Asia, Pakistan, Tupopdan

Publication Year: 1988.

Tupopdan. Our expedition made the first ascent of Tupopdan (or Tlipobdan) in the Markhun valley of the Karun Koh region of the northern Karakoram. We were Andy Cave, Tom Richardson, John Stevenson, Joe Simpson and I as leader. We established Base Camp under the north face at 4000 meters on June 14 and a snow cave on the col at the foot of the northeast ridge at 5180 meters on June 28. Further visits to the col had to be abandoned because of snow conditions and a new approach was made via a parallel valley. On July 4, Cave and Stevenson reached the col for the summit attempt. They climbed the ridge above with a bivouac on a rock buttress at 5500 meters and reached the summit (6125 meters, 20,095 feet) at 10:15 on July 6. (The Editor suspects that this peak and the one reported on immediately below may well be the same mountain.)

Richard Haszko, England