Asia, Pakistan, Sani Pakkush, 1991

Publication Year: 1993.

Sani Pakkush, 1991. Our expedition was composed of Arnfried Braun, Hans Jud, Daniel Ketterer, Leo Klimmer and me as leader. On July 13, 1991, we reached Bar at the end of the dirt road from Chalt in the Hunza Valley. We followed the East Kukuar Glacier for five days to Base Camp at 4200 meters below the west face of Sani Pakkush. After a reconnaissance, we left Base Camp on July 25 without Jud, who was ill. On the second day, we set up Camp II at 5700 meters. On the third day, Braun and I climbed the 400-meter-high ice face, which rose up to 65° with powder snow on the surface, while Ketterer and Klimmer returned to Camp I for ice screws and rope. On the fourth day, we four climbed the ice face and secured 200 meters on the very steep ridge between the west and north faces. At 6300 meters, we managed to find room for both tents on the edge of a crevasse. Because the weather seemed stable and after the exertions of the previous days, we took a rest day. On July 29, 1991, we had no difficulty in reaching the summit (6952 meters, 22,808 feet) in spite of deep powder snow on the north face. We reached Base Camp in nine hours on the 30th in steadily worsening conditions.

Hubert Bleicher, Deutscher Alpenverein