Daily Press Writer
MONTROSE - Colorado native Vince Anderson has spent his life pushing boundaries and seeking new paths.
|
Advertisement |
Anderson, owner and lead guide of Skyward Mountaineering in Ridgway, has more than 17 years of climbing experience. He’s certified at the highest level of certification available to professional mountain guides and also holds a level III avalanche certification and is certified as a Wilderness First Responder. He’s climbed all over the world and finished sixth in the World Championships in Austria.
In early August, Anderson left his wife Kellie and baby boy at their Ridgway home and on Aug. 12 Anderson and House arrived in Pakistan.
“We had a lot of minor problems,” Anderson said.
The two encountered many obstacles before even starting their climb, such as delayed luggage, land slides blocking the Karakoram Highway and unsettled weather. Anderson said the area was experiencing a heavy monsoon during most of their trip.
So the two waited it out and kept checking with a meteorologist in Jackson, Wyo. who they used during their 2005 climb of the world’s ninth-highest mountain, Pakistan’s Nanga Parbat,
“We never got the full green light,” he said.
While waiting the two tried to acclimatize by climbing surrounding areas and getting used to different elevations. But again, poor weather prevented them from properly acclimatizing and when they finally got the go ahead Sept. 10, Anderson said they weren’t quite prepared, having only climbed to 18,368 feet. They should have got within 3,000 feet of their goal.
Anderson said he figured the climb from the base to the summit would take them four to six days round trip and he said the first four days up were long and hard with unsettling weather.
During the climb, they had three camps with the base camp at 13,940 feet. Having waited so long to start their climb there was new snow that covered the south face, and they experienced more snowfall and numerous avalanches.
In his notes on Anderson’s Web site, he said they reached Camp Two dehydrated and tired. Anderson said they never fully recuperated.
He describes Camp Two as an exposed area on a very steep snow slope at the base of a granite pillar. The area was barely big enough to fit their tent and was covered in ice.
The two experienced more snowfall and avalanches. They had difficulty finding good dry tool placements and protection but finally reached Camp Three.
“Camp Three was right on the shoulder of the mountain and offered incredible views of the Karakoram,” Anderson said in his notes.
By this time the snow had stopped but the air was crisp. Anderson said they weren’t prepared for cold weather. With temperatures dipping into the negative they worried about frostbite. He said not being properly acclimatized put them at a much slower, colder pace.
Nine hundred and eighty feet from an untouched summit, the two turned back “dead tired.”
It took them two days to get back to base camp and during that time they experienced the biggest snow storm of their trip and stopped in a “safe area,” which Anderson described as a scary, narrow edge.
Because of heavy snowfall, they set up tent for the night. Avalanches poured down the face and Anderson said the snow was pushing the tent away from the cliff and off the ledge. Every hour they had to go out and clear the snow away.
The next morning they descended the rest of the way and arrived at base camp “wasted and frazzled.” Anderson said on Sept. 18 they packed their bags and marched out.
The return trip went much smoother and Anderson said he was excited to be back home. With a new son, homesickness struck a little harder.
Even though they were unsuccessful, being so close to reaching the summit tempts Anderson to return one day.
He said the trip wasn’t a waste. The Hispar Valley was a remote, unique, beautiful place and as far as exotic camping - it was great. With no future climbs planned, Anderson will return to work, get ready for back-country skiing, enjoy climbing locally at the Black Canyon of the Gunnison and the San Juan Mountains and “reconnect with his family.”
For more information on Anderson, visit www.skywardmountaineering.com.
• Be respectful of others, the writer and the subjects in the story.
• Be relevant. Keep your comments on point.
• See the guidelines for TalkAbout. Perhaps your comment is best for that community forum, available from the home page, instead of commenting on a particular story.
Comment posters are responsible for the opinions they express and the accuracy of the information they provide. We urge comment writers to treat this as a public forum where manners matter. We encourage a collegial, non-insulting tone. All readers comments must be approved by our staff before posting to the Web site. Be aware, in accordance with the Communications Decency Act and provisions upheld in judicial appeal, that you are responsible for comments posted on this Web site. Montrose Press is not liable for messages from third parties.
DO NOT POST:
* Potentially libelous statements or damaging innuendo.
* Obscene, explicit, or racist language.
* Personal attacks, insults or threats.
* The use of another person's real name to disguise your identity.
* Comments unrelated to the story.
Opinions, advice and all other information expressed in montrosepress.com's reader comments represent the individual's own views and not necessarily those of the Montrose Press. Montrose Press does not endorse and is not responsible for statements, advice or opinions offered by anyone other than authorized Montrose Press spokespersons.
Thank you for your comments!