Nanga Parbat, Barmasse: “Plastic and fixed ropes, how much garbage at 6,200 meters”

Bottles. Bags. Fixed ropes. Even over 6 thousand meters of altitude. While waiting for the bad weather in the Nanga Parbat area to finally give a break, Hervè Barmasse sent from the base camp of the Schell Route, at the foot of the Rupal wall, a very eloquent video on the garbage which – unfortunately – is not difficult to find even at very high altitudes. altitude, specifically at 6,200 meters of the so-called camp 2 of the Rupal, where the Aosta Valley mountaineer and David Goettlter had arrived last week before the bad weather conditions (snow, wind up to 40 per hour and perceived temperature close to -40 °) forced them to descend to 3,500 meters, where they are today.

Dirty mountain

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“The images testify to the difference between the Himalayan style and the one we have chosen, therefore alpine and clean”, explains Barmasse from the satellite phone. “The idea of ​​moving light is not born only to demonstrate that we are perhaps the most performing and capable athletes, or self-sufficient in the mountains, but precisely because of the clean mountain issue. This video demonstrates what we have found, in addition to the shreds of ropes. left almost everywhere from past expeditions. Because we are talking about materials that are no longer usable, that the ice absorbs, if it “eats” them and therefore remain there forever, just like the rest of the garbage that you see “. As Barmasse has repeatedly argued, more than Where you go up, How you go up counts. “Our intention, in addition of course to the final goal, which is the Rupal in winter, is to demonstrate what an expedition of this type is. The pros and cons are all there, because in the end we are all environmental hypocrites when we get on a plane to reach Pakistan or the Himalayas. And so am I dirty, coming here. Having said that, once on the mountain you can always opt for a choice. It is up to the individual, to the individual expedition to decide: surely the choice of what it can be considered an alpine style, or clean, or light, it certainly helps to preserve these mountains “.

Provocation

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And then a little big provocation: “It would be nice if Rupal, in winter, and I consider this an appeal, to remain open to those who want to face it in an honest way. It is a request linked to the idea of ​​creating limits, since today, thanks to the technology and high-performance materials available, sooner or later everything will be climbed. And then maybe we are the ones who say: let’s create our own adventure and show the courage to face it. Because Adventure is a very inflated word, as Possible or Impossible. The Impossible does not exist, the Impossible does not exist if any means are used to rape (I admit, it’s a bit strong term) the mountain “.