This expedition was not previously reported in the AAJ. In June 1998 my four porters left me alone at Lupdhor, a beautiful spot beside a lake on the north side of the Batura Glacier. My plan was to attempt the first ascent of Beka Brakai Chhok Central (6,882m, the highest of the three Beka Brakai Chhok summits (36.551515°N, 74.422083°E), although I had never seen the peak nor a photograph of it. Lupdhor is 10.5kms from the base of the mountain, so I set about establishing an advance base camp at a place known as China Camp (4,143m, 36.591482°N, 74.448759°E).

As I walked up the Batura Glacier, Beka Brakai Chhok Central came into view and I was encouraged to see a feasible route up the snowy northeast spur of Peak 6,315m, from which it appeared possible to join the northwest ridge of BBC Central. I acclimatized on a peak above China Camp.

On July 4, I reached the base (4,214m) of the northeast spur of Peak 6,315m and began climbing up snow and ice, camping that night on a snowy shoulder at 5,080m. Conditions were more difficult the next day, with deep snow, strong wind, and spindrift. I camped at 6,160m. Next morning I bypassed the summit of Peak 6,315m on the east flank and descended steeply to a col at 6,150m at the foot of the northwest ridge of BBC Central. The ridge is narrow and convoluted, and after climbing along it for 30 minutes I realized there was no way I could do it on my own. I returned to the col, climbed up to the top of Peak 6,315m, and then spent another night at my camp. Setting off early, I reached the bottom in three hours. Back at Lupdhor, I left loads for two porters to be collected later and trekked back to Pasu village.

Beka Brakai Chhok has three summits: Central (6,882m, considered to be the highest and still unclimbed), Northeast (6,845m), and South (6,850m). In 2007, Lydia Bradey and Pat Deavoll attempted BBC South from the Baltar Glacier, believing it to be the highest of the summits, and Deavoll attempted it again, in 2008, with Malcolm Bass. That same year, Simone Moro and Hervé Barmasse made the first ascent of BBC South, again from the Baltar Glacier.

Peter Thompson, Alpine Club, U.K.