Asia, Pakistan, Amin Brakk, West Face, Attempt

Publication Year: 1997.

Amin Brakk, West Face, Attempt*. The expedition was composed of Jose Carlos Tamayo, Adolfo Madinabeita and Jon Lazkano. We established Base Camp at 4200 meters on May 15 at a site called “Bila Congo” by the locals. We wanted to attempt the 1400-meter west face of Amin Brakk in the eastern Karakoram. After bringing everything to the base of the wall, we fixed the first 450 meters and began up the wall. From the start the difficulties were very sustained, with ice, rock, free and aid climbing on mediocre rock in the first part of the wall. Above the first part, we attacked the central wall, which was vertical to overhanging (A2, A4). We set up our second bivouac on top of a large roof at 950 meters up the climb. Above this we continued directly toward the summit ridge. In total we climbed 1150 meters. At this point a very, very violent storm prohibited us from continuing to the summit. We endured six days of bad weather without leaving our portaledge, after which we abandoned our attempt. In all we had spent 15 days on the wall. The descent was made under very dangerous conditions. The wall is objectively very dangerous, with ice and stonefall, etc. Climbing to our high point was rated 5.10 A4 65/70°.

This was my second attempt. The first attempt was slightly more direct, but therefore more exposed to rockfall.

Jon Lazkano, Spain

*See accompanying photo of Amin Brakk in the opening pages of this journal.