Asia, India—Garhwal, Bhagirathi III, Southwest Face, New Route and Repeat of Scottish Route

Publication Year: 1994.

Bhagirathi III, Southwest Face, New Route and Repeat of Scottish Route. Our expedition reached Base Camp at Nandanban on August 2. We were Pavel Trefil, leader, Leoš Chwistek, Štefan Danko, Zdedek Michalec, Bohuslav Mrozek and I. After acclimatization, Michalec and I made the fourth ascent of the Scottish Pillar in two days of alpine-style climbing. We left Advance Base at four P.M. on August 13 and reached the bottom of the pillar at 5:30. We used aid only twice. In the evening, we bivouacked on the top of the flake pillar. The next day we started at seven A.M. and were on the summit at 5:30 P.M. The good weather ended for a few days. Then, from August 20 to 23, Mrozek and Trefil made the fifth ascent of the Scottish route, followed on August 21 to 24 by Chwistek and Danko. On August 22 and 23, Michalec and I climbed a new route on the right side of the Scottish Pillar, starting 200 or 300 meters to the right of the other route. The route followed a buttress in the center of the southwest face. The first 24 pitches were excellent free climbing on gray granite slabs. We bivouacked 16 pitches up. There were three pitches of UIAA difficulty of VII and 16 had a difficulty of V or higher. The last 400 meters were on loose rock or 50° snow or ice of I to III difficulty, which we climbed unroped.

ZdenEk Šlachta, Czech Republic