Madhil Sar, probable first ascent; Haigutum East, first ascent
Shimshal White Horn, attempt; M adhil Sar, probable first ascent; H aigutum East, first ascent; Khani Basi Sar, attempt; Gorhil Sar first ascent. Peter T hom pson an d I visited three regions during the sum m er: Shim shal, Hispar, and C hapursan. In Shim shal we were accom panied by fellow U.K. m ountaineers Ben Cheek and G regory N unn. We attem pted six peaks, reaching the sum m its of four. Nearly all clim bing was on snow an d ice. We sp en t June an d July in the Shim shal region, first acclim atizing on Yazghil Sar (5,964m ). Ben, Peter, an d I th en m ade th ree unsuccessful a tte m p ts o n S him shal W h ite H o rn (6,303m ) from a 4,400m base cam p and higher bivouac at 4,600m on the A dver G lacier. O u r in te n d e d ro u te was the n o rth ridge, gained by a cou loir (D, 50°, 800m) well to the right of the tru e n o rth face. This couloir had b een clim b ed in 2005 by a F rench team . O u r first attem pt was thw arted by bad w eather that began soon after we sta rted clim bing. P oor visibility led us m istakenly to follow a sm aller b ran c h co u lo ir th at reached a dead e n d after 300m . We m ade a second attem pt two days later. A fter quickly clim bing the first 700m o f couloir, we w ere subjected to rockfall. Ben was stru ck on the thig h an d injured. We retreated, a determ ined Ben lowering him self on two axes. Five d ay s la te r P e te r a n d I tried again. Following th e left side o f th e co u lo ir tow ard th e top, to avoid fu r th e r ro c k fa ll, w e e n c o u n te re d p o o r ice conditions. W ith lim ited ice p rotection we were forced to m ake a tricky traverse to the col. E xhausted fro m o u r e ffo rts , w e b iv o u a c k e d a s h o r t d is ta n c e up th e rid g e , at 5,600m. T he follow ing m o rn in g the w eather was again bad, and we again
retreated. However, there was tim e for a q u ic k asc e n t [p o ssib ly th e first, but see entry below on Shifkitin Sar] o f M adhil Sar (ca 5,700m), a sm all su m m it 100m above an d northw est of the col. D u r in g Ju ly a n d A u g u s t P e te r a n d I sp e n t tw o w eek s at o r above a base cam p at H ag u re Shangali C h am (4,570m ), on th e n o rth side o f th e H isp a r G lacier. N o t lo n g a f te r w e e s ta b lis h e d cam p, we m ade th e first ascent o f H aigutum East (5,783m) in the Bal C hhish Range on the south side of the H ispar Glacier. T he ascent to o k tw o days. R oute-finding th ro u g h th e n u m erou s crevasses and seracs th a t litter the m o u n ta in was a challenge, and p o o r snow conditions prevailed. O u r route involved an easy traverse across th e n o rth face to a bivouac at 5,200m , from w here we clim bed a n o rth eastern spur. T he route w arran ted A lpine D, w ith the m ain difficulties o ccu r ring higher up. T ow ard th e en d o f A ugust we m ad e a six-day ex cu rsio n to th e L upgar M o u n tain s o f C hapursan. We established base cam p at 4,700m on the edge o f a glacial side valley to the east o f Lupgar Pir Pass. We subsequently clim bed G orhil Sar (5,800m, altim eter reading) in a single day from a bivouac east o f th e m o u n tain . We first reached a 5,200m col left o f th e n o rth face and from here ascended th e east ridge (30-50°) to m ake th e first ascent. D u rin g the clim b we found snow conditions to be excellent an d m ade rapid progress. However, on th e descent we d ropped directly to the glacial floor, as rapidly softening snow deterred us from traversing back
to o u r bivouac site. As we again carried no rope, we h ad to dow nclim b, rath er th an rappel, the 55-60° hard, sugary ice im m ediately below the col. O u r route up G orhil Sar was aro u n d A lpine AD+ but felt harder given th e ill-equipped natu re o f the descent. Lee H arrison , UK
retreated. However, there was tim e for a q u ic k asc e n t [p o ssib ly th e first, but see entry below on Shifkitin Sar] o f M adhil Sar (ca 5,700m), a sm all su m m it 100m above an d northw est of the col. D u r in g Ju ly a n d A u g u s t P e te r a n d I sp e n t tw o w eek s at o r above a base cam p at H ag u re Shangali C h am (4,570m ), on th e n o rth side o f th e H isp a r G lacier. N o t lo n g a f te r w e e s ta b lis h e d cam p, we m ade th e first ascent o f H aigutum East (5,783m) in the Bal C hhish Range on the south side of the H ispar Glacier. T he ascent to o k tw o days. R oute-finding th ro u g h th e n u m erou s crevasses and seracs th a t litter the m o u n ta in was a challenge, and p o o r snow conditions prevailed. O u r route involved an easy traverse across th e n o rth face to a bivouac at 5,200m , from w here we clim bed a n o rth eastern spur. T he route w arran ted A lpine D, w ith the m ain difficulties o ccu r ring higher up. T ow ard th e en d o f A ugust we m ad e a six-day ex cu rsio n to th e L upgar M o u n tain s o f C hapursan. We established base cam p at 4,700m on the edge o f a glacial side valley to the east o f Lupgar Pir Pass. We subsequently clim bed G orhil Sar (5,800m, altim eter reading) in a single day from a bivouac east o f th e m o u n tain . We first reached a 5,200m col left o f th e n o rth face and from here ascended th e east ridge (30-50°) to m ake th e first ascent. D u rin g the clim b we found snow conditions to be excellent an d m ade rapid progress. However, on th e descent we d ropped directly to the glacial floor, as rapidly softening snow deterred us from traversing back
to o u r bivouac site. As we again carried no rope, we h ad to dow nclim b, rath er th an rappel, the 55-60° hard, sugary ice im m ediately below the col. O u r route up G orhil Sar was aro u n d A lpine AD+ but felt harder given th e ill-equipped natu re o f the descent. Lee H arrison , UK
