Tuesday 09January : A day from another world at the ends of the Earth

Ever since Hubert's expedition has been moving in that virgin universe of such mind-blowing beauty, we have been trying, even if at times it has meant overburdening the pages a little, to publish photographs that dreams are made of. As we are not yet set up for video, this is the only way open to us for allowing those of you who are interested in this world and in polar adventure to indulge your dreams a little.

This week therefore is going to be the week of your dreams. On the one hand, we will have at our disposal narratives like the one we are publishing today (from the expedition photographer), and on the other, now that the suspense of the summit is behind us, our numerous visitors will have the opportunity of pondering less feverishly and more deeply on the thoughts and reflections that the polar environment inspires. May those of you who feel inspired by so much beauty feel free to write to us. We will publish, "live" on this page, the best snippets…
Meanwhile, here are the impressions of the expedition photographer, René Robert, of the environment all around him (in view of his profession, he is obviously well qualified to speak of the general atmosphere of the place and the light it is bathed in night and day):

"Here André and Alain continue to achieve a first each day: it's superb: as for me, I like walking, I'm not too anxious to climb, preferring to enjoy myself through contemplation and photography. Everything is beautiful here and you have to be patient to catch the best moments. There are times when things are so beautiful… Yesterday, for example, we went a fair distance with André and Alain, about fours hours on skis, in overcast weather. Suddenly, the sky cleared, leaving clouds that looked like they were from another world… The further we went, the more superb the landscapes we were discovering. I was so moved by such beauty that there were tears in my eyes. When Hubert joined me, I realised that he was in the same frame of mind as I. There are times when you ask yourself where you are…what you are… Is all this going to come to an end one day?
Furthermore, by ferreting about a little, I found some absolutely superb lichen, some the colour of orange saffron in the form of moss spread over a few meters, other like a light grey petal a few centimetres wide. Then there was some that looked like hollow green grass growing on small black pebbles. Incredible, this life that defies the laws of cold. I took a whole series of extraordinary photographs of blazes of lichen there. Seven films in all, until the last picture on the last roll of film, so beautiful was everything around me. 07 January 2001: I'll remember this date for a long, long time. Even while writing this note, the emotion is still with me. How lucky we are to be here! Moreover, as you can imagine, for a photographer these mountains are pure paradise."

Apart from aesthetic considerations, some news of the climbers. Hubert and Georges are not very talkative these last few days. That's understandable: every day they leave the camp early in the morning - sometimes even, Hubert has to chase after his old chum Georges who has left ten or so minutes before him - and go round the Fenristunga cirque to pick off the virgin summits one by one. First after first, they climb, flirt with the granite, gobble up hundreds of metres of granite, discover summits, and contemplate the Antarctic. To cut a long story short, they are in the process of constructing a small slice of their lives that will never fade from their memories and that will only belong to the two of them.

Friday 05 January : The adventure and the climb continue

Some well-deserved rest was in store for the climbers of The Wall when they descended from the south summit of the Holtanna. Three of the members of the expedition (Daniel Mercier, Ralf Dujmovits and Jorge Lübbert) took advantage of the Twin Otter flight that had come to take panorama shots over the Holtanna before returning to Blue One. Ronald Ross went with them to check the weather station that he had set up at Blue One a month earlier, but he is due to return to the Orvin Mountains in a few days time.
It had in any event been agreed that these three men would be leaving the expedition once the summit had been reached. Professional commitments.
Be that as it may, the men of The Wall will not be out of work. Today, or tomorrow, after their well-earned rest, they are going to attack other summits, which are certainly less difficult, in this Fenristunga cirque.

Wednesday 03 January : "A real razorblade, a surrealistic obelisk...
I almost cried..." (Alain Hubert)

Extract of an e-mail sent by Alain Hubert to HQ on Wednesday morning
"It is 02 January. Apparently I'm completely disoriented by these constant timetable changes of the last few days… Climbing days of 11, 12 and 18 hours in an attempt to take this wall by storm, half-days or half-nights of rest, because of soupy and completely white weather … What a life! But there you are. We reached the summit during the night of the 31st to the 1st in splendid weather, one of the finest days. It was like a real present from Lady Antarctica for enquirers like us.

Firstly, I was very moved by my companions' sentiments. For this last day I had (for it was causing a degree of irritation among the young people - I mean Ralph and Daniel - who had had a ball, it's true, at the foot of the stoop, but who had never been on the upper section) let Ralph go on to finish the process of exiting from the 6 metres remaining between him and the final inside corner and then the huge summital plateau inclining towards the south-south-east.

And I was busy, at first on my own and then with Daniel, bringing up the last loads for the bivouac - in principle, we were to have bivouacked before the summit but, in view of the bad weather and the half-day's rest, we decided to skip the bivouac so that we could reach the summit on New Year's Day. A symbol… A hard task accepted yet again by the boss (me) and so it was in the last position, pushing Fabrizzio who was having a little trouble with the fixed ropes in the overhangs, that I arrived like tail-end Charlie beneath the summit where everybody was waiting from me… Whereas it would have been perhaps more normal for me to have accomplished the end of the difficulties with André. But there you are; one has to smooth out the problems and keep an eye on things generally - that's my role in this expedition.

There were therefore some uptight moments, in view of each person's different character, different desires, the stress of the ones that were leaving early, the fact also that I had decided to propose and redefine the schedule as the days went by and the unexpected occurred, without necessarily always imposing everything: a decision that I made to allow each be able to express himself more. This in fact is how I envisage communal living between people with strong personalities.
A bit of bad-mouthing, then, some enlightenment and some explanation, some orders as well and the whole shebang went ahead to a successful conclusion. It is true that to want to make a film and take photographs while some wanted to make the most of their stay is at times somewhat restricting, but one just has to remember that that was part of the contract and part of the whole project for this expedition, including the Educational Project and the scientific work that is associated with it. And this even though that there are - here in the Orvin Mountains - decades of "Firsts" to be performed…

To cut a long story short, they were all waiting for me beneath the summit: that was really nice. When André was the first to shake my hand and to embrace me in his arms with a few simple words, I almost cried… it is a rare sight after a very involved climb. The others took their hats off to us for having taken such mountain dweller risks (calculated risks, of course) to force this new route on a stoop that is - as you will see for yourselves from the film - nothing other than a real razorblade, a surreal obelisk, an extremely elegant route. But above all, a truly beautiful first. One of the most beautiful, if not the most beautiful, with the Ulvetanna, of the entire Continent, an original climb because of the configuration of the rock as previously mentioned. The first ascent to a summit with no easy access, the final bastion to the gates of eternity, towards this South that to such an extent sets off my own little story… So many emotions and so much conviction…
We wanted a climb such as this, the first of the new millennium, also to be a symbol (even if people couldn't care less). A symbol for me, for us; it is a particular mark of respect for this continent, a desire to be alongside those who struggle to provide for this continent and for the work that is being done on it the place that they deserve, also to remember or learn the strength of the symbol of this continent for all…

A magnificent, surrealist view, a wonder of the world, a mirage perhaps, but in any event an indelible memory. It was the first time that it had been given to me to see this infinite expanse of ice towards the south from an altitude of 2,650 metres. That opens the horizon and makes it even more timeless. I placed up there, being the last to leave, a small cairn with a kata that Man Ram had given me last year when I left Nepal. Symbolic, still, but customary.
I don't remember how many hours it took to descend. René and Fabrizzio went down, Daniel looked after some of the technical gear and Ralph the ropes as he went along. I closed the descent with André by removing as much of the equipment as I possibly could. The detail of the difficulties will follow later, but we had placed six spits as we advanced, we left the relays in place (webbing, pitons and spits) and we did not recover 4 protection accessories that were used for the climb. All the rest has already now been brought down to the bivouac ledge, where we have set up two portaledges. We are going to recover them once we have taken the final photographs.

André, Ralph, Fab and I stayed up there to sleep. On 01 January, at about 09.40, I had a presentiment and turned on my radio to hear Ronald who was trying to get in touch with me because the aeroplane was going to arrive in an hour and a half for the photo flight and for picking up the three men who were leaving us… A precipitate return to the camp and, at about one o'clock in the morning, they were gone, with some of the excess equipment and some waste (dustbin bags and lavatory bags (in the igloo): some less weight in any event, because we have to take everything back on foot to Blue One at the end of January. Yesterday evening, or rather this morning, (I am disoriented, which means that I grab some sleep as I can when I'm a little tired and then I get up and attend to this or that …) Like the people in summer in the north or in the bases of the south. It's a life that his little or nothing in common with ones normal life.

A good beer (there's not a lot left), the cake given to us by Kaya and Jan when we left Cape Town, some spaghetti with onions, diced bacon, tomato sauce, dried mushrooms and dried peas from Thailand: what luxury!
The wind has now lifted: I'm going to give some thought to the rest of the programme. Ronald has gone down with the others to Blue One to make some adjustments to the weather station that he has set up down there. He should be returning on a skidoo in a few days' time…

On the programme for the month of January: excursions on the plateau to drill some boreholes and refine the method that we used during our crossing for photographing grains of snow, visiting an area we spotted from the summit where there might well be some meteorites, looking for crystals (René has already pinpointed some and brought back some fabulous examples) and for lichen in the context of the work entrusted by NASA, some powerkite trips, and so on."
Alain Hubert

Tuesday January 2nd : Yesterday, the summit for everybody...

It was a telephone call from Kathelijne who had stayed behind at the base camp that informed us that yesterday, New Year's Day at about 4 o'clock in the afternoon, the team of The Wall had reached the summit without trouble.

The final assault had begun the previous day: seven of the ten members of the expedition set off on this ultimate ascent, with the others, Van Heukelom, Bidart and Ross remaining in the base camp.
The group was divided into three: Fabrizzio was busy helping the photographer, and especially the cameraman, who has virtually no mountaineering experience. Mercier and Dujmovits climbed in tandem with the Hubert/Georges pair in front

Because the preparatory work had been performed to perfection, the ascent took place without the slightest technical hitch. André Georges, Ralf Dujmovits and René Robert were the first to set foot on the summit: it was 5 o'clock in the morning (GMT) and the weather was splendid - superb sunshine and virtually no wind.

About ten minutes later, they were closely followed by the rest of the group, with the exception of the cameraman, Jorge Lübbert, who had had to stop at the last portaledge camp some 300 metres from the summit. Hubert, Georges, Dujmovits and Zangrilli have decided to spend the night at the summit in a portaledge tent. "They still have a couple of things to do up there", said Kathelijne. Whereas Mercier, Lübbert and Robert came down again and got to the base camp at about noon. Yesterday evening, the base camp established contact with Blue One for them to send their Twin Otter to pick up the cameraman and the photographer so that they could take the panoramic shots required for the film; this is certainly why the men have stayed at the summit. The aeroplane was to arrive yesterday during the night and embark upon its mission straightaway.

After which, it was to take the cameraman Lübbert and the climbers Dujmovits and Mercier to Blue One. These men have professional obligations that require them to return to their respective countries. This is not the case for the rest of the outfit, who, from what I deduce from reading between the lines of the e-mails that I receive, are probably not going leave things there. It could well be that the North Stoop is still tickling the men's fancy and that for them, their desire for danger will prevail. During the day or the evening, we will of course have further information - and especially some more detailed information - to relay to our visitors. Until later then …

Discover the south pillar of the Holtanna with technical explanations
about their progression and the location of great difficulties

Friday, 29 December: "Often with lots of "gas" below us…"

"...Today is a total whiteout: compulsory rest. OK, we've not had much of it until now, especially André and myself who are climbing the upper part of the rock face: we're putting in long days … From a distance, everything seems to be more or less practicable and not too hard. But when we are on it, it is distinctly harder than envisaged; the proportions are deceptive, utterly deceptive. What seems from afar to be a good crack is in fact an awful one which turns into a chimney, starts to overhang, and obliges us to go and position the "friends" - those kinds of artificial chockstones that we use for securing ourselves and also for placing stirrups for artificial climbing. And as a result we are completely hampered by the equipment which gets in the way all the time, and, often with a fair amount of nothing below us (gas, as we say) and a protection point that is always too far away. It's always the same, furthermore: we think it will get better a little further on, so we try to climb a little further and then still a little further. And yet, it's never any better…

Yesterday, I was leading. It was the end of the day and I didn't have enough equipment on me to be able to go on but I wanted to get to a safer ledge all the same. So I thought I would come out of the inside corner crack that I was attached to and climb over the sheet of rock on my left: useless terrain, unstable and with a crumbly surface, the sort of thing where you are afraid that your foot will slip on the thin hold as soon as you put your weight on it. So I had finally got myself into an impossible position: I was nevertheless able to put a "trango" (a sort of extendible cylinder that is supposed to jam itself between two rock faces) in one of those bends that are the particularity of this climb and was surprised to catch myself praying (OK! These things happen, don't they!) that everything would hold during my attempt to descend by pulling on the rope.

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One should be aware that we climb "alternatively", as its called: that is to say that each one in turn climbs for a length of the rope. At the moment - and it is going to stay that way - André and I are one team and Daniel and Ralph are the other.
The accomplished technicians (Daniel and Ralph) are therefore concerned with the lower part of the rock face and the two dumb animals (André and your humble servant) with the upper part of the wall. There is a big ledge leading to about 250 metres from the foot of the rock face from its right-hand side. We spotted it last year and we had even climbed up to it to analyse the route from close at hand. Because of this we can now climb more quickly - especially as we are trying to film and we have divided ourselves into two teams for this reason. This does not prevent us, from time to time during bad weather, from climbing together for a stretch.

Thanks to this ledge, we will not have to spend more than one night in the portaledge. Just one, certainly all together in the portaledges before going for the summit.

Weather permitting, and provided the whiteout lifts, André and Alain are today leaving the base camp for three days, the final three days that they will need for conquering the Holtanna and for leading everybody to its summit. And this, despite the day off that was unanimously decreed on this New Year's Eve.

It's the 28th and there are still some 100 to 120 metres for André and I to do to put an end to the difficulties and leave the steep and overhanging part of the rock face behind us. There will then remain - and it can easily be seen in the photographs - some 100 to 150 metres of sloping terrain to cover to reach the summit.

The aim is for André and I to take a half-day's climb to leave the wall, but that won't be easy as at the moment we are stuck beneath the second overhang. That was yesterday, with André leading. The cracks are so wide in places that we don't have enough equipment and big artificial chockstones, or friends. They jam properly when we pull on them in just a regular fashion. But, after a few metres with a slightly different rope traction than we were using before, they suddenly turn sideways, these friends, and come way. Encouraging, don't you think?

André has already managed to drill a 10mm-hole by hand for placing a spit (an expanding pin) so that he can go down again to collect some equipment. Daniel and Ralph finished the lower part yesterday. We are at last going to be able to recover some of their big friends equipment - we should make our work for the last 150 metres somewhat easier.

In other words, we are going to try to force this last part. Just a dozen metres to go and we'll have the second overhang behind us. After that, it looks as though there are no more overhangs, but we can't really see for certain from where we are at the moment… Wait and see, therefore. Which is all we can do in cases like this.

One has to be pretty philosophical and calm in this kind of climb, and André and I understand each other perfectly in this regard. It is furthermore a real pleasure to climb with him, and it's been ages since we last met up in a high-tech climbing situation such as this. I am really enjoying myself up there… When I'm up there and when in particular in the middle of the night there is only us and the infinity of this Antarctic shelf stretching towards the sun beneath our eyes - small, privileged human beings that we are. I have never before seen the Antarctic from on high like that… It's fabulous, words fail me for expressing what I feel. They are in any event moments that are etched into the depths of my soul and which totally make up for the difficult moments of a project like this. Even though I am still a little worried about the abrasion of the rock that is causing too much damage to the ropes. We have to check them out each time we use them!

Furthermore, this climb is beginning to make good progress, but we are still going to have to struggle to succeed with this first summit - certainly the most visibly important aspect of the expedition. But it will be a fine victory; the shape of these rocks is extraordinary, this combination of free (more laborious) and artificial climbing is wonderful. A gift of nature. It goes without saying that we are also finding magnificent rock crystals here! I'm looking forward to January when I will be able to be a little more contemplative about these wonders. There is a good atmosphere - better in any event - since Daniel and Ralph have been successful with the first part of the stoop; they were definitely a little uptight.

So the whole team is ready for the final ascent, which should be taking place on the 30th or finally the 31st , because the last bit seems to be resisting us a little. A question of weather, we've been pretty lucky so far, which explains why we have made such good progress in preparing the rock face. Sun when we are not in the shade, temperature without wind chill of about -25°C. An unforgettable luxury!!! I would also like to make it clear during these few moments of bad weather that everything has been organised here so that every last piece of our waste material is brought back to Blue One (for the lavatories alone, one big dustbin bag per week!). I'll return to this important question later.

Thursday 28 Decembre, 6pm: They should go for it tomorrow

An e-mail that arrived last night has given us further information for following the adventure. Since Christmas, the men have been busy preparing the south stoop. Yesterday, Alain Hubert and André Georges reached the level of "summit less 200 metres" without let or hindrance (but in extreme cold nevertheless). They used the occasion to fix some of the last ropes that should take the climbers to the summit.

As the work has gone well and the task is less difficult than envisaged - and above all less dangerous as the rock is indeed much more stable on this side of the mountain - it would appear that the final assault is envisaged for the night of Friday to Saturday. Weather permitting, of course.

We have forgotten to publish the news about the Christmas dinner: meat and fish pancakes, prepared by Hubert in person ! Beer and whisky were also on the menu.

A thousand kilometres further south, but probably at just about the same time, the two adventuresses, Liv Arnesen and Ann Bancroft (who are making fantastic progress with their crossing), (see their page) were dining, for their part, on an excellent Spaghetti Bolognaise, washed down with a few cans of Aquavit.