SECOND JOURNEY TO DIAMIRAI NULLAH AND ASCENT TO 21,000 FEET
'And this, the naked countenance of earth,
On which I gaze, even these primæval mountains,
Power dwells apart in their tranquillity,
Remote, serene, and inaccessible.'
SHELLEY.
Next day Bruce and I with Ragobir and Goman Singh went for an excursion
up the Tashing glacier, in order that the two Gurkhas might have some
experience in ice-work and step-cutting. It was great fun, and although
I was perfectly unable to understand any of their conversation, Ragobir
and Goman Singh were laughing, chattering, and playing the whole time
like two children.
On July 27 the same party, with the addition of Mummery, started for a
ridge which runs south-east towards Tashing from the peak marked 22,360
feet, which we named Chongra peak, as it is at the head of the valley
of that name above Astor. We crossed the Tashing glacier, and camped
at 15,000 feet by some rocks. Next day was spent in a ridge-wander.
Our intention was to climb a rock peak overlooking the Chongra nullah;
but laziness was in the air, the day was hot, and the ridge endless.
Finally a halt was called somewhat short of the peak that we had
intended to climb, and for a long time we basked in the sun, smoked,
ate our lunch, and enjoyed the superb view of the precipices of
Nanga Parbat on the west and of the Karakoram range far away to the
northward. Out of the masses of snow-clad giants in the remote distance
to the north-east, one rose obviously higher than all its neighbours;
in shape it resembled the view of K^{2} as seen from Turmik.[I] Since
then, however, Bruce has told me that the mountain that was seen
from Turmik was probably the Mustagh tower. These two peaks would be
about one hundred miles away, and in that clear atmosphere should be
perfectly visible from our position (about 17,000 feet), for we were
high enough to see over the range on the east of the Astor valley.
We also saw across the Indus and up the Shigar valleys, and further
still the eye was directed straight up the Baltoro with no high peaks
or ranges to intercept its view. Very much nearer and more to the
north just on the other side of the Astor nullah a really magnificent
double-headed peak, the Dichil,[J] sends up a series of perfectly
impossible precipices. Its height on the map is 19,490 feet, but I am
positive this measurement must be wrong. Much later, whilst returning
from the Rakiot nullah to Dashkin, I was at a point 16,000 feet on the
ridge just opposite across the Astor valley, and seen from there it
apparently towered at least 5000 feet above me. In the Dichil nullah at
its foot the valley cannot be more than 10,000 feet, and the view of it
from this nullah must far surpass that of Ushba in grandeur.
During the day a curious haze hung over some of the precipices at the
head of the Tashing glacier just opposite to us, due to perpetual
avalanches of stones which were partly falling, partly sliding, down
the steep slopes.
We returned to camp by a different route. A steep rock ridge led
straight down from the peak we were on to the Tashing glacier below. On
this ridge we had some delightful climbing, ultimately reaching the
upper pasturages lying on the left bank of the glacier. It was a long
tramp from there home, but just as it became dark we marched into our
camp beneath the grove of willows.
The 29th was spent preparing for our start for the Diamirai nullah,
for Mummery had quite given up all idea of attempting to climb the
thousands of feet of almost perpendicular wall that ran the whole way
along the south face of Nanga Parbat. The next day we started with
a perfect caravan of coolies. Our intention was to send Goman Singh
and our servants, together with all the coolies and baggage, over the
Mazeno La by the route we had first taken, whilst we ourselves with
Ragobir should try to cross directly from the head of the Rupal nullah
to the head of the Diamirai nullah.
This time we hoped to have better luck than on our return over the
Diamirai pass. But it was with some misgiving that I started, for I
alone in my walk a week before up the Diamirai glacier had seen the
head of that nullah, and although I did not doubt that we might reach
the head of some pass from the southern side, I could not remember any
place where it would be possible for us to descend on the northern
side, and under any conditions our pass would be at least 20,000 feet,
probably more, for the route lay directly over the spur which leads
westward from the summit of Nanga Parbat to the Mazeno La. That night
we camped about four to five miles short of the Mazeno La at a height
of 13,000 feet. In the dark we started next morning up excessively
steep and broken moraine by the side of an ice-fall, thence we turned
on to the steep glacier, and after some difficulty got on to the upper
glacier, which came down from the north-east. After following this
for some distance we turned to our left up a wide couloir, and partly
on rocks and partly on snow slowly climbed upwards. By three in the
afternoon Bruce, who was not in such good condition as we were, and was
suffering from suppressed mumps (although neither he nor we knew it at
the time), began to feel tired, but under the stimulation produced by
some citrate of caffeine lozenges he went on again bravely. At last
we came out on to the ridge at the head of the couloir, and climbed
some few hundred feet up the arête, which seemed to lead to the very
summit of the peak marked 21,442 feet on the map. But the time was five
o'clock in the afternoon. The height by mercurial barometer was 20,150
feet. We had climbed over 7000 feet; but beyond feeling very tired,
which was natural, we were hardly affected by the rarefied air. Here
we stopped for some short time and had our evening meal. Bruce and I
came to the conclusion that, as we must certainly spend the night out
somewhere, a less exalted position was preferable. We selected a new
route, which would take us down to the foot of the Mazeno La, Ragobir
coming with us. Mummery and Hastings would not hear of beating a
retreat thus early, so they arranged to go on, and should they find the
ridge become too difficult further up, they would return and follow us
down, but they hoped for a full moon and the possibility of climbing on
during the night.
[Illustration: _The Mazeno Peaks from the Red Pass._]
Bruce and I did not make much progress, for our ridge soon became both
narrower and more precipitous; but finally, as the sun was setting, we
found a crack running through the arête into which a flat stone had got
jammed just large enough for three people to sit on. Here we made up
our minds to stop for the night. Roughly we were 19,000 feet, or 1000
feet higher than the Mazeno La, and about two to three miles to the
eastward of it. A stone thrown out on either side of our small perch
would have fallen many hundreds of feet before hitting anything, so we
did not take off the rope, but huddled together as best we could to
keep warm.
I could write a very long description of the wonderful orange sunset
we saw beyond the Mazeno, how the light faded out of the sky, and the
stars came out one by one as the sunset disappeared; how we tried
in vain to get into positions such that the freezing wind would not
penetrate our clothes, how Bruce and Ragobir groaned, and how we
suffered--but I will refrain. Let any one who may be curious on the
subject of a night out on a rock ridge at 19,000 feet try it; but he
must place himself in such a position that, twist and turn as he may,
he still encounters the cold, jagged rocks with every part of his body,
and though he shelter himself ever so wisely, he must feel the wind
steadily blowing beneath his shirt.
Late in the night we heard noises on the ridge above us. It was Mummery
and Hastings returning. But, although they were within speaking
distance of Bruce and myself, and I had lit a lantern to show them
where we were, they could not reach us, and finally had to select the
least uncomfortable place they could. With leaden feet the night paced
tardily on, and brilliant stars and moon that had at first shone from
the zenith gradually sank towards the west, but how slowly!--
'Yon lily-woven cradle of the hours
Hath floated half her shining voyage, nor yet
Is by the current of the morn opposed.'
Would the morning never come, and with it the warm sunshine? Daylight
crept up the sky, however, at last, and as soon as they could,
Mummery and Hastings joined us. After we left them, they had climbed
some considerable distance further, but as the mists did not lift at
sundown and the other side of the range was unknown, they perforce
had to return, having nearly reached the summit of the mountain and a
height of 21,000 feet. It was a long time before we got down on to the
Mazeno glacier, but somewhere about ten o'clock we arrived on the flat
glacier. Here the party, overcome by the warmth of the sunshine and a
great drowsiness, went to sleep on some of the flat slabs of stone that
lay scattered on the ice. Personally, nothing would have given me more
pleasure than to have followed the example of the rest, but visions of
another night out on the Lubar glacier troubled me. Moreover, we had
nothing whatever to eat, the night before having seen the last of our
provisions. Ragobir and I therefore with weary feet started to cross
the Mazeno La.
Very slowly we toiled and toiled upwards through the already softened
snow; but long before we reached the summit, more than once Ragobir
had lain down on the ground exhausted. I found out later that he had
eaten nothing whatever the day before. Ultimately we got to the top and
rested awhile. Our mission was to get to Lubar, and from there send
back up the glacier milk and meat to the remainder of the expedition.
It was already midday, and here was I with a Gurkha who could hardly
crawl, and the rest of the party perhaps in a worse condition far
behind. So after a short rest, I started down from the pass on the
west side, soon leaving Ragobir behind. Then I waited for him.
Repeating these tactics he was enticed onwards again, until crossing
an ice-couloir rendered dangerous through falling stones, I walked
out on to the level glacier at the bottom to await him. Very slowly
he crawled down, and when in the centre of the couloir, although I
screamed to him to hurry, he was nearly hit by a great stone weighing
half a hundredweight that had come from two or three thousand feet
above. Although it only missed him by a few feet, he never changed his
pace; and when at last he reached me, seated on a stone, he dropped
full length on the ice, absolutely refusing to move, and groaning. He
had eaten nothing for the last forty hours.
My position was becoming serious. I could not leave the Gurkha, Lubar
was miles away down the glacier, and some of the rest of the party
might be in the same condition as Ragobir. I could think of nothing
except to smoke my pipe and wait for something to happen. Half an hour
passed, then an hour; and then, far up on the summit of the Mazeno La
a black dot appeared, and shortly afterwards two more. So I waited,
and at last the whole party was reunited. Bruce managed to revive
Ragobir, who had had over two hours' rest, and we all set off as fast
as we could for the shepherds' huts at Lubar. As the sun was setting
we arrived there, very weary, but buoyed up with the expectation of
something to eat. I shall never forget the sight that greeted my eyes
when Mummery and I, the last of the party, walked into the small
enclosure of stones where the goats and sheep were collected.
Bruce was seated on the small wall in his shirt-sleeves, superintending
the slaughter of one of the sheep. And, horrible to relate, in less
than half an hour after we entered Lubar we were all ravenously
devouring pieces of sheep's liver only half cooked on the ends of
sticks.
The dirty, sour goats' milk, too, was delicious, and as far as I can
recollect, each of us drank considerably over a gallon that evening,
to wash down the fragments of toasted sheep and chappatties that we
made from some flour that had providentially remained behind our
caravan with a sick coolie. Very soon we got into a somewhat comatose
condition, and there was some sort of arrangement made, that should any
one wake in the night he should look after the fire. But next morning
when I awoke the fire was out and I was covered with hoarfrost. We had
all fallen asleep almost in the positions in which we sat in front of
the fire.
I am afraid I must apologise for this second description of the
delights of feeding after a prolonged fast. But few people have any
conception of what it feels like to be really starving and worked till
one longs to drop down anywhere--even on snow or ice. Hunger, exposure,
and exhaustion are hard taskmasters, and the relief brought by rest,
comfort, and plenty of food is a pleasure never to be forgotten. It is
certainly one of the keenest enjoyments I have ever experienced.
Next morning we started for the Diamirai camp, taking with us the
coolie and the precious flour. We preferred to strike out a new route,
keeping higher up the mountain-side and more to the right. Before long
we met some of our Kashmir servants who had come back from the Diamirai
to look for us, and, as was their most excellent custom, brought with
them as many edibles as they could. These of course were soon finished.
We left them to return by the ordinary route to the camp, whilst we
followed up the Butesharon glacier in a south-easterly direction,
reaching at its head a col about 17,000 feet.
From this pass, on that perfectly clear afternoon, an unsurpassed
panorama was spread out before us. The Indus valley lay 14,000 feet
beneath us. Beyond stretched that almost unknown land below Chilas.
A hundred miles away were the snow peaks in the Swat country, marked
on the map as 18,563 feet and 19,395 feet high, standing out distinct
against the sky, whilst much further still, a little more to the right,
rose a vast snow peak nearly flat topped, or at least a ridge of peaks,
several thousand feet higher than any others. It was probably Tirach
Mir above Chitral, 25,426 feet and 24,343 feet high.
From the summit of the Butesharon pass we descended almost straight to
the camp, which had been pitched in the old spot, where we had been ten
days before.
During the next two days, August 3 and 4, we stopped in camp, and on
the 5th Bruce left us, going back to Abbottabad _via_ the Mazeno La,
the Kamri, and Kashmir. As we heard afterwards, it was anything but
a pleasant journey, for, probably owing to the exposure during that
night on Nanga Parbat, his complaint had been aggravated, and the
glands of his neck and face had become so swollen, that when he was met
by a friend on the Kamri he was unrecognisable, and for many months
afterwards was unable to wear a collar.
The day that Bruce left, Mummery and I with the Gurkhas started to
explore the upper end of the Diamirai glacier. We camped at the head of
the valley on the last grass on the northern side. Mummery and Ragobir
started at midnight for the western face of Nanga Parbat. During the
day they managed to reach the top of the second rib of rocks that lie
directly under the summit, a height of about 17,000 to 18,000 feet. In
the meantime I went to look at the Diama glacier between the Ganalo
peak, 21,650 feet, and Nanga Parbat, taking with me Goman Singh and
our Kashmir shikari. We climbed up the ridge that comes down from the
Ganalo peak to about 17,000 feet, but unfortunately the day was cloudy,
so I was unable satisfactorily to see the whole of the Diama valley,
and ascertain what chances we should have if we were to attack Nanga
Parbat from that side. However, on returning in the afternoon, I met
Mummery on the glacier. He was delighted with his exploration, for
there was, he said, magnificent climbing, and he had found a place on
the top of the second rib of rock where a tent might be pitched.
From July 13, the day we left the Kishnganga valley, it had been
gloriously fine; but next day, August 7, the weather broke with heavy
rain. Of course all our energies now were concentrated on the ascent
of Nanga Parbat. Mummery decided that we should push provisions and
supplies up the route that he and Ragobir had prospected; and he was
confident that once beyond the rock ribs and on the upper snow-fields
with some provisions and a silk tent, it would be very hard luck indeed
should we be driven back before we reached the summit.
During August 8 and 9, Mummery, Ragobir, Lor Khan (a Chilas shikari,
who had come up from Gashut in the Bunar valley, and insisted on
stopping with us), and I spent the time in carrying a waterproof bag
of provisions and some odds and ends up the second rib of rock to a
height of 17,150 feet. Here we left it in a safe place on the rocks. We
also had considerable quantities of fuel taken up by coolies, to a camp
15,000 feet, at the bottom of the rocks under Nanga Parbat.
Mummery was not wrong when he said it was magnificent climbing. The
only climbing in the Alps I can compare it to is that on the Chamounix
Aiguilles. In many places it was similar to that on the west side of
the Aiguille du Plan from the Pèlerin glacier.
Between the first and second ribs of rock the glacier was broken up
into the wildest confusion, and it was only by passing a somewhat nasty
couloir, down which occasional ice avalanches came, that the rocks of
the second rib could be reached; thence to the top of the rib was
difficult rock climbing over great slabs and towers of rock set at a
very steep angle. I was extremely surprised that Lor Khan would go, but
he did not seem in the least frightened, and with a little help from
the rope climbed splendidly.
As we returned that night to our camp the rains descended, and we
arrived wet through; the weather was getting worse, and no serious
attempt could be made for the present on Nanga Parbat.
FOOTNOTES:
[I] In Drew's _Jummoo and Kashmir Territories_, p. 370, also _Alpine
Club Journal_, vol. xvii. p. 38, there is a sketch showing a mountain
supposed to be K^{2}. Drew also has drawn K^{2} in No. 3 Isometric view
of the mountains on the north-east of the Indus river. When Drew made
these sketches the existence of the Mustagh tower, which rivals K^{2}
in height, was unknown; moreover both from Turmik, and also from near
Gilgit where the Isometric view No. 3 was taken, the Mustagh tower
would be almost exactly in front of K^{2}.
[J] There is a drawing of this peak on page 119 of Sir W. M. Conway's
_Climbing in the Himalaya_.