Shaue Sar First ascent | Eiger is technical but a first ascent in Karakoram is more adventurous: Philipp Brugger

In an exclusive but short interview with Dream Wanderlust, Philipp Brugger, who has numerous climbs in the Alps, gave a résumé of their adventure.

The Route

Interview with Philipp Brugger

DW: Congratulations Philipp, to your friends and you, for a fantastic climb, a virgin peak by an unknown route.

DW: Himalayan climbs are usually from Base Camp to Base Camp. Your team seems to have done it from village to village. Could you please elaborate?

Philipp: In 2021, I climbed a virgin peak from a village (3000m of ascent and 26km in 14 hours up and down).  This time we had a Base Camp at 3900m and Advance Base Camp at 4600m. From there we started.

DW:  If the above translates into no Base Camp and no Bivy, what was your time schedule?

Philipp: It took us 11 hours up from ABC and 5 hours back. So, 16 hours ABC-Summit-ABC. I went down to BC the same day which took 40min.

DW: Does this mean that you have translocated the climbing style in the Alps to the Karakorams? 

Philipp: It’s nothing new, Ueli Steck and many others have done this many years before me.

DW Though the style is the same, do the different geographical locations affect this style in any way?

Philipp: Everything is slower and takes more time. The mountains are much bigger, so you have to know well what your abilities are.

DW: Considering that the Karakorams are far remote than most Alpine peaks, does this in any way affect your attitude towards the climb?

Philipp: Depends on the peak. As I said, the mountains are much bigger. On smaller peaks, you can go light and fast, but for the big ones it is another game

DW You have earlier done Eiger Nordwand. Now you have done Shaue Sar Nordwand. They are both approximately 2000m. How do you compare the two?

Philipp: I have done the Eiger North Face 4 times now on two different routes. it‘s completely different. Eiger is a bit more technical but you know everything about it, grade, length etc. A first ascent in the Karakorams is much more an adventure because you don‘t know what is coming. it‘s much bigger and higher.

DW: On Eiger, you topped out with the moon what happened this time? 

Philipp: The last time I did the Eiger was in April, it took us 7 hours and we topped out at 10am and climbed the North Face of Mönch the same day. On Shaue Sar we started at 3am and topped out at 2pm.

DW: On Shaue Sar, were you climbing Alpine Style, or did you need to adopt Semi Alpine or Capsule style? 

Philipp: Alpine style and without bivy gear. We just took a stove to make something to drink. We have never been on the route, also not during acclimatization.

DW Your team had 'trained hard' for this. Please elaborate.

Philipp: I don‘t know how my friends trained. I am training all year; it was not specific for the expedition.

DW: How many pitches (approximately) did you have to do base to the summit?

Philipp: We climbed a lot without a rope (I think the first 1300m); just for the last steep 100m on ice to the ridge on 6100m we took the rope. Above we used the rope in case of crevasses.

DW: Was any part of your up-climb or down-climb done at night, and how is it different from doing it in the Alps?

Philipp: Just the first hour. it‘s no difference as long as the route finding is easy

DW: Did you have 'good' protection on the route? 

Yes, ice was hard.

DW: Do you look on this successful climb as a step to bigger things in the Karakorams or the Himalayas?

Philipp: Yes, of course, it is all a learning process. Actually, this was also plan B. We had just 2 days without snowfall, so snow conditions were bad and weather windows too short for something bigger.

DW: In the near future will you be giving equal importance to your other passions, trail running and skiing, or will climbing be more important?

Philipp: it‘s always different, depending on the season.

DW: Wishing for you and your team many more fantastic adventures and thank you for this interview.

Photo courtesy: Philipp Brugger