the time of ice falling to the evacuation zone. It is clear, that during this time you cannot run far. One would think that there are skis, and you can get away with them over there... But it is not so simple: you climb with skins, and the descent will be just a little faster than the climb (the slope is not so steep).

In the middle of the danger zone I notice a large serac – some safety island (relative); it will be able to catch the breath behind it. Further, after the glacier there is a rocky wall, we can hide behind it also. Plan for tomorrow worked out, let's go!

The next day we acted that way: climb diagonally and higher. So, how the Canadian teachers in our Russian Mountain Guide Association school say, it’s “fitness time” – time for a sprint at an altitude of 6000 m and a length of 300 m. It is better to pass such sites separately: Anton runs ahead, I'm waiting.

I hear it in a minute: crack, crash above and start to count in my head. Anton run up to the islet already, to the serac. I tried to shout, but with interrupted breath squeezed out some kind of sound only, and thought: no need to distract a friend, he already run to serac.

I’m count seconds, looking now at my feet, now at the next couloir, from where a white cloud will soon appear. Ice flew from the couloir; and we were lucky just then – the fall was small.

Flying pieces of ice were about the size of a soccer ball. Our position was advantageous: everything slipped between Anton and me. Then I shouted again, and it dawned on me, that my friend did not even understand, that the mountain had scared us…

V-Couloir, Camp 3. 6,500 m

And then there was the V-Couloir crossing. We name it after its shape: the wide from above, with flat, almost vertical rocky-ice sides. In its lower part avalanches accelerates to great speed and scraped the couloir by fragments of ice to the shine. 

We are moving in turns, with the belay. It is terrible to look above – huge masses of ice hang over the head at 500-800 meters high. In the middle part of the route we saw the remains of old expeditions rope-railings. After three hours we begin to pick up to the left, to make it on the ridge. Anton evade the steep snowy slope and get out of site beyond the bend.

The snow is terrible: it deep and could not be pressed, you cannot stand on it, and we puddle, lifting up our knees almost above the head. I approach Anton almost at dusk. It is cold, and I feel cramps from prolonged work in the legs and arms. We are hurry to find at least some more or less safe place for the tent.

But look: the slope we are crossing is the slab snow! I cut the little piece of slope by the rope, and here is the slide! A weak layer is clearly visible, along with fresh snow from the last snowfall, about 40 centimeters thick. Then we move, hoping for a miracle. In the light of head lights, we notice a slight flattening on the next ridge…

Anton crawls on it and shout: “Hallelujah, there is a place for tent here!”. Place for tent turned out to be a plot with 35-40 degrees’ slope and two meters long: that is happiness! There we chop a camp for about three hours.

Fractured and cracked serac with the size of a five-story building hangs slightly to our right from above. If something falls on us at night – end of the ball game… “No, there will be no any fallings, – says Anton. – If something flies, it will fly five meters away”. Of course, I agree, realizing that there are no other options. But with clear understanding that we have zero chances in an emergency.

It rumbled all night long, alternate left and right: avalanches in couloirs’. And I wake up ten times from that roar.

…I raise hands, instinctively forming up an air space in the sleeping bag. Put the knife aisle (in order to cut the tent). Raise the palms at the next crash and wait… Then drop the hands with understanding, that there is no special sense in this: if the avalanche drops on us, we will fall from the ledge, down the rock wall.

The most unpleasant thing – it is very problematic to organize the belay on such a slope. The snow is deep and loose. You think you dig to the hard layer, but it turns out to be a crust… Theoretically you can go down to ice, but you understand that if the construction falls, no any rope can fix you. This night the mountain decided to give us a chance, a chance to leave with the whole skin.

Early in the morning we rushed down. Crossed the most dangerous lower part of V-Couloir by fixed ropes, and just have time to hide behind the rock. Anton clipped out from the rope – and then avalanche is right on cue! Those, if we were late for a minute or two, – oh, you understand...

And then there was an off-piste skiing, some minutes of joy! The perfect snow and interesting terrain. Only one minus of the high-altitude freeride: heavy backpack, but there was no other way.

We skied from 6,000 to 5,200 meters. I ride carbon Elan IBEX: I told about these magic skis on my Facebook page earlier, and want to mention one more time, that the stuff pleased me with its stability, especially on hard snow. Skis were responsive, manageable and behaved well at high speeds. Heavy backpack does not squeeze them at all. In a one word – cool!

Making a Decision. Facts

It became clear that returning back to the route will be an attempt to go to the other side. The slope was like a charged bomb, which is waiting for detonation. Below, in the Base Camp, an internal struggle began. From the one side, I realize all the risk degrees and consequences. From the other side, we have to count the months of expedition preparing, our wish to ascend, good acclimatization and physical form.

Besides this I understand, that we have to cross only 200 meters of altitude from Camp 3 to relatively safe place, just 200 meters! Then – outing to the snow ledge and the clear path to assault camp at 7,400. But this 200 meters is a high avalanche risk area: you cannot hide or avoid it. Moreover, it is still necessary to manage to reach it.

Three days passed in agony and doubts. Those I understand that it is impossible to ascend, but cannot accept it. Then I divided these steps: “Decision Making” and “Acceptance of a Fact”. Three days were spent in meditation and communication with an “intelligent person”, and after making a decision you have to accept it. Accept the fact, let go of the mountain, and thank her for letting us go.

Trekking. Adventures in a Hobbit Style

It is time to leave the mountain. The helicopter is expensive, so we have one option: trekking. Days ago one of the Sherpa gives us recommendation: “While trekking back, go down the gorge to the nearest village, there you can hire porters to carry the staff”. As it turned out, he had never been in this region and, of course, had no idea which village we should go to.

In theory, there were two roots from Annapurna North Base Camp. The first is: one-day trekking down the river, then to the right, on the ridge, and then a couple more days, and you're in the village. The second way: down the river, down the gorge, until… you are dead! (You will not suffer for long – just two or three days, then everything will happen quickly).

But! If you will be lucky! On fourth or fifth day you will go out to the people. And, believe me, there will be so much joy, as if you spend the month, wandering through Siberian taiga alone.

Sure, we take the “luckiest” way. No matter how hard we looked for a turn to the right, we did not see it. And understood this after passing a significant part of the “second way” route. The strangest thing was that the trail in the upper part of the gorge was quite good, and that was what bought us. While descending, the trail became worse and worse…

On day two the ravine strongly narrowed with sheer cliffs at both sides. The rapid river below came up close to the rocks. The barely perceptible trail “jumped” along bridges from one bank to the other. In the upper reaches the bridges were good and fresh-made. But downstream they were either in disrepair or completely destroyed. So we have to fix ropes and dulfer down: one cannot go there without the rope and mountaineer equipment.

Part of the trek passed the 70-degree slope; moreover, the route was not chopped in in the stone, but built on protruding footholds. How did they built it? Put the rocks on stone ledges, then more rocks, then some dirt – and here is a new ledge! While climbing such a route with the rock wall of 300 meters below, you think: “God forbid if a couple of lower stones fly out…” About five meters of the trail disappeared from the wall for this reason, as I understand. Now at the place where a trail was, a smooth rock plate of 70 degrees is.

Jungle Fever

From bad to worse: then we reached the jungle zone. Periodically the trail has been demolished by mudflows, and it was necessary to search for it on the “other” side. Couple of times we trekked without the route, and the result was: 200 meters of walking per 1 hour.

The final overnight on the slope, between the rocks. We spend an hour to clean up the place, put on some branches and bamboo leaves on the ground. Well at least there were no snakes and other “comrades” here. Only 50 meters from the water, and it was 20-minutes scramble – thanks to huge stones, overgrown with thorn, lianas, nettles and other “beauty”. In a word, during these three days Anton and I became professors of movement in the mountain jungle. If anything, we can give one a master class!

With all the difficulties of this “trekking”, I should note that the places around are exceptionally beautiful. Waterfalls and the river itself – one big waterfall of several kilometers long. The landscapes are frightening, but truly gorgeous, and I have never seen anything like this in Himalayas before. The taste of exquisiteness emphasizes absence of people, small signs of civilization, destroyed bridges, weakly visible path.

We reached the settlement on the third day (13-hours of walking per day with 30 minutes for lunch and rest). The final site was well-known Tatopani village, Annapurna's Southern Base Camp trekking start point. All the equipment from our Base Camp we had to evacuate with helicopter: no one porter will agree to go there by foot, and no local will do it for any money.

And then we fly straight to Kathmandu, and there…

Kathmandu. This is the End or Racket “a la Russ”

Surprise was waiting for us in Kathmandu, and what a surprise! Travel agency, which issued us documents for the expedition and was supposed to organize a helicopter to the mountain, threw out such a “present” that does not fit in my head.

It is no secret that when you receive a permit in Nepal (permission to climb), you need to pay a “trash deposit”. As usually, it should be refunded at the end of the expedition (deposit is an interim measure, motivating the return of garbage from the mountain). So we made it, in the amount of $3,000. At the end of the expedition, we ask travel agency to refund our money. To which one of the leaders responds: “I don’t mind, but my partners... They don’t really want to return all the sum” (something like this).

A new protagonist appeared – a new partner, and they begin, as in Russian, “a swing”. The dialogue ended with the following ultimatum (and this was 4 hours before our departure).

“We immediately inform the police that you went skiing last year from Manaslu and this year on Annapurna, but without a separate permit – permit for skiing. The penalties for this violations are:

1. You will be imprisoned.

2. You will have a large fine for violating the law.

3. You will have a 5-year ban on entering the country (and the racketeers perfectly know that we have plans for next Himalayan ascents for the coming years, and cannot take that risk).

4. You lose already purchased return tickets to Russia.

The alternative is: we do not address the police, but save half of the deposit for ourselves and return you $1,500 instead of $3,000. Your choice!”

How do you like the way the question had been put? Handsome! It seems like the firm do not completely set us up, they “covers up” our “crime”, well done! Thank them or what?

Here the words of my friend and partner Anton Pugovkin: “I especially liked the phrase, I quote: ‘Anton, you just don’t have to mention our company after arrival to Russia’, with a clear subtext – if yes, we will inform the police, and then you will be banished from Nepal for the next 5 years”.

We intentionally don’t name the racketeering tour operator in this article, because don’t want to go down to the level of “kitchen rumble”. But what I really want to advise everyone who is going to go to the mountains, nonessential – to Himalayas or Elbrus: be careful while choosing a travel agency. Do not be fooled as we were on “budget” offers: it will be more expensive in the end! And if you want to consult me about this case personally, please, do not hesitate to write.

***

After the arrival to Moscow, we immediately had a meeting with the ambassador of Nepal, to explain the situation. The ambassador was, to put it mildly, surprised. In any case, if the decision will be to ban us from Nepal, of impose a fine – we accept it. We are not going to hide from the authorities.

The Movie

Like last year we shot a lot, and the equipment was even better this time. We are preparing a movie for screening, the premiere of which will take place in Moscow, on December 13, 2018.

I want to thank our partners, Gore-Tex, KANT, GoPro, GTNT (for excellent, stable communication in the mountains – Thuraya), portals: Risk.ru, Mountainplanet.ru, Mountain.ru, digital agency Why Not, and also Dan Simavsky, Galina Pogodina, Alexander Zhelezny, Maria Spiridonova, Mikhail Tormozov, Ilya ‘Pioneer’ Petrov, all our friends and relatives for help, for worrying about us and believing!