Gauloises, Don Whillans, the Frogs, and Climbing History.

Eiger North Face


There is something about Don’s proverbial bluntness that arouses one’s admiration. Of such stuff are generals made. We had a short discussion about bivouacking, but eventually I had to agree with his arguments and occupy the outer berth. It would be less likely to induce claustrophobia, or so I gathered. 

“I’ll have one of your cigarettes,” said Don. “I’ve only brought Gauloises.” This was a statement of fact, not a question.

Then later in this classic story:

“I’m going down,” he said. “That’s what’s going on.”

“Wait a minute! Let’s discuss the whole situation calmly.”
I stretched out one hand to flick the ash off my cigarette. Then a most unusual thing happened. There was a higher pitched “WROUFF” than usual and the end of my cigarette disappeared! It was the sort of subtle touch that Hollywood film directors dream about.

“I see what you mean,” I said. “I’m going down too.”

Towards the middle of May Haston and Whillans established Camp VI near the top of the snow ramp, at a height of 27,200 feet. They received strong and unselfish support from the Japanese and our faithful Sherpas. Ito and Uemura carried oxygen to the highest camps without using any themselves. Seventeen Sherpas moved a total of 55 loads up to Camp V; six made the back-breaking ascent four times, and two carried without oxygen as far as Camp VI! And Michel Vaucher declared in interviews and newspaper accounts, the Sherpas had refused to move up the Face!

The bad weather continued, and exceptional cold rendered technical climbing all but impossible. The flow of supplies dwindled to a trickle. Another camp would have been needed above the Rock Band. When Whillans — at the end of a traverse to the right — reached the crest of the South Buttress, he could see moderately angled slopes leading up to the normal route just below the South Summit. Should they abandon the Face for the sake of a summit “victory” at the last minute? The public at large would no doubt consider the expedition to be a full success, but mountaineers think differently. The 1970 ascent by way of the South Col was judged a failure in leading Japanese climbing circles, since the clearly stated objective of the expedition had been the Face. IHE 71’s goal too was the summit by way of the Face, and not “victory at all costs”, by any route. Whillans acted accordingly and returned to Haston. Together they climbed 300 feet up an icy couloir in the Rock Band, fixing ropes. But then they too had reached the end of the line. There was still some oxygen left at Camp VI, but no more butane and precious little to eat.

For more than three weeks they had lived at high altitude without coming down to Advance Base once — a world record and dramatic proof of their incredible toughness, as well as of the superb oxygen system developed by Duane Blume! The combination of snowstorm, intense cold, rockfall, avalanches and faltering supply lines put an end to the struggle.

On May 21 news of the expedition’s failure was announced to the outside world.