Asia, Pakistan, Lupghar Sar East Attempt and Ascents of Dut Sar and Chikkorin Sar, 1993

Publication Year: 1995.

Lupghar Sar East Attempt and Ascents of Dut Sar and Chikkorin Sar, 1993. Piercarlo Poletti, his wife Daniela Vanzini, Dino Cazzaniga, Riccardo Verderio, Claudio Ghezzi and I as leader hoped to climb virgin Lupghar Sar East (c. 7200 meters, 23,622 feet) by its northeast ridge. We left Pasu on August 3, 1993 with 23 porters, ascended the Shimshal valley and turned south up the Momhil Glacier to reach Base Camp at 3900 meters on August 7. We continued up the broken glacier to Advance Base at 4300 meters. On August 11, we established Camp I at 5100 meters on a tributary glacier that ascends to the west between the north ridge of Lupghar Sar East and the south ridge of Dut Sar. Our attempt on the northeast face of Lupghar Sar East ended at 5400 meters because of bad weather, technical difficulties and avalanche danger. On August 14, after returning to Base Camp, Verderio, porter Rahmat Ullah Baig and I in nine hours ascended Chikkorin Sar (6205 meters, 20,358 feet) on the east side of the Momhil Glacier by climbing the west rib to reach the south ridge at 5500 meters and then continuing along the ridge to the summit. Verderio descended by paraglider. Cazzaniga and Poletti repeated the climb ten days later. On August 21, Verderio and I set out from Camp I, climbed the south face of Dut Sar to 5850 meters where we met the east ridge and continued in deep snow along the ridge to the summit (6858 meters, 22,500 feet.) Continuing bad weather and avalanche danger forced us to give up on August 25. The Momhil Glacier has dangerous séracs and big crevasses. There are no safe routes on the big peaks above it.

Giacomo Scaccabarozzi, Club Alpino Italiano