Helsinki doctor Paula Strengell, 54, returned Wednesday from Nepal. On Monday, May 26, he had climbed to the top of the world’s fifth highest mountain, the 8,481-meter Makalu, as the third Finn.
In the past, the Finns have only conquered Makalu Veikka Gustafsson (in 1995) and died in 2015 on the Annapurna mountain Samuli Strawberry (in 2013).
It was not the first time Strengell was at the top of the “double ton”, as in 2018 he climbed Cho Oyu (8,188 meters) and in 2019 he climbed the world’s highest mountain, Everest (8,849 meters).
After Strengell had summited Everest, he announced that the two-tonners could now stay.
“Yeah, that’s what I said. Sometimes the spirit of adventure strikes, you want to go somewhere and you get a terrible burning sensation. And then we have to leave,” Strengell says in a cafe in Helsinki.
From Lapland native Strengell hasn’t been a climber all his life, because he only started more strenuous activities ten years ago.
“This started from the idea that you can go, even though you haven’t been a climber since you were young. Skills can be practiced and studied. In addition, I have been staring at open nature all my life.”
Now, in addition to mountain climbing, the ski hikes across Greenland, the Svalbard and the South Pole are behind us.
After Everest, Strengell also visited the Himalayas in 2021, but he did not reach the top of Manaslu, K2 and Broad Peak.
“In 2021, nothing worked.”
Instead, the year 2022 was completely missed from climbing.
“I took a puppy.”
Now Strengel has two dogs.
“My number one job is taking care of dogs. All others are secondary.”
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“His death touched. He was still in the same age group.”
Lying down came to Strengell’s program more or less by chance. He was originally supposed to climb Dhaulagiri (8,167 meters). He was there for six weeks and went over 7,000 meters three times.
On the last attempt, there were problems when the oxygen regulator of the Sherpa who was the guide did not work. There were other problems with the guide.
“He was slow, clumsy and a bit dim.”
Strengell discussed his situation with a representative of the climbing company. That’s how he got to join the last group of the spring for Makalu. In addition to Strengell, there were two women and two men in the group, and each climber had a guide.
“If someone needs to go back, then everyone doesn’t have to,” Strengell explains the importance of personal guides.
In all Only 25 people climbed Makalu this spring, while more than 400 climbing permits were issued for Everest, for example.
Makalu is considered one of the most difficult mountains to climb to the top.
“It’s physically difficult to climb there, but it’s basically safe, because there are no snow or rock avalanches there. Of course, altitude sickness can occur,” says Strengell.
“Especially the journey between the second and third camp was terrible. It is a steep rock that never ends. It’s basically only 700 meters of vertical, but it took nine hours. Wading in the snow.”
Strengell describes the weather as “really warm”.
“By the time we got to the second camp, it was sometimes very windy, but it was maybe 15 degrees below zero, 20 at the most.”
Paula Strengell reached the top of Makalu early on Monday morning, May 26. He was on top for about 15 minutes.
From what felt like reaching the top?
“It felt great when something worked out. A big part of mountain climbing is failure.”
In fact, right near the top, Strengell was still wondering if he would go there. All the women in the group went, but the men didn’t: one had a bad cough and the other was afraid based on previous experiences.
“I try to avoid unnecessary risks. I keep wondering if I’m too tired, if I can get out of there.”
At the top, the views surprised Strengell.
“The sun just came into view when we got up. The beauty was a bit of a surprise, when going up it just grinds,” he says.
“The clouds looked like an ocean. I got a bit of the same effect when I was flying with my father on a plane and my father said that we were over the sea when we were above the clouds.”
Such a view opens from the top of Makalu.
All in all, it took three days to climb Makalu – or as Strengell says, it was a three-day push.
“During that time, you hardly eat or sleep. It’s like wading uphill with a backpack in the snow.”
It took about 12 hours to come down.
“I was so tired that I passed out sometimes,” Strengell says, showing the huge bruises on his arms.
Makalu’s trip cost about 15,000 euros. A significant part of that went to flying by helicopter to the base camp.
“I wouldn’t have had time to walk there. It would have taken ten days.”
This time during his climbing trip, Strengell thought a lot about health issues, because a 56-year-old experienced climber from Northern Ireland whom Strengell knew well died on the particularly dangerous Annapurna mountain Noel Hanna.
“His death touched. He was still in the same age group.”
Strengell began to wonder why he was there. This was particularly the case at Dhaulagiri over a period of six weeks.
“I really missed my grandchildren [kaksi lapsenlasta]and when you approach 7,000 meters without supplemental oxygen, it feels absolutely terrible.”
Strengell uses supplemental oxygen only near the mountain top.
Strengell thought about what climbing would give him. Is it some accomplishment or achievement or a fun adventure trip with nice people? And what is important about that? The conclusion may surprise you.
“Once you get the hang of it, it’s nice to enjoy it. I enjoy it. You can do it there. When three days go by in one go and then come down, it’s a wonderful feeling. Of course, it’s also a great experience to be in great nature.”
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“On a ski trip, you have to ski every day for two months. In the mountains, you can lie down in a tent eating chocolate and then we do heavy days.”
Strengell separately mentions the waist-length draping in the snow hound.
“It’s rewarding. I understand that it wouldn’t be for everyone.”
He prepares for the snowstorm with a six-week training program. He climbs the Malminkartano stairs three times a week with a 20 kilo backpack on his back.
“Strength endurance is the thing. It [vuorikiipeily] is toddlerhood in tough conditions.”
Question is: what next? Strengell would like to ski to the North Pole, but it is currently very expensive and even impossible for many reasons.
Strengell also vehemently compares cross-country skiing and mountain climbing.
“On a ski trip, you have to ski every day for two months. In the mountains, you can camp in a tent and eat chocolate, and then you have hard days, but there are only a few of them.”
What about Are you interested in conquering all the box tons?
“There is no such need. I just go, which is nice and interesting at that moment. I would love to go to K2 again. [Edellisellä kerralla] the Pakistani company stopped the whole thing for nothing.”
Strengell’s grandson has his own position.
“My four-year-old grandson says: ‘now you can’t go anywhere until you die. However, if you go, you must bring good gifts again [tuliaiset].’”
Paula Strengell says that the small things of everyday life are more difficult than mountain climbing.
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