David Göttler

David Göttler Instagram – Day 4: this was the planned summit day, from our camp at 7400m on the Rupal face, crossing over to the Diamir side, along and up to the summit and back. Again it sounds not so bad in words, but in reality this route is incredibly long, complex and challenging. Everything feels much, much bigger on this mountain despite that it’s not one of the highest 8000m peaks.
Further along the ridge from our camp but at an altitude of about 7400m @tiphaineduperier , #Boris and I crossed over onto the Diamir side of the mountain which is west facing. From this point all you see is the never ending traverse ahead of you, undulating up and down across the upper slopes of the Diamir face. We kept moving for several hours breaking through the snow up to the knee with each step. At about 7550m we decided that with these slow, exhausting conditions it was clear that we didn’t really have a chance. The summit was still hours away, and the way back would be just as relentless and long, with the same small uphills to overcome but in a much more exhausted state. We turned around and even from where we were, it was a long way back to our tents at 7400m on the other side. Judging by how exhausted we were when we got back to camp, it was clear that we made the right decision and I’m incredibly proud of how far we got, how hard we tried and the decisions we made. Far from being disappointed, this experience has galvanised my desire to climb Nanga Parbat in this style. Hopefully one day it’ll work out.
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@leki.ski.outdoor | Posted on 09/Jul/2024 22:04:13