Slovenian Expedition to Hagshu 2014

Luka Lindič

At first we wanted to climb Phola Gangchen (China). As permits were denied we tried to apply for other moutians in India like Rimo III (Easte Karakoram, India) and Mukut Parvat (Garhwal, India). The unexpected negative answer was quite dispiriting, since we had already begun ‘to live’ with these mountains at different periods. Finally we settled for Hagshu in Zanskar, a mountain just recently added to the list of open peaks.

After considering the idea, a spirit of adventure awakened in us, and a few days later we flew to India unburdened, with the intention to climb Hagshu. Information about the ascents and attempted ascents of one of the high peaks in Zanskar was hard to find and limited. The first ascent of the mountain was accomplished without a permit by a team of Polish alpine climbers, who climbed a difficult route along the SE ridge in 1989. In the same year, only a few days later, the British climbed to the top of the mountain through a system of seracs and gullies in the east face. The Briton John Barry later attempted to climb the impressive north face of Hagshu four times, each time unsuccessfully. In addition to the scarce information, the internet offered a few photos of the north face, but their quality was too low to reflect the wall's character and steepness. Only a few days before the departure we learnt online that the legendary British alpine climber Mick Fowler had bold plans for the north wall as well. We were not too upset by the announced concurrent activity on the same mountain, especially after all the bureaucratic chaos on part of the IMF and continuous goal changing to accommodate their demands.

At the IMF briefing in New Delhi we were authorized to climb Hagshu between 7 September and 14 October. After flying to Leh, we received a message from the IMF while we were finalizing the expedition with the agency; the message urged us to leave base camp on 26 September at the latest, which would mean only ten days at the base and truly a very slim chance of success. They had probably realised that we were given a permit for the same objective as the English team (Mick Fowler, Paul Ramsden, Steve Burns, Ian Cartwright) and found themselves in an uncomfortable situation. Their request was of course unacceptable. We drove further to Kargil, a town near the Pakistani border. The number of soldiers in the area was terrifying. The next day we drove to Akshow, a friendly village, strongly reminiscent of Tibet. There began our two-day hike to base camp. In the morning, on the first day of access, we met two Americans in the village, and they surprised us with the news that their team, including the third member who had to descend due to health problems, also had a permit to climb Hagshu, despite the fact that they had no intention of climbing this mountain in particular.

After crossing the Doda river, we continued along the gravelly bottom of the Hagshu river valley, and on the second day, at the beginning of the Hagshu glacier, we first spotted the eponymous summit. After heavy precipitation, which resulted in catastrophic flooding in Srinagar, the steep pyramid was covered with a thick blanket of snow. We were immediately captivated by the sight of it. Steep strips of ice in the north wall, which could be observed throughout the remainder of our access, began to clearly form into logical lines. After a few days at the base, the line that appealed to us the most was the one drawn right down the middle of the northern wall. The goal was clear.

We set up base camp on the moraine west of the Hagshu glacier, at 4400 m. On the first day at the base we sought a traverse across the moraine and the glacier to the foot of the north wall. Along the way we spotted an extremely sharp and aesthetic peak above the base, which appeared to be of an appropriate height and difficulty for our first acclimatisation. In the evening at the base we started to ready the equipment for the next day. After breakfast we packed food for two days and began our access to the distinctive saddle above the base, where the ridge which we noticed the previous day began. We climbed along the moraine rib up to the flat part of the glacier which ran from the chosen mountain towards our base and we traversed it. Climbing over snow and rocks on the other side, we reached the saddle and set up a bivouac at an altitude of 5100 m. While cooking, we observed the surrounding mountains lit by the last sun rays, and we were becoming increasingly aware of the potential for alpine climbing in the area. The next morning we had breakfast in the first sun light and started to walk and climb along the ridge to the summit. The longer the duration of the ascent, the more it became clear that the first tour would give us more than we had expected. The ridge proved to be much longer than we had expected, challenging us with a decently difficult climb to the top. After short sightseeing at the summit, we descended down the route of ascent by down climbing and rappelling. We reached the bivouac in the saddle at dusk, so we had an unplanned overnight stay there and descended to the base camp the next day.

After a two-day rest at the base, where a cook and his two assistants were preparing excellent food for us during the whole stay, Aleš and Marko went to establish ABC under Hagshu and to inspect the west wall, which also appeared interesting. The cook and his assistant helped them to carry a part of the equipment, while Luka remained in the base for another day due to digestive problems. Exactly on that day, the British team reached the base as well. The next day Luka went to ABC at 4660 m and waited for Aleš and Marko, who climbed that day to a 5680 m high peak, from which the access to the west face could be observed nicely. On their way back they also investigated the access to the north face and made a good part of the trail in the snow.

The next day, we started early in the morning, with the intention to ascend the peak next to Hagshu, named ‘Hana's Men’ (c. 6300 m). The chosen goal offered a good view of Hagshu from the east and the possibility of viewing the descent from the summit. After a three-hour climb to ABC we started to climb the steep couloir in the west wall of the mountain. Good snow conditions enabled us to make rapid progress. We followed a logical line and after just a few rocky passages we reached the rocky west rib at around 6000 m. Enjoying the climb on mostly compact rock of the rib, we ascended to the ridge at an altitude of 6200 m and set up a bivouac. Until the fall of night we enjoyed the views of Hagshu, and it was almost as if we could touch it. In the morning we continued in sharp cold along the ridge to one of the peaks of Hana's Men and then descended by rappelling and climbing down the northeastern wall. On the same day we passed ABC and descended to the base.

After a three-day rest at the base, it was time for the main objective. Again we went to ABC, this time with the intention to climb the north face of Hagshu. Perfectly acclimatised, we planned to climb in light and fast alpine style. At three in the morning, we headed towards the wall with a small tent, two sleeping bags and food for two bivouacs. After a little more than two hours of access, we waded into deep powder snow, drifted from the north face by winds and powder snow avalanches. After almost an hour of wading, the conditions began to allow for rapid advancement again. We climbed up a snow cone to the central part of the north face. We climbed unroped and quickly reached the steepest part of the wall with steep icy passages - then followed a very steep ice line, which surprised us with its hardness. The ice was polished completely smooth from minor powder avalanches and brittle as glass because of the cold. These conditions made the upper part of the wall surprisingly difficult, and slowed us down. It was impossible to find a suitable place for a bivouac in such terrain, so we continued climbing late into the night. At two in the morning, after 23 hours of climbing and wading, we took a break on good spot for bivouacking, on a narrow ridge at 6320 m. The next day we started late due to the previous 23-hour workday. It was not until the middle of the day, when - with the helping warmth of the sun, which already shone on us at that altitude - we continued with pleasant rock climbing and soon reached the north peak. From there we continued to climb and wade along the ridge with many ups and downs towards the main summit, which we reached around five in the afternoon on 30 September. The late hour and nice weather persuaded us into bivouacking just a few metres below the summit. The next morning we descended in the company of beautiful views, following the Polish first ascent route to Hagshu. During steep rappelling we all agreed that the Poles had done an excellent job in 1989.

We were following this demanding route practically the whole time, down climbing and rappelling, and at the end it led us to the glacier on the south side of the mountain. There we started to descend towards the east, to the glacier between Hagshu and Hana's Men. While looking for the safest passages between crevasses, we held onto the left edge of the glacier, which ultimately led us above a steep wall, over two rope-lengths high and with a wide bergschrund at the bottom. With two descents down the rope and some down climbing, we were happy to reach the glacier between Hagshu and Hana's Men. Wading through the crusty snow slowed us down again. For the last two hours of descent we were meandering between moonlit crevasses, and then reached the ABC, satisfied.

At that time, there were a whole lot of activities going on in the surrounding area. The American team had attempted to climb the northeastern face of Barnaj, but unfortunately they had to turn back due to falling rocks. After only a day of rest, they also tried the south side of the mountain, where they climbed very close to the top. The British team split into two rope teams. Ian and Steve undertook the less demanding six-thousander above the base, while Mick and Paul went up the north wall of Hagshu. They climbed the pronounced couloir in the left-most part of the northern wall, and on the third day of climbing at 6320 m they joined the route that had been outlined by us, at the location of our first bivouac. They continued in our trail for the remainder of their ascent and the entire descent.

Since nice weather held on, we returned to ABC after two days of rest in order to climb the rock face nearby. After three hours of access over the steep moraine and scree, we turned under the wall and headed back down to the glacier. The cold wind brought snow. We quickly cleaned up ABC, and satisfied with the outcome, descended to the base. For the finale of our stay at the base, a bear came every night looking for food among the tents. After a few visits we had become so accustomed to each other that we cohabitated in the base without any serious problems.

This year's expedition was strongly marked by bureaucratic problems, which we managed to successfully overcome with a lot of motivation. All members of the expedition got along remarkably well throughout the expedition, so given the nice weather conditions, the success was almost unavoidable. The Alpine Association of Slovenia provided us with great support; its flexible operation sustained the expedition, since shortly before the departure, we were - due to the already mentioned problems - changing our objectives almost on a weekly basis.

Summary
Climbed routes:

17. 9. Lagan (5750m), East ridge, TD-, max M5, 700m (ca. 2000m of length), 8h. (first ascent)

24. 9. Hana's Men, North summit (6300m), West face – west rib, TD, max IV, 1100m, 6h+4h. (first ascent)

30. 9. Hagshu (6657m), North face, ED, 70°-90° III, 1350m, 20h+4.5h. (first ascent)

Organizer: Alpine Association of Slovenia

Members: Luka Lindič, age 26 (leader), Aleš Česen, age 32 and Marko Prezelj, age 49

Duration of the expedition: 6 September – 10 October, 2014

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