In Some Lost Place: The first ascent of Nanga Parbats Mazeno Ridge

by Sandy Allan

In the summer of 2012, a team of six climbers set out to attempt the first ascent of one of the great unclimbed lines of the Himalaya – the giant Mazeno Ridge on Nanga Parbat, the world’s ninth highest mountain. At ten kilometres in length, the Mazeno is the longest route to the summit of an 8,000-metre peak. Ten expeditions had tried and failed to climb this enormous ridge. Eleven days later two of the team, Sandy Allan and Rick Allen, both in their late fifties, reached the summit. They had run out of food and water and began hallucinating wildly from the effects of altitude and exhaustion. Heavy snow conditions meant they would need another three days to descend the far side of the ‘killer mountain’. ‘I began to wonder whether what we were doing was humanly possible. We had climbed the Mazeno and reached the summit, but we both knew we had wasted too much energy. In among the conflicting emotions, the exhaustion and the elation, we knew our bodies could not sustain this amount of time at altitude indefinitely, especially now we had no water. The slow trickle of attrition had turned into a flood; it was simply a matter of time before our bodies stopped functioning. Which one of us would succumb first?’ In Some Lost Place is Sandy Allan’s epic account of an incredible feat of endurance and commitment at the very limits of survival – and the first ascent of one of the last challenges in the Himalaya.

Genres: Mountaineering, Nonfiction, Climbing, Adventure

247 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 8, 2015

Reviews

[Steve Towne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eighteen days on the longest 8000m route, over two weeks above 7000m, a week without proper food, and three days without water at altitude; really not a big deal. With typical Scottish understatement, Sandy Allan brilliantly accounts his 2012 expedition that completed the unclimbed Mazeno Ridge to the summit of Nanga Parbat in his book entitled, “In Some Lost Place.” I believe this is Sandy’s first book and it touches upon many of the relationships and experiences that brought him and rope-mate Rick Allen to this incredible achievement and the winning of the Piolets d’Or prize. Sandy is a humble man and is quick to give credit to all of those that helped support this audacious goal. Having met and climbed with Sandy, I can say that he is the genuine article. The incidental picture formed within the prose of his own personality and character is spot on. The story is told in a direct, restrained fashion and is devoid of hubris almost to a fault; these fellows barely got off alive! My only disappointment of the read is that I wish he had included more details of the many other amazing adventures he has lived and climbing relationships that he has made. But to be fair, this is an account of the Mazeno Ridge climb and of that a damn good one. I only hold a hope that he will put some of the other stories to paper in the future. An obvious choice for the Boardman Tasker prize for outstanding mountain literature to be awarded next month. Especially so, considering that Sandy was part of two expeditions to attempt the same north-east ridge of Mt. Everest that took the lives of Peter and Joe.

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

No wonder Sandy Allan received the Boardman Tasker award for Mountain literature in 2015. I loved his honest, easy style about his expedition to Nanga Parbat’s Mazeno Ridge. His love for the mountains is evident throughout the book.

[Megan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Impressive feat. Great story. Not a great storyteller. I struggled with the reminiscing and name dropping that weren't relevant to the story and found the author's writing at times quite sexist and egotistical though I would imagine it wasn't intended.

[Kirsten · Rating 4 out of 5]

Das Mazeno Ridge ist ein zehn Kilometer langer Grat, der auf den neunthöchsten Berg der Welt führt, den Nanga Parbat. Um den Gipfel des Nanga Parbat zu erreichen, muss man über insgesamt acht weitere Gipfel gehen, wovon der höchste der Mareno Peak mit 7120m ist. Sechs Bergsteiger haben 2012 den Versuch unternommen, über den Mazeno Grat zum Nanga Parbat zu gelangen. Nur ein Team, Sandy Allan mit seinem Partner Rick Allen, haben den Grat auch erreicht.

Meine Meinung
Sandy Allan ist mir schon in anderen Büchern begegnet, aber da ist er mir nie als jemand vorgekommen, der so eine große Expedition erfolgreich leiten kann. Allerdings wurden diese Bücher immer von anderen Bergsteigern erzählt, die natürlich sich selbst in den Vordergrund stellten.

Sandy Allan hat selbst viel mehr erreicht als die meisten der Bergsteiger, mit denen er unterwegs war. Trotzdem ist er eher jemand, der nicht auffällt. Er hat unter seinen Kollegen und Kunden einen guten Ruf, aber der dringt nicht nach außen. Auch Sponsoren hat er nicht so viele wie Andere, deshalb kann er rein von seinen Expeditionen nicht leben, sondern muss auch als Bergführer arbeiten.

Er hat viel Erfahrung und diese Erfahrung hat auf sicherlich geholfen, ihn und Rick Allen sicher wieder vom Berg herunter zu bringen. Allerdings habe ich oft auch das Gefühl gehabt, als ob Sandy seinen Partner manchmal fast vergessen hat. Für ihn stand der Gipfel und der Weg dorthin im Vordergrund. Über sich und sein Befinden war er sich immer im Klaren, aber Ricks Befinden hat er auf gefährliche Weise unterschätzt. Das habe ich so noch in keinem anderen Buch gelesen. Manchmal war ich mir nicht sicher, ob seine Entscheidungen auf Erfahrung, Leichtsinn oder falscher Einschätzung beruhten. Auch wenn die Leistung, die Sandy Allan und Rick Allen erbracht haben, enorm war und zu Recht mit dem renommiertesten Preis fürs Bergsteigen ausgezeichnet wurden, bleibt bei mir ein ungutes Gefühl zurück, denn der Preis für den Erfolg wäre fast zu hoch gewesen.

[Ismail Qureshi · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating account of a fascinating mountaineering adventure!

Climbing the killer Mountain is certainly an achievement, but traversing the ten miles of knife-edged Mazeno Ridge, with an average height close to 7000 meters, is no less a challenge. Combining the two in a single venture was the author's dream that he realized in the evening of his career.

The narrative is not limited to author's present venture. A good part of the book describes past mountaineering ventures from all over the world, his own as well as those of other mountaineers, with a view to introduce a mountaineer, or to elucidate a terrain or a situation. The book thus becomes a collection of interesting mountaineering stories.

Enduring strenuous toil at high altitudes for more than two weeks with insufficient food, and making the final three-day descent without food or water, shows that human endurance can be stretched to unbelievable limits.
It also proves that age or gender should not be a bar to this tough sport. Both the mountaineers who successfully completed the venture were in their late fifties.
The female mountaineer couldn't reach the summit, but showed remarkable endurance, and successfully traversed the Mazeno Ridge.

Mountaineering is an extreme support with a high risk of injury or death. It is also hard on the mountaineer's family. Author says he is happily divorced, but when he was still married his wife always wondered if he would come back alive.
What is the motivation that makes one accept the risk? Is it the thrill of doing something extraordinary? Or, is it the pain of an unhappy life that pushes him towards danger - suicidal instinct!

[Wiola · Rating 5 out of 5]

Autor odkrywa kulisy przejścia przez niepokonaną grań Mazeno na Nanga Parbat. Sandy Allan i Rick Allen dokonali niemożliwego - po ponad trzydziestu latach od pierwszej próby rozwiązali wielki problem himalaistów - przeszli grań Mazeno i przeżyli. Wciąż pozostają jedynymi ludźmi którym się to udało. Na wyprawę wyruszyło 6 osób, ale tylko dwóm starszym panom (obaj mieli ponad 50 lat) udało się to osiągnąć.
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Książka nie skupia się tylko na samym przejściu grani. Autor opisuje swoje początki wspinania i wcześniejsze wyprawy, przygotowania do zdobycia Nanga Parbat - najpierw w Anglii, a później w Islamabadzie. Sandy dostrzega zwykłych ludzi, piękno natury. Opisy są dużym plusem tej książki. Są bardzo plastyczne i można odnieść wrażenie, że jest się tam razem z nimi. To również historia o odwadze, harcie ducha, walce z samym sobą. Autor nie upiększa wydarzeń - opisy bywają dramatyczne i wstrząsające, ale nie można się od niej oderwać. W trakcie czytania dowiemy się ile wysiłku trzeba włożyć aby rano ubrać się, przygotować posiłek, a potem iść do góry. Na końcu książki znajdziemy kilkadziesiąt zdjęć, które uświadamiają jak naprawdę wygląda droga na szczyt Nanga Parbat. Książka jest obowiązkową lekturą dla każdego, kto interesuje się wspinaczką wysokogórską.

[Carina · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't know a whole lot about Nanga Parbat, she always seems to be a mention rather than a focus if that makes sense. As such a lot of what Sandy talks about was entirely unknown to me, but I've read enough mountaineering books now to understand a lot of the danger or the terms used.

One thing this book does well, is confirm to me that I've not got what it takes to be a mountaineer. Reading about what they went through just to complete the Ridge, let alone the toll the descent took... no thank you. I don't look at a mountain and want to climb it, though I'll happily read about those that do.

I'm not sure this is a book I'd return to, it's not particularly gripping, but who knows. I may find that Nanga Parbat becomes more interesting and I will return for a reread. I suspect if I do, this will have a fairly good reread value.

[theCieniu · Rating 3 out of 5]

Autor robi mnóstwo dygresji i przytacza mnóstwo nieistotnych faktów, szczególnie w pierwszych częściach książki, przez co czytanie stawało się męczące. Całe szczęście jak już zaczęli wchodzić na Nangę tekst zaczął być mniej irytujący i wciągnął mnie aż do samego końca. Nie spodobał mi się prolog - nie wiem dlaczego, ale w przypadku tej konkretnej książki robienie na początek cliffhangera z wypadku wspinaczy wywołało we mnie negatywne emocje, jakby wykorzystanie wypadku w takim zabiegu literackim było niewłaściwe. Z racji powyższych nie jest to moja ulubiona książka o wspinaczce, ale ogólnie jest spoko i jestem zadowolona, że ją przeczytałam.

[Stacey OBrien · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book about a great adventure

This book was well told and riveting to someone for whom mountaineering is a fascination. These guys attempted something that was nearly impossible, and learning about his decision making and how he related to others, making him a successful climbing partner.

[Wandering Wizard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic narrative of a brilliant climb. The narrative may seem philosophical at places, but there is no denying the fact that this was a singular mountaineering achievement by any standard and it shines through in the book. A must read...

[Daryl Fagala · Rating 5 out of 5]

Remember the name Sandy Allan

A real page-turner, which usually describes a mystery or thriller. But it equally applies to among the most absorbing mountaineering stories I've ever had the pleasure of reading.

[Ailsa Duncan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love, love, loved this book. On the edge of my seat from the prologue! Recommend to any hiking/mountaineering fans but also those who seek a fascinating true story of adventure. The determination and strength of the team is truly inspiring.

[Fiona Maxwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

An astonishing tale of survival against the odds. Well written, it provides an insight into how the mind of a mountaineer works, especially under conditions of extreme stress.

[DENNIS g BRUNSWICK · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good

I enjoyed the book for the most part. Towards the end I got kind of bored with it. I have to give them credit for surviving the climb, which I could never do.

[MarcinLemanski · Rating 5 out of 5]

Highly recommended book.

[Arnaldo Gomes Da Rocha · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great mountain story

One of the great mountain conquests of all times, well represented by a narrative that also focalizes the inner struggles of the Author.

[Adeel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Adventurous, insightful, intriguing, courageous.

[Tim Chapman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the details of the ascent and the authors history on the route. A life long affair with the route. It's good reading.

[Dave · Rating 1 out of 5]

I hate giving these types of books a one star. Five stars for your effort. I got about half way through and just couldn't bare anymore place names or names of people from the authors past

[Allison Sesame · Rating 4 out of 5]

I do enjoy mountain adventure/climbing books. I also enjoy reading them curled up warm inside on cold days.

[Thomas Kanyak · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of best mountaineering books I have read. An epic adventure unfolds as recently as 2013 and by mountaineers in their mid-50s to boot.

[Joachim Lindström · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fairly easy read book under 200 pages. The other half of the book is very thrilling.

[Ross McDonagh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having just been guided by Sandy in the alps for a week. I got to read this book and it’s incredible and this is how Sandy is in real life. Truly an inspirational Scot.

[Darren · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is quite simply one of the best mountaineering books I have ever read. Sandy Allan's account of his team's ascent of Nanga Parbat via the Mazeno ridge is written in an unpretentious style that places you right there on the mountain and often in the author's head. I was aware of the ascent at the time and, impressed with it's audacity and achievement, I thought I had understood what they had accomplished. It's only now that I've read the account that I have any inkling of just how far out on a limb they placed themselves on their final ascent and descent. It's gripping stuff and I found it very hard to put down.

[Patricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good book and amazing insight into what makes a mountaineer.