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Mt. Robson, the Emperor Face is the steep right facing wall
Mount Robson, Canadian Rockies, Canada
Alpinists Barry Blanchard, Joe Josephson and Steve House are bivouacked high up the northwest face of the highest peak in the Rocky Mountains. They're attempting a new route on the 6,000 foot Emperor Face, the most difficult route on the mountain. As recounted by House:
"We are 4,000 feet up a north face; the temperature is dropping quickly to -20 degrees, We finished the last of our water four hours ago and a north wind is picking up".
Josephson is prepping to melt some ice to resupply their drinking water; "Hey Steve, the pump isn't on the fuel bottle."
An exhaustive search by House throughout his pack and gear comes up short; "Definitely, I definitely don't have it."
Blanchard and Stephenson say nothing.
House gauges their predicament; "Without a fuel pump we have no stove. Without a stove we have no water. Without water we have no food. Without food and water we cannot continue... we will not summit tomorrow. Even tonights bivouac in these temperatures, in this worn out state, could end in disaster. Frostbite, hypothermia, even death, stalks climbers in our condition: exhausted, hungry, dehydrated."
"It fell out. It must have fallen out of my pack."
Again no words.
Tomorrow [they] will have to traverse to the emperor ridge and descend that route for 3,000 feet - without water. [They'll] walk a couple of miles around to the base of the Emperor Face, collect [their] skis and ski 18 miles to the road.
Arriving at the road and their vehicle at dark, they'd been in the mountains for 12 days and had not had a sip of water for over 30 hours.
"Barry and JoJo had already accepted my mistake, forgiven my faults..."
'Beyond The Mountain', Steve House (2009)
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Mount Watkins, Yosemite Valley, California. The South Face route goes directly up that great center-face scoop of granite.
South Face of Mt. Watkins, Yosemite Valley, California
Big wall climbers Warren Harding, Chuck Pratt and Yvon Chouinard are attempting a "golden age" first ascent of a 2,200 foot, Grade V big wall in the mid-summer heat of Yosemite Valley. As recounted by Pratt:
"After only one day on the wall it was evident to all of us that our greatest difficulty would be neither the climbing, not the logistics, but the weather. It was middle of July and temperatures in the valley were consistently in the high nineties... we had allowed ourselves one and one-half quarts of water per day per person... still, we were not prepared for the intense, enervating heat in which we had found ourselves sweltering for an entire day."
"After nearly three days of climbing, the heat had reduced our strength and efficiency to the point of a snails pace... we were well aware of our critical situation. We had brought enough water for four days. It was now obvious that we could not reach the summit in less than five. 700 feet remained between us and the giant ceiling at the lip of the summit and the route remained uncertain. We reluctantly agreed that it would be necessary to reduce our ration of water to provide enough for at least one additional day on the face..."
"By the fourth day Yvon had lost so much weight from dehydration that he could lower his climbing knickers without undoing a single button. For the first time in seven years I was able to remove a ring from finger, and Harding, whose resemblance to the classical conception of Satan is legendary, took on an even more gaunt and sinister appearance... the fourth day proved to be one of the most difficult and uncertain any of us had ever spent on a climb... Warren had nearly fainted several times from the heat. Yvon was speechless with fatigue and I was curled up in a semi-stupor trying to utilize a small patch of shade beneath an overhanging boulder... that morning we had had two full quarts of water for the three of us. Yvon and I had already finished one quart and when he joined me I was surprised to find he still had a full quart. Warren had refused to take any water that day, preferring to give the climbing team every advantage. His sacrifice was a display of courage and discipline that I had rarely seen equaled."
"Yvon... tapped his way to the crest of Mount Watkins just as the sun went down. His triumphant shout told me what we had all waited five days to hear. Warren... asked to clean the last pitch as he felt that he had not contributed enough that day! Warren Harding, who had been the original inspiration for the climb, whose determination had gotten us over the headwall below and who had sacrificed his ration of water after five days of intense thirst felt that he had not done enough!"
'The South Face of Mount Watkins', Chuck Pratt
The American Alpine Journal (1965)
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These two excerpts always come to mind along some low adventure when partners dramatize trivial incidents, e.g., wasp stings*, mis-step crossing a stream and their boot gets soaked, minor falls, scratches, contusions, abrasions, cuts (class I hemorrhage - short of stitches) and such, into tragedy of Shakespearean magnitude. And more often than not well-nigh a 1/4 mile or less bail back to the vehicle if necessary for them to "quit and go home".
The Mt. Watkins tale has forever been our gauge for physical endurance when considering "bagging it". Never even came close.
We always carry a quart of water per day, but have seldom ever drank more than a pint. Ever since store-bought bottled water became available years back, we just toss two of those in the pack. Almost always return with one full. Haven't carried a canteen or Nalgene bottle in many years.
Had a buddy who tagged along with us once, forming a three man crew. Supposedly sporting a rough hangover, he drank our entire three quarts of water for the day before we were on the trail for 1/2 hour. A pretty hot day ta' boot. We stayed out a few hours extra just to punish 'em. He'd probably have gotten tossed off the side of the mountain if with those guys.
* The third guy (or gal) along the mule train is always the one who gets swarmed when accidentally disturbing an unseen ground wasp nest. Usually yellow jackets hereabouts. Happens every time. Always pretty comical unless it's you.
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