Asia, Pakistan, Kunyang Chhish Attempt

Publication Year: 1981.

Kunyang Chhish Attempt. During July and August Phil Bartlett, Dave Wilkinson and I made the first attempt on the north side of Kunyang Chhish (7852 meters, 25,760 feet) in the Hispar Mustagh. (It is also spelled Kunyang Kish.) In spite of indifferent weather, we succeeded in climbing the northwest spur, a 6500-foot climb on snow and ice, and reached the north ridge, where a third snow-hole camp was dug at 22,500 feet. Heavy snow marooned us there for six days before we retreated to Base Camp for more supplies. A week later we climbed back to Camp III for a second attempt on the summit ridge. Again the weather went bad and again we were stuck for five days Vast quantities of snow and dwindling supplies ruled out a summit bid and we descended empty-handed. The mountain has been climbed only once, from the south, by Poles Heinrich, Stryczynski, Szafirski and Zawada in 1971.

Stephen Venables, Alpine Club