Forced descent from the mountain due to disaster-level snowfall. A regrettable descent from the mountain due to a bomb cyclone. After two attempts, I was able to land my dream ski on my third Himalayan snowboarding trip. On this trip, snowboarder Takaoki Hashimoto encountered the same altitude hazard that has plagued many mountaineers. He desperately wants to leave a line and his body doesn't move as he wants. What did you think during that time? He will tell you about the situation at that time in the notes he himself wrote while there.
Text: Takaoki Hashimoto “Hassy”
Photo: Tsukasa Uozumi
Finally facing the slopes of the Himalayas
Wake up at 3,700:4 at MBC (Machapuchhre Base Camp. 20m). The long-awaited first snowboarding trip in the Himalayas. A regular bank session in the best Himalayan powder conditions with clear skies and 30-4,130cm of fresh snow. I got too excited and ended up overspeeding, unable to adjust to the terrain properly... After taking pictures, I felt exhausted on the way to my final destination, ABC (Annapurna Base Camp, XNUMXm).
ABC's first day. The time has finally come for me to sit down and face the field where I managed to leave one line six years ago before being forced down the mountain by helicopter due to a huge avalanche. Tsukasa said, ``Let's take it easy today,'' but I was worried that we might be stopped by a storm at any moment, so I climbed two slopes where everyone else had one, and I was wrapped in gas and skied down with a visibility of 6 meters. Ta. Since I know the fear of heights, I understood what Tsukasa meant by ``lightly''. In my memo, I scribbled the words, ``It's hard to breathe at night, as expected from 1 meters.''
A sunny big day. Today I went to a new slope that I had never skied before. After descending from ABC, we reached the ridge line and started climbing. Wear crampons and poles, and just in case, equip yourself with an ice ax. We rotated ahead, but the snow surface became loose due to the influence of sunlight, and a 4,000m wall towered over the steep face. It was a difficult route, but I was able to ski each line exactly as I had imagined, as I was able to make it just in time in terms of snow quality and weather. The climb back up to ABC was once again tough and exhausting. After arriving, we quickly set up two tents and toasted with rum mixed with hot water while looking back on today's ride. Having a fun and happy time, the three riders slept in a tent while looking up at the starry sky.
I woke up at 5 a.m. a little hungover from the fun party the night before. It hasn't snowed for a few days and the snow is getting harder, so I decided to head up to the slope where I skied on the first day to find a new field. Perhaps due to yesterday's fatigue, Osho (Ge Changshu) is slow in his steps. I've also been noticeably short of breath since the first day. The snow looked pretty good, but in reality, the sun-exposed sides had a lot of sun crust, and the snow quality was troublesome. There was a forecast for snow in the afternoon, so we headed down the mountain early. Osho, who was not feeling well, and Tsukasa, who needed to recharge his battery, went down to MBC. Kei and I stayed at ABC and relaxed.
Physical discomfort that becomes more noticeable
4th day at ABC. I had planned to take a rest without taking any photos, but the arrival of fresh snow and the bright sun lured me along with Kei to the unexplored land beyond the glacier area. Her body is heavier than yesterday and her legs cannot move forward. Unable to walk at the same pace as Kei, he met up with Kei late at a rest stop. After noon, the usual thick clouds began to arrive one after another, and by the time we arrived at the drop point, the world was surrounded by gas and completely white. There was a wind, so I expected it to pass, so I waited while keeping warm and ready to drop in at any time. About 30 minutes later, I dropped in when I could barely see the bottom between gas gaps. I skied down the party run, being careful not to take the wrong line. A long run of several minutes. In the second half, as I was skating, I started coughing so badly that I found it difficult to breathe, and as soon as I finished skating, I knelt down. Her saliva spilled from her cough, staining the snow red.
I could not sleep. When I try to sleep lying down, my trachea narrows and I cough, making it difficult to breathe. I was able to sleep a little bit by leaning against the wall, but my shoulders were not completely tucked into the sleeping bag and I lay down again. When I was conscious of not waking up my friend who was sleeping next to me, I couldn't stop coughing and I was sweating. Repeat this many times. It was a really long and hard night. After getting up, and with everyone's advice, I decided to go down to MBC. Although I was reluctant to do so, I had seen Osho and Tsukasa's health recover after they had gotten off the train, so this was my only option. After seeing off everyone as they headed for the photo shoot, I waddled diagonally up towards MBC and traversed. As I was sliding down the chute on the attractive stream terrain, I felt frustrated that I could ski but couldn't climb. As I descended to 3,700m, I felt like I had a little more oxygen, but I didn't have much of an appetite. The views of the mountains were still spectacular.
M.B.C. He took a rest in his room alone and woke up feeling good, but when he looked in the mirror, his face was so swollen that he had never seen it before. Instead of recovering, she is getting worse. He looked at her face and knew he had no choice but to continue down the mountain. After a late breakfast, I lay down again feeling depressed.
I had given up on skating, but as the day progressed, my cough gradually subsided and I started to feel better. Tomorrow was her last chance to skate, so she decided to move up to ABC again. I left my snowboard and personal belongings with the porter (the person who carries my luggage) and trudged along empty-handed. Usually it's around 2 o'clock, but on this day it took about 3 hours to reach the ABC area. I can see the base camp beyond the rising gas, but my steps are slow and I can't get any closer. As I mustered up all my strength and climbed the last staircase, I felt a warm gaze on me. Despite the falling snow, everyone greeted us with smiles. ``Welcome back Hussie! Thank you for your hard work.''
At the meeting last night, it was decided that I would be the main person to be photographed that day. I gathered my spirits and headed for the ridge line that I had been interested in for a while. Fairly deep snow conditions due to snowfall from the previous day. Kei and Osho were walking in front of me and giving me a lap, but I was so short of breath after walking 10 meters that I was really surprised that I couldn't walk. I quickly felt that I would not be able to reach my destination, so I told Tsukasa about the situation over the radio, and both of them said, ``Sorry, I can't do it at all.'' Don't worry about it and just shoot with whatever line you like.''
It was the last run of a drop-in from a halfway position, where I couldn't climb even half of the line I had imagined, and the photographer was in trouble. He left his luggage with the porter who met him at the bottom and climbed back up to the ABC base camp hut wearing only poles and a drink, but it was still quite painful and he fell asleep sitting down on the pretext of loosening his boots. Ta. At that moment, for the first time, I felt like I understood what it felt like to be an alpinist unable to move. If he had carried the burden on his back, he might not have made it. Because his condition did not improve, he had to descend the mountain a little earlier than everyone else on the next day, the last day of filming.
After taking a commemorative photo with all 14 Japanese and Nepali participants, it was time for the usual morning boot fitting time. The directions I was looking at as I descended the mountain and those heading up the mountain were clearly different. Although my feelings are positive, I can't move forward, and I regret the fact that I'm going down first. However, he didn't have the option of walking down the mountain trail in an area where he could ski, so although it was a slow hike, he took in the spectacular scenery, tasted the Himalayan snow, and finally enjoyed snowboarding.
My Himalayan Trip 2023 came to an end the moment I met up with the porter at MBC, collected my luggage, and changed from snow boots to trekking shoes. Today's accommodation, the Himalaya Hotel (2,873m), was still a long way away, so I followed the porter, Santos, as he descended lightly. When I suddenly looked up, I saw the same Machhapuchare poking sharply into the sky.
Pursuing my yearning for First Descent and the Himalayas
``Nepal Himalaya Trip 2017 is the third time following 2019 and 3.The Himalayas are home to 2023m-class mountains including Everest, and stretch 8,000km from east to west.They give the impression of being the roof of the world, but the latitude is similar to that of tropical Okinawa. Similarly, it doesn't snow at low altitudes, and the field is an area with snowfall above 2,400m. After changing planes, buses, and jeeps, I set out on foot and arrived at my destination on the 3,000th day after leaving Japan. I finally arrived. ABC means ``Goddess of Fertility'' in Sanskrit, and is the 10th highest peak in the world, Annapurna I (10m), and Machhapuchh, a mountain that humans have never climbed before, which is prohibited by the Nepali government as a sacred mountain. (8,091m) and Hiunchuli (6,993m), where we ascended and descended. The most shocking thing about this trip was that over the past few years, this otherworldly place had changed dramatically into a heli-skiing area, and that I was now unable to walk due to altitude sickness that I had never experienced before. The desire to leave a line in a coveted place that no one has ever skated before, the desire to place oneself in new spaces and scenery that have never been seen before, the unstoppable desire to ski and the pure spirit of exploration will continue to grow. I believe that it will lead me to wonderful encounters and journeys, and I am truly grateful for my experiences and learning, my friends, and Mother Nature."- Takaoki “Hassy” Hashimoto
