Two Bolivian Climbs
Two B o l i v i a n Cl i mb s J o hn T hackray
A i-Y ai-Y ai-Y ai T h e E nglish engineer rem in d s m e o f one of m y schoolm asters. W e’ve sp read a m ap of H u a y n a Potosi in fro n t of him , and asked if th e w aterg ath erin g aq u ed u cts on th e w estern flanks are passable on foot. Y es, he is positive, ad am a n t. H is pink index finger bristles against th e m a p ’s d u n colors and w avering c o n to u r lines. T errific: we lap up th e good news. A fte r th e k ind com p an y tru c k d ro p s us a t the E stan cia B otijlaca on th e Z o n g o R o ad , th e beginning of th e n o rth w est ridge should be b u t fo u r h o u rs aw ay. F irst steps on the a q u e d u c t’s reta in in g w alls are w eirdly dream lik e. W ater flows one w ay, w e float th e o th er, tip to ein g over a p recipice. Y et th e d ream is shattere d , w hen th e a q u e d u ct exits fro m a n a rro w tu n n e l w hich is c u t fro m a m assive rock face. T h e w ater ru n s too fast, too cold, th e tu n n el is to o d ark an d c ra m p ed to neg o tiate w ith o u r packs. R om an, K en and I re tra ce o u r steps. O u r faith in th e E nglish engin eer-sch o o lm aster persists, b ecause a few h o u rs later we have tru c k ed south to th e d am an d p o w er statio n , an d are h iking along a n o th e r a q u e d u ct, w ith th e sam e result. B ack to th e m ain ro ad : an o th e r h itch , south again, to th e quaverin g lights o f th e m ining village o f M illuni. A fte r d in n e r at the neolithic village eatery , w e d escend m ore th a n six h u n d re d fe e t u n d erg ro u n d , to u rin g th e n ear d ep leted tin m ine. T h e slim e u n d e r fo o t, th e stifling h eat, th e safety h a za rd s— I keep telling m yself this isn’t such a b izarre a p p ro ac h to a clim b. N e x t m orning, in th e m ain sq u are, a crow d gaw ks at us. I t’s th e double boots th a t in trig u e them . M aybe th ey th in k we are related to astro n au ts. H ow m u ch do the boots cost? I tell the guy. H e looks no less p uzzled th a n if I ’d told him o f th e billions o f light years betw een us an d the stars. A sq u attin g w om an, w incing at th e fierce sunlight, asks: “W h ere are y o u going, C aballero?” “T o th e m o u n tain . H u a y n a P o to si.” “A i-yai-yai. A n d w h at do you do on th e m o u n ta in ?” “W e clim b it.” “H o w fa r? ” “T o th e top, if possible.” “A n d h ow m uch do y o u get p aid ?” “N o th in g . W e do it fo r th e sport, m a ’a m .” “A i-ai-yai-yai-yai, ca b allero !” she laughs, w arm ly, sco rn fu lly . She h as a tru e sense of the absu rd . A tru c k briefly helps us over the pass, to w ard s the eastern flanks
o f H u ay n a. F ro m h ere w e could tak e a sh o rt cu t, o n to th e co n sp icu o u s eastern glacier, an d th en ce to o u r ridge. B ut w arily w e o p t in stead —unnecessarily, as it tu rn s o u t— to give th e m o u n tain a w ide b erth , an d m ak e a d e to u r th a t ends up being o ver tw elve m iles long. T his p lan does not sit well w ith K en, w ho has been m aking p o o r tim e, and having tro u b le w ith his pack. By th e late m orn in g I w o n d er w hat is tak in g him so long to d ro p ou t. D u rin g a m id-day b reak he asks if th ere are cam iones leaving fo r La P az from the settlem en t m ark ed on the m ap as th ree m iles aw ay. C am iones? Sure. Y ou bet. L ots o f them . (H ow should I know ?) W e red istrib u te supplies. K en regards a subsidiary peak, called M aria L loco, 5522 m eters, and thinks o f soloing it. K en n y L oco. H e is easily u n p ersu ad ed . H is d e p a rtu re leaves us strangely dejected, sluggish in o u r m ovem ents and d rain ed o f m orale th ro u g h o u t the aftern o o n . H e ’s p u t a curse on us. W e pass one a b a n doned, tim o ro u s clu ster o f m u d huts. G uiltily, I think som ething like this g u tted settlem en t w as K e n ’s destin atio n . T w en ty -fo u r h o u rs late r on, we reach th e fo o t of th e clim b. W e’d tru ck ed and ho o fed o ver a 300° arc a ro u n d the sum m it finishing past L ag u n a E sp eran za and sh im m erin g Ja n k h o K hota. N o w , finally, the m o u n tain is close up, p alp ab le. A b ro ad , steep, sp ark lin g ice gully faces us. “W hy d o n ’t we solo it?” R o m an ch eerfu lly suggests. “A ll rig h t w ith m e,” I reply, w hile inside I ’m w ailing “ai-yai-yai.” I ’ve never clim bed b efo re w ith R o m an , never d o n e such serious ice u n roped, never been on a glacier. B ut th e anxiety is only p a rtly real; it is p a rt p reten ce, the h y p erb o le all clim bers indulge in. T he five-h u n d red -fo o t gully tak es a b o u t an h o u r, and is to be the finest m o m en t of p u re clim bing on th e ro u te— alm ost w o rth o u r oblique ap p ro ach . O n th e ridge p ro p er, we n eg o tiate a sm all rock o u tcro p . T hen an easy w alk to a d ecen t cam psite. T h e ch ief obstacle across o u r p ath is a b road rock b a n d , to p p ed by a ch o ru s o f glistening séracs. W e are b o th agreed th a t th e best ro u te lies u p th e ram p . H o w ev er it tu rn s o u t th a t R o m an m eans one ram p , and I an o th er. W e start up m ine, w hich is steep, n arro w s into a gully, lies d i rectly below th e séracs, and is tech n ically excessively difficult. R o m an curses an d sw ears. O u r early m o rn in g stren g th has been sq u an d ered . H e sw ears som e m ore. T he sound o f th e pito n he is h am m erin g fo r a rap p el m ight u p set the séracs. H e discovers th a t his pin lies in an ex p an d in g flake. E m p ty in g h im self o f oaths, he flays the pin unavailingly. W e secure th e rop e to an ill-shaped, dub io u s b ollard and descend gingerly. R o m a n ’s ra m p d o esn ’t lack ex citem ent. T h e snow soon peters o u t at a seventy-fo o t p y ram id o f b ro k en faces, and u n stab le co n g lo m eratio n s o f boulders. Som e o f th e m oves seem like 5.1 o r 5.2. T he w hole section feels as stable as a h o u se o f cards. B ack on ice, in th e a fte rn o o n w e ro p e up fo r th e first tim e on this clim b, an d cross a few crevasses. W e h o p e to tak e th e su m m it p lateau by
nightfall, b u t are restra in e d by in ad eq u a te acclim atizatio n above 17,000 feet. T h ere a re n o usable bivy spots to be seen. U p w a rd rolling ice fields only, w hich are p erio d ically sliced open. T h ese g ian t w ounds ex pose the h isto ry o f the glacier, like rings on a tree tru n k . E v en tu ally w e find relief. W e will sleep in a p o rtio n o f a crevasse, th a t is co vered w ith a snow bridge th e size o f a m o n k ’s cell. T h e crevasse’s tow ering, u p w ard lip o f ice is cu rv ed like a w ave over us— a p ro tectin g w ave, we hope. Blue tin ted , ecto p lasm ic in the d ark , it re flects the stars and glossy m oon. F a r below we see grey and fluffy clouds fro m the jungle doze an d nestle ag ain st one a n o th er. R o m an and I d eb ate th e p ro b lem s o f technological, p o st-in d u strial societies. T h e effect is strangely consoling. C onditions have been excellent up to now . B ut th e last passage, th e final lift, is clim bed on crystalline, un stab le snow , alm ost greasy feeling. R o m an , w ho has b een steadily gaining stren g th an d verve as I ’ve been losing m ine, takes th e lead. F ro m th e p la te au the sum m it is clearly shaped, distinct, like a canine tooth. It is livid w hite, beckoning, th ro b bing against the electric blue sky. W e have arrived . T h ere are fo o t track s leading up fro m the w est, w hich p eete r o u t fifteen feet fro m the top. W e know w hose: the o th e r h a lf o f o u r g ro u p , w ho have been clim bing the n o rm al w estern route. T hey m u st have m ad e the su m m it yesterd ay , and sto p p ed sh o rt, fearing a possible cornice. R o m an p rep ares to tak e m y p h o to g ra p h on the su m m it pinnacle. “Stan d u p stra ig h t,” he says. I’d been slum ping, gasping, over m y ice axe. I sm arten up, now assum e the tra d itio n a l c o n q u e ro r’s pose, rig h t fo o t pressed dow n on th e v an q u ish ed prey, an d w ith stern profile gaze fa r into infinity— “ai-yai-yai, cab allero !” Climbing the U nseen, on Illim ani W e are descending the stan d ard , w est ridge o f Illim ani. W as it fo u r o r five days w e h a d clim bed? A t this p o in t we h a rd ly care. W e are spent, inw ardly an d o utw ard ly . O u r eq u ip m e n t is p ath etic, som e o f it lost; o u r food is zero ; an d fu el is scant. I ’ve fro stb ite on m y fingers, an d w ater sloshes in m y boots, due to failed gaiters, fro m w hich I will suffer tren ch fo o t. R o m an is ill w ith w h at is la te r d iagnosed as b ro n chitis. W e c a n ’t to le ra te a n o th e r night on this b ru tish m o u n tain . W e are th u m p in g w eakly th ro u g h deep p o w d ery snow , a b o u t three ho u rs dow n fro m th e daw n sum m it, w hen R o m an starts h allucinating. “I see clim bers dow n low er on th e rid g e,” he says. I look dow n. N o th in g . N o th in g fo r the n ex t h o u r of p lo d d ing — the n e x t tw o hours. P o o r R o m an . H e ’s lost to u ch w ith reality, thin k in g now th a t we will m eet som eone we know in this chilling, steep w ild er ness. B ut I u n d erstan d , and sh are th e im pulse. W e w an t to be ac-
know ledged, w elcom ed back into the h u m an co m m u n ity . W e are full o f p ride and loneliness. In the early aftern o o n , the d ream tu rn s into reality. I do see a couple o f thin, stick-like figures fa r below . A vindicated R o m an now says one o f th em is su re to be A n d ré C o n tam in e, the F re n c h m o u n taineer, w ho I im agine is now tu ck ed in a cozy P arisian bed. A s we a p p ro a c h to w ithin a th o u san d feet, fo u r figures are setting up cam p. “I ’m sure th ey are w om en clim b ers,” I tell R o m an . “S om ething ab o u t the w ay th ey m o v e.” B ut th ere are no w arm , em b racin g alpine A m azons. In stead fo u r sarto rially p erfect clim bers setting up an im m acu late cam psite. T h e ir cheerfulness, energy, p ristin e eq u ip m en t are enviable. In co n trast, we are like w ild m o u n ta in savages. A m id st a polyglot o f different languages, p u n c tu a te d by o u r ex h au sted b reathing, it em erges they are Poles, fro m L odz. G en ero u s Poles w ho feed us non-stop, coil o u r rope, tak e o u r p h o to g rap h s. T h e n am e o f the late A ndrzej M ro z is m en tio n ed , a leg en d a ry Pole, w hom R o m an h a d clim bed w ith in F ra n c e . P io tr, th e h an d so m e lead er, says: “ If you knew M roz, m aybe you kn o w R o m an L ab a?” “ B ut I am R o m a n L a b a !” he protests. “Y o u d o n ’t look like him . Y ou have c h a n g ed ,” says P io tr, recalling how years ago they b o th m et w ith M ro z and w ent to th e m ovies in Paris. A n d thus w e are w elcom ed back to civilization, m ore gen ero u sly and m ore aptly th a n we could have im agined. W e feel re lu c tan t to b reak off this enco u n ter. Y et the e a rth ’s colors at the h em o f the m o u n tain look w arm , tender, inviting. T h e Poles d irect us to th e ir p alatial Base C am p , w here we will be feted like kings. U n fo rtu n a te ly Illim an i is n o t so k in d as they. A s a final gesture, we are b enighted on a m o rain e, h o o k ed in the m o u n tain ’s last claw . Illim ani is not an elegant peak. R a th e r th a n c h a ra cte r, it has hulking mass. It em an ates a grim pow er, w hich can be felt fro m L a Paz, tw enty miles aw ay. P erh ap s b ecause o f its pro x im ity to the cap ital, Illim ani is clim bed m ore th a n any o th e r p eak in the C o rd illera R eal. A ll the new ro u tes on the visible n o rth e rn and w estern flanks have been done, local savants tell us. O ne new ro u te possibility rem ains, tu c k e d o u t of sight o f the view fro m L a P a z : the south face o f th e so u th p eak. M ore in fo rm atio n th a n this is h a rd to find. W e have seen one far-aw ay aerial co lo r slide th a t m akes th e ro u te a p p e a r fo resh o rte n e d and h a rd to judge. A n d w e w ould, in fact, n ever see o u r face in its en tire ty — ju st as w ell, perhaps, o r we m ight nev er have d a re d sta rt up. T he open cam ión is sta n d ard long-distance tra n sp o rta tio n fo r B o livian peasants, m iners, an d indigent m o u n tain eers. By now we th o u g h t ourselves inured to this m ode o f travel. Y et on the ro a d to Illim ani, we discover a new dim en sio n of d isco m fo rt an d terro r.
F irs t signs o f tro u b le begin an h o u r o u t of L a Paz, w hen th e tru ck stops, the d riv e r’s assistant p ro d u ces a sto n e-b reak in g m allet. W ith this he flays a t the bolts securing the tru c k body to th e suspension. A t o th er halts, the g en era to r, the fuel p u m p , h alf the electrical system are all dism antled, re p a ire d and p u t together. O nce we pause fo r o v er an ho u r, to exch an g e one alm ost bald tire on one side o f the tru c k w ith an o th er, tread less tire on the o th er side. T h en we passengers m u st in flate one o f these m assive tru ck tires, using a bicycle pum p. T h e ro a d itself is a m asterp iece of casual c o n stru ctio n an d p ersisten t neglect. E ven o u r typically steel nerves are tu rn e d to w ater w hen the tru ck , gro an in g a n d h eaving at tw o m iles an h o u r, pitches a n d tosses like a ship in a sto rm as it sw ays dow n and o u t o f deep ru ts and b o tto m less potholes. O nce th e d riv er tells ev ery o ne to get o u t an d w alk the n ext m ile, because th e su rface is so treach ero u s. W o rst o f all are th e o u tw a rd tu rn s in the ro a d : w hen the tru ck lu rch es into space an d hovers, su sp en d ed o v er a p recip ice fo r a sick en ing, tim eless m o m en t— a m an e u v e r th a t is especially grip p in g w hen snow an d ice cover th e tu rn . R o m an tells m e th a t in P eru he has read new s p a p e r stories w h ere such tru ck s often topple off m ou ntain s, sending dozens o f In d ian s to th e ir d eath . So we scan the valley floor fo r ch a rre d and sh a tte re d tru c k debris. W hen fe a r is u n co n tro llab le, we ride on the b a c k b o a rd , read y to leap fo r safety. O u r fellow passengers laugh at o u r te rro r— laugh generously, w ith a h u m o r th at, as alw ays w ith these Indians, is easy fo r us to share. A fte r this tw elve-hour o rdeal, we arriv e at th e village of th e M ina U ra n ia an d qu ick ly hike out. S om ew here south o f the p ro m in e n t so u th w est ridge, w hich is visible fro m La Paz, we begin the search fo r the ro u te. T h e re is a full day o f crabw ise traveling, an d a n o th e r m orning, b efore, high to th e east, we glim pse a sh arp ly rak ed , floating icefield, to p p ed by a scatterin g of séracs. It is tim e to m ove up. A n easy ra m p to the face is b locked by a m ean, slack-jaw ed w hale o f a crevasse. W e tip to e over u nstable, m ushy snow bridges, th en clim b th ree p itches of severe, tech n ical ice gullies. I t’s n early tw ilight, an d th e re is no sign o f a b ivouac spot. O u r g ro u n d is b rick h a rd , an d un m itig ated ly steep. O ccasionally we cross grim sec tions o f im pen etrab le, very b rittle, slippery black ice. W e are fra n tic fo r a p lace to sleep. W e feel angry, b etray ed by the m ountain. In alm ost to tal dark n ess w e gru m p ily beat dow n a couple o f n a rro w snow p latfo rm s, an d tie-in to a short, protective ro c k face above. T o th e east w e h e a r avalanches tru n d lin g and ro arin g persistently. Il lim ani is hav in g n ightm ares. It is a dazzling m o rn in g w hen w e reach th e face an d finally u n d e rsta n d w h at w e are co m m itted to. T o th e east an d below th e re is a zig-zag ro a d th a t leads up to th e m ine. H a d w e ap p ro ac h ed th a t w ay, w e’d have saved a day, and b etter u n d e rsto o d the ro u te. T h e face itself is u n ifo rm ly steep, and snow conditions are po o r. B ut it’s th e séracs th a t cause
en o rm o u s qualm s. T h ey are not, as w e im agined, a ra n d o m h alf dozen, b u t a w hole regim en t o f them , w ho m enacingly, sh o u ld er to shoulder, g u ard all d irect lines to the sum m it. “If I ’d know n ab o u t them , I ’d never have com e on this clim b ,” R o m an m u tters. “ M aybe we should re tre a t,” I bravely suggest. B ut it will tak e as long to get off as to finish the clim b. T h ere is little elatio n as we snow -kick o u r w ay h eavenw ards. By the tim e w e are directly u n d e r the tow ers, it is late aftern o o n . A gain th e re ’s n o t a decen t bivy p lace anyw here. W e are stu n n ed by the séracs’ statu re. M ost o f th em are over a h u n d re d feet tall. W e im agine th ere is som e w ay th a t w e m ay sneak a p ath th ro u g h them . I p re p a re to lead, w hen clouds sw iftly close in across th e séracs. T he sudden loss o f visibility saps m y confidence. L ig h t d rain s fro m th e sky. M y m ovem ents becom e sluggish, in co h eren t. I decline th e challenge. So, ro p ed to g eth er, we trav erse level w ith the base o f the séracs, tread in g som e o f the h ard est ice yet encountered . I slip on a p atch o f b lack ice. R o m an saves. A gain we feel b etray ed , u n fa irly tested by the m o u n ta in , w hich refuses to yield u p a level space. T h e best b ivouac we can find is a coffin-sized b reak in a sérac w all, w ide en o u g h fo r R o m an to get his back on. I dig a p la tfo rm fo r m y p ack, an d sit on it; tying into an ice h am m er th a t only bites into th e ice by a m iracle. N e ith er R o m a n ’s h a m m er, n o r o u r axes c a n do m o re th an rep eated ly sh atter this ice into th o u san d s o f shards. N e x t m o rn in g we are in b ad shape. M y b rain is stuffed w ith cotton, m y lim bs w ith m olasses. A fte r five h o u rs o f groggy clim bing, we pass th ro u g h th e séracs an d , in an o rd erly fash io n , collapse on th e so u th w est ridge ab o u t th ree h u n d re d feet fro m the sum m it, an d a b o u t 5000 feet fro m o u r start. W e sleep th ro u g h the afte rn o o n at 2 1 ,0 0 0 feet, w ake fo r supper, and then doze off. I o ften sit up to stare at th e lights o f L a P az levitating on the d ark horizon. F o r the first tim e, we try clim bing befo re sunup, h o ping to m aster th e u p p e r p a rt o f th e descen t ro u te b efo re the now cu sto m ary aftern o o n clouds roll in. T h e cold is stinging, rem orseless. A w ispy light breeze h as a vicious, searing chill-pow er. P ining fo r the sun, in an h o u r we reach the sum m it an d the daw n. B ut its w a rm th is negligible. T h e re ’s a new b o rn , u tte rly lu m in o u s and lim pid sky. A n intense v ib ran cy rad iates fro m th e m o u n tain s o f the co rd illera to th e n o rth and th e Q uim sa C ruz to the south. B ut we d o n ’t ta rry long, b ecause of th e cold, because we are su m m o n ed to o u r w elcom ing reception.
Sum m ary o f Statistics: A r e a : C o rd illera R eal, Bolivia. N
R o u t e s : H u a y n a P o to sí, 1 9 ,9 9 6 feet, N o rth e a st R id g e, Ju n e 17 to 20, 1974 (R om an L ab a, Jo h n T h ack ray ). Illim ani, 21,201 feet, S o u th F a c e o f th e S outh P eak, started on Ju ly 2 and reach ed sum m it on Ju ly 6 (L aba, T h ack ray ).
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A i-Y ai-Y ai-Y ai T h e E nglish engineer rem in d s m e o f one of m y schoolm asters. W e’ve sp read a m ap of H u a y n a Potosi in fro n t of him , and asked if th e w aterg ath erin g aq u ed u cts on th e w estern flanks are passable on foot. Y es, he is positive, ad am a n t. H is pink index finger bristles against th e m a p ’s d u n colors and w avering c o n to u r lines. T errific: we lap up th e good news. A fte r th e k ind com p an y tru c k d ro p s us a t the E stan cia B otijlaca on th e Z o n g o R o ad , th e beginning of th e n o rth w est ridge should be b u t fo u r h o u rs aw ay. F irst steps on the a q u e d u c t’s reta in in g w alls are w eirdly dream lik e. W ater flows one w ay, w e float th e o th er, tip to ein g over a p recipice. Y et th e d ream is shattere d , w hen th e a q u e d u ct exits fro m a n a rro w tu n n e l w hich is c u t fro m a m assive rock face. T h e w ater ru n s too fast, too cold, th e tu n n el is to o d ark an d c ra m p ed to neg o tiate w ith o u r packs. R om an, K en and I re tra ce o u r steps. O u r faith in th e E nglish engin eer-sch o o lm aster persists, b ecause a few h o u rs later we have tru c k ed south to th e d am an d p o w er statio n , an d are h iking along a n o th e r a q u e d u ct, w ith th e sam e result. B ack to th e m ain ro ad : an o th e r h itch , south again, to th e quaverin g lights o f th e m ining village o f M illuni. A fte r d in n e r at the neolithic village eatery , w e d escend m ore th a n six h u n d re d fe e t u n d erg ro u n d , to u rin g th e n ear d ep leted tin m ine. T h e slim e u n d e r fo o t, th e stifling h eat, th e safety h a za rd s— I keep telling m yself this isn’t such a b izarre a p p ro ac h to a clim b. N e x t m orning, in th e m ain sq u are, a crow d gaw ks at us. I t’s th e double boots th a t in trig u e them . M aybe th ey th in k we are related to astro n au ts. H ow m u ch do the boots cost? I tell the guy. H e looks no less p uzzled th a n if I ’d told him o f th e billions o f light years betw een us an d the stars. A sq u attin g w om an, w incing at th e fierce sunlight, asks: “W h ere are y o u going, C aballero?” “T o th e m o u n tain . H u a y n a P o to si.” “A i-yai-yai. A n d w h at do you do on th e m o u n ta in ?” “W e clim b it.” “H o w fa r? ” “T o th e top, if possible.” “A n d h ow m uch do y o u get p aid ?” “N o th in g . W e do it fo r th e sport, m a ’a m .” “A i-ai-yai-yai-yai, ca b allero !” she laughs, w arm ly, sco rn fu lly . She h as a tru e sense of the absu rd . A tru c k briefly helps us over the pass, to w ard s the eastern flanks
o f H u ay n a. F ro m h ere w e could tak e a sh o rt cu t, o n to th e co n sp icu o u s eastern glacier, an d th en ce to o u r ridge. B ut w arily w e o p t in stead —unnecessarily, as it tu rn s o u t— to give th e m o u n tain a w ide b erth , an d m ak e a d e to u r th a t ends up being o ver tw elve m iles long. T his p lan does not sit well w ith K en, w ho has been m aking p o o r tim e, and having tro u b le w ith his pack. By th e late m orn in g I w o n d er w hat is tak in g him so long to d ro p ou t. D u rin g a m id-day b reak he asks if th ere are cam iones leaving fo r La P az from the settlem en t m ark ed on the m ap as th ree m iles aw ay. C am iones? Sure. Y ou bet. L ots o f them . (H ow should I know ?) W e red istrib u te supplies. K en regards a subsidiary peak, called M aria L loco, 5522 m eters, and thinks o f soloing it. K en n y L oco. H e is easily u n p ersu ad ed . H is d e p a rtu re leaves us strangely dejected, sluggish in o u r m ovem ents and d rain ed o f m orale th ro u g h o u t the aftern o o n . H e ’s p u t a curse on us. W e pass one a b a n doned, tim o ro u s clu ster o f m u d huts. G uiltily, I think som ething like this g u tted settlem en t w as K e n ’s destin atio n . T w en ty -fo u r h o u rs late r on, we reach th e fo o t of th e clim b. W e’d tru ck ed and ho o fed o ver a 300° arc a ro u n d the sum m it finishing past L ag u n a E sp eran za and sh im m erin g Ja n k h o K hota. N o w , finally, the m o u n tain is close up, p alp ab le. A b ro ad , steep, sp ark lin g ice gully faces us. “W hy d o n ’t we solo it?” R o m an ch eerfu lly suggests. “A ll rig h t w ith m e,” I reply, w hile inside I ’m w ailing “ai-yai-yai.” I ’ve never clim bed b efo re w ith R o m an , never d o n e such serious ice u n roped, never been on a glacier. B ut th e anxiety is only p a rtly real; it is p a rt p reten ce, the h y p erb o le all clim bers indulge in. T he five-h u n d red -fo o t gully tak es a b o u t an h o u r, and is to be the finest m o m en t of p u re clim bing on th e ro u te— alm ost w o rth o u r oblique ap p ro ach . O n th e ridge p ro p er, we n eg o tiate a sm all rock o u tcro p . T hen an easy w alk to a d ecen t cam psite. T h e ch ief obstacle across o u r p ath is a b road rock b a n d , to p p ed by a ch o ru s o f glistening séracs. W e are b o th agreed th a t th e best ro u te lies u p th e ram p . H o w ev er it tu rn s o u t th a t R o m an m eans one ram p , and I an o th er. W e start up m ine, w hich is steep, n arro w s into a gully, lies d i rectly below th e séracs, and is tech n ically excessively difficult. R o m an curses an d sw ears. O u r early m o rn in g stren g th has been sq u an d ered . H e sw ears som e m ore. T he sound o f th e pito n he is h am m erin g fo r a rap p el m ight u p set the séracs. H e discovers th a t his pin lies in an ex p an d in g flake. E m p ty in g h im self o f oaths, he flays the pin unavailingly. W e secure th e rop e to an ill-shaped, dub io u s b ollard and descend gingerly. R o m a n ’s ra m p d o esn ’t lack ex citem ent. T h e snow soon peters o u t at a seventy-fo o t p y ram id o f b ro k en faces, and u n stab le co n g lo m eratio n s o f boulders. Som e o f th e m oves seem like 5.1 o r 5.2. T he w hole section feels as stable as a h o u se o f cards. B ack on ice, in th e a fte rn o o n w e ro p e up fo r th e first tim e on this clim b, an d cross a few crevasses. W e h o p e to tak e th e su m m it p lateau by
nightfall, b u t are restra in e d by in ad eq u a te acclim atizatio n above 17,000 feet. T h ere a re n o usable bivy spots to be seen. U p w a rd rolling ice fields only, w hich are p erio d ically sliced open. T h ese g ian t w ounds ex pose the h isto ry o f the glacier, like rings on a tree tru n k . E v en tu ally w e find relief. W e will sleep in a p o rtio n o f a crevasse, th a t is co vered w ith a snow bridge th e size o f a m o n k ’s cell. T h e crevasse’s tow ering, u p w ard lip o f ice is cu rv ed like a w ave over us— a p ro tectin g w ave, we hope. Blue tin ted , ecto p lasm ic in the d ark , it re flects the stars and glossy m oon. F a r below we see grey and fluffy clouds fro m the jungle doze an d nestle ag ain st one a n o th er. R o m an and I d eb ate th e p ro b lem s o f technological, p o st-in d u strial societies. T h e effect is strangely consoling. C onditions have been excellent up to now . B ut th e last passage, th e final lift, is clim bed on crystalline, un stab le snow , alm ost greasy feeling. R o m an , w ho has b een steadily gaining stren g th an d verve as I ’ve been losing m ine, takes th e lead. F ro m th e p la te au the sum m it is clearly shaped, distinct, like a canine tooth. It is livid w hite, beckoning, th ro b bing against the electric blue sky. W e have arrived . T h ere are fo o t track s leading up fro m the w est, w hich p eete r o u t fifteen feet fro m the top. W e know w hose: the o th e r h a lf o f o u r g ro u p , w ho have been clim bing the n o rm al w estern route. T hey m u st have m ad e the su m m it yesterd ay , and sto p p ed sh o rt, fearing a possible cornice. R o m an p rep ares to tak e m y p h o to g ra p h on the su m m it pinnacle. “Stan d u p stra ig h t,” he says. I’d been slum ping, gasping, over m y ice axe. I sm arten up, now assum e the tra d itio n a l c o n q u e ro r’s pose, rig h t fo o t pressed dow n on th e v an q u ish ed prey, an d w ith stern profile gaze fa r into infinity— “ai-yai-yai, cab allero !” Climbing the U nseen, on Illim ani W e are descending the stan d ard , w est ridge o f Illim ani. W as it fo u r o r five days w e h a d clim bed? A t this p o in t we h a rd ly care. W e are spent, inw ardly an d o utw ard ly . O u r eq u ip m e n t is p ath etic, som e o f it lost; o u r food is zero ; an d fu el is scant. I ’ve fro stb ite on m y fingers, an d w ater sloshes in m y boots, due to failed gaiters, fro m w hich I will suffer tren ch fo o t. R o m an is ill w ith w h at is la te r d iagnosed as b ro n chitis. W e c a n ’t to le ra te a n o th e r night on this b ru tish m o u n tain . W e are th u m p in g w eakly th ro u g h deep p o w d ery snow , a b o u t three ho u rs dow n fro m th e daw n sum m it, w hen R o m an starts h allucinating. “I see clim bers dow n low er on th e rid g e,” he says. I look dow n. N o th in g . N o th in g fo r the n ex t h o u r of p lo d d ing — the n e x t tw o hours. P o o r R o m an . H e ’s lost to u ch w ith reality, thin k in g now th a t we will m eet som eone we know in this chilling, steep w ild er ness. B ut I u n d erstan d , and sh are th e im pulse. W e w an t to be ac-
know ledged, w elcom ed back into the h u m an co m m u n ity . W e are full o f p ride and loneliness. In the early aftern o o n , the d ream tu rn s into reality. I do see a couple o f thin, stick-like figures fa r below . A vindicated R o m an now says one o f th em is su re to be A n d ré C o n tam in e, the F re n c h m o u n taineer, w ho I im agine is now tu ck ed in a cozy P arisian bed. A s we a p p ro a c h to w ithin a th o u san d feet, fo u r figures are setting up cam p. “I ’m sure th ey are w om en clim b ers,” I tell R o m an . “S om ething ab o u t the w ay th ey m o v e.” B ut th ere are no w arm , em b racin g alpine A m azons. In stead fo u r sarto rially p erfect clim bers setting up an im m acu late cam psite. T h e ir cheerfulness, energy, p ristin e eq u ip m en t are enviable. In co n trast, we are like w ild m o u n ta in savages. A m id st a polyglot o f different languages, p u n c tu a te d by o u r ex h au sted b reathing, it em erges they are Poles, fro m L odz. G en ero u s Poles w ho feed us non-stop, coil o u r rope, tak e o u r p h o to g rap h s. T h e n am e o f the late A ndrzej M ro z is m en tio n ed , a leg en d a ry Pole, w hom R o m an h a d clim bed w ith in F ra n c e . P io tr, th e h an d so m e lead er, says: “ If you knew M roz, m aybe you kn o w R o m an L ab a?” “ B ut I am R o m a n L a b a !” he protests. “Y o u d o n ’t look like him . Y ou have c h a n g ed ,” says P io tr, recalling how years ago they b o th m et w ith M ro z and w ent to th e m ovies in Paris. A n d thus w e are w elcom ed back to civilization, m ore gen ero u sly and m ore aptly th a n we could have im agined. W e feel re lu c tan t to b reak off this enco u n ter. Y et the e a rth ’s colors at the h em o f the m o u n tain look w arm , tender, inviting. T h e Poles d irect us to th e ir p alatial Base C am p , w here we will be feted like kings. U n fo rtu n a te ly Illim an i is n o t so k in d as they. A s a final gesture, we are b enighted on a m o rain e, h o o k ed in the m o u n tain ’s last claw . Illim ani is not an elegant peak. R a th e r th a n c h a ra cte r, it has hulking mass. It em an ates a grim pow er, w hich can be felt fro m L a Paz, tw enty miles aw ay. P erh ap s b ecause o f its pro x im ity to the cap ital, Illim ani is clim bed m ore th a n any o th e r p eak in the C o rd illera R eal. A ll the new ro u tes on the visible n o rth e rn and w estern flanks have been done, local savants tell us. O ne new ro u te possibility rem ains, tu c k e d o u t of sight o f the view fro m L a P a z : the south face o f th e so u th p eak. M ore in fo rm atio n th a n this is h a rd to find. W e have seen one far-aw ay aerial co lo r slide th a t m akes th e ro u te a p p e a r fo resh o rte n e d and h a rd to judge. A n d w e w ould, in fact, n ever see o u r face in its en tire ty — ju st as w ell, perhaps, o r we m ight nev er have d a re d sta rt up. T he open cam ión is sta n d ard long-distance tra n sp o rta tio n fo r B o livian peasants, m iners, an d indigent m o u n tain eers. By now we th o u g h t ourselves inured to this m ode o f travel. Y et on the ro a d to Illim ani, we discover a new dim en sio n of d isco m fo rt an d terro r.
F irs t signs o f tro u b le begin an h o u r o u t of L a Paz, w hen th e tru ck stops, the d riv e r’s assistant p ro d u ces a sto n e-b reak in g m allet. W ith this he flays a t the bolts securing the tru c k body to th e suspension. A t o th er halts, the g en era to r, the fuel p u m p , h alf the electrical system are all dism antled, re p a ire d and p u t together. O nce we pause fo r o v er an ho u r, to exch an g e one alm ost bald tire on one side o f the tru c k w ith an o th er, tread less tire on the o th er side. T h en we passengers m u st in flate one o f these m assive tru ck tires, using a bicycle pum p. T h e ro a d itself is a m asterp iece of casual c o n stru ctio n an d p ersisten t neglect. E ven o u r typically steel nerves are tu rn e d to w ater w hen the tru ck , gro an in g a n d h eaving at tw o m iles an h o u r, pitches a n d tosses like a ship in a sto rm as it sw ays dow n and o u t o f deep ru ts and b o tto m less potholes. O nce th e d riv er tells ev ery o ne to get o u t an d w alk the n ext m ile, because th e su rface is so treach ero u s. W o rst o f all are th e o u tw a rd tu rn s in the ro a d : w hen the tru ck lu rch es into space an d hovers, su sp en d ed o v er a p recip ice fo r a sick en ing, tim eless m o m en t— a m an e u v e r th a t is especially grip p in g w hen snow an d ice cover th e tu rn . R o m an tells m e th a t in P eru he has read new s p a p e r stories w h ere such tru ck s often topple off m ou ntain s, sending dozens o f In d ian s to th e ir d eath . So we scan the valley floor fo r ch a rre d and sh a tte re d tru c k debris. W hen fe a r is u n co n tro llab le, we ride on the b a c k b o a rd , read y to leap fo r safety. O u r fellow passengers laugh at o u r te rro r— laugh generously, w ith a h u m o r th at, as alw ays w ith these Indians, is easy fo r us to share. A fte r this tw elve-hour o rdeal, we arriv e at th e village of th e M ina U ra n ia an d qu ick ly hike out. S om ew here south o f the p ro m in e n t so u th w est ridge, w hich is visible fro m La Paz, we begin the search fo r the ro u te. T h e re is a full day o f crabw ise traveling, an d a n o th e r m orning, b efore, high to th e east, we glim pse a sh arp ly rak ed , floating icefield, to p p ed by a scatterin g of séracs. It is tim e to m ove up. A n easy ra m p to the face is b locked by a m ean, slack-jaw ed w hale o f a crevasse. W e tip to e over u nstable, m ushy snow bridges, th en clim b th ree p itches of severe, tech n ical ice gullies. I t’s n early tw ilight, an d th e re is no sign o f a b ivouac spot. O u r g ro u n d is b rick h a rd , an d un m itig ated ly steep. O ccasionally we cross grim sec tions o f im pen etrab le, very b rittle, slippery black ice. W e are fra n tic fo r a p lace to sleep. W e feel angry, b etray ed by the m ountain. In alm ost to tal dark n ess w e gru m p ily beat dow n a couple o f n a rro w snow p latfo rm s, an d tie-in to a short, protective ro c k face above. T o th e east w e h e a r avalanches tru n d lin g and ro arin g persistently. Il lim ani is hav in g n ightm ares. It is a dazzling m o rn in g w hen w e reach th e face an d finally u n d e rsta n d w h at w e are co m m itted to. T o th e east an d below th e re is a zig-zag ro a d th a t leads up to th e m ine. H a d w e ap p ro ac h ed th a t w ay, w e’d have saved a day, and b etter u n d e rsto o d the ro u te. T h e face itself is u n ifo rm ly steep, and snow conditions are po o r. B ut it’s th e séracs th a t cause
en o rm o u s qualm s. T h ey are not, as w e im agined, a ra n d o m h alf dozen, b u t a w hole regim en t o f them , w ho m enacingly, sh o u ld er to shoulder, g u ard all d irect lines to the sum m it. “If I ’d know n ab o u t them , I ’d never have com e on this clim b ,” R o m an m u tters. “ M aybe we should re tre a t,” I bravely suggest. B ut it will tak e as long to get off as to finish the clim b. T h ere is little elatio n as we snow -kick o u r w ay h eavenw ards. By the tim e w e are directly u n d e r the tow ers, it is late aftern o o n . A gain th e re ’s n o t a decen t bivy p lace anyw here. W e are stu n n ed by the séracs’ statu re. M ost o f th em are over a h u n d re d feet tall. W e im agine th ere is som e w ay th a t w e m ay sneak a p ath th ro u g h them . I p re p a re to lead, w hen clouds sw iftly close in across th e séracs. T he sudden loss o f visibility saps m y confidence. L ig h t d rain s fro m th e sky. M y m ovem ents becom e sluggish, in co h eren t. I decline th e challenge. So, ro p ed to g eth er, we trav erse level w ith the base o f the séracs, tread in g som e o f the h ard est ice yet encountered . I slip on a p atch o f b lack ice. R o m an saves. A gain we feel b etray ed , u n fa irly tested by the m o u n ta in , w hich refuses to yield u p a level space. T h e best b ivouac we can find is a coffin-sized b reak in a sérac w all, w ide en o u g h fo r R o m an to get his back on. I dig a p la tfo rm fo r m y p ack, an d sit on it; tying into an ice h am m er th a t only bites into th e ice by a m iracle. N e ith er R o m a n ’s h a m m er, n o r o u r axes c a n do m o re th an rep eated ly sh atter this ice into th o u san d s o f shards. N e x t m o rn in g we are in b ad shape. M y b rain is stuffed w ith cotton, m y lim bs w ith m olasses. A fte r five h o u rs o f groggy clim bing, we pass th ro u g h th e séracs an d , in an o rd erly fash io n , collapse on th e so u th w est ridge ab o u t th ree h u n d re d feet fro m the sum m it, an d a b o u t 5000 feet fro m o u r start. W e sleep th ro u g h the afte rn o o n at 2 1 ,0 0 0 feet, w ake fo r supper, and then doze off. I o ften sit up to stare at th e lights o f L a P az levitating on the d ark horizon. F o r the first tim e, we try clim bing befo re sunup, h o ping to m aster th e u p p e r p a rt o f th e descen t ro u te b efo re the now cu sto m ary aftern o o n clouds roll in. T h e cold is stinging, rem orseless. A w ispy light breeze h as a vicious, searing chill-pow er. P ining fo r the sun, in an h o u r we reach the sum m it an d the daw n. B ut its w a rm th is negligible. T h e re ’s a new b o rn , u tte rly lu m in o u s and lim pid sky. A n intense v ib ran cy rad iates fro m th e m o u n tain s o f the co rd illera to th e n o rth and th e Q uim sa C ruz to the south. B ut we d o n ’t ta rry long, b ecause of th e cold, because we are su m m o n ed to o u r w elcom ing reception.
Sum m ary o f Statistics: A r e a : C o rd illera R eal, Bolivia. N
R o u t e s : H u a y n a P o to sí, 1 9 ,9 9 6 feet, N o rth e a st R id g e, Ju n e 17 to 20, 1974 (R om an L ab a, Jo h n T h ack ray ). Illim ani, 21,201 feet, S o u th F a c e o f th e S outh P eak, started on Ju ly 2 and reach ed sum m it on Ju ly 6 (L aba, T h ack ray ).
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