Latest news from Maxime Chaya’s ski-borne expedition to summit Mustagh Ata in northwest China

September 06, 2019

Teamwork 101. Myself and guide Eric (at the back also carrying skis) return from our first climb to Advance Camp One (5,700m) in order to lend a hand and relieve Gregory and Moss from the heavy loads they are hauling on their backs Photo credit: Maxime Chaya

Maxime Chaya, Lebanon’s foremost explorer and athlete, has ventured to the Pamirs in Xinjiang Province, Northwest China on an expedition to summit the “Father of Ice Mountains” on skis. Supported by Midis Group, among others, Maxime and his team set off in August to travel through Kyrgystan and China to Base Camp. This journey took close to a week before they reached the foot of Mustagh Ata, having encountered formidable challenges along the way. Max has just sent this report upon his return:

“I began writing this on Monday, August 19, inside my tent at Advanced Camp One (5,700 m). The decision has just been taken. We are to abort the mission to the 7,546m summit.”

Maxime: Our little home away from home. The relative comfort of our flimsy tent at Advance Camp One is magnified by the proximity of the Mustagh Ata seracs and gaping crevasses nearby.

“The violent winds of the past few days coupled with the extreme cold have made the mountain what it really is – the Father of Ice Mountains. This is actually the meaning of Mustagh Ata in the local language. Indeed, its location and northern latitude (much further north than the Himalayas), coupled with its high altitude, make this a cold BAMF of a mountain.”

Maxime: UIAGM mountain guide Eric visibly happy to arrive to Advance Camp One at 5,700m in clement weather. Little did he - or anyone else - know that a week later, bitterly cold 90kph winds and glacial temperatures would have us don our down jackets and big mittens before compelling us to back down from the notoriously cold 7,546m mountain. — Maxime: UIAGM mountain guide Eric visibly happy to arrive to Advance Camp One at 5,700m in clement weather. Little did he – or anyone else – know that a week later, bitterly cold 90kph winds and glacial temperatures would have us don our down jackets and big mittens before compelling us to back down from the notoriously cold 7,546m mountain.

“The vicious wind has driven away all the snow and, consequently, the mountain has turned into one huge, steep, ice rink. The bare blue ice covering the entire surface of Mustagh Ata, coupled with abrupt slopes and deep crevasses, is a recipe for disaster. As a matter of fact, yesterday, on a nearby lesser mountain, there was a tragic accident leading to the deaths of three Russian mountain guides. May their souls rest in peace.”

Maxime: Crammed, cold and wet but happy! Sonia, Eric, Mouss, Pascal and I visibly happy sheltering inside the 3-man tent while the sudden snow storm rages outside. "Let it snow, let it snow…" — Maxime: Crammed, cold and wet but happy! Sonia, Eric, Mouss, Pascal and I visibly happy sheltering inside the 3-man tent while the sudden snow storm rages outside. “Let it snow, let it snow…”

“The team including myself is extremely disappointed, especially that we worked so hard to get here. So close and yet so far. But such are the rules of the game with high altitude mountaineering; where only the mountain is king.”

“This reminds me of my decision to turn around on 8,000m Gasherbrum II in Pakistan. It was back in 2004 and the deceit was no less then. However, I’d like to think that the lessons learned from this ‘failed’ summit will outweigh our inevitable deception, just like the learnings from my failure on GII greatly contributed to my success on Everest two years later.”

Maxime: 'The closer to Caesar, the greater the fear.' Trekking to Base Camp at 4,400m with the imposing 7,546m Mustagh Ata and its 'Father of Ice Mountains’ glaciers constantly in sight — Maxime: ‘The closer to Caesar, the greater the fear.’ Trekking to Base Camp at 4,400m with the imposing 7,546m Mustagh Ata and its ‘Father of Ice Mountains’ glaciers constantly in sight

“In my book Steep Dreams; My Journey to the Top of the World, I transcribed the exact notes from my daily Gasherbrum journal. It read something like this:

‘Some years the mountain opens its arms and allows climbers to stand on its summit. This year, it wasn’t to be. After all the hardship we had been through, and just as we were poised to pick the fruit of our long-suffering, it took a great deal of wisdom and courage to turn back…’”

Maxime: On the first acclimatization hike just above Base Camp, French UIAGM mountain guide Eric points towards the upper camps way above, and the 7,546m Mustagh Ata summit beyond

“Now, some 15 years later and on a totally different mountain, Mother Nature reminds us that she has the upper hand and us mortals can do nothing but respect and comply.

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In the words of Winston Churchill: Success is not final, failure is not fatal; it is the courage to continue that counts.”

My sincere thanks to Midis Group, Alfa Telecommunications and the Maroun N. Chammas Recognition Awards Fund, who wholeheartedly back my endeavors, be it inside Lebanon or abroad, including this project. Who knows what the foreseeable future holds, but I’d like to say to Mustagh Ata: Ce n’est qu’un au-revoir!”

Maxime Chaya, September 2019