THE SPANISH EXPEDITION TO MANALI, 1975

JAIME MATAS

(This article was submitted by kindness of Servicio General de Information de Montana, Barcelona)

Members : I. Aldaya, J. Pastor, M. Zabaleta, J. M. Mendizabal, V. Munoz and J. Matas.

DURING August we climbed in the Solang area with our Base Camp established in the Base Kund.

We first climbed Manali Peak (18600 ft.) by a new route by its East spur. From our Base Camp we traversed the glacier for a few hundred metres northwards. A grassy ridge was traversed on the left and higher the snow portion was tackled on its right flank past a rock band which finally leads to a col where Camp 1 at 17,000 ft. was established. We left the Camp, and traversed towards the East spur. It is about 3300 ft. in height and the difficulties increase as one goes higher—on rotten rock and ice. All members attained the summit.

We then climbed down to the col between Manali Peak and Mukar Beh (19910 ft.) and camped. All the members made the ascent of Mukar Beh the next day, in very poor conditions.

After returning to Base we climbed Shiti Dhar (17353 ft.) after establishing one intermediate Camp. At the head of the valley a grassy buttress with rock on its upper end led easily to the col; thence up the glacier and a short ridge which led to the summit without much difficulty.

We next turned our attention to Hanuman Tibba (19,450 ft.) From Bruce's Pass we tackled the North ridge. J. Pastor, I. Aladaya and myself took 20 climbing hours in bad weather and with two bivouacs traversed over the summit and down the East- southeast face. This was the third ascent of the North ridge.

WAKHAN OPERATION 1975

Expedition of the Centre Excursionista de la Comarca da Bagcs, Manresa

BY JOSE AND MONTFORT

Members : J. M. Montford Fabrega (leader), M. Jou Parrot, Mrs. Carmen Oliver, J. Canamases Purti, A Llasera Parern, J. Vinyoli Serra, J. Perez Gil, J. Barnils Folguera, J. M. Navarro Lleonart, J. M. Soto Tort, F. Anton Ludwig and R. Cots Trullas.

WE reached the village of Qazi Deh on 11 August and two days later, after a tiresome carry, established our Base Camp at 4400 m. The next day we started towards the higher Camps. On 20 August we climbed Aspe Safed (6450 m.) after setting up two Camps—at 5100 m. and 5900 m.

On 22 August, having established three Camps at 5300 m., 6350 m. and 6850 m., five members including a lady left Camp 3, and after negotiating a vertical rock wall attained the summit of Noshaq (West) (7250 m.). It was the first seven-thousander ascent by a Spanish woman and established a height record. Two of the members bivouacked at 7200 m. and the remainder returned to Camp 3. The two members experienced temperatures as low as —30° C. and the next day traversed the three remaining peaks of Noshaq 7400 m., 7492 m. (Main), and 7480 m. and established another first for Spain.

The same day—23 August—some members climbed Kharposhte Yakhi (5698 m.), directly from Base Camp.

All ascents were made within a period of ten days of arriving in Base Camp. The only period of anxiety was when a member got ill—dehydration and exhaustion—at Camp 3 on Noshaq—his prompt and efficient evacuation to Base and medical treatment there, was rewarded by his arrival at Barcelona airport fully recovered.

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