Asia, Pakistan, Savoia Kangri, Attempt

Publication Year: 1999.

Savoia Kangri, Attempt. It was reported that Nick Bullock, Julian Cartwright, Jamie Fisher, Ewan and Ruaridh Pringle, Paul Schweizer and Alan Swann (U.K) attempted to make the first ascent of Savoia Kangri (7263m) via the southeast face in July. They deviated from the line taken by perhaps the only other attempt on the mountain, a 1982 Czechoslovakian group, by climbing the bow-shaped gully through the triangular buttress left of the 1982 line. On their first attempt, on July 15, Bullock, Cartwright, Fisher, and Schweizer reached a point about two-thirds of the way up the gully by dawn before rockfall forced them to bivy on a snow rib. A storm complicated departure the next morning, and when Fisher was hit by a rock at ca. 6000 meters, the four dumped their gear and descended.

The same climbers made another attempt on July 22, reaching the top of the gully in 12 hours of sustained Scottish 3/4 climbing. The next day, Fisher and Cartwright climbed the 700-meter ice face (55-60°) above in 11 hours to a bivy below a gendarme at ca. 6900 meters. A storm that dumped 60 centimeters of snow kept them pinned in their tents for two days. They then went for the summit, but deep unstable snow prohibited travel past ca. 7000 meters and they retreated again. One more attempt was made on August 5, reaching the top of the gully before more bad weather brought an end to the expedition. (High Mountain Sports 196)