Tim Miller in Kyrgyzstan

British'Universities'–'Unclimbed'Kyrgyzstan'2015'

1'

FULL$TRIP$REPORT$Acclimatisation$Objectives$Khan%Tengri%(7,010m)$–$Will$&$Tim$

'I'set'out'in'early'July'with'Tim'to'climb'Khan'Tengri'(7,010m)'as'acclimatisation'for'a'bid'to'climb'some'unclimbed'5,000ers'with'two'CUMC'members:'Seth'and'Cameron.'Khan'Tengri'is'the' tallest'mountain' in'Kazakhstan,' third' tallest' in'Kyrgyzstan,'and' the'second' tallest' in' the'Tian' Shan' mountain' range' –' a' challenging' objective' that' has' claimed' the' lives' of' many'climbers.'It'is'widely'held'to'be'the'second'hardest'of'the'Snow'Leopard'mountains'(the'five'7,000m'mountains'in'the'former'Soviet'Union),'of'which'I'had'previously'climbed'two.''Upon' arrival' in'Kazakhstan,'we'were'met' by' our' driver' Sergei,'who' fulfilled' literally' every'stereotype'you'might'have'about'Russians:'huge,'very'abrupt,'and'with'a'CD'of'British'songs'entitled'‘DJ'Sergei’,'he'provided'us'with'much'amusement'S'and'alarm'at'some'of'his'driving'S'

even' in' our' sleepSdeprived' state.' But' before'we' could' properly' begin' our' journey,' it' was'time' for' the' food' shop' S' pretty' important'given'this'was'all'we'would'have'to'eat'for'the'next'month' apart' from' freezeSdried' food.'We'couldn’t' find' any' oats' so' decided' that' pasta'would' become' pretty' much' staple' for' all'meals.'We'topped'this'up'with'a'multitude'of'packets'of'what'we'believed'to'be'pasta'sauce'and' beef' jerky,' but' sadly' ended' up' being'powdered' spice' and' fish' jerky' –' thankfully'when'Seth'and'Cameron'arrived'the'following'week' they' weren’t' so' inept' and' managed' to'find'oats,'sauce'and'a'number'of'goods'that'we'quickly' became' reliant' on.' In' addition' to' the'food' we' had' accumulated' we' added' (to' the'horror' of' the' checkSin' staff)' 180' chocolate'bars'–'most'of'which'ended'up'being'Snickers'Supers.'

'We' then' continued'across'Kazakhstan,' across' the'border' into'Kyrgyzstan' and' finally' to' the'helipad'where'we'would'be'delivered'to'North'Inylchek'Glacier.'Two'days'after'we'left'the'UK,'Tim' and' I'were' booted' out' of' our' Soviet' Era' chopper' and' at' the' edge' of' the' vast' Inylchek'Glacier.'We'were'treated'to'a'traditional'Central'Asian'reception'from'the'few'base'camp'staff'that'were'alleged'to'already'be'in'the'camp'–'we'weren’t'met'at'all…'We'tentatively'made'for'a' small' cluster'of' tents' a' few'hundred'meters' away,' and' it'quickly'became'evident' that'we'were' the' first' climbers' to' arrive' at' our' camp' this' year.' Having' only' paid' for' the' cheapest'package'we'were'brusquely'told'to'pitch'our'tent'out'of'sight'of'the'main'camp'area'–'where'the'higher'paying'climbers'would'be'accommodated.'''


2'

Over' the'coming' two'weeks'we'set'to'acclimatising'for'our'summit'bid.''This' meant' several' trips' up' and'down'the'mountain'spending'nights'at' the' higher' camps.' We' then'enjoyed' two' days' of'wellSdeserved'rest,' which' fortuitously' coincided'with' Seth' and'Cameron’s' arrival' in'the' camp.' Their' presence' heralded'the' start' of' a' month' of' highly'contested' card'games'–'Hearts' fast'became'our'game'of'choice.'''Having' rested' up' Tim' and' I' set' off'into'worsening'weather'up'towards'Camp' 1' with' 8' days' food.' Our'intention'was'to'climb'into'a'period'of' bad' weather,' slowly' edging' up'the' mountain' until' the' good'weather'hopefully'turned'up'just'as'we' arrived' in' a' position' to' pounce'on' the' summit.' The' following' day'we' trudged' up' steep,' broken' ridge'towards'Camp'2'in'blustery,'snowy'conditions' –' arriving' 7' hours' later'in'even'more'unstable'weather.'''This' didn’t' bode' well' for' the'following'day,'and'sure'enough'bad'weather' meant' we' were' forced' to'shelter' in' the' tent.' After' 36' hours'consigned' to' our' sleeping' bags'we'emerged' from' our' den' and'struggled' to' pack' up' our' flapping'tent' in'the'midst'of'an'aggressively'cold' wind.'With' the' tent' intact' we'headed' up' towards' the' summit' of'Chapaev' North' (6,120m),' a'subsidiary'peak'of'Khan'Tengri'we'had' to' climb' in'order' to' gain'Khan'Tengri’s' summit' ridge.' Here' we'faced'some'of'our'most'challenging'climbing' including' some' sustained'vertical'sections'of'ice'blasted'rock.'

We'summitted'Chapaev'North'in'poor'visibility'and'then'traipsed'over'the'peak'and'down'to'the'col'beneath'the'West'Ridge'of'Khan'Tengri,'where'we'placed'our'final'camp'at'5,850m.''''''


3'

The'next'morning'we'woke'at'1:30am'and'left'our'tent'to'head'up'the'West'Ridge'towards'the'summit' at' 3am.' We' were' immediately' faced' with' a' brutal' wind' that' seemed' to' gain' in'strength'in'the'first'few'hours.'The'climbing'was'very'steep'and'exposed,'and'given'the'wind,'altitude'and'terrible'condition'of'the'fixed'ropes'it'felt'quite'involved.'Not'long'after'sunrise'we'overtook'a'Russian'soloist'who'had'left'camp'an'hour'before'us,'and'took'over'breaking'trail'up'to'the'summit.'The'hours'rolled'by'and'we'found'ourselves'200'vertical'metres'from'the'summit'on'the'final'stretch'of'snow'slopes–'depressingly'in'thigh'deep'snow.'We'ground'our'way'slowly'upward.'2'hours'later,'and'10'hours'after'leaving'camp'we'found'ourselves'on'

the'summit'–'the'first'people'from'the'north'side'this'year.'Sadly,' the' clear' conditions'gave' way' to' a' blanket' of'cloud,' and' limited' visibility.'Nevertheless' we' raised' the'flag,' took'a'couple'of'photos'and' trudged' back' towards'camp.'The'soft'summit'snow'slopes' now' looked' almost'ready' to' avalanche' and' we'took'care'to'descend'safely.'''At' 6pm' we' arrived' back' in'camp' following' a' 15Shour'day' and' radioed' Base' Camp'of'our'success.'We'were'met'by' a' customary' display' of'Central' Asian' friendliness' –'no' great' celebrations,' only'annoyance' that' we' had'disturbed'their'dinner!'Sadly'dinner' on' our' side' was'similarly' interrupted' –' not'by' the' radio,' but' by' me'suddenly'projectile'vomiting'up'my'freezeSdried'meal'out'of' the' entrance' to' the' tent.'From'that'point'onwards'my'body'didn’t'cope'on'anything'other' than' Mars' bars' and'Snickers' –' and' I' only' had' 5'left'for'the'descent.'

'''''''''


4'

Tim'and'I'opted'to'remain'the'next'day'in'Camp'3'to'rest'after'our'exertions'the'day'before.'This'ended'up'being'a'poor'decision'given'I'couldn’t'take'on'the'required'calories'to'recover'and' the' fact' that'at'nearly'6,000m'the'body'simply' isn’t' capable'of' recovering'anyway.'The'following'day'Tim'was' in' an' even'worse' state' than'me' and'was' completely' exhausted.'We'really' weren’t' much' excited' by' the' prospect' of' heading' the' 300' vertical' meters' back' up'Chapaev' North.' Given' Tim’s' condition,' I' lead' the'way' back' up' the' ridge' towards' Chapaev,'which'was'now'enveloped'in'deep'fresh'snow.'We'then'cruised'down'the'fixed'ropes'back'to'Camp'2'where'we'decided'to'stay'for'the'night.''The'next'day,'our'eighth'on'the'mountain,'we'descended'all'the'way'back'to'Base'Camp'in'a'bit' of' a' zombified'daze.'Having'had'5' chocolate'bars' in'3'days' I'was'definitely'pining' for' a'good' (non' freezeSdried)'meal.'Thankfully,'upon'our'arrival' in' camp,'Seth'and'Cameron'had'prepared'precisely'that'–'what'champs!'Video'of'the'ascent:''https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mL9vkVlIZPU$'

Karly%Tau%(5,540m)$–$Seth$&$Cameron$'

Just'like'any'good'climbing'trip,'it'began'with'a'huge'packing'session;'kit'strewn'everywhere'across'the'floor'of'my'house,'as'we'tried'to'work'out'how'on'earth'we'could'squeeze'all'of'it' into' four'bags,' and' somehow'persuade' the' checkSin' staff'we'were'under'the'weight'limit.'After'a'good'few'hours'S'the'process' may' have' been' slightly' delayed' by' a' hearty' four'course'meal!'S'we'had'finally'managed'to'fit'everything'into'four' bags,' even' if' what' we' were' calling' our' hand' luggage'was' bigger' and' heavier' than' most' people’s' usual' hold'luggage!' After' a' short' bus' ride,' which' went' surprisingly'smoothly,'we'arrived'at'the'airport,'and'were'somehow'able'to' sneak' through' both' our' ridiculously' large' hand' luggage'and'slightly'overweight'hold'luggage'free'of'charge.'''Upon'arrival,'we'were'met'by'our'driver'Sergei,'who'fulfilled'literally' every' stereotype' you' might' have' about' Russians:'

huge,' very' abrupt,' and'with' a' CD' of' british' songs' entitled' ‘DJ' Sergei’,' he' provided' us'with'much'amusement' S'and'alarm'at'some'of'his'driving' S'even' in'our'sleepSdeprived'state.'But'before'we'could'properly'begin'our'journey,'it'was'time'for'the'food'shop'S'pretty'important'given'this'was'all'we'would'have'to'eat'for'the'next'month'apart'from'freezeSdried'food.'We'therefore'decided'the'best'thing'to'do'was'to'pretty'much'buy'the'whole'shop,'so'we'took'all'their'porridge,'5kg'of'pasta,'96'Snickers'bars,'a'few'kilos'of'nuts'and'raisins,'plus'a'few'tins'of'meat'and'veg,'including'some'dubiousSlooking'horse'S'our'diet'plan'was'one'of'quantity'over'quality.'The'shop'completed,'our'only'remaining'task'before'we'could'finally'get'some'sleep'was'to'get'some'petrol'for'our'stove,'which'proved'more'difficult,'and'more'amusing'than'we'expected.'After'this,'we'got'a'couple'of'hours’'sleep,'and'the'rest'of'the'journey'passed'without'major' incident.'The'borderScrossing'was'easily'smoothed'over'by'Sergei’s' ‘incentivising’'the'officials,'and'eventually'we'came'to'the'helipad.'''''''


5'

'The' next' morning' began' in' panic,' as' we'woke' up' to' see' the' helicopter' taking' off'without'us,'but'we'were'assured' that' this'was'only'a' test' flight,'and' luckily,'after'an'hour' or' two’s' wait,' the' helicopter'returned,' ready' to' fly' again.' Wearing' his'harness' to' reduce' the'weight' in' our'bags,'Seth'was'slightly'surprised'when'a'random'Russian'man'came'up'to'him,'and'without'the' slightest' hint' of' a' smile,' grabbed' him'by' the' belay' loop' and' said' ‘You' go' under'helicopter’,'before'walking'off,'leaving'Seth'bemused' and' slightly' frightened!' Luckily'we' were' actually' travelling' inside' the'helicopter,' which' was' scary' enough' in'itself,' but' also' a' great' experience.' We'arrived' in' the' base' camp' at' about' 11am,'and' with' perfect' organisation' (obviously'no' luck' involved!)' Will' and' Tim' arrived'back' from' their' acclimatization' about' an'hour' later,' just' as' we' finished' putting' up'our' tent' and' put' the' stove' on' for' some'dinner.'''With'Seth'and' I' still'unable' to' sleep'more'than' a' couple' of' hours' a' night' due' to' the'altitude,' and' Will' and' Tim' preparing' for'their'summit'push'on'Khan'Tengri,'we'had'a' team' rest' day,' which' consisted' almost'entirely' of' playing' cards' S' this' became' a'common' theme' throughout' the' trip.' The'next'day,'Sunday'the'26th'of'July,'Seth'and'I' set'off'up' the'glacier' towards'Karly'Tau,'our' acclimatization' objective.' After' about'three' hours,' and' crossing' many' many'crevasses,' we' arrived' at' the' foot' of' the'mountain,'setting'up'camp'on'the'glacier'a'safe' distance' from' the' loose' scree' slopes'

above.'Once'again'our'organisational'skills'came'to'the'fore,'as,'settling'down'in'the'tent,'we'suddenly' realised' I' had' managed' to' leave' a' bag' of' Seth’s' clothes' back' at' base' camp.' We'therefore'had'to'return'the'next'day,'but'Seth'graciously'suggested'this'would'help'with'our'acclimatization.'We'also'dropped'some'kit'in'a'bag'near'the'top'of'the'scree,'saving'us'a'bit'of'weight'for'the'next'day.''''''''


6'

'We' woke' up' early' the' following'morning,' eagerly' anticipating' an'attempt' on' the' summit' of' Karly' Tau,'but'12'hours'of'snow'had' left'our'tent'and'kit'completely'white,'and'with'the'snow' still' falling' and' very' poor'visibility,'we'decided'it'was'sensible'to'descend.' This' proved' sensible,' as' the'snow' continued,' and'we'were' already'wading' through' waist' deep' snow.' At'one'point'we'were' literally' falling' into'crevasses'every'three'steps,'and'briefly'resorted' to' a' cross' between' crawling'

and' breaststroke,' which' funnily' enough' didn’t' lead' to' quick' progress.' After' two' hours' of'slogging,'we'made'it'off'the'snow,'and'another'four'hours'saw'us'back'at'base'camp.'After'a'rest'day'the'following'day,'we'decided'to'try'again,'so'set'off'back'up'to'our'camp'at'4800m'on'a' beautiful' clear' day.' On' a' sunny' day,' we' decided' that' topless' sunbathing' was' the' most'sensible'way'to'spend'our'time,'and'funnily'enough'both'ended'up'with'painful'sunburn!''

The'next'day,'Saturday'1st'August,'was'summit'day,'and'despite'poor'visibility'and'strong'winds,'we'were'not'going'to'be'denied'a'second'time.'We'set'off,'and'after' about' an' hour’s' walking' reached'the' ridge.' Two' hours' of' steep,' calfSburning,' lungSbusting' snowSplodding'later,'we'were'at'the'summit,'and'right'on' cue' the' snow,' cloud,' and' wind'became' stronger' than' ever.'Nevertheless,' we' enjoyed' a' couple' of'minutes' posing' for' photos,' before'beginning' our' descent.' By' 10am,' we'

were'back'at' the' tent,'perfect,' you'would' think,' for'a'nice' relaxing'day.'My'natural' laziness'came' to' the' fore,' as' I' was' very' content' to' lie' around' and' sleep' all' day,' but' Seth' was' less'satisfied,'becoming'so'bored'he'resorted'to'writing'a'list'of'the'furniture'he'was'going'to'buy'for'his'new' flat.'The'madness' seemed' to'be' catching,' as'whilst'playing' cards'we'had'a' few'minutes’'pause'at'one'point,'both'waiting'for'each'other'to'go,'Seth'convinced'that'my'staring'at'my'hand'was'a'symptom'of'extreme'altitude'sickness!'Somehow'we'both'got'through'the'day'safely,'and'ultimately'both'went'to'bed'satisfied'with'a'great'day.''The'next'day'was'again'bad'weather,'worse'than'before,'so'we'decided'not'to'attempt'Peak'Kazakhstan'(although'I'think'secretly'we'were'both'relieved'to'avoid'the'3'o’clock'get'up'and'difficult'trudge'up!).'We'returned'to'base'camp,'luckily'in'about'half'the'time'it'had'taken'us'before'due'to'better'snow'conditions.'''''''


7'

Main$Objective$Unclimbed%Peak%(5,023m)%–%Team'

'The'day'following'mine'and'Tim’s'ascent'of'Khan'Tengri,'Cameron'and'Seth'decided'to'do'a'load'carry'down'North'Inylchek'Glacier'to'where'we'would'place'our'Base'Camp'for'the'main'objective'of' our' expedition'–' to' climb'an'unclimbed'peak.'The'previous' evening'we'had'all'identified'3'unclimbed'5,000m'peaks'within'10km'of'our'current'position'that'looked'to'be'in'

good' condition.' Seth' and'Cameron'therefore'packed'their'bags' with' a' our' spartan'climbing' rack,' 47m' half' rope'and'the' lion'share'of' the'team’s'food'and'headed'off'early'in'the'morning'to'dump'it'somewhere'down' the' glacier.' Meanwhile'Tim' and' myself' ducked' duties'and' got' in' some' much' needed'rest,'recovery'and'shut'eye.''Seth' and'Cameron' arrived' back'late' in' the' afternoon' tired' from'a' brutal' day' of' slogging' over'miserable'glacial'moraine.'They'had' managed' to' stash' their'loads' in' bivi' bags' almost' 10km'as' the' crow' flies' down' North'Inylchek' Glacier.' Arriving'slightly' worse' for' wear,' they'made' it' just' in' time' for'a'heavy'vodka'session'in'camp.'A'couple'of'our'Austrian'friends,'who'had'been' on' Khan' Tengri' with'myself' and' Tim,' had' just'returned' to' camp' from' the'summit' and' demanded' we' all'celebrate' with' them.' While' the'Base' Camp' may' be' deficient' in'many' things' –' fresh' quality'

nutrition'and'good'manners'to'say'the'least,'it'was'however'abundant'in'vodka,'which'(rather'unsurprisingly' for'central'Asia),' they'had'by'the'proverbial'barrel'(with'our' friends'happily'picking'up'the'tab).'' None'of'us'are'at'all'big'into'drinking,'and'were'shown'up'to'no'end'by'our' considerably'more'hardcore' companions'who'drank' like' fish.'Needless' to' say,' the'next'day'necessitated'another'24'hours'of'rest'–'not'least'to'attempt'to'shrug'off'the'effects'of'our'previous'evening’s'poisoning.'''''''


8'

Finally,'all'recovered'and'feeling'strong,'we'all'set'out'for'Seth'and'Cameron’s'stash'down'the'glacier.'The'going'was'pretty'horrendous'–' the' loosest,'most'nightmarish' scree' covered' ice'imaginable,' that' had' formed' endless' reams' of' fortifications' crissScrossing' North' Inylchek'Glacier'–'huge'towers'of'blackened'ice'and'choss.'Suffice'to'say'that'was'the'slowest'10km'any'of'us'had'ever'managed'–'particularly'under' the'weight'of'our'mountainous' rucksacks.'We'arrived'midSafternoon'and'set'about'setting'up'camp'as'best'we'could'before'eyeing'up'our'proposed'targets'through'Seth’s'longSlens'camera.'We'settled'our'eyes'on'Peak'5,023m'on'the'opposite'side'of'the'glacier,'and'following'a'brief'discussion'(or'should'I'say'argument)'about'the'best'method'of'ascent,'we'settled'on'a'route.'While'we'had'some'indication'as'to'what'we'were'getting'ourselves'into'with'the'help'of'our'reconnaissance'and'satellite'photos,'much'of'the'route' lay'hidden'on' the'other'side'of'a'ridge'so'we'were'definitely'aware' that'we'were'going'fairly'blind'into'our'undertaking.'The'one'solace'we'could'find'was'that'our'route'was'in'no'way'threatened'by'any'visible'objective'hazards.'We'therefore'decided'to'head'out'the'next'day.''

Setting$Out$'We' set' out' early' the'next'morning' to' take' full' advantage'of' the' reasonably' low'volumes'of'water'cascading'down'the'many'glacial'rivers'blocking'our'path.'The'Inylchek'glacier'is'vast'–'the'4th' largest'nonSpolar'glacier' in' the'world.'As'such,'as' the'day'wears'on'vast'amounts'of'

snow' from' the' surrounding'peaks' melts,' trickles' down' to'the' glacier,' and' is' funneled'through' a' small' number' of'glacial' rivers.' In' the' afternoon'these'are'many'meters'deep'and'completely' impassable.'However,' following'a'cold'night'they'become'very'marginal' and'can'usually'be'crossed'safely.'''It' took' us' a' good' four' hours' to'reach' the'base'of' the'peak.'The'distance' wasn’t' colossal,' but'once'again'we'were' involved' in'a' fullSscale' battle' against' the'miserySinducing' glacial' towers.'

Our' first' section'of' ascent'was' a' rather'unattractive' scree' slope' –'more'miserable' choss.' It'took'us'about'2'hours'to'trudge'up'this'mound,'which'steepened'and'narrowed'substantially'near'the'top'becoming'quite'a'fun'scramble.'At'the'top'of'this'scree'we'reached'the'snowline'–'well'really'ice'line.'At'this'stage'we'were'completely'enveloped'in'cloud'–'we'were'enjoying'yet'another'day'of'poor'weather.'We'reckoned'that'a'good'70%'of'the'days'we'had'out'in'the'Tian'Shen'we'marred'by'such'poor'weather'–'not'dangerous,'just'low'cloud'accompanied'by'freezing'sleet/snow.'''''''''


9'

Icy$Traverse$'The'icy'slope'rose'up'into'the'cloud'with'a'visibility'of'no'more'than'40m.'We'knew'we'had'to'head'diagonally'up'to'the'right'to'hit'the'ridgeline'where'we'planned'to'place'our'tent,'but'we'had'no'idea'how'far'that'was'from'our'current'position.'On'top'of'that'we'didn’t'even'know'whether'the'ridge'would'even'be'suitable'for'our'tent.'The'one'thing'we'did'have'on'our'side'though'was' time,' so'we' set' off' up' the' slope.' The'majority' of' it' was' probably' about' 45S50'degrees,' but' some' sections' kicked' back' at' about' 60S65' degrees.' We' had' opted' for' an'aggressively' light,' alpine' strategy,' and'between' the' four'of'us'we'had'brought'4' ice' screws'and'1'47m'half'rope'which'we'all'tied'into'at'regular'intervals.'Our'plan'was'to'simul'climb,'with'me'placing' running'protection'as' the' leader' to' cover'us' in' the'event'of' a' fall.' I,' as' the'leader,'had'two'axes,'whilst'the'others'all'had'one.'Spartan'though'this'might'sound,'this'was'

the'perfect'setup'for'the'conditions'we' had,' and' we' climbed' fast' an'efficiently' attempting' to' reach' the'ridgeline'as'soon'as'possible.''Having' been' climbing' for' 3' hours'we' eventually'made' it,' and' true' to'our' predictions' it' was' more' than'suitable'for'our'tent.'We'had'opted'for'a'Mountain'Hardware'Trango'2'(2'man)' for'the' four'of'us,' in'order'to'save'weight.'While'obviously'not'the' most' spacious' option,' it' was'certainly' cosy.' We' set' our' alarms'for' early' the' next'morning' and' fell'asleep'immediately.'

'Summit$Day$

'By'the'time'the'alarm'went'the'following'day'we'were'raring'to'go'–'each'of'us'desperate'to'climb'the'remaining'700'vertical'meters'to'the'summit.'After'breakfast'we'were'greeted'by'a'perfect'sunrise'over'clear'skies'–' the'best'weather'day'so' far' for' the' trip…'certainly'a'good'omen.'We'quickly'set'to'simul'climbing'the'first'section'of'55'degree'ice'in'the'same'style'as'the'previous'day.'We'were'then'met'by'a'short'section'of'loose,'rocky'ridge'before'more'snow'slopes,'which'we'steep'enough'to' force'us' to'place'running'protection.'By'now'the'sun'had'risen'considerably'and'bathed'light'on'the'many'hundreds'of'peaks'of'the'Tian'Shen'–'perfect.'The'next'two'hours'saw'us'heading'up'the'ridge,'negotiating'crevasses,'climbing'a'small'serac'and'edging'ever'closer'to'the'summit'pyramid.'''''''''''


10'

Final$Obstacle$'

Before' long' we' had' arrived' at' a'shoulder' 100' vertical'meters' from' the'summit.' We' were' however' faced' first'with'a'50m'vertical'(to'overhanging'in'places)' wall' of' ice' that' was' guarding'the' true' summit.' This' wasn’t' entirely'unexpected,'as'we'had'spied' this' from'the' valley' floor,' however,' our' plan' to'skirt'behind'it'proved'to'be'impossible.'We' had' no' option,' either' we' had' to'descend' back' to' camp,' or' climb' the'bastard.'''Given' we' had' plenty' of' time' and' the'conditions' were' great,' I' set' about'leading' a' pitch' to' clear' the' vertical'difficulties.' Up' until' this' point'most' of'the' route' had' been' approximately'Scottish' 2/3' with' the' odd' section' of'plodding.'This'however,'was'definitely'a' Scottish' 5,' and' at' almost' 5,000m' it'felt' fantastic' and' involved.' Luckily'however,' that' was' comfortably' within'my' grade' and' I' climbed' it' without'issue.'Dropping'my'ice'axes'back'down'to'the'others'they'followed'without'too'much'difficulty'one' at' a' time.'Now'we'only'had'a'single'30m'pitch'between'us'and' the' easy' ground' beneath' the'summit.' While' this' section' wasn’t' as'steep' (at' perhaps' 60' degrees),' it' was'

however'completely'unprotectable.'Seth'took'it'upon'himself'to'lead'this,'and'after'a'couple'of'choice'expletives'managed'to'top'out'above'the'difficulties.'We'all'quickly'followed'and'found'ourselves' grouped' together' just' meters' from' the' summit.' We' dusted' ourselves' off' and'approached'the'summit'together'in'a'horizontal'line'so'we'would'arrive'altogether.''It' was' a' fantastic' team' moment' of' euphoria.' We' indulged' in' a' team' hug' and' looked' out'towards'Khan'Tengri'(7,010m)'in'the'distance'and'a'multitude'of'other'smaller'peaks.'There'was'nothing'else'quite'like'it'–'an'amazing'shared'moment.'''''''''''


11'

Descent$'

Having'taken'the'mandatory'photos,'we'headed' back' down' to' the' top' of' the'difficulties.'We'set'up'a'snow'bollard'to'abseil' off' and' I' volunteered' to' be' the'guinea'pig'to'go'first.'Luckily,'we'are'all'well' versed' in' our' snow' bollard'creation'skills'and'it'went'off'without'a'hitch.' After' another' couple' we' were'deposited' again' beneath' the' steep'section' of' Scottish' grade' 5.' Over' the'next' few' hours' we' downSclimbed' and'abseiled' our' way' all' the' way' back' to'camp' without' any' major' difficulties.'Before' long' we' were' back' in' the'relative'comfort'and'safety'of'our'tent.''The'next'day'we'chose'a'steeper'line'of'

descent' than' the'one'we'had'climbed'originally.'While' this'made' for'effective'abseiling,' the'last'man'who'had'to'downclimb'(even'with'the'running'protection'placed'beneath'him)'had'a'slight' challenge' in' front'pointing'down'given'some'occasionally' rock'hard' sections'of'black'ice.'Once'again'we'managed'this'without'serious'incident'and'after'some'scree'running'at'the'bottom'we'were'faced'with'another'long'trudge'across'the'glacier'back'to'our'stashed'gear.'Our'progress'was'stopped'by'a'deep,'afternoon'glacial' river'only'700m'from'camp,'and'we'were'forced'to'spend'the'night'camped'on'one'bank'before'crossing'the'following'morning.''

End$of$the$Expedition$'

We'planned' to' spend' the' following' day'resting' before' attempting' to' climb'another'of' the'unclimbed'peaks'we'had'in' mind.' However,' that' night' Tim'contracted' a' fairly' serious' illness' and'was' racked'with' bouts' of' vomiting' and'diarrhea.' ' Despite' waiting' another'couple' of' days,' his' illness' refused' to'pass,'and'completely'flushed'him'of'any'reserves' he' had' for' more' peaks.' We'therefore' were' forced' to' put' Tim' on'antibiotics' and' return' together' back' up'the' glacier' to' our' helicopter' evacuation'point.'Sadly'our'expedition'was'over.''

''''''


12'

''Although' disappointed' that' we' hadn’t' climbed' more' unclimbed' 5,000ers,' we' had' had' all'achieved'our'acclimatisation'objectives'and'our'main'objective'of'climbing'at'least'one.'All'in'all'it'ended'up'being'a'very'successful'endeavour'and'one'that'we'will'remember'fondly'in'the'years'to'come.''After'much'discussion'we'all'agreed'upon'a'name'for'Peak'5,023m'–' ‘Nutcracker'Peak’.'Our'reasons'for'this'were'threefold:'''

o Tim' incessantly' whistled' the' theme' to' the' Nutcracker' most' of' the' way' up' the'mountain,'to'the'irritation'of'the'rest'of'the'team'(!).'

o The'peak'was'a'bit'of'a'ballSbreaker'with'the'vertical'serac'guarding'the'summit.''o The' name' has' strong' Russian' connotations,'which' seems' appropriate' given' the' fact'

that'the'Russians'pioneered'the'climbing'in'the'area.''A'video'of'the'ascent'which'can'be'viewed'here:'https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pywFt321Ut4''

Tim Miller in Kyrgyzstan

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