Asia, Pakistan, Tirich Mir East

Publication Year: 1965.

Tirich Mir East. In 1950 Arne Naess headed an expedition which climbed to the highest summit of Tirich Mir (25,263 feet). This year he returned with his fellow Norwegians, Dr. Kjell Friis-Baastad, Ralph Höibakk, Anders Opdal and Per Vigerust. The transport officer was Lieutenant Sabir Kamal. They climbed the difficult south face to the eastern summit (25,236 feet), which is separated from the main peak by a ridge which dips to col of c. 24,775 feet. After flying to Chitral, they walked for four days to Base Camp (numbered as Camp I, 10,800 feet), arriving on May 26. They followed the 1950 route, through Camp II (14,100 feet) and Camp III (15,750 feet), to Advanced Base (Camp IV, 17,000 feet), which was occupied on July 6. During this period, seven peaks over 16,400 feet were climbed. Above Advanced Base, the route started sharply up, crossing an avalanche chute and ascended very steep snow, ice and rock to Camp V (19,700 feet), above which they were preparing the route with fixed ropes on July 16 when snow began to fall. The storm did not let up until July 21. They decided to make a quick assault by two men. The next day all moved to Camp V. The day after, they climbed over difficult rock and snow to another steep icefield and to the site of Camp VI just beyond at 21,325 feet on a comparatively flat snow rib which lay in the face. On the 24th Höibakk and Opdal climbed a third icefield with packs of 55 pounds containing ten days’ supplies to a bivouac spot at 23,000 feet. On July 25 they climbed a steep ice gully to a shoulder at 24,100 feet and thence reached the southeast ridge at 24,775 feet. They arrived on the summit in doubtful weather at four P.M.