Asia, India, Kashmir and Jammu, Barnaj II Attempt

Publication Year: 1978.

Barnaj II Attempt. We attempted Barnaj II (20,800 feet), an unclimbed mountain in the Padar region of Jammu-Kashmir, close to the Ladakh border. Between August 29 and September 2 lim Curran, Geoff Smith and I moved by mule from Kishtwar to Machail (c. 9900 feet). Smith and I then travelled about 40 miles round-trip to explore the eastern approach to Barnaj II via the 16,500-foot Hagshu La, a pass into Ladakh. We reached the pass on September 4 in good weather, where we saw Barnaj II still several miles distant. The eastern approach was unlikely to be easy with porters and we risked being snowed in beyond the pass. Deep snow is not unusual in late September. Thus we plumped for the west approach and returned to Machail by September 5. The expedition, which also included Amargeet Singh Chabbewal, John Escott, Geoff Tier, Rick Walters and Bob Toogood, was now fully assembled. We set off up the Barnaji Nala on September 7. Smith and I went on, reached the glacier snout in the rain after a six-hour walk and explored both banks of the glacier to find a good Base Camp site. Base Camp was established at 14,500 feet on September 8. Atrocious weather delayed ferrying loads there. A clearing on September 12 allowed six of us to break trail up the glacier to Camp I and dump gear on a snow plateau above, but we were driven down by another three-day storm. On September 16 another clearing allowed us to reopen the path to Camp I. In the next two days we crossed the plateau, climbed an avalanche-swept couloir and fixed rope to its top at 18,000 feet. In even worse weather on the 20th Smith, Tier, Curran and I set up Camp II at 18,600 feet just under the south ridge of the foresummit. Bob Walters and John Excott had to leave because of ill health. We tried to climb the ridge on the 21st but were defeated by a severe storm at ten A.M. The next day Smith and Tier made a bold effort in the blizzard, climbed to the ridge and up to 19,300 feet. On the 23rd and 24th there was no easing of the bad weather and with dangerous masses of snow accumulating, we retreated.

Paul Nunn, Alpine Club