This is a highlights selection of the photos I couldn’t post while we were climbing the ridge, showing how the climb unfolded day by day.
These are the sites of our camps, marked on the ridge. I can’t swear to the absolute accuracy of this, especially for 5, 6+7 and 8 July, our camps on the central section of the ridge. It is based on my best guess. Note: the nights of 6 and 7 July were spent in the same camp.
Mazeno Ridge camps seen from the south (the Rupal face side – the valley below is where we walked in). Click on photo for bigger version.
Mazeno Ridge camps seen from the north (the Diamir Face side). Click on photo for bigger version.
DAY 1: 2 JULY
Rick, Sandy and I left base camp 4900m around 07.00. The Sherpas had left earlier and they climbed straight up to the second camp. We headed to the first camp, at around 6150m. We’d used this camp already for acclimatisation, so we had a three-man tent in place there. We would leave that tent there, just in case we retreated back along the ridge. The climbing was along the ridge already extensively shown in the photos posted during the acclimatisation phase.
Panorama of the approach ridge leading to the Mazeno Ridge. The climber is Cathy. Click for bigger.
Climbing the ridge towards the 1st camp – the little grey tent at 6150m is marked by the red circle.
Our 1st camp, 6150m (all heights are a best guess, based on my altimeter watch).
DAY 2: 3 JULY
The Sherpas climbed on from the second camp to break trail and carry loads onto the Mazeno Ridge. Rick, Sandy and I climbed up to our second camp at 6400m, and then carried a load higher up, dumping it at around 6600m, before returning to camp.
Cathy just above our 1st camp, the little grey tent is visible behind her. These days of climbing were horribly hot and just stretch fleece pants and a thermal top felt too hot.
Sandy headed upwards, the 2nd camp is on top of the snow dome on the left.
Lhakpa Rangduk at the 2nd camp, at about 6400m. Again we had used this camp before for acclimatisation and the tents were already pitched.
Lhakpa Rangduk and Rick squeezed into an EV2. They shared, Sandy and I shared, both in EV2s, and Zarok and Nuru were in a Gemini. All single-skin goretex tents.
Every few days, I’d find the time and the energy to work through the awful tangle of hair created by the buffs and hoods and helmets.
DAY 4: 3 JULY
We took down the 2nd camp and carried the tents with us. From now on all camps would be bivis, pitched at night, taken down and moved on in the morning. Now all 6 of us were moving together, as we would do for the rest of the climb. From the 6400m camp, we climbed up onto the Mazeno Ridge at 6800m and camped soon after reaching the ridge. The Sherpas and Rick then carried some loads ahead. This would be the last time we ferried loads. Thereafter we carried everything with us.
Packing up the 2nd camp.
Breaking trail in thigh-deep snow.
Climbing up towards the Mazeno Ridge: front to back – Rick, Cathy, Sandy.
Onto the ridge and the first view down the other side, to the Diamir glacier.
Panorama along the Mazeno Ridge to the Diamir Face of Nanga Parbat. Click for bigger.
Our first camp on the ridge itself: setting up the 3rd camp at 6800m.
The 3rd camp, 6800m.
Lhakpa Rangduk.
Zarok (left) and Nuru.
NEXT INSTALLMENT WILL FOLLOW TOMORROW.
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