On April 30, 2017, the mountaineering community was rocked by the terrible news of the death on the slope of Mount Nuptse (Nuptse 7861 m) of one of the world’s most skilled climbers, the outstanding Swiss athlete Ueli Steck.
The first to discover the body of the deceased Ueli was Nepalese Vinayak Jaya Malla, a professional mountain guide. Back in 2016, the author of the following interview, Leo Montejo of Madison Mountaineering, met Vinayak while trekking through the Sky Caves of Nepal in the Mustang region and was impressed by his skills and strength. Last year, at Everest Base Camp, Leo met Vinayak again shortly before he led a group of Indian Army soldiers to the summit.
Leo took the opportunity to talk to the Nepalese about that fateful day, April 30, 2017.
I heard that you, working with Mingma Sherpa, discovered Ueli Steck’s body on April 30, 2017. How did you end up at the scene of the tragedy?
Actually, Mingma and I weren’t working together. I spent the entire night at Camp 1, and Mingma was descending from Camp 3. He was descending with a client, and I was just about to ascend with my group. We met on the route approximately 300 meters from the spot where we later discovered Ueli Steck’s body: between Camps 1 and 2.
I left Camp I at 7:00 AM and met Mingma and his team around 9:10 AM. We found Uli’s body around 9:34 AM.
What was the weather like that day? Was it colder or warmer than usual?
The weather was beautiful, cloudless skies, calm air, and bright sunshine. I remember climbing the Western Cwm and feeling the heat from the sun’s rays reflected off the snow.
Was there any wind the day before? Or perhaps you noticed the “columnar cloud” over Everest, a sign of strong winds at the summit?
Again, no, there was no strong wind at the summit either. The absence of clouds indicated this.
What did you do when you found the climber dead? How far was he from your ascent route?
Shortly before I set out, I saw someone starting to climb the mountainside, then I saw the climber on the ridge, and the next moment I heard the sound of something heavy falling. I looked up, but I no longer saw the climber on the mountain. That’s when I thought the man had most likely fallen. When I met Mingma, I told him about the incident, and we decided to go together to the probable site of the fall. We soon found a body, and when we got closer, we recognized the deceased as Ueli Steck. I knew what he looked like and I knew his jacket with green sponsor stickers.
Then I immediately contacted Base Camp by radio. Even then, I knew he had no chance of survival. I transmitted all the details of the accident to Base Camp, including the location, time, and position of the climber. I took a photo of the deceased to document the time of the incident.
I then radioed Tenji Sherpa, Ueli’s expedition partner, who was absent from the climb at the time, recuperating in the valley.
How long do you think Ueli was climbing before his fatal fall?
I think about 45 minutes. As I said earlier, I saw someone climbing Nuptse and then heard the sound of a fall.
How was the body recovered?
Since this mountainside was quite unsafe due to frequent rockfalls, Mingma and I returned to the spot where we met earlier; he then continued the descent with his client. Shortly after, I saw a professional IFMGA guide named Victor (from Peru) bring a stretcher with several assistants and an Iranian climber.
Together, we returned to the accident site, gathered our belongings, placed Uli’s body on the stretcher, and carried it another 300 meters to where we met Mingma.
We couldn’t lower him back to base camp ourselves. Lhakpa Norbu Sherpa from base camp contacted Fishtail Air rescue helicopter pilot Maurizio Folini, who transported Uli’s body to Kathmandu.
It’s believed that Uli fell 1,000 meters. How far do you think he was from the summit?
I think he fell 800-900 meters. The last time I saw him, he was on the ridge at an altitude of about 7,100-7,200 meters. He could have been higher, but then I wouldn’t have been able to see him. Nuptse’s elevation is 7,861 meters. Camp Two was set up at 6,400 meters.
Let’s assume that Uli was at an altitude of 7,100-7,200 meters. His body, after the fall, lay 6,300 meters below Camp Two. Thus, he fell at least 800-900 meters.
What gear did he have with him? Helmet, crampons, gloves, radio, ice axes? What did you find?
We all know that Ueli was a proponent of a fast and light climbing style. He was wearing SCARPA Phantom 6000 boots, Petzl Irvis crampons, a state-of-the-art jacket and trousers, and a small backpack with a water bottle, energy drinks, GPS, and a camera.
I didn’t see a helmet or gloves, and he wasn’t wearing a harness. He also didn’t have any ice axes. It’s quite possible that some of his gear scattered across the slope during his fall, remaining in the snow on the mountain.
Do you think his gear was suitable for such an ascent?
Yes, I think, given his experience, the gear was suitable for climbing in such weather. But I repeat, I didn’t see his gloves.
Uli is believed to have set out at 4:30 AM. Was this the right time to begin the assault?
Uli was a professional climber and accustomed to early rises. The day before the tragedy, on April 29, he and his partner (Frenchman Yannick Graziani) climbed to 6,800 meters, where they left some of their equipment. On that fateful morning, he went out alone…
Was there anyone else on the mountain that morning?
No, as far as I know, Ueli was alone on the mountain.
When you discovered the body, did you immediately realize it was Ueli Steck?
I had seen him several times before at Base Camp, wearing that same jacket with sponsor logos. And of course, I recognized his face.
You also helped collect personal Ueli Steck’s things at Camp 2?
At Camp 2, on the night of the incident, French climber Yannick Graziani, his guide Pemba, and I went to Ueli’s tent, which was a 2-minute walk from mine. And I helped pack his things.
But two things shocked me…
First, we found a 50-meter coil of 5 mm rope and his ice axe. Until that moment, I had always believed that a climber should always take a rope with him on an ascent, even if he doesn’t plan to use it. After all, situations are different and unpredictable: a sharp deteriorationweather or just relaxing. A rope becomes an essential item when you’re climbing solo. But Ueli didn’t bring a rope!
Secondly, his ice axe. Personally, I can’t imagine climbing a mountain without an ice axe. There are two possibilities: either he climbed with only trekking poles, or he took another ice axe with him, which was lost in the fall. But neither then nor since has anyone found Ueli’s ice axe on Nuptse. I’m inclined to believe he set out with trekking poles.
Twenty days after the tragedy, you climbed Everest. If you were to climb Nuptse, what gear would you take?
First of all, I want to say that I have great respect for Ueli Steck. But I’m not a fan of solo climbing. I can’t climb mountains alone. No matter what gear you take, your best partner is your belay.
Have you climbed Nuptse before? It has seven peaks. Was Ueli planning to climb the highest one? How difficult is this climb?
I haven’t been to the summit of Nuptse, but Ueli planned to climb the highest peak. Climbing this mountain does not involve the standard route. From Camp 2, he climbed the glaciers to a snow and mixed wall with a slope of 70-75 degrees, then the line went to the right to the ridge, which is also a mixed route of rock, ice, and snow.
What happened that day?
I respect Ueli and his climbing style. He grew up in the Swiss Alps and has twice won the Piolet d’Or (Golden Ice Axe) award, the most prestigious in the world of mountaineering. d’Or) in 2009 and 2014.
I saw a football-sized rock on his body, covered in blood. I believe this rock could have knocked Ueli off the mountain by falling on him. However, it could have also fallen after Ueli had fallen. Ueli wasn’t wearing a helmet, and I saw that his head had been crushed by the rock.
He also wasn’t wearing one of his crampons, which could also cause a fall. Crampons slipping off your feet is common in mountaineering; I’ve even had a couple of such incidents. This can happen with any type of crampon, depending on the wear of your boots and how well they’re fitted.
Ueli, as I mentioned, wasn’t wearing a harness, although climbers usually wear one. When a climber needs to rest or wait out danger on the mountain, he secures himself with a rope to his harness. It’s also entirely possible that Ueli encountered a difficult terrain situation, exerting himself to the fullest, and then fell because he wasn’t rested…
Also, he didn’t have a rope, even though even a 5mm coil could have saved his life. I think Ueli was climbing with trekking poles, as if he wasn’t facing Nuptse but a simple mountain. He didn’t have an ice axe, so it’s entirely possible he overestimated his strength and underestimated the mountain’s dangers.
When Tenji Sherpa (Ueli’s expedition partner) suffered frostbite on his hand, the doctor at Base Camp advised him to stop climbing and return to the hospital for rehabilitation, thus ending the expedition. At that time, everyone knew about Ueli Steck and Tenji Sherpa’s ambitious plans, and they knew that many wanted to follow him. I spoke with many climbers who were with him at the time. They said, “Ueli was upset after Tenji’s doctor forbade him from continuing his climb. Now his project has deviated from its planned course.”
On April 29, Yannick Graziani climbed Nuptse to reconnoiter the route and then returned to base camp. Yannick had planned to replace Tenji on Ueli’s team. However, his plan didn’t work, as Yannick didn’t have a permit to climb Nuptse. In the end, Ueli went alone….
Is there anything else you’d like to add?
If you’ve been to the Himalayas, you’ve probably seenMountain goats (also known as Himalayan ibex). They live on cliffs and in the upper reaches of mountains. They are extremely agile and fast, all to escape the attacks of snow leopards. Their incredible ability to stay on practically vertical cliffs constantly amazes people. But sometimes, even mountain goats make mistakes and fall into the abyss. For many reasons: sometimes a rockfall is to blame, or they slip themselves.
To some extent, this applies to Ueli Steck: a professional climber who could run along mountain peaks “blindfolded,” fell and died.
Was there someone else on the mountain at the time, someone who could have been above Ueli Steck and accidentally triggered the rockfall? Not intentionally, of course, but, as I say, accidentally. This could be the key to solving the mystery of Ueli’s death. But I still think it was a tragic accident. But what kind? Unfortunately, I think no one will ever know about it.
Source: wicis-sports.blogspot.com