Asia, Pakistan, Shani Attempt and Ascents of Other Peaks, Naltar Valley, Western Karakoram

Publication Year: 1989.

Shani Attempt and Ascents of Other Peaks, Naltar Valley, Western Karakoram. Attempts were made by Andrew Macnae and Paul Bale from June 19 to 21 and by Richard Spillett and me from July 5 to 7 on the 2000-meter-high unclimbed southeast face of Shani (5885 meters, 19,308 feet). Both attempts failed at around 4600 meters. Extreme objective danger, caused by rapidly thawing upper snowfields and the technical nature of the climbing combined to produce unexpected difficulties. From a high camp on the upper Shani Glacier, Macnae and Martin Price made the first ascent of South Twin (5640 meters, 18,504 feet) via the north face. Several technical sérac pitches were climbed and deep unconsolidated snow was experienced for most of the route. The peak lies 6 kilometers northwest of Shani. On July 4 and 5, Macnae and Bale made a rapid ascent of a new route, the northwest face, of Mehrbani’s north summit (5450 meters, 17,881 feet) from a bivouac at 4600 meters. On July 10 to 12 Macnae and Spillett climbed Sentinel South (5260 meters, 17,257 feet) by the previously unclimbed southeast spur. This lies 7 kilometers north of Shani.

Stephen Thompson, North London Mountaineering Club, England