Carlos Buhler

Mountain: Dorje Lhakpa

Route: West Ridge

Country: Nepal

Height: 6966 meters/22,854 feet

Dates of Expedition: March-May, 1992

Overview of climb: This beautiful mountain attracted me the moment I saw a photo of it in Shiro Shirahata’s mountain photography book titled “Nepal Himalaya”. Jon and I wanted to try the unclimbed buttress of the Northwest Face. This expedition was a return to the Himalayan mountains for me after my Dhaulagiri tragedy in October, 1990.

Team Members: Jon Aylward, Carlos Buhler, Lhakpa Dorje(Sirdar)

Lasting Impression:

Jon caught a bad stomach bug just before arriving in Base Camp and couldn’t get rid of it for several days. Eventually, he decided to descend to a lower elevation to recuperate. The day after he left BC, a high pressure system moved in and there was perfect weather. Soloing is definitely not my choice activity. But I went alone on Dorje Lhakpa’s West Ridge because I knew we might only have this one opportunity. Pushing myself hard, I took some risks on this climb that I still feel uncomfortable with today. It was the most intense two days of climbing that I have experienced. Maintaining my focus for the 20 hours from my high bivouac to the summit and back exhausted me. When I arrived in base camp after the ascent, I was totally drained. My inner voices rattled me for days when I contemplated the uncertainty I had endured during those 48 hours.

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"The American climber Carlos Buhler is one of the world's most successful expeditioners. Over the last 25 years he has been at the forefront of exploratory mountaineering, with many first ascents in Peru, Alaska and the Himalaya. High altitude successes include alpine ascents of K2 North Ridge with the Russians, Kangchenjunga North Face with Peter Habeler and the first ascent of Everest's Kangshung Face. However, it is on the more elegant, 6000ers and 7000ers that he has really made his mark, most notably on Changabang's North Face Direct and, this year, the first ascent of Sepu Kangri"

Stephen Venables, Spokesman for the Alpine Club, Great Britain, quoted in preparation for Carlos’s lecture to the Alpine Club, in London, Nov, 2003

The parallels were immediately drawn between the critical success factors that lead to a successful summit and those that lead to a successful company. The one item that is key to both, which was very well delivered by you, is individual commitment. It was very apparent that commitment differentiated your group from previous Everest expeditions, and that with full group commitment, in conjunction with a well put together plan, most anything can be accomplished.

Bernie W. Stewart, President, Western Oceanic, Inc., Houston, Texas

MAJOR ASCENT

Mountain: Dorje Lhakpa

MOUNTAINEERINGRead More

GUIDING AND INTERPRETATIONRead More

SPEAKING AND PRESENTINGRead More

OUTDOOR AMBASSADORRead More