Camp 2 Rotation

September 13

We’re packed up and headed out on the trail for a few days on Manaslu.  Our goal is to spend a couple of nights at Camp 1 and hopefully reach Camp 2 at some point.  This is an important rotation for two reasons.  The first is simply sleeping higher to aid acclimatization.  We’ve been to Camp 1 already so this trip up should feel a little easier than the last.  The second important benefit is gaining experience traveling through the icefall region between Camp 1 and Camp 2.  It’s important to be confident in this zone and move as efficiently as possible for maximum safety.

When we reach Crampon Point, it’s clear that today will be quite busy on the mountain.  There are way more people present than we’ve seen before and I’m reminded that Nepal has issued some 300 climbing permits for Manaslu this year. 

It’s another misty day on the mountain and while not completely desensitized to it, we’re growing somewhat less irritated by being damp all the time.  The route through the glacier is familiar and we move confidently under, over and around crevasses while steadily gaining the 3,000 ft of elevation needed to reach Camp 1.  The line of climbers stretches up and disappears into the void where the glacier and the clouds blend together into white nothingness. 

We get a break from the mist for a while as we approach the first tents on the upper part of Camp 1.  It’s a welcome improvement from the dreariness of the morning.  As the clouds break up, we get a look at the upper part of the mountain which has been hidden for a few days.  It seems a long way off but I know that we’re inching our way up step by step and that our patience will hopefully be rewarded with a view from the summit. 

Reaching Camp 1 completes our work for the day.  It’s a big effort and tomorrow will be our toughest day yet.  Looking around me, I easily see four times as many tents here at Camp 1 than I saw a few days ago.  This reinforces our impression that the mountain is getting busy now.  Into the tents we go for some nutrition and a big rest.

 

September 14

Morning comes fast it seems and we’re gathering motivation for a big day.  It’s colder up here at 19,000 ft which makes it a bit tougher to get moving.  There’s some fresh snow on the ground to brighten things up for our climb which makes me happy.  Our group breaks up into three climbing teams and finally at 8:15 or so our team of 4 is off behind the others and intermixed with climbers from other teams.  There’s a hill right out of camp which warms our legs up nicely. 

Today’s weather is improving, and we even get a little sunshine to brighten our moods.  The sun doesn’t make it too hot because it’s early and the air temperature is still below freezing.  After a half hour or so, we reach our first obstacle.  It’s a 40 ft high ramp followed by a near vertical chimney.  If you look closely, you can see people on top of the serac.  This terrain is reminiscent of the Khumbu Icefall from my experience in 2017.  Thinking about those days gets my juices flowing and I ease into the work happily.  

Another couple of small obstacles and we reach a nice spot for our first rest. 

Looking over my shoulder is a nice view of Camp 1. 

After a few snacks and some water, we get moving again.  This next section is a jumbled unstable mess followed by a traverse to the left exposed to a 100 ft serac, then a ramp and finally a vertical pitch to gain the top of another serac behind and out of view.  You can see climbers along the route in the photo below. 

Our goal here is to move efficiently until we get beyond the area exposed to the serac.  Before we get there however, we need to cross a couple of short ladders spanning crevasses too wide to jump. 

Along the way but before the exposed section, I look over my shoulder and realize that we have a view all the way back down to the uppermost part of Base Camp.  Looking at the crevasse filled glacier below, it’s hard to imagine how the line fixers found their way through and unlocked the puzzle of that fractured glacier for a safe climbing route.  

A series of steep ramps, near vertical pitches and traverses brings us to our high point for today.  

 

With so much traffic on the route causing delays at ladder crossings and every steep pitch, we decided to stop a hundred feet or less below the elevation of Camp 2.  Even this high up, there are large groups going up and down and the more time spent at this elevation cued up behind people, the less energy we will have to get back down safely and efficiently.  Our goal for today is to gain elevation while working hard and we have achieved that.  If we encountered these same features in Colorado at 11,000 ft, they would feel quite reasonable and the effort to overcome them relatively small.  Here at over 20,000 ft and after 4 or 5 hours of climbing a massive obstacle course, the effort is much greater and our breathing laborious.  We’ve completed one more stage of the climb high, sleep low agenda. 

 

We take our time on the way down being mindful that we’re tired, the route will be more unstable at the end of the day and that we have a few repels and lowers to make down the steep sections.  In a couple of hours, we’ve made it back to Camp 1 feeling the effects of a big day up high.  Our high point was higher than Mt Vinson, Mt. Elbrus and Kilimanjaro and just under the summit elevation for Denali which is 20,320 ft.  It’s been many years since Kriss and I stood so high together and I’m proud of the effort she gave today.

 

September 15^th

We all pack up some gear to leave here at Camp 1 and then are off back to Base Camp for a few days of rest.  We got at least 6” of heavy wet snow last night which should make our footing solid for the decent.  The way down is familiar and in less than three hours, we’re in our tents changing into dry clothes before heading to the dining tent for some real food.  The rest of the day is spent resting, hydrating, and making red blood cells.