BRITISH HISPAR KARAKORAM EXPEDITION, 1989

SEAN SMITH and MIKE SEARLE

(Sean Smith writes)

OIMON YATES, MIKE Searle and I had climbed together ^in the Baltoro glacier (Biale expedition 1988) and previously in the Hushe area of the Karakoram. In post-monsoon 1988, Simon and I joined Doug Scott's Makalu expedition. After six months on two relatively big expeditions involving large numbers of porters, bureaucracy, liaison officers and peak fees, we thought it would be a pleasant change to adopt a simpler approach to the mountains. We chose the Hispar because none of us had been there and we knew there was a profusion of uiiclimbed peaks. Mike Searle and Mark Crawford, two geologists working on the Karakoram for the last five years also needed to carry out geological work along the Hispar glacier. The fifth member of the team was Eimon Richardson, a long-standing Alpine and Himalayan climbing partner.

We particulary wanted to keep our choice of objective flexible and not have a definite fixed peak. Site of base camp, ease of access, weather and ice conditions determine one's objective and these could not be accurately assessed back in England. The Mount Everest Foundation felt we were too cavalier in our approach and ill-prepared and therefore refused us a grant, which I felt to be a little unfair as the team could draw on the experience gained from a total of about 25 varying Himalayan expeditions.

The Hispar valley is in the northern Karakoram and is one of the avenues leading from the basin of Snow Lake which is the hub of the glacier systems of northern Pakistan. From the Hispar la, the valley drains westward to join- the valley of Hunza directly opposite its two main centres of Aliabad and Karimabad. In its upper reaches, the valley is flanked by several large peaks and a great variety of smaller ones, and it was upon the latter that we hoped to find interesting and unexplored technical climbing.

As planned, the expedition gathered in the Golden Peak hotel in Gilgit on the 5 and 6 August, having travelled from various corners of the globe to reach the grounds of this now run down Mir's palace. Simon R., Mike and Mark had come from the U.K., I had arrived from China and Simon Y. had nown in from Australia and things were looking good for the first time now we were assembled under one roof.

Unfortunately, the first news we received was that, in a ferocious storm that had raged a couple of days previously, the road to Skardu had been seriously damaged and would take at least a week or 10 days to repair. This was unfortunate because, although Skardu was not en route from Hispar to Gilgit, we had freighted much of our food and equipment out with the 'Karakoram Experience' and whilst we were in Gilgit much of our provisions (including my personal climbing equipment) were stuck in Skardu. We had also left all our base camp gear in Skardu from the previous year's expedition.

After two days of frantic hassling with bus companies and jeep operators, we realized we had no choice but to wait and recommence the expedition a week later. This posed several problems, especially for Simon Richardson who had a limited time at his disposal, being required back behind his desk in Glasgow within five weeks.

During this intervening week, Simon R. went trekking with his wife Christine, Mike and Mark went to hammer rocks in the Hunza while Simon Y. and I went to look for possible alternatives and more accessible venues. We trekked up the Naltar and Barpu valleys but neither had the appeal of the Hispar and Mike and Mark were adamant that their work required going up the Hispar.

A week later, when we reconvened, Mike and Mark had managed to get a jeep to Skardu and collect the equipment and we decided to set up a base camp lower down the Hispar than originally planned so as to reduce the walk-in. We had a lightning shopping spree in Gilgit, hired a jeep to take us as far as possible up the road to Hispar and away we went. After an overnight stop in Karimabad to collect our cook, Ghulam Razar, and yet more equipment, we swayed unsteadily down the road in our by now hideously overloaded jeep. Needless to say the jeep track to Huru was blocked and we had to unload and begin portering at the villctge of Nagar.

Although they are known for cussed behaviour, we found the Nagar porters excellent once we had worked out a contract with the local magistrate and, on the morning of the 17th, we began walking under a blazing sun. At last the trip was under way !

That night we reached the oasis of Huru and next day, still following the Hispar river, we came to the village of Hispar itself. On the afternoon of the 19th we reached the pasture of Barduma! and established base camp.

The weather now took a turn for the worse and we spent several days holed up in the tents while the clouds blocked any view of the peaks and rain fell ceaselessly.

On the 23rd the weather began to improve and we set off to climb a relatively simple peak on the south side of the glacier as an acclimatization exerise. We crossed ^he Hispar glacier during which time I Strained the meniscus in my left knee, an injury from which I didn't properly recover during the course of the expedition. Despite this, I continued and the two Simons and I made an ascent of a peak of about 5800 m by a fairly simple snow face and ridge. The ascent was accomplished in very poor weather and we were not treated to the stupendous views that would normally accompany the ascent. We reached the summit on the morning of the 26 August and then re-crossed the Hispar (a truly heinous experience) before reaching base camp the following day.

The next few days were spent resting with the weather going from poor to atrocious. The pain in my knee eased and I decided to attempt another climb.

Meanwhile Mark, Mike and Simon R. had set off'for the Hispar la in poor weather. Mark and Mike wanted to investigate the geology and Simon R. felt that, since he wouldn't have time to atttempt the climb we had a singled out as a next objective, he would at least try and get to the Hispar la and have a look around Snow Lake before leaving for the U.K.'

Simon Y. and I stayed at base camp waiting for the weather to improve. We planned to attempt a steep ice-couloir on a peak we had seen during our acclimatization ascent. This was on an unnamed peak of around 6000 m near the Jutmau glacier and promised to give steep sustained ice-climbing.

On the 2 September, the weather began to improve and we left base for the foot of the mountain. We walked for 2 1/2 days in fine weather to bivouac beneath the face and planned a 3 a.m. start so that we could get as high up the gully as possible on the first day. Unfortunately it was snowing at 3 a.m. so we stayed in our sleeping bags until daybreak when the weather slowly began to clear. After a period of indecision, we decided to begin the climb and so, at about ten o'clock we roped up and began climbing in earnest.

That day we climbed about 400 m of steep ice with pitches of Scottish 1V/V and were forced to have an appalling bivouac on a minute ledge carved from the ice. During the night we were inundated with spindrift avalanches which caused all our clothing and equipment to become soaked. However, next morning dawned fine and we continued up the couloir, climbing another 400 m of steep, sustained Grade IV ice before being forced to spend the night on another insubstantial ledge. Next morning saw the arrival of another storm, with large avalanches of spindrift pouring down the couloir.

We reckoned that there was another day's hard climbing to reach the relatively easy summit ridge but our equipment was soaked and our position was very exposed (the climb was much too steep for a tent to be of any use) so, after watching the weather worsen for an hour or so, we decided retreat was the wisest decision and we abseiled down the couloir that afternoon and reached base camp the next evening, just a couple of hours after Mike and Mark who had enjoyed a fruitful excursion to the Hispar la and Snow Lake.

 

(Mike Searle writes)

Lake. Simon was running short of time and unfortunately had to turn back from the Khani Base glacier. One week later he was back at his desk in Glasgow with the world record for rapid exits, intact from the Karakoram.

The weather was bad during the last two weeks of September and it was a miserble experience grunting for days up the horrendous moraines of the Hispar glacier. Luckily we had snow shoes for the last day's climb up to the Hispar la at 5050 m as the snow was deep and soft. The three days we spent high up at the head of the Hispar glacier were in cloudless, perfect weather. We camped on the pass itself with its fabulous panorama across Snow Lake to the Ogre and the Biafo spires. The entire Western Karakoram was spread out before us. On the way back we geologised and mapped up both the Khani Basa and Jutmau glaciers before reaching Bitenmal again on the 8 September.

Sean was having severe trouble with his knee and decided that climbing was over for the summer for him. Simon Yates was still raring to go and he and I decided to explore the Makron glacier and climb a new peak at the head of the glacier.

We set off on 14 September once again crossing the maze of crevasses and the ice-cliffs of the Hispar glacier. Skirting around the base of Makron Chhish, we spent two days walking up the Makron glacier to the base of our mountain. The weather was perfect with cloudless, blue sky days and clear, cold, star-filled nights.

We left our bivi at midnight on 16 September and climbed steadily up 50-75 degree snowfields through the night. There was a full moon which lit up the whole Hispar basin, and the surrounding peaks were bathed in an eerie golden glow. The moon was so bright, we didn't need headtorches most of the time. We were both going fast now and felt superbly fit. After several hours of continuous climbing, we reached the summit dome, stretching across a wide bergschrund, and climbing the final 200 m of steep ice banked over with firm but deep neve. The moon set behind the massive eastern ramparts of Spantik just as the first blood red glow of dawn filled the eastern horizon. We stood on the summit of this new mountain in a complete state of wonder and happiness.

The peak which we christened 'Mikeron Quiche' ('next to big brother Makron Chhisti') straddled the Hispar-Chogo Lungma glacier divide. Stupendous views in every direction included close-up views of the northern slopes of Haramosh, Malubiting and Spantik. To the east, the Bal Chhish range led up to Snow Lake and the Biafo spires with the Ogre and Latoks poking out above. To the north, towering above the Hispar glacier was the West Karakoram ramparts of Momhil Sar, Trivor, Kunyang Chhish, Pumori Chhish and Kanjut Sar. The Hispar glacier was 2000 m below us and the curving motorway-like moraines streamed westwards off the desolate snowy plateau of Snow Lake itself.

It was extremely cold now and, after 40 minutes on top, we made a rapid descent, bum-sliding most of the way down and starting off a minor avalanche in the process. By midday we were back at our bivi, brewing up and reflecting on one of the most enjoyable and rewarding climbs of our experience. One final last plod the next day across the Hispar glacier and we were back at base camp on 17 September.

The walk-out lasted two days to Hispar village and the road end which by now was opened up to Hum. We were back in Karimabad on the 20th and Gilgit on the 21st. Altogether we had a pleasant and interesting expedition in a beautiful and relatively unspoilt valley. Long may it remain so!

Itinerary:

Members :

Sean Smith (leader), Mike Searle, Simon Yates, Simon Richardson, Mark Crawford, Ghulam Razar (cook).

A mountaineering-scientific expedition attempting first ascents in Alpine-style of a number of sub-6000 m peaks along the Hispar glacier combined with geological research on the Hispar la, Snow Lake and Hispar valley region.

 

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