Expedition Loap Solo 2006

Does anybody have a boat? » 15. 8. 2006 at 7:51

It’s not very easy to write the message today. Not only wasn’t I able to move a meter forward but what is worse, my way is blocked by a river!

It’s been raining hard pretty much since the morning so I had to stay in my tent the whole afternoon. It was starting to look better around 11am but before I could pack my stuff into the backpack it started to rain even more. I tried again around 1pm and despite the rain I headed towards the glacier with the first load. After app. two km I came to the river. The view I had wasn’t really optimistic! I could see a huge plain spreading in front of me with many creeks and rivers in all different sizes. I can feel shiver going down my spine and I’m wondering if I can manage to get over this obstacle. After a while I’m taking my backpack off and setting off along the river to find a possible crossing. After 30 min walk I see a possible place to wade across. The river is divided into two streams here and both of them look quite shallow. I hesitate a bit as the current seems still a little too strong but then I realize that this cannot surely stop my expedition. A bit like in a daydream, I’m taking off my boots, socks, rolling up my pant-legs as much as I can and using my poles eventually entering the river. I cannot see the bottom, water is dim and so cold that after a while my toes are starting to get numb. I’m slowly approaching the other river bank. I check deepness of the water with my pole, make a step forward, try the deepness again, make a step forward. I’m not even third way accross, water’s already up to my thighs and the current is so strong that I’m struggling to keep standing on my feet. I’m still trying to poke with my pole in front of me to check the deepness but when I find out that it’s getting deeper and deeper I give up and turn around. Once on the shore again, I quickly put my boots back on and immediately start walking to warm up my frozen feet again. It starts raining again and visibility is so pure that even though it’s only one km away, I cannot see the face of the glacier any more. I put my backpack on again and feeling bit shaken I walk back to my tent. Of course, I cannot help thinking what to do next.

I decide to wait until tomorrow. Perhaps the weather will improve. If it doesn’t rain over night the water level should go down a little bit. It’s 4pm and it looks much better outside. I cannot resist going to have a look at he river again. I try to go the other way this time though, against the current, at least 4 - 5 km. Perhaps the water will be more shallow over there? I hike light, leaving my backpack behind sticking in my pocket only GPS unit and PLB, just in case. From the place where I tried to wade across earlier, the river turns sharply south and flows along face of the glacier. As far as I can see, there’s just a net of rivers and creeks 30 - 40 m wide in some spots. After walking for one hour and half , it should be around 5 km, I give up again. Honestly, I cannot even imagine how I would be getting here with all my equipment. There’s no way here. The river flows closely along lava bed at some spots and I’m forced to climb over rocks in size of a car there!

On the way back, I try on several spots how deep the water is. At one point I’m almost falling into the river. One of my poles is disappearing in wild current only half a meter from the shore (I almost followed) without even touching the bottom! It was enough for today.

Back in the tent I’m preparing some rise for diner and entertain myself with some reading. I will wait unitl tomorrow. So far it doesn’t look very promising. While I’m writing this message, it’s pouring outside again!