High Altitude Mountaineering
The history of high altitude mountaineering
is quite a recent development, knowledge
of great mountains came from travellers
stories and brief explorations by victorian
adventurers. The survey of India in the
1890's finally confirmed the existence of
the worlds highest mountain, Everest (29,028
feet), named after the head of the British
survey team. Until that time Nanda Devi
(25,645 feet) had been the highest peak
in the empire.
Finding these giants was one thing, climbing
them was quite another.
T. G. Longstaff climbed Trisul (23,360 feet)
in 1907, dispelling the belief that men
could not breath above 23,000 feet. Other
ascents of high peaks continued allowing
the techniques required to be developed
and refined. Everest as always beckoned,
denied until the Tibetan government allowed
access from their country in 1921. Still
Everest was to resist all attempts, 28,000
feet had been achieved but the summit was
unreached. The only high peaks to be conquered
before the outbreak of world war II were
Kamet and Nanda Devi.
After the end of the war the dawn of the
'golden age' of mountaineering started.
Technology had brought better equipment
and lightweight oxygen equipment to the
mountains, clothing improved to extend survival
at altitude and the optimism that the summits
of the worlds highest mountains were now
within reach. Tirich Mir (25,263 feet) and
Annapurna (26,545 feet) were both successfully
climbed in 1950, easing of Nepalese policy
allowing Annapurna to be reached. International
focus now turned to Everest and K2, the
highest and the hardest. The ascent of Everest
in 1953 opened the most intensive period
of high altitude mountaineering, Nanga Parbat
(26,660 feet) was climbed later that year.
K2 (28,250 feet) and Cho Oyu (26,906
feet) were climbed in 1954, Kangchenjunga
(28,169 feet) and Makalu (27,766 feet) were
ascended in 1955.
Political
changes and a growing realisation of the
value of the great mountains has had an
effect on governments, access problems and
expensive peak fee's making some of the
high peaks difficult to reach. The style
of mountaineering has changed also, alpine
style climbs of many of the 14 giants has
astonished the climbing world, expeditions
are smaller and are expected to take into
account the conservation demands previously
ignored. In spite of our wealth of experience
of climbing the great peaks there are still
problems to be addressed.
Existing at altitude is the key to successful
high altitude mountaineering, acclimatisation
is essential, any attempt to climb without
sufficient acclimatisation will fail. Medical
research is being refined to answer as many
questions as possible about staying alive
at altitude but there are still areas where
no amount of knowledge will minimise the
risks. The human body at high altitude
offers medicine some conundrums, young and
fit climbers can be more at risk to altitude
sickness than older people, at odds with
most comparisons. Without oxygen at severe
altitude the human body goes into decline,
the only cure is to descend, mobile hyperbaric
chambers have helped to relieve this problem.
Acting as a pressure chamber a sufferer
can be lowered several thousand feet by
pumping up the chamber, oxygen also helps
but can cause problems itself, for often
the victim will need a constant supply to
remain stable; again descent is the only
solution.
A full understanding of these and the other
problems associated with the high peaks
makes the modern mountaineer a highly skilled
individual, not the risk taking madman of
the popular press, they deserve the respect
and acknowledgement of all who admire courage.
