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Latok 1 North Ridge: An Interview with Damian Benegas
May 9, 2004 18: 23 EST
Big walls and Spires in the Karakorums offer some of the most technical and demanding climbs on Earth; extreme mixed routes and many ‘unsolved problems’. Now the Benegas brothers, Willie (Guillermo) and Damian, are off to find the solution to one of the most famous problems. Their objective: to climb the North Ridge of Latok I (7145 m), often dubbed as ‘The Walker Spur of the Karakorum’.
Team ExWeb's Angela Benavides of Esp.MountEverest.net sat down with Damian Benegas for a chat about his upcoming climb, travel concerns in Pakistan, his passion for opening up new routes, and the state of big mountain climbing today.
ExWeb: Hi Damian. So, we thought you were going to be climbing Everest right now...
Damian: Oh, so did I! It was a question of work, you know. I thought we (Willie and I) would be required to work there as mountain guides, but finally I stayed at home while Willie went to Everest. If he reaches the summit, it will be his fourth time.
ExWeb: You’re both running your own guiding company. Tell me, when the mountain becomes not just your hobby but your job too is it still as exciting as ever? Moreover, do you still have time to climb just for yourselves?
Damian: It’s not the same, but we still like our job. Besides, in some of the expeditions we guide, mostly those in Peru and the Bolivian Andes, we take advantage of the planned rest days and open short routes in surrounding mountains.
ExWeb: About Everest, can you see it as a ‘personal climb’ or is it just a ‘working place’? Honestly, if I could afford to spend that kind of money I’d go somewhere else. Both ‘normal’ routes are nothing new and rather crowded and, besides it is very expensive! With the money that an expedition to Everest would take, I could climb ten other mountains, Nuptse included.
Damian: Yeah, but there are other routes on Everest; even a lot of unclimbed lines. Yes, OK, it’s true about the expense. I’ll tell you something though: When we were climbing the North Pillar of Nuptse last year, we couldn’t take our eyes off of Everest’s west face. We studied the face under different light, at different hours, and I think there is a route there. Yeah, someday we’ll go there, when we get the money, of course!
ExWeb: But for now, you’re going for Latok I North ridge. What brought that particular climb to your attention? Is it the beauty of it, or the fact that so many climbers that have tried it have been rejected?
Damian: It is the route itself, it is so beautiful; I was impressed from the moment I saw a picture taken by Michael Kennedy in a magazine, years ago. It is a perfect spur rising from a completely flat glacier. A real beauty.
On the other hand, the fact that other expeditions have tried the route before is nothing but a drawback, because if as we climb, we find ropes and traces of former expeditions, the adventure spirit of it will fade. The best thing of opening a new route is the sense of exploration, wondering at each step where you will go next. If there are traces, well, we will just have too many clues!
ExWeb: Sure, but finding ropes or traces is something you cannot avoid.
Damian: True. And that’s why we are considering changing the place where we will open the route. We’ve been thinking of the possibility of climbing the North face, instead of the North ridge. The problem with the face is that it can be too exposed to falling rocks. We can not know until we get to the foot of the wall. Then we will make our decision.
ExWeb:You were born in Argentina, but currently live in the USA. As an American resident, you are the exception in Karakoram expeditions. I mean, not many Americans seem very keen to travel to Pakistan.
Damian: Right, apart from Steve House (he’ll be climbing K7) we don’t know of any USA expeditions. Well, some Americans are rather paranoid about travelling to certain countries and, somehow, I can understand it, as the pressure from the media and the government reports are frightening. But we’ve been travelling around our whole lives, and never had a problem.
ExWeb: And what’s the best advice to avoid problems when travelling?
I think the secret is not raising attention, and keeping a low profile. Don’t brag about the place you’re coming from, or your budget. I must confess, though, that trekking with an Argentina Soccer Team t-shirt also helps. Wherever you go, people will point at you shouting ‘Maradona, Maradona!’
But, most important, is to respect other people’s traditions and culture, as well as the environment. Respect the way they are, but also never forget that you are a foreigner. For example, we have always kept a nice and respectful relationship toward sherpas. We respect them, and keep in mind that we come from abroad, so never try to change them into our habits.
ExWeb: You’ll be alone on the Latok I, but there will be a crowded spot this summer in the Karakorums: K2. What is your opinion about all the expeditions that have chosen the ‘anniversary year’ to climb the mountain?
Damian: What can I say, I’m more than concerned. I’m scared to think about it! I’ve spoken to my friend Edurne Pasaban about this – she will be there this summer. I’ve never climbed K2, but lots of my friends have been there, and they all agree that, up there, you cannot move a couple of meters to the left or to the right if you find a jam at the fixed ropes, or if there is a problem. The route is a neat line, and part of it is really exposed, you cannot avoid it or try variations. And imagine all these people, concentrating on two routes (mostly just one). It is clear to me, speaking as a mountain guide, that this is the wrong year to go. I would organize an expedition for next summer. It is the 50 anniversary, yeah, so what? The mountain will still be there next year.
Damian and Willie (Guillermo) Benegas, born in Argentina and living in the USA, have raised the attention of the climbing community since they were very young, and started opening routes in their homeland, mostly in Patagonia and Aconcagua. Then they extended their action field to the rest of Andes, did severe rock-climbing in big walls such as El Capitan (Yosemite) and soon headed for the Himalayas. They own a guiding company.
Last year they were the first to climb the North Pillar of Nuptse, resulting in a new route opened in alpine style after a non-stop six day long climb, and named ‘Crystal Snake’. This summer, they are moving to the Karakoram Range, where they will try to be the first to climb the North Ridge of Latok I.
Image courtesy Damian Benegas.
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