Asia, Hindu Kush, Afghanistan, Koh-i-Mondi, North Face

Publication Year: 1973.

Koh-i-Mondi, North Face. Our expedition was led by Peter Board-man and composed of Bill Church, Chris FitzHugh, Oliver and Margaret Stansfield, Bob Watson and me. We approached the Jouomeh valley (spelled Youmeh by Ian Rowe in A.A.S., 1971 and given as Mulaw on Frey’s map) from the north via Jurm. Leaving the truck at Hazrat Said, we marched with donkeys for six days down the Kotcka and Munjan rivers. Base Camp was established at 12,500 feet on July 17 and an advance camp was made at 14,500 on the glacier. Margaret managed Base Camp admirably and an altitude record of 15,500 feet is claimed for her six- month-old child. We ascended five hitherto unclimbed peaks and made new routes on five others. Our main objective, the north face of Koh-i- Mondi (20,453 feet), was ascended alpine-style towards the end of our stay. This magnificent 5000-foot-high face provided a direct route to the summit at a continuously high standard. It started up the snowfield below the central couloir and traversed left and climbed directly up the huge buttress to the left of the couloir. Boardman, FitzHugh, Church and I reached the summit in 4½ days on August 17. Other major peaks climbed were P 5752 (18,871 feet) via west ridge by Boardman, FitzHugh; Koh-i-Khaaik (19,226 feet) via north face by Boardman, Wragg, Stansfield; and Koh-i-Mondi via northeast rib by Fitzhugh, Church. We also climbed Koh-i-Jumi (19,685 feet); P 5500 (18,045 feet), the next peak west; the peak between Koh-i-Khaaik and P 5752; the peak northeast of P 5752; P 5751 (18,868 feet), northwest of P 5752; and P 5685 (18,648 feet), along the east side of the valley. (These may be identified on Frey’s map, Zwischen Munjan und Bashgal.)

Martin Wragg, Nottingham University Mountaineering Club, England