Afghanistan

Afghanistan Koh-e-Maghrebi (6,040m), probable first ascent. Spanish m ountaineers David C ejudo Fernandez and Luis Miguel Lopez m ade a rare visit to A fghanistan’s W akhan C orridor, w here they m ade the probable first ascent o f a 6,040m peak, subsequently nam ed K oh-e-M aghrebi. This is one of the few first ascents m ade in Afghanistan’s m ou n tain s since the Soviet invasion during 1979. The two left Kabul by vehicle on July 29, entered the C o rrid o r via Faizabad and Iskashim, an d drove up it to the confluence o f th e rivers at Q ala-e-Panja. It was then five days on foot to a base cam p at 4,200m in the West Ali Su valley. T hey reached there on August 10, having taken tim e o u t to m ake a three-day side trip farth er east to Elghunak. O n the 12th they established C am p 1 at 5,050m on the West Ali Su glacier, south o f K oh-e-M aghrebi. Next day they clim bed a 700m couloir (40-55° névé) th ro u g h th e rocky slopes o f th e so uth face to reach th e easier 300m su m m it snowfield. This led to th e u p p er section o f the west ridge, w here th e p air had to overcom e a 60° section before reaching the su m m it (N 37° 6' 28"; E 73° 10' 23"). T hey retu rn ed to cam p 10 hou rs after leaving and regained th eir vehicle on the 18th. T he S panish n o te th a t th is area o f th e P am ir has a d ozen o r so peaks above 6,000m , th e highest being K oh-e-P am ir (6,320m ) above th e N o rth Issik Glacier, a little n o rth e a st o f th eir ow n peak. Som e o f these m o u n tain s were clim bed d u rin g the 1970s. T hey also fo u n d the inhabitants o f this region, m ainly W akhis, b u t in th e extrem e east Kyrghyz, very hospitable. Josep P aytubi, Servei General d ’Informacio de M untanya, Sabadell, Spain