In love with the Himalayas
Unlike other sports, mountain climbing has no audience and no cameras. But people who take mountain climbing as a competition often do not respect the mountain law and remain forever on the mountain slopes. The Serbian mountaineer Nina Adjanin conquered the Manaslu summit, which is also known as “the mountain of death”. An Interview by Jovana Grubach.
Some call it the mountain of soul, others call it the mountain of death. If you are about to go on the Manaslu journey in order to conquer the top which is 8163 meters above sea level, you would probably prefer not to know that 20 percent of the people who try to reach the summit forever remain on the mountain. Maybe the secret is “that the mountain will conquer you, not the other way around” as Serbian mountaineer Nina Adjanin tells „WAVE magazine“. She is the girl who reached the top of the mountain first, as a part of an expedition led by Dragan Jacimovic.
WAVE magazine: Did you find conquering what some call ’the killer top’ psychologically challenging?
Nina Adjanin: Only after I returned from the expedition I found out that it was called ’the mountain of death’, but over there I heard they call it ’the mountain of soul’, at least the local inhabitants. The mountain got its nickname due to the great percentage of deaths, because every forth climber ends up dead and remains on the mountain sides forever. When you turn your head towards the top from the base camp and see the way how the wind is going with over 200 km per hour and strips the snow from the mountain reefs, you get the chills in your body knowing that you will be on that very place within few days. Nevertheless, it is a tremendous challenge to climb to any Himalayan mountain top, because everything is intact, unknown, cruel and yet so irresistible.
WAVE magazine: Which were the hardest moments on your Manaslu path? And which ones were the most beautiful and memorable?
Nina Adjanin: I had a hard time dealing with the uncertainty because I didn’t know if we are going to head to the top or not, considering very bad weather conditions. The 20-day period filled with snow we spent in the base camp, makes it very hard to bear, psychologically. Pulling out the equipment to camp number 2 on 6900 meters and preparing for the final camp was extremely difficult to me. When I returned to the base camp next morning an avalanche had covered everything and I lost my equipment. The most beautiful moment was certainly arriving to Kathmandu and taking a bath and washing my hair after 40 days.
WAVE magazine: You passed through many places during your expedition. Were the local inhabitants acquainted with your mission and did they find meeting you and other climbers interesting?
Nina Adjanin: Sama Goun, a village in the downs of Manaslu, at 3500 metres, and the only way to get there is by a helicopter, so it is completely isolated and sheltered form the foreigners and tourists. Our coming there was a shock for the locals. They were looking at us, and we were looking at them. The children were jumping around us, and when we showed them our pictures on our cameras, the fact that they can see themselves in a small box was quite a surprise for them. It is a great pleasure to see such a peaceful and good people as Sherpas. Those people are always in a good mood, no matter the situation they are in.
WAVE magazine: One third of the people who managed to reach the top were from your expedition. Is this a matter of preparation or strong character and perseverance?
Nina Adjanin: It is a matter of good organization during the climbing, where the leader of our expedition Dragan Jacimovic did a great job. We had good weather conditions when we needed it the most, but our will to get on top was crucial. In the base camp there were more than 350 people from all around, and only 30 or so managed to reach the top, and one third were our people. That is a great success.
WAVE magazine: You were the first person to reach the top. What does this mean for you as a mountain climber?
Nina Adjanin: I usually like to say that the top of the mountain conquered me, because I fell in love with the Himalayas. I dedicated the reaching to Manaslu top to the people who made this possible for me to go there, such as sponsors and friends. I was thinking of them and I really wished them to be there with me, being able to see what I was seeing. The thing I dedicated to myself was the last ten meters under the very top, as I was getting closer. When you see that the top is only few meters away and you are taking the last steps towards it, that is the time that emotions are the strongest. Every step you take remains carved into your mind. Everything you went through flashes by – the struggle, the sweat, the sorrow, the joy. The moment you reach top, you spread your arms and realise how much you are worth and capable of. And of course, you set new goals to fulfill in future.
WAVE magazine: In what way did you prepare for facing possible dangerous situations?
Nina Adjanin: It is hard to prepare for something you will face for the first time in your life, because we don’t have high mountains to practice on. That is why we had to listen to the leader and comply with the signals that mountain was sending to us. We always stopped when there was a storm or some bad weather conditions.
WAVE magazine: Are teams competitive, and is this the wrong way to look at things in your case?
Nina Adjanin: Unlike many other sports, mountain climbing does not have an audience and there are no cameras. The ones who take mountain climbing as a competition, usually don’t respect the law of the mountain and stay forever on mountain slopes. When I fulfill my goal, I always set new objectives for myself. The mountain respects you as much as you respect it. You are not supposed to compete with anyone but yourself.
WAVE magazine: Many TV stations known around the world want exclusive rights to monitor and videotape certain adventurous journeys. Is mountain climbing something that catches the medias’ attention?
Nina Adjanin: People find it very interesting watching shows and stories in which they usually don’t have a chance to participate in. One time, a journalist who interviewed me told me: ’You people are like Martians to me. I simply cannot understand how someone can work in such surroundings and conditions like you do’.
WAVE magazine: Extreme tourism is getting more popular these days. Is there any possibility for people who never climbed to go and try conquering mountain tops as some kind of a tourist ’trip’?
Nina Adjanin: The technology is advancing and there is the possibility that some kind of elevator to Everest will be constructed. That is a normal way how things work. When that happens, mountain climbers will set different goals for themselves. There is enough space for everyone on every mountain – for the climbers, tourists and animals.
WAVE magazine: Is mountain climbing an expensive sport?
Nina Adjanin: It is a very expensive sport, especially because we don’t have big mountains we can climb on in our region, and they are thousands of kilometers away, so it is quite expensive to even get there, not to mention the costs of the equipment. The equipment has to be one hundred percent safe, because your life depends on it. The fact that very few people in our country practice mountain climbing, makes it harder for us to get the equipment we need, and of course, buying it abroad requires more money.
WAVE magazine: Did mountain climbing teach you things you can apply in everyday life?
Nina Adjanin: It taught me to be patient, and that nothing can be done properly in a fast way, and also to help and support those who are not doing so well. The thing I am most proud of is, that I learned how to enjoy the small things, and that it doesn’t take a brand new car to be happy – it is enough to turn around and watch the sunset on the horizon and enjoy its beauty.
WAVE magazine: Do you have plans to conquer another mountain tops?
Nina Adjanin: We are going to Everest in March – it is a dream for anyone who does what I do. The expedition will last more than two months, and the idea is to gather the best alpinists of the Balkans.
Nina Adjanin holds the copyright of the pictures.
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