Page 30 - 2009 AMA Summer

Pethangste II and Imja Tse (Island Peak) by Nick Beighton
Cloud swirled around Everest and the South Col and Makalu crouched brooding in the distance, where our colleagues on the main team toiled so hard. The final 50m to the Summit of Pethangste II was hard blue ice lying at an angle of 40- 45˚. Andy, Dan and Alba were ahead, cov- ering the last few meters to the domed summit. Chris and Ben were gasping their way up behind me, 20 steps at a time, as I took the rope in through cold hands.
At 6580m, the top of Pethangste II was a new height record for many on the High Altitude Development Team (HADT) and the culmination of 18 months of commitment for all as part of the British Services Makalu Expedition 2008 (BSME08). From the top we gazed in wonder at the wide vista before us, Tibet to our front and views of Everest and Makalu to our left and right. As a cold wind blew around us, quick hand shakes and photos were rapidly replaced with thoughts of descent as we shivered our way down the top few abseils. Several hours later, having re-crossed the glacier and avoided the crevasses we reached our Assault Camp and collapsed exhausted as the 6 members of the second summit party made us brews and listened politely to our stories.
and 2 weeks in the Swiss Alps covering all the winter skills we would require and gelling as a team. By the end of the Alps we were down to the final 12 who would go on the trip, as much by natural selection as anything else. After a final week in Scotland and lots of kit packing, the HADT were rar- ing to go as we met at Heathrow on 24 April 2008.
At this point it is probably worthwhile explaining both the Joint Service and HADT concepts. All the teams on BSME 08 were made up of a mix of all three services, the HADT being no exception. This offers an excellent chance to share experiences and cultures outside of a work environment and provides a priceless base for, ‘banter’!! The HADT is intended as a stepping-stone for relatively inexperienced Alpine mountaineers to move into the Greater Ranges and the intricacies of being part of a larger exped.
The driving idea behind our trip was to be as mobile as possible, walking in to our objec- tives with all our equipment, ascending two Himalayan peaks and crossing three 6000m passes before finishing up at a different point. This offered a unique journey and a sense of adventure throughout, as you never knew what was round the next corner. On the flip side, it meant the strain of constant
After a day in Kathmandu getting our bear- ings (drinking beer!) and recovering from jet lag, the team took an early flight to the vil- lage of Tumlingtar in the east of Nepal. After our first, and defiantly not the last, intro- duction to Daal Bhat we piled into 3 beat up 4x4s for the drive to the road head, 3 hrs away. From there it was a short 3hr walk to our first campsite where our porters waited with the remainder of our kit, which had gone on ahead. The weather on this first day settled into a pattern which it would keep up for the next week, with clear mornings and gathering cloud in the after- noon, leading to heavy rain and thunder, luckily usually just as we arrived for the night’s camp.
We quickly settled into the routine of the trek, woken daily by the smiling faces of the two Dendi’s with bed tea, followed by a breakfast of eggs or porridge (I hate both!) and then walking by 8am. Our route took us through some of the most unspoilt vil- lages you will find in the Himalayas, with our arrival heralded by the local children for at least 1km both before and after. To see the poverty and yet the huge dignity of how these Nepalese people lived their lives was truly humbling and one of the highlights of this trip. On the seventh day of the walk in we crossed the Shipton Col at just over
The road to Nepal began in late 2006 as aspiring team members collected at ‘Indi’ for a selection weekend, the principle test being to survive the interview with Surgeon Captain Andy Hughes RN, the HADT lead- er. Having answered probing questions about our experiences in the hills we
were free to enjoy the mountains nearby. The following 18 months were spent on var-
ious weekend meets
High on Pethangste with Makalu (North East ridge to left of summit) behind
movement with a new home every night. After 6 weeks it begins to take its toll on equipment, body and mind!
4000m and so crossed from the Arun to the Barun River valleys. This signified a change in landscape from the jungle and
sweat of the lowlands into the fresh air and soaring peaks of the moun- tains. From here on in we would be gaining altitude
steadily.
28 ARMY MOUNTAINEER