HERVÉ BARMASSE AND NANGA PARBATA MAGNIFICENT EXPERIENCE AND A FAREWELL
Barmasse Nanga Parbat Goodbye Barmasse Nanga Parbat Goodbye
Monday, 24th January, 2022

 It was an experience as magnificent as the gigantic 4,500-meter Rupal face, which leads to the summit of Nanga Parbat. It was a farewell full of emotion and gratitude for the experience. Against cold, strong winds of 190 km per hour and bad weather, Hervé Barmasse faced it in his own way: the alpine way, respectful of both the mountain and nature. That same nature that gave Hervé and his climbing partner, David Goettler, a hard time right from the start, and only allowed a glimpse of the summit for 4-5 days. We can only share his decision and his thoughts with an eye to the future and to the next goals. "I have never regretted any experience and I certainly won't regret this one. That of having believed (and I still believe) that it is possible to climb the biggest face in the world (the Rupal of 8126-meter Nanga Parbat) in winter, and in a clean, light, alpine style, which is a style that respects the mountain and consequently, man. Obviously, it’s not easy, but the limit – if there is one – is bad weather. It’s certainly not the mental, physical and physiological capacities of the human species and of mountaineers, who should aspire to do something better than carpet mountains with climbing ropes that pollute them, same as oceans." It was a decision not of giving up, but one of awareness of one's own capacities and of what nature imposes.

 

Photo credit: Hervé Barmasse