QUETTA ROCK CLIMBING

LIEUT. J. R. G. FINCH

Having spent many enjoyable Sundays on the hills round Quetta and wasted many in fruitless search for interesting climbs, it seems a pity that the few good discoveries should go unrecorded. The following notes are therefore intended to be a short guide to enable any one situated as I was to find his way to the best rocks with a minimum of wasted effort.

In the neighbourhood there are four mountain groups, each of different composition and with different characteristics. To the south-west is Chiltan, fourteen miles away, composed entirely of rotten rock and with no climbs on it at all. It has, however, some good ski-ing slopes in winter.

To the east, and only just outside the cantonment, isMurdar Ghar. It has a few scattered climbs, but the real features of interest are its nullahs. These give some climbing on sound rock and some interesting scrambles.

To the north-east is the Zarghun group, surrounding the water- supply catchment area. The rock here is composed of conglomerate and is dangerous. No climb worth while is to be found in it, but there is some very fine rock scenery. The highest peak in Baluchistan, Loe Sar, 11,761 feet, is on its eastern edge.

To the north is the twin-peaked mountain called Tukatu, on and around which most of the Quetta climbing is to be found. I will therefore deal with this mountain in some detail. Besides these four groups, there are scattered between Tukatu and Murdar Ghar various small cliffs, from 300 to 400 feet high, on which occasional climbs are to be found, but a lot of time may be wasted in looking for them.

Tukatu, 11,390 feet, consists of a fine rock ridge about five miles long, running in a north-east to south-west direction, with twin summits about the centre. To the south of the south-west summit the ridge quickly widens out and the naked rock goes below the surface at a high level. In the other direction the ridge is more spectacular and ends in a steep arete.

The South-west Peak and Ridge.

The peak may be reached by leaving the Kuchh road at the fourteenth mile, where a walk up easy slopes leads to the ridge south of the summit. There are probably some climbs on the peak itself, but the rest of the country in this direction does not look hopeful.

The North-west Face.

From a distance this face looks impressive, being composed of enormous slabs. These are set at an easier angle than at first sight appears, are weathered into sharp ridges, and therefore only provide a walk. General Wilson, Major Cornwall-Jones, and Major Gueter- bock crossed the mountain from this side in 1934, and the only difficulty was a complex system of nullahs at the bottom.

The Central Nullah Area.

This lies on the south-east face between the two peaks, and is mainly interesting because it gives access to the upper rocks through a gap in the 'Great Step', a line of lower cliffs. By following the nullah to the top, the col between the two summits can be reached with nothing more than a scramble, except for two pitches. The lower pitch is where an outcrop of rock cuts clean across the valley and a climb is unavoidable. The upper is at the narrowest point of the nullah, where a water-worn boulder blocks the way. This is passed on polished holds up the nullah wall for 20 feet. This route is most useful for a rapid descent, if a rope is carried, for it gives the quickest route back to the Kuchh road at the seventeenth mile.

The South-east Face, Upper Ridge.

This would undoubtedly provide some fine climbs, but it is rather inaccessible, being some three hours' walk above the road. There is a route leading up the face to the summit itself that looks possible. To reach the cliffs one should walk up towards the central nullah and pass through the gap in the 'Great Step', then turn right and climb the khud-side, which is steep but easy. There is a path, but it is not easy to find. Two routes lead up to the ridge, which may be called 'the ordinary route' and 'the summit nullah'. The first is a scramble and takes one some way north of the summit; a walk across the slabs on the north-west face is then the quickest way. The 'summit nullah' gives easy climbing on sound rock. It does not necessitate a rope, but is hard enough to be interesting. Near the top the nullah bifurcates, and to avoid trouble the right-hand or steeper branch should be taken. It gives access to the ridge just below the summit.

The South-east Face, Lower Cliffs.

So far one excellent climb has been found, well up to a Welsh Very difficult' standard. It has been christened 'the Great Step climb'. Details of this are given below. Since the discovery of possibilities here, time for further exploration has been limited. The maximum height of the 'Great Step' is 600 feet, opposite the eighteenth mile on the Kuchh road. The height and interest diminish the farther one gets away from the central nullah.

The North-east Ridge.

This is about three miles long. Half a mile from where it disappears into the khud there is a small peak, 'Point 9,000', which is best seen from the north-west. From this point to the summit is very rough walking, with no climbing of note. The whole distance has, however, never been traversed. From 'Point 9,000' downwards there is a very fine arete, which forms a four-hours' climb, an expedition by itself. An ascent to the summit by this route would, however, take too long; two miles is the most that has ever been covered along the ridge before darkness forced a descent, and it is doubtful whether the success of a climb from this direction would compensate the trouble and discomfort of a bivouac.

The arete is the only ridge climb known near Quetta. In addition to rock scrambling there are four pitches of interest. At the very bottom a gully splits the ridge. The first pitch leads to the right of this for 20 feet, when a swing round the corner on hidden hand-holds brings the climber on to it. This is followed by one steep but easy pitch up its bed before moving out on to the ridge. The next point of interest is where an overhang prevents direct upward progress. This is passed by a traverse over a slab on the south-east face and a return to the ridge up a chimney. This traverse is interesting, as it is above a sheer drop of several hundred feet. After about two hours the ridge dwindles to a series o'f pinnacles, with one gap that is quite unpleasant. Direct ascent looks inadvisable, as the rock has apparently crumbled into small flakes. On closer inspection, however, it is found to be quite firm and a precarious ascent can be made. After this the going is sometimes steep, but never difficult.

To reach the bottom of the arete, take the Kuchh road as far as mile twenty-one and turn left. After a further five miles leave the car and walk over the hill-side to the village of Zawar Kuchh. From here follow up a large nullah-bed for about a mile to where a large boulder stands beside a spring, whence a path leads in the right direction.

Climbing Kit.

Climbing boots have a very short life in Quetta's dry climate and the local leather is too soft to hold climbing nails. It is not long before one is looking for a substitute. Various expedients have been tried, such as boots with crepe soles. The ordinary 'gym shoe', however, has proved to be the most serviceable, provided a spare pair is carried. On one occasion I started the day with a new pair of Japanese make. I had a long walk home on virtually bare feet!

A topi is not needed as a protection against the sun, but is invaluable against falling stones, and when forcing a way through a thorn- bush. A water-bottle should always be carried, for very few streams are fit for drinking. In December, above 10,500 feet, a wind-proof garment is advisable owing to the bitterly cold winds sometimes met with.

The following details of two difficult rock climbs seem worthy of record.

The Great Step Climb.

Leave car at mile eighteen and walk to point above which the Great Step is highest. Starting-point of climb is reached in an hour, immediately below an enormous flake of rock resting against a smooth face.

1st pitch: Up on to a shelf with a rather difficult pull round a corner on widely separated holds. 20 feet.

2nd pitch: A horizontal traverse along the shelf to a corner and on to some broken rocks. The shelf is less commodious than expected. 50 feet.

3rd pitch: Up the broken rocks, which overhang. One movement in particular depends a lot on a strong arm. 80 feet.

4th pitch: Easy going up to and behind the flake of rock and then right- handed along a shelf to the mouth of a large nullah. The rope is unnecessary on most of this.

5th pitch: Climb out of the nullah on its south side near the mouth, close to a small thorn-tree. Steep slabs, 60 feet, followed by a short chimney, 15 feet, to a landing.

6th pitch: Leave the landing on the right side and keep up a series of slabs by the edge of the nullah to the top of a subsidiary buttress. These slabs are steep and sometimes exposed, but present no great difficulty.

7th pitch: Descend the buttress on the south side and walk over to the foot of an obvious crack.

8th pitch: This is the crux of the climb and consists of climbing the crack for 70 feet to a point where it widens to a chimney. The holds are good.

9th pitch: Climb chimney for 90 feet until the chock-stone forces you to climb over it.

The climb as a whole may be classed as 'very difficult’.

Thorn-bush Crack.

Two hundred yards from where the north-east arete ends, a buttress can be seen on the south-east side, and on it two cracks, one large and the other small. The climb is up the smaller of the two. The top of the buttress is just level with the gap mentioned in the arete climb. The bottom forty feet of the crack are filled with thorn-bushes and are best avoided by a route over a small buttress. From this a shelf leads into the crack just where it starts to be interesting.

1st pitch: A step across a gap to the face containing the climb, ascent of the crack for 8 feet, and passage of an overhang in a corner, lead to the slab above 20 feet. This is the most difficult part of the climb and liable to hold up the proceedings indefinitely.

2nd pitch: An ascent of a slab; small but good holds 45 feet.

3rd pitch: As before, but forcing a way through a small tree adds to the difficulties 60 feet. A landing is reached and a movement round a corner gives a most spectacular view.

4th pitch: Up the slab for 50 feet to where the crack turns a corner, then by the crack, using any purchase available on the slab, for 70 feet. At one point occupation of the crack is disputed by a small thorn-bush. A large person will have great difficulty in forcing his way up.

5th pitch: 60 feet. Above the thorn-bush a cave is entered under a chock- stone and an exit made at the rear. This climb as a whole was exceedingly difficult. It was led by R. K. Hamblin, and on the first ascent took us three hours.

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