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Carstensz Pyramid: Beware the Consequences
Jul 15, 2004 16: 01 EST
When a mountain calls on you to climb her, you will battle through the unimaginable to reach the summit. Sometimes this means grueling conditions, howling winds, freezing cold, avalanche, even death. Sometimes it means sneaking across borders, ‘under the radar’ because there is no legal way to reach the mountain. But then ethical issues get into the game, such as breaking the law, involving others in your quest and, most of all, overseeing whatever consequences your acts can have.
Indiana Jones
Byron Smith found himself in the middle of this in the fall of 2003 when he climbed Carstensz Pyramid, 16,023ft (4,884 m), located in Irian Jaya and the highest Peak of Oceania, therefore one of the Seven Summits. The Indonesian government had stopped issuing permits claiming it was due to security reasons, though it is believed that the real reason is because of the bad press climbers were bringing upon the Freeport Mine, located at the base of the mountain, reportedly causing serious environmental damage.
Byron decided to climb anyway; off the record. As he recounted, he was smuggled across military checkpoints, held up in safe houses for days, disguised as a soldier or photographer, and had to bribe his way through some tight situations. This kind of illegal climbing, justifiable or not, could have had no further consequences but for the fact that Byron happily detailed his ‘Indiana Jones’ adventure on the Internet, logging it on a mountaineering website. Word spread and soon all permits for CP were canceled, leaving a number of very angry climbers.
My Fears Materialized
One of them is Ramon Blanco, who at 71 years of age is the oldest climber to do the 7 summits Kosciuszko-version. He read the story just days before leaving for Carstensz in the winter of 2003. Blanco was nervous about the impact the story would have, but remained silent hoping it had not been noticed. He was wrong, as he writes in an open letter to Byron Smith; Everything went well until we reached Timika … my fears materialized the day before we were scheduled to leave for the Carstensz Pyramid’s Base Camp. An authority showed up with your story (all 18 pages of it!) where you describe your “war and espionage movie”. Ramon was denied access to the mountain.
The Illegal Route was Closed
Ramon writes in an open letter to Byron, “Your eyes and mind never left your objective: climb that mountain and to hell with everything else. Your selfishness has never allowed you to see that most of those great mountains you have climbed (and that have given you the status of which you like to boast) are all in the Third World. People of those parts of the world guided you there, for God’s sake! You don’t have the least consideration.”
Worst may be that it was not only climbers who were hurt by Byron’s report, which goes into detail about this process, leaving out only names. The guide in Indonesia that Byron refers to wrote Ramon pleading; “Please tell [Byron] that even though he doesn't mention any names it was so clear that all of the ARMY guys who helped him are easily recognized from the article as he mentions ranges, positions, posts and their unit. Again this is very stupid and Freeport [Mines] is smart enough to find out all of the actors behind this project. Because of this, now there is very little chance left for me to run the CP Climb with such arrangements in the future.”
Thinking Outside of the Box
ExplorersWeb spoke to Harry Kikstra of 7 Summits, an agency that Byron refers to in his log. ”7summits.com was the last one to receive an official permit (for 6 Norwegians in Dec 2002) and we got another permit that was canceled at the last moment due to security reasons. I had been talking with Byron many times after that as he wanted to do a climb without a permit using our people on the spot. I advised him not to go without a permit as it would endanger him as well as future expeditions. I told him I did not want to jeopardize 7summits.com by taking a part in a non-permitted climb; that's why he accuses me of not thinking out of the box...”
The Pirate Way
Eric Simonson of International Mountain Guides commented on this; “climbers need to realize that they do not necessarily have a right to do anything they want, and then cybercast about it! Governments and property owners around the world have rules, and whether they are justified or not, I think climbers have the obligation to respect those rules, or try to work to change them in a legitimate way, or at very least keep their mouths shut if they are going flaunt them!”
Permits are instituted for a good reason; they maintain organization and bring needed money to the local governments. But not everyone can afford or obtain a permit, due to the lack of funds, or denial from local authorities. Renouncing to the intended goal or do it the ‘pirate way’ is a personal decision. Just have in mind that it is a risky venture, both to the climbers and to the ones who make it possible.
For Ramon Blanco, his chance to climb Carstensz may not be over; there are at least three more ways to reach base camp, if he so chooses. Which ways are they? Can't tell you, they are illegal!
Carstensz Pyramid, 16,023ft (4,884 m), is located in the western central highlands of Irian Jaya and is the highest peak in Oceania, Australasian continent, making it one of the 7 summits. In order to climb Carstensz one must secure the proper permits. This region, however, has had “limited and frustrating access throughout its history”, says Gordon Janow, Director of Programs for Alpine Ascents.
Image of Jose about to cross one of the gaps in the Carstensz Pyramid summitridge courtesy of Harry Kikstra and the 7summits.com members.
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