THE SECOND CZECH EXPEDITION TO THE HINDU KUSH

(Translated by Hugh Merrick from the German of Prof. G. O. Dyhrenfurth)

VLASTIMIL SMIDA

As soon as the first Czech Expedition, which had operated in the Wakhan Trip in 1965, had returned home, preparations were set in motion for a second independent undertaking in the Hindu Kush, to materialize in the summer of 1967. Eng. Wladimir gedovy was entrusted with the leadership, and the climbing group consisted of six experienced Alpine climbers, Jin Masek, Miroslav Jaskovsky, Jan Cervinka, Eng. V. Smida and the two High-Tatra guides, Iwan Galfy and Iwan Urbanovic. MUDr. Zdenek Vic accompanied the party as physician, Bedrich Roger as film cameraman and Vilem Heckel as photographer. The scientific group consisted of RNDrs. Milar Daniel and Pavel Rodl, occupied with research work into the parasites on lesser mammals, and Doz. Dr. Oldrich Miksik, engaged on a study of the psychological effects of a prolonged stay at high altitudes. The expedition was thus a considerable one, numbering 13 members. Its entire baggage was transported from Prague to Pakistan in a Tatra-138 lorry and all members of the party assembled at Peshawar on June 12, 1967, to be joined there by Capt. Tamoor, the liaison officer, and a Pakistani climber, Aman Ashraf.

Bad weather prevented our flying into Chitral, so we had to travel to the little town of Dir in our lorry. There everything was reloaded on to two Chevrolets. The 3,200-metre Lowari Pass was still under deep snow, so we had to resort to 118 coolies for the transport of our stuff across the col. On the way over, unfortunately, a very important case, containing our short-wave radio, was stolen—an irreplaceable loss, which was destined to upset our whole organization severely! We finally reached Chitral (1,520 m.) in dangerously overloaded jeeps and there obtained animal-transport for our approach up the Mastuj Valley. The next thing was that the porters went on strike twice; these difficulties having been surmounted, we established our Base Camp on June 26 at 4,100 metres at the junction of the Upper and Lower Tirich glaciers, to the south of the Istor-o-Nal massif.

Tirich Mir Group
2nd Czech Expedition 1967

Our objectives were the main summit of Tirich Mir (7,706 m.) by the northern approach, and a first ascent of one of the Tirich west group's four summits. Aman Ashraf and I were entrusted with the reconnaissance of the upper level of the Lower Tirich glacier. Hurrying on ahead of the main body we fought our way up the savagely-crevassed 500-metre high lower icefall, a very exciting piece of work. Once it lay behind us, the difficulties were over. Aman stopped at this point, while I pushed on into the upper basin, circumventing one or two large crevasses ; but my utterly insufficient acclimatization to such high altitudes made itself painfully felt, and, at 5 p.m. at about 5,600 metres, I decided to go back, having first taken a few pictures. Darkness fell as we descended the great icefall.

The results of our reconnaissance showed us that the horseshoe rim of the upper basin consisted of Tirich Mir East (7,692 m.)— the main summit (7,706 m.)—the west peaks—and the north group. The enormous slopes above the basin were obviously very dangerous, with a heavy threat of avalanches. We therefore decided to launch our main assault up the much longer but far less steep Upper Tirich glacier, that is to say by the north-west flank of the massif. Accordingly, we proceeded to establish our high camps up that glacier: Camp 1 (4,700 m.) at the corner where the ice-stream, flowing from south to north, takes a westward bend ; Camp 2 (500 m.) under Ghul-Lasht-Zom ; Camp 3 (6,000 m.) below a six-thousander we christened Agha-Zom ; and Camp 4 (about 6,500 m.) on the col between the 6,778-metre Dirgol Zom and Tirich Mir's main summit.

From this last camp one whole climbing party, under the expedition's leader, on July 12, made the first ascent of Dirgol Zom, just 18 days after setting up Base Camp. An 'All-Japan Hindukush Expedition' had meanwhile set up its tents next to ours and was after the same objectives as ourselves. This competition forced us to make the greatest haste, and we were further handicapped as our funds, greatly reduced by the strikes, limited us to the employment of a single high-altitude porter, Ajat-ud-Din, who, however, proved a tower of strength. The weather was mostly fair and we only met snow on two days ; but the strong radiation at work in summer in the Hindu Kush produced incredibly swift variations in the snow-conditions. Where one day there lay perfect hard snow, the next it would be smooth ice, to slow our pace severely. There was indeed a call for the greatest possible speed.

Sketch map of the ascents from the UPPR TIRICH GLACIER

Photo: Vlastimil Smida

RESTING A MOVEMENT BELOW ICEFALL OF THE LOWER TIRICH GLACIER

ON THE MAIN SUMMIT OF TIRICH MIR (25,263 FEET)

ASCENDING UP TO THE COL (C. 7,200 M.) BETWEEM TIRICH MIR MAIN SUMMIT (25,263 FEET) AND WESTREN SUMMIT (24,564 FEET). IN THE BACKGROUND DRIG ZOM (22,237)

ON THE WESTERN SUMMIT (MAIN OR I, 24,564 FEET) OF TIRICH MIR. TIRICH MIR MAIN SUMMIT (25,263 FEET) IN THE BACKGROUND

On the morning of July 17, in biting cold, five of us left Camp 4 and made for the West Col (c. 7,200 m.) which is the key to both Tirich's 7,706-metre main summit and the highest summit (7,487 m.) of Tirich West. An ice slope of some 60 to 70 degrees led to a band of rock, surmountable by an overhanging chimney some 80 metres high, about 111-IV in the Welzenbach scale, but made more difficult by glazed rock, few places where a piton could be driven in and, of course, an altitude of about 7,000 metres. We got to its top as the light faded, but we were all in. Nevertheless, we managed to ascend the technically easy couloir above it in the dark and pitch our assault-tent on the West Col at 9 p.m.

A day of high winds followed a night of dreamless sleep. Isolated clouds chased across an otherwise clear sky as we set off for the main summit. An ice slope broken by boulders began immediately from the col, demanding a good deal of step-cutting. The rocky ridge beyond it was easy enough (II-III), but extremely brittle, so we had to go very carefully. The slope gradually cased and, after negotiating a final scree slope, we found ourselves at 4 p.m. on the snowy dome of Tirich Mir, the highest summit in the whole Hindu Kush. In the icy wind we took a few photographs of documentary importance; close under the summit we built a small cairn in which we placed a little bag containing our names and the date, July 19, 1967. It was dark by the time we were back at our tent on the West Col.

Next morning we discussed for a long time whether to go straight down or make an attempt on the west summit. In spite of coloir being out of condition by now, four of the party decided to have a go. It turned out to be mostly a snow-slog, with ice here and there. We were very tired and forced our way slowly upwards the 300 metres or less took us seven hours. At 3 p.m., in perfect weather, we were on the summit of Tirich West I (7,487 m.), the highest of the west group's four summits, and the first Czechoslovak virgin seven-thousander. The peak is so sharp that it was only possible for us four men to sit astride on it at the same time. There was a marvellous view over Chitral and Afghanistan, but the distant Karakoram lay hidden in cloud. Tirich Nord (6,732 m., according to Gerald Gruber), one of Kurt Deimberger's first ascents, lay far below us, but the other three west group summits declared themselves as seven-thousanders, beyond any doubt. This second great day for us was July 20.

On the way down to the West Col we felt very tired and listless, but arrived safely. However, the third night up there was absolutely appalling: we none of us slept, intense thirst racked us and we had run out of butane-bottles for melting snow. We were pitifully mountain-sick. Next morning the slightest effort was agony. We found it almost impossible to lace our boots or fasten a rucksack-strap. It was four hours before we were ready to start down, abandoning the tent up there. Slowly, terribly slowly, we climbed down. From the start of the chimney on, we never ceased to rope one another down, in places where normally we would not even have thought of such a precaution. It was only by using our last reserves of will-power to constrain us to unremitting caution that we were able to complete the descent at all. At 6 p.m. on the 21st we rejoined our team mates at Camp 4 (6,500 m.). We had got down in one piece!

The expedition had no oxygen equipment at all and dispensed entirely with fixed ropes. The few touches of frost-bite on our hands and feet healed without recourse to surgery, as did an oedema of the lung and a pneumothorax. A fortnight's convalescence at Base Camp cleared everything up satisfactorily.

I append a short list of our mountaineering achievements:

Climbs apart, both Tirich glaciers and a number of tributaries and neighbours were reconnoitred in detail.

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