DAY 1
We drove for 5 hours over rough tracks, through rivers and over makeshift bridges. Heading deeper into the valleys of the Tien Shan mountains. Each valley led to another, branching off again and again until finally a wide river stood between us and our base camp. We had driven hundreds of kilometres but as the crow flies we were only 50km from our hostel.
The Kamaz 4×4 had left at 4am this morning, aiming to reach this river as early as possible in order to cross it. The glaciers melt during the day, feeding the rivers until they become an impassable torrent. Our driver surveyed the river banks, looking for an opportunity to cross. Lurching forward down into the murky river. The water rose above the huge tyres before crawling out the other side and into the alpine meadow that would be our home for the next 2 weeks.
I had never experienced exploratory mountaineering before. It had always been daunting. I wanted to make sure I had enough experience to make the most of any unclimbed mountains. The Tien Shan is ideal for this sort of expedition. There are hundreds of valleys each with handfuls of unclimbed peaks and each mountain with potential of new routes up each cardinal point. A lot of the routes can be simple mountaineering, but of course you can choose a line more demanding and direct.
The team had a busy morning setting up base camp. Necessities such as sourcing water and setting up the filtration system, putting up our mess tent and digging a latrine, then personal touches like clothes lines, solar panels and our marital quarters. We sat in the meadow and studied our proposed route. Utilising old soviet maps as well as modern 3D counterparts on our phones. There was a good weather window on the horizon and Ewa and I planned to make the most of it. We were pre-acclimatized from climbing in the Swiss alps so we decided to make the hike to advanced base camp that afternoon.
We felt confident with our route and objective. The exploratory nature of this expedition was so different to how we normally operate in the Alps. No condition updates, route reports, gps files or digital topos. We didn’t know what gear we would need, what type of climbing we would encounter. We relied on experience and skill to climb the unknown.
DAY 2
In the morning we navigated the seracs at the bottom of the North face, the snow was hard and compact underfoot, a good sign for the imposing 200m wall in front of us. The gradient started at around 45 degrees, increasing a bit in the middle before relaxing at the top. The frozen snow wouldn’t hold ice screws, yet we roped up and climbed together, hoping to find some ice. We were unable to protect or rest on the steep face. We momentarily took a breather on the west ridge. Straddling the snow, one half of us in the sun and the other in the shadow of the North face. After refueling we headed west to the summit, taking on one false summit after another.
Standing on the summit we took in the view, a perspective no-one had seen. I felt privileged to stand where no-one else had ventured before, but the unique view was our reward for the climb. A huge sense of accomplishment overwhelmed me, not just about the achievement but about doing it together, with my wife. We looked across the valley; it offered us an insight of potential routes on other two 5000m mountains, invaluable first hand information for the coming days.
The team was also successful in ticking off another 4000m peak in the area. Back at base camp we shared our findings; possible routes, objective dangers like areas of high cresaves or hanging seracs. We lapped up the information, ready to return to our new objectives after a rest day or two.
DAY4
Our water barrel was filled up daily. Each morning we would take the small goat track to the water’s edge. It was clearest in the morning when the river was placid and hadn’t disturbed the silt. The weather report came in each day at 3am, giving us the chance to start planning our next goal. From the summit of our previous mountain we saw the other two 5000m peaks. They were a lot more complex to climb but an aesthetic couloir lead to a higher plateau and hopefully onto the 5000m peak. This would be our next objective.
DAY 5
We gathered our gear and made the slow walk up to advanced base camp. The walk was tiresome; river crossings and undulating ground broken by hundreds of marmot holes. As the clouds grew dark, Ewa and I placed our tiny tent at the foot of the glacier. Not as close to the climb as we wanted, but at least it meant we could go light and fast in the morning and leave our bivi kit behind. It also meant we could get the weather report from the team biving up in the tent beside us. Only our axes and walking poles stayed outside the tent, Everything else came inside despite the lack of room. Our climbing hardwear hung from the roof, a rope divided our roll matts, and our boots acted as pillows.
The familiar sound of rain on taught fabric tapped away, picking up pace until a frenzy of rain battered our tent. It was unrelenting and lasted right up until our 2.30am alarm. The fresh snow on the hill would hinder our climbing and I opted to head back down to the base camp. In the following days the bad weather slowed down our momentum, we needed a hot spell and some wind to climb safely in the mountains again. The surrounding peaks around our basecamp now frosted with snow, we knew the higher peaks would be challenging.
DAY 13
The teams had one more opportunity to head up to advanced base camp and secure another climb. 6 of us left early for the long walk in. To our east lay another 4000m peak, already climbed by a team in 2009, but wanting to make the most of the weather and our limited time left we decided to climb the peak via a new route.
DAY 14
Ewa and I would climb together alongside Joe and Will. Leaving at 2.30am we gained the glacier. The amphitheatre was illuminated by the moonlight and at the back of it our couloir awaited. Biding our time at base camp and waiting for good conditions seemed to have paid off. The couloir was in perfect condition. Cruising up the left hand side, we placed rock gear in the sturdy granite to our side as we simul-climbed. We topped out to be instantly warmed by the sun. Looking across the plateau we were greeted by a playground of opportunities. Unfortunately the plateau had trapped a lot of the snow fall. We waded through for the next hour to get our eyes on Eastern face of the 5000m peak for the first time.
The mountain was complicated, hanging seracs and cornices hindered the easiest access on the west ridge and a rock band blocked the east, the clock was ticking and we didn’t want to be climbing that sort of terrain during the midday heat. We split off into two teams again. Ewa and Will to climb another unsummitted 4900m mountain to the west while Joe and I would attempt a route up to the ridgeline and judge it from there.
I lead a pitch of 50 degree frozen snow before traversing into a steep mixed gully. I was in my element. Enjoying the moves of ice and rock, torquing my axe in cracks and placing my crampon points precisely on small edges of rock. I felt comfortable at this grade, where before I might have been at my limit, not enjoying the moment. While now I was hoping the route wouldn’t end. But it soon did. As I belly flopped over a cornice onto wet deep snow, I looked further up the ridge and knew it wouldn’t be safe to continue. Joe climbed up to me enjoying the moves as much as I had. We both made the decision to retreat and meet the other two now waiting on the plateau.
I would often be regretful about not accomplishing a summit, especially with a decision to turn back. The thought “what if” always lingers in the back of you head. But I try to make days on the mountain more about the experience than the objective. That way unaccomplished goals don’t diminish the day as much. It becomes more about the people you climbed with, the conversations you had, and in our case the overall team accomplishments and not about the individuals. For that reason I am so proud of Ewa gaining another unsummitted peak with Will.
We started the long abseil back down the couloir knowing this would be our last day at altitude. The Kamaz would arrive in the next few days, crossing the river once again before driving us back to Karakol.
DAY 16
We drove away from base camp leaving no trace behind. We had spent the last 2 weeks together with people we had never met before. A group of different personalities climbing together in the remote mountains of the Tien Shan. The success of the trip was a testament to how well the team worked together. 7 first ascents of 4000m peaks, 1 first ascent of 5000m a peak and 4 second ascents. But the success of the expedition wasn’t just measured by the first ascents but also by the decision making, the planning and the relationships we made.
