SAMAYA x SYMON WELFRINGER
AN INSIGHT INTO THE PREPARATIONS FOR HIS EXPEDITION TO PAKISTAN
After his spectacular ascent of the Grandes Jorasses in February 2023, mountaineer Symon Welfringer is off to Pakistan to take on a new challenge. Ahead of his trip, Symon tells us how this project came about, how he prepares for it and what motivates him to keep pushing back his limits.
What inspired you to embark on this expedition to Pakistan?
Symon Welfringer : We're a team of 4 going to Pakistan at the end of June, with Matteo Della Bordella and Silvan Schüpbach, 2 buddies with whom I've already been to Greenland in 2021, and François Cazzanelli. We're off to a mountain, the Baintha Brakk, nicknamed the Ogre. Its main summit, at 7200 metres, has already been climbed twice, but its eastern summit, at 7300 metres, is totally virgin. What's special is its south-east pillar, which really follows the ridge line and makes for some really great climbing. It's a very wild place, so it's one of those routes you can only dream of. I'd had this project in mind for a while.
This climb involves spending several nights on the cliff. How do you plan to organize your bivouac?
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SW It's a lot less steep than the north face of the Grandes Jorasses, so we're hoping it will work with two tents, each with two places, because sleeping up there without a tent is a bit complicated. The idea is to use the tents as much as possible to protect ourselves from the wind, which is very strong at altitude, as well as the cold.
We hope you'll have enough room to set up your bivouac. How do you see yourself progressing on this expedition?
SW : For the first 15 days, we'll be on the Choktoi Glacier, gradually climbing in altitude to acclimatize, up to 6000-6500 meters. We'll take our skis and go over fairly easy itineraries. The idea is to sleep at least once at 6500 meters before going up the route. We then hope to complete the ascent in 4 days.
Do you have any concerns about this expedition? Do you feel any limits?
SW : I don't think it works all the time. That's also where it gets dangerous, when you gain a lot of self-confidence. When I came back from Pakistan with Pierrick and we had won the Piolet d'Or, that's when I had an ice climbing accident. I think I was too confident. Now I feel I've got a bit of experience, so I know that potentially it might not work out, but on the other hand, deep down I want it to work out too much. Maybe sometimes I've started out with too many questions. How do you explain this to your family, friends and girlfriend? It's all very complex. That's when I ask myself what motivates me, despite the risks. It's not for the glory, but really for the adventure, the sensations I feel out there. Even if it's bad weather and I'm in my tent watching Netflix series, deep in a glacier, that's what drives me.
