Cachemire (kashmir) : géographie, himalaya, karakoram, cartes hindu / kush (raj), troisième pôle

SKI TRAVERSES THROUGH KARAKORAM - Page 1 -

1980, The great US ski traverse through Karakoram by Galen Rowell Note 1 : about Galen Rowell Note 2 : about Ned Gillette 1987, French ski traverse attempt by Pierre Bernard Odier 1990, French ski traverse (recital by Bernard Odier 1995, US ski traverse by Gaines, Knott, Rhoss, Rozell et Thomas 1996, Biafo Hispar ski traverse by David Hamilton 1997, Huw Kingstown ski traverse 1997, British traverse by David Hamilton 2004, the big British ski traverse (recital by David Hamilton) The route Difficulties Weather Recital by David Hamilton 2004, the French Biafo Hispar traverse (recital by V. Dumas)

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The Preparations The Trip The Trek approaches Uphill towards the pass, downhill to hell The Summit Day The Descend 2003, 2004, 2005, ski traverse toward Snow Lake (recital by Pierre Neyret) 2006, around the Ogre (recital by Pierre Neyret)

Although ever more trekkers and climbers are visiting the mountains of the Karakoram during the summer season, spring skiing still remains very much a minority pursuit. Long periods of stable weather, beginning in the spring, enabled both ski groups venturing into the Karakoram in 1997 to successfully complete their crossings of the Hispar-Biafo glacier system. Despite the unusually low rainfall in the region during the early part of the year, snow cover on the glaciers above c4,000m was good. Some groups were risked there, mainly British, American French, when spring starts to offer long periods of stable time.

1980, The great US ski traverse through Karakoram by Galen Rowell :

G. Rowell

The crossing of Biafo Hispar pass by ski has now been achieved seven or eight times by parties on ski, the first occurring in 1980 as part of the American east to west traverse of the Karakoram. Skiing westward from the Bilafond Glacier, Asay, Gillette, Rowell and Schmitz took six weeks to complete the amazing journey to Hispar via Askole. However, the starting point now lies in a disputed area and the route taken in 1980 could not currently be attempted because of the Indo-Pakistan border conflict. This is the longest ski tour yet achieved in the Karakoram, though two other major journeys are worthy of note. In 1990 a six person French team (GUMS Paris) made a circular tour from Askole via the Biafo, Sim Gang, Nobande Sobande, Chiring, Sarpo Lago, Muztagh and Baltoro Glaciers. Three high and technical passes were crossed. In 1995 five Americans (Gaines, Knott, Rhoss, Rozell and Thomas) completed a journey from Shimshal via the Shimshal Pass and Lupke La to Askole. Hamilton is planning another long route in the near future where he hopes to make a continuous ski traverse from Shimshal to Hushe.

Note 1, about Galen Rowell : Galen Rowell, one of the most passionate by mountainous areas in northern Pakistan died in an helicopter accident in 2001 in Alaska.

Note 2, about Ned Gillette : One of the most publicised incident concerned the death on the 5th August 1998 of one of America's most well-known adventurers, Ned Gillette. Gillette and his wife, Susie Patterson, who were on an extended trip to Asia, were camped below Laila Peak on the upper Haramosh Glacier when they were attacked by two men from a village through which they had previously passed. The men appear to have crept up at night and fired at almost point blank range into the tent, killing Gillette instantly and wounding Patterson in the back. They then fled and are later reported to have turned themselves into the local police. Amongst Edward Ned' Gillette's many accomplishments were a circumnavigation of McKinley with Galen Rowell followed by the first one-day ascent of the mountain (1978), a winter ski crossing of the Karakoram (1980) and later that year the first ski descent of Muztagh Ata, the first circumnavigation of Everest (largely on ski in 1981), and being a member of the first team to row across the Drake Passage from the Chilean mainland to Antarctica (1988). He was also formerly in the American Olympic cross-country skiing team, director of the skiing program at Trapp Family Lodge and had climbed to over 8,000m. Gillette, author of two books and many well-illustrated adventure travel articles, was 53 when he died. An report appeared in High Witness in High number 92. Both this and the incident in Swat were not connected with the American bombing and only few parties appear to have experienced any aggression on their way out of the country in late August/September.

1987, French ski traverse attempt by Pierre Bernard Odier :

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Bernard Odier have gone in March 1987, within the GUMS group of Paris for a big ski traverse project through Hispar glacier and Nobande Sobande by the East & West Muztagh pass. But it was too early in the season and the weather was poor and a big storm on the Hispar pass decide them to go back by the same route.

B. Odier

1990, French ski traverse (recital by Bernard Odier) :

B. Odier

In 1990 Bernard Odier returned back in the Karakoram six people and made a very original ski tour starting from Askole to the glaciers of Biafo, Sim Gang, Nobande Sobande, Chiring, Sarpo Lago, Muztagh and Baltoro. Bernard Odier tells his adventure : " We left in complete autonomy, with the GUMS of Paris (almost the same route as in 1987) led with my friend Claude Pastre. Our route was Askole, Biafo glacier, Skam la (a 50° steep pass ! - then we were blocked 3 days by a violent storm; then to Nobande Sobande, the crevassed Chiring glacier (which have since a "Surge"), the cross of the relatively easy Western Muztagh pass, then cross difficult Muztagh pass (200 m very stiff, descending pulkas with jumars), Muztagh glacier, Baltoro and return to Askole a great effort during 4 weeks". The only ones to remake partly this very physically route will be David Hamilton at the time of his great traverse from Shimshal to Hushe in 2004 (read following text).

1995, US ski traverse by Gaines, Knott, Rhoss, Rozell et Thomas : In 1995 five Americans (Gaines, Knott, Rhoss, Rozell and Thomas) completed a journey from Shimshal via the Shimshal Pass and Lupke La to Askole. Hamilton is planning another long route in the near future where he hopes to make a continuous ski traverse from Shimshal to Hushe.

1996, Biafo Hispar ski traverse by David Hamilton : David Hamilton led a six-man commercially organised group from Hispar to Askole in early May. This group took 16 days for the crossing, with Hamilton becoming the first person to ski the route twice. The first and last section of the route had to be walked, as is normal, and the longest day on ski covered 22 km. On his 1996 journey, with two other companions, he was stormbound on the upper Hispar for six days and eventually took 21 days to complete the route. Both Hamilton's group and Kingston used small, adapted, plastic sledges for their equipment.

1997, Huw Kingstown ski traverse : Huw Kingston, became the first person to make a solo ski crossing of the route, taking 12 days in mid-May to travel from Askole to Hispar Village. Kingston is wellknown as a pioneer of adventurous ski touring in the Indian Himalaya but this was his first visit to Pakistan.

1997, British traverse by David Hamilton : After his ski traverse during spring 1996, David Hamilton returned in May 1997 to achieve the glaciers of Biafo and Hispar crossing of in 16 days long trip. He became the first to ski on the route twice.

D. Hamilton

2004, the great British ski traverse (recital by David Hamilton) : http://blankonthemap.free.fr/5_voyage/55_ski_karakoram/ski_traverse_karakoram_cadre.htm (3 sur 15)24/10/2006 13:57:27

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Récit par D. Hamilton

A six British group coming from GB and Australia led by David Hamilton (David Hamilton (GB), Grant Dixon (Aus), Annette Dean (Aus), Dave Cowell (R-U), Ashley Harwell (GB), Robert West (GB) accomplished one of the longest ski trip along the high Karakoram range, from Shimshal village in Gojal (8 of April) to Hushe in Baltistan (arrived the 14 of may 2004) during 260 kms in 37 days trip (35 over 4000m and 13 over 5000. Food and equipment was carrying with special made pulka 1,4m long with 40 to 50 kg loads.

L'équipe : Grant Dixon, Robert West, Dave Cowell, Annette Dean, Ashley Harwell

The route : The route follow the main watershed line of the Karakoram range, on the big glaciers between Pakistan and China. The glaciers were Braldu, Sim Gang, Nobande Sobande, Chiring, Lakhmo, Sarpo Lago, Muztagh, Baltoro, Vigne and Ghondokoro glaciers. The high passes were Shimshal (4758m), Lukpe La (5624m), Skam La (5657m), Muztagh Ouest (5720m), Muztagh Est (5393m), et Ghondokoro La (5600m). The high were verified with GPS, and were surprisingly different comapre with maps of these areas. Portage des charges sur le glacier de braldu

Difficulties :

West face of Skam La (5657m) and south side of East Muztagh pass (5393m) were very hard with 350m of rope and a strong energy. We went fast down the Nobande Sobande glacier, accident and avalanches problems on the Muztagh and Ghondokoro glaciers were rare. David Hamilton fall down trough the ice on Skamri.

Weather : Only 12 of the 37 days of the trip were good with weather. There was few heavy snow but strong wind. Otherwise, fog and bad weather made the trip dangerous. Heavy snow over 5000m was difficult to ski. Sometimes, 5 kms a day might take 8 hours of powerful energy. There was 3 days with good skiing conditions and about 20 kms in 1 day only, with good weather.

Recital by David Hamilton : Mauvais temps au col de Chiring

On May 4th 2004 I stood on the top of the East Muztagh Pass (5393m) looking at the steep drop to the Muztagh Glacier 250 meters below. I wondered what Francis Younghusband must have thought surveying the same scene in 1887. It was day 30 of my ambitious project to force a ski route through the high glaciers along the spine of the Karakoram, crossing six high passes close to the Pakistan-China frontier. The East Muztagh was the fifth pass, and it looked the most difficult yet. For a team of ski mountaineers carrying 350m of rope and a full range of modern climbing equipment and the descent was going to be quite a challenge. It is little wonder that Younghusband's crossing 117 years ago won him considerable fame and became one of the defining moments of the "Great Game" phase of mountain exploration in the Karakoram. My aims in repeating the feat were more modest. The golden age of exploration has passed, and today's mountain adventures increasing take place on a diminishing number of high profile peaks. However there are still mountain areas, that for reasons of politics or geography, have been seldom visited since the days of pioneering exploration. With a little research and planning these are the places where the spirit of exploration and adventure can still be enjoyed today. The idea for a Springtime ski expedition following the Karakoram watershed first occurred to me in 1997 when I completed the classic Hispar/Biafo ski journey for the second time. After a great trip several members of the team were keen to try a similar but more ambitious project. I studied maps to see if it would be possible to link little known glaciers and high passes creating a ski route through the wildest and most remote parts of the range. There was one obviously exciting option. The 260 km route from Shimshal in Upper Hunza to Hushe in Eastern Baltistan was clearly the longest continuous ski journey which could be attempted in the Pakistan Karakoram. Almost all the route would be above 4000m, and the main challenge would be the six passes at heights up to 5700m. Little did I realise that it would be seven years before I would have the chance to make this journey. Each http://blankonthemap.free.fr/5_voyage/55_ski_karakoram/ski_traverse_karakoram_cadre.htm (4 sur 15)24/10/2006 13:57:27

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summer as I guided expeditions on the 8000m peaks of the Karakoram my eyes would drift westwards and I would pick out the peaks, passes and ridges between the Baltoro and Shimshal imagining how my planned ski route would snake between them. There was always a list of potential companions for this expedition, mostly friends impressed with my enthusiasm to take a break from the predictable world of commercial guiding and take a risk on an unpredictable project with a very uncertain outcome. Plans to make the journey in 2002 collapsed when I suffered a back injury in South America. Then in 2003 the project was postponed again when I was invited to lead an Everest expedition. Au dessus du glacier de Sim gang sous le col de Skam La

Of the six companions who assembled in Skardu on April 4th 2004, I was the only remaining member of the 1997 team, and few of the dozen other people who had been committed to the project in the intervening years were present. Ashley Hardwell (with me on Masherbrum in 1991) and Grant Dixon (from Chogolisa in 1993 and Tirich Mir in 1995) were the familiar faces. Robert West, Dave Cowell and Annette Dean were friends of friends. The team contained an interesting mix of ages, skills and experiences. Between us we had climbed and skied in almost every major mountain range on earth. The history of ski expeditions in the Karakoram is a short one. The initial explorations of the range were all summer projects; from the expeditions of Godwin Austen in 1861 and Conway in 1892, to the Italian and British cartographic and scientific expeditions in the 1930's. In the second half of the 20th Century the number of expeditions grew steadily to their current level of more than 50 each year. Today several thousand climbers and trekkers visit the Karakoram each summer. It took the American party of Rowell/Gillette/Schmitz/Asay in 1980 to recognise the potential of the huge glaciers for Springtime ski expeditions with their pioneering journey from the Bilafond Glacier to Hispar, broken only by six days of porterage to join the Baltoro and Biafo Glaciers via Askole. The second half of their journey, the 120 km system of the Biafo and Hispar glaciers, linked by the 5151m Hispar Pass, has become the classic Karakoram ski itinerary and has been repeated by about a dozen groups. In the 24 years since Rowell's expedition only two groups have completed new ski routes in the Karakoram. Bernard Odier's French group in 1990 completed a technically difficult circuit of the Biafo, Sim Gang, Nobabde Sobande, Chiring, Lakhmo and Muztagh Glaciers, crossing 3 high passes in the process. Five years later a 5 person American group made the ski crossing from Shimshal to Askole via the Lukpe La. My 2004 route would join together sections of these previous routes and also cover some new ground, creating a high altitude West to East ski route through the heart of the Karakoram. This would be a longer continuous journey than any of the previous ski expeditions had achieved. It probably also ranks as the longest journey ever attempted in the Karakoram (summer or winter) without the use of local porters.

Camp sur le col de Skam la

My six person team assembled in Skardu on April 4th together with all the expedition food and new 1.4m plastic sleds which had been brought from the UK. The remaining equipment was collected from my Skardu store and packed for the journey to Hunza. We then spent a pleasant afternoon in the garden of the K2 hotel studying maps and discussing the details of our proposed route. This was the first time that the team had met and we began to appreciate the scale of the seven week project that we were about to embark upon. The weather was dreary on the drive to Karimabad where we visited the recently renovated fort before spending the night in a deserted hotel. The new road to Shimshal removed the need for the long 3 day walk from Passu which I had made on previous visits in 1989 and 1990. My Shimshali cook from these visits, Baktawar Shah, is now a guide and organised the 20 porters that would be needed for the seven day trek to the Braldu glacier. The landscape of the Northern Karakoram can look bleak at the best of times, and the area around Shimshal is very dry and barren. In summer sunshine it has a dramatic beauty, but in April mist and drizzle it had a dark and foreboding aspect. I had foolishly assumed that the trip would not really start until we unpacked the skis at the snowline. I had underestimated the difficulty of the trek along the gorge of the Pamir-I-Tang River and over the Shimshal Pass. The heavily laden porters made light work of the faint paths crossing steep cliffs and unstable scree slopes. The experienced mountaineers in the party found the trek among the hardest they had encountered anywhere in the Himalayas. The top of the 4758m Shimshal Pass is a broad, open, grassy plateau used as summer grazing by the Shimshalis. Winter snow lay thick on the ground as we reached the cairn commemorating Younghusband's visit in 1889. This was the first of four crossings that we planned making of the Karakoram watershed. As we descended to Chikar in the Braldu valley the waters ahead of us drained towards the Taklamakan desert to the North, while those behind flowed South through the entire length of Pakistan to reach the Arabian Sea at Karachi. The broad Braldu River presents a major obstacle to summer travel in this area but we crossed the frozen stream of ice with little difficulty. Seven days after leaving Shimshal we reached the terminal morrain of the Braldu glacier and prepared to say farewell to the Shimshal porters who had worked hard and remained cheerful despite the poor weather and cold conditions. Their final act was to carry our 240 kg of equipment a further 10 km towards the snowline across the unstable rocks and rubble of the lower glacier. Ibrahim and Abdullah, my two Hushe cooks who had accompanied us from Skardu were asked to meet us on the Ghondokoro Glacier 20 km North of their village in 30 days time. If they were sceptical of our chances of success they did not show it as they bade their farewells and walked of into the mist. The sun appeared for the first time in many days and we found ourselves surrounded by jagged granite spires with steep faces covered in fresh snow. It took two days of hard effort to carry the equipment to the first usable snow at 4445m. The expedition almost ended before it had really got going. Robert had been acclimatising slowly and appeared to have developed a chest infection. Following long discussions we were all on the verge of returning to Shimshal before he recovered sufficiently to continue. Over the next few days we gained height slowly as the wide snow covered glacier led southwards towards our next goal, the Lupke La. The daily distance covered was less than we had anticipated. The effects of altitude, the weight of the sleds, the soft snow and the poor weather meant that our daily target of 10km was rarely reached. Ski sur le glacier de Nobande Sobande

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After a stormbound day a few kilometers short of the pass we eventually reached the top at 9h30 am on April 21st and measured the height as 5634m. To the south we had excellent views down the Sim Gang Glacier. The snow covered mass of the Orgre's North Face was the most prominent peak visible. This pass had first been crossed by Bill Tilman in 1937. It lies far from the regular trekking routes and has probably not seen many repeat crossings. We were only the second group to make a ski crossing. The ascent had been problem free, however the descent involved broken and crevassed ground. The heavy sleds which had performed admirably on the flat proved to be more of a handful on descents. Had we not been blessed with good weather the descent to the Sim Gang glacier would have been unacceptably dangerous. Our next goal the Skam La was visible a mere 5km to the East. The climb to the short 200m headwall was Passage difficile à la jonction des glaciers de very gentle, but deep soft snow made progress infuriatingly slow. It would be three days before we were able Panmah et de Chiring to establish the expedition's 14th camp on top of the 5657m pass. In these days the fate of the expedition would once again hang in the balance. 3 km on April 22nd followed by a stormbound day on April 23rd created a grave problem with supplies. Ahead lay the Skam La, the most difficult climb of the trip, for which we needed good weather. Our resupply depot lay 25km on the other side of the pass. If we were unable to cross and reach these supplies our only retreat lay down the Biafo Gacier. The journey to Askole might take about 8 days. We had supplies of food and fuel for only 3-4 days. Yet again our luck held when it mattered most. We climbed the steep snow face of the Skam La on 24th April. It took 12 hours of back breaking effort under the glare of a merciless sun to drag the 6 sleds to the top of the pass using pulleys and more than 200m of rope. We were rewarded with the best views of the expedition: an unbroken panorama of peaks to the East and West, and our first view of K2 in the distance. This pass had first been crossed by Eric Shipton during his 1939 expedition. Camped on top of the pass temperature dropped to -25° C during the night; the lowest recorded on our trip. Annette's hand froze to the snow spade as she collected snow for cooking. The ski descent of the Nobande Sobande glacier was the best of the entire expedition. After a few kilometers of polling across level but slightly soft snow the gradient increased and the snow became firmer. Au dessus du glacier de Chiring sous le col de For the first time since putting on skis 10 days before we glided effortlessly over a smooth level surface Muztagh Ouest covering almost 20 km to a campsite with running water close to the junction with the Chiring glacier. The perfect weather and snow conditions continued into the following day and we covered 5km in an hour to reach our resupply point. This had been placed by Musa Khan and his team of Tisar porters a few days previously. Our spirits soared as we saw three large red flags flying in the breeze indicating 100 kg of food and fuel stored in 5 large kit bags. At 4221m this was one of the lowest altitude points on the route. Our jubilation was short lived. The 15 kms ascent to the West Muztagh Pass was to take six days and be the most exhausting and frustrating of the entire journey. Efforts to reach this pass by the early explorers (Schlagintweit 1856, Godwin Austen 1861, Younghusband 1887) all failed due to the difficulty of negotiating the junction of the Panmah/Chiring/South Chiring glaciers. It was not until 1939 that Edrik Fountaine (a member of Shipton's expedition) made the first recorded ascent of this pass in modern times, although it is believed to have been a traditional trade route prior to European exploration of the region. It took most of a day to drag and carry the heavily loaded sleds over the moraine band separating the Chiring from the Nobande Sobande glacier. The novelty of stepping on our first rocks for several weeks soon wore thin. A far bigger obstacle lay ahead. The outflow of the South Chiring glacier entered the Chiring in a chaotic jumble of broken ice blocks and deep unstable crevasses. A full day of porterage on the lateral morrain was required to pass this obstacle that was no more than 400m in length. Poor weather, difficult snow conditions and complex terrain added to the nightmare of the Chiring glacier. We had reached the resupply point only one day behind our projected schedule. By the time we reached the W Muztagh Pass we were running five days late. The first signs of despondency began to show in the team. The prospect of reduced rations had to be considered and it looked like we might have to choose between completing our journey or missing our flights home. GPS readings gave the height of the pass as 5720m. We descended without difficulty into the upper branch of the Sarpo Lago Glacier , passing close to the Sarpo Lago Pass used by Shipton to gain access to the North side of the range in 1937. Lack of time forced us to turn from our preferred route over the Moni Pass leading north of Muztagh Tower towards the more famous East Muztagh Pass.

Descente dangereuse sous le col de Muztagh Est

The climb to the top of the East (or Old) Muztagh Pass (5400m) was straightforward, but by now we were all showing signs of cumulative fatigue. This was the 28th day since we had left Shimshal and the meagre diet of 900g of food per day was beginning to have an effect as our strength and energy levels began to drop. Each of us felt an increasing sense of fatigue as the days passed and clothing which had been tight at the start of the trip began to feel loose as the signs of weight loss began to show. Camp on top of the Pass (measured as 5393m) gave great views over the Chinese side of the range with the Changtok and Chiring peaks prominent. The huge north face of Biale dominated the view to the South. Descending from the pass took an entire day, plus an extensive reconnaissance the previous afternoon. This was arguably the most difficult part of the journey, and certainly the most dangerous. We used over 250m of fixed rope to prepare a route down steep slopes of snow and ice constantly threatened by massive overhanging ice cliffs above. The glacier below was strewn with thousands of tons of blue and green ice blocks that had fallen across our descent route in the previous days. I held my breath as one by one the rest of the team abseiled down the http://blankonthemap.free.fr/5_voyage/55_ski_karakoram/ski_traverse_karakoram_cadre.htm (6 sur 15)24/10/2006 13:57:27

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frighteningly dangerous slopes encumbered by 30 kgs sleds dangling from their harnesses. When we were all standing safely on the level ground of the Muztagh Glacier, well back from the threat of falling ice, we could contemplate the magnitude of Francis Younghusband's efforts in 1887. It certainly was a remarkable achievement to lead a group of untrained and ill equipped locals down such a feature using only a single pick axe, a few yards of pony tack and the unravelled turban of Wali, his faithful servant. The second crossing of this pass only happened in 1929 when Ardito Desio (later famous as the leader of the successful 1954 Italian K2 expedition) made a crossing as part of the Duke of Spoletto's large scientific expedition. Bernard Odier's team in 1990 claimed the first crossing by a ski expedition. The ski descent of the Muztagh Glacier mirrored that of the Nobande Sobande ten days previously. Firm snow gave easy skiing conditions and we sped towards the snow free Baltoro Glacier 10 kms ahead and 1000m lower. By noon we were camped on the North side of the Baltoro Glacier below Lobsang Spire and opposite the Pakistan Army camp at Urdokas. It was 29 days since we had left Shimshal. Time and supplies were now a consideration. By reducing our daily rations it would be possible for the entire team to reach Hushe, given good weather and snow conditions. But poor weather leading to slow progress might leave us a little hungry. It was also looking unlikely that we would complete the journey in time to get our scheduled return flights home. After a short discussion Robert, Dave and Ashley decided to take the shortest route home via Askole, while the remaining three would push on towards the expedition's original goal. Before departing they helped to carry loads over the rocks of the Baltoro Glacier to the south side where we hoped to find better snow. On the morning of May 7th Grant, Annette and myself set off along the Baltoro, our sleds weighed down with the extra supplies donated by our departed companions. We searched for a strand of continuous snow that would lead eastwards to Concordia. At an altitude of only 4160m the ice was patchy and the glacier surface covered with rocks. Crossing a small frozen lake in the lead I broke through the ice and was soaked to my waist until Grant and Annette arrived to pull me free. Two more frustrating days followed: with only 4,6 kms covered in 10 hours, and 2,4 kms covered in 8,5 hours. We spent more Camp sur le glacier de Baltoro time carrying the sleds than pulling them and the experience was deeply depressing. Then on the morning of May 10th we sous le Masherbrum reached good snow. Two days of 10 kms saw us speed eastwards along the Baltoro Glacier and southwards into the Vigne Glacier. Concordia, which I know well from years of expeditions in the area, lay under a thick blanket of snow and the high peaks were similarly covered. Many people have seen K2, Broad Peak and the Gasherbrums from this spot, but few have stood here at the end of Spring when the glaciers are covered in many metres of snow and ice. Before leaving Concordia I looked East to the snow covered slopes of Sia Kangri and the Conway saddle. This will be the route of my next ski journey. If India and Pakistan ever settle their border dispute in the high glaciers of the Karakoram and the area becomes demilitarised, it should be possible to ski from the Baltoro Glacier over the Conway Saddle and down into the Siachen Glacier and the mountain valleys of Ladakh. But that project would have to wait for another year, perhaps even another decade. Now only the 6th and final Pass, the Ghondokoro La, blocked our path to the Hushe valley. Of all the passes on our route this one is the most frequently crossed. It is used by hundreds of climbers, trekkers and porters each summer. It was only discovered in 1989 by Ali Jangjungpa a local Balti porter from one of the villages in the lower Hushe valley. The first foreigners, including myself, crossed it the following year. In summer the route is equipped with fixed ropes maintained (for a fee!) by the "Hushe Rescue Team'. In mid May it presented a formidable obstacle to three weary skiers encumbered with almost 100 kg of equipment.

Ski à Concordia sous le K2

We abandoned all spare food into a deep crevasse and started the 600m climb at dawn. The slope was too steep for skis and sleds, so we fought our way up through the deep snow on foot, carrying everything in very large rucksacks. The snow varied between knee deep and waist deep, and the angle became steeper than 45°. The weather worsened until visibility was little more than 10m. Above our heads towered an enormous unstable cornice dripping menacing icicles. By early afternoon we were cold, wet and tired. Only a final 10m of near vertical snow separated us from the top. Leaving my heavy pack behind, in a place judged to be acceptably safe from avalanche and cornice collapse, I led up this final section to secure a fixed rope. A little over one hour later the three of us crawled into a hastily erected tent on the flat surface of the pass. As the storm raged outside we lay exhausted in the tent too tired to remove our frozen clothes. By evening the storm had passed. Clouds parted to the south revealing the familiar shapes of Trinity, Leila and Masherbrum.: peaks I recognised from eighteen years of climbing in the Hushe valley. We threw dozens of large rocks down the snow slopes to release the unstable layers snow. The 800m descent the following morning passed without incident despite our weakened state. On the level ground of the Ghondokoro Glacier we were able to reassemble the sleds and put on our skis for a final time. The ski down the glacier offered everything that I could have wished from a ski descent in the Karakoram: a firm surface offering easy turning for a skier pulling a sled, terrain that was interesting without being difficult or dangerous, and spectacular scenery. My only regret was that in our 37 day expedition we had experienced only 3 such days! Within a few hours we reached the place where the glacier takes a sharp left turn and is joined by the icefall that flows down from the icefall of the Masherbrum La. At this point there were too many surface rocks for us to ski any further. As we stopped to remove our skis familiar voices called from the slope a few hundred Camp sur le col de Ghondokoro meters ahead. True to their word Ibrahim, Abdullah and 3 other men from Hushe had come to meet us as planned. We were 2 days overdue, but they had waited for us. In fact they had seen us climbing down from the pass through binoculars several hours earlier and had a pot of hot tea and a plate of biscuits waiting for us. http://blankonthemap.free.fr/5_voyage/55_ski_karakoram/ski_traverse_karakoram_cadre.htm (7 sur 15)24/10/2006 13:57:27

Cachemire (kashmir) : géographie, himalaya, karakoram, cartes hindu / kush (raj), troisième pôle

I cannot say if we were more pleased to see them or if they were more pleased to see us. They have been my friends for many years and have worked with me on many expeditions in the Karakoram. They have seen me set off for five 8000m summits, and they have seen that I always return safely. However this time they thought that I had chosen a project with far more dangers and uncertainties. They cried with happiness to see the three thin dishevelled travellers arrive out of the mountains. Later they told me that prayers had been said in the Hushe village Mosque for our safe arrival. We were in a daze as we walked the familiar trekkers trail past the herder's settlements of Dalsan, and Gondoro to Saitcho. We were able to exchange ski boots for comfortable shoes and walk through a landscape of grass, bushes, trees and flowers. The "shop' at Saitcho (possibly the only "tea house' in the Karakoram) had been opened specially in expectation of our arrival and served up fried eggs, chips and fizzy drinks. The next day we were welcomed as heroes as we walked through the fields into the village of Hushe. These simple hardworking people know the high mountains of the Karakoram better than anyone. To receive such a welcome from them was a humbling tribute to our journey of exploration that had pushed us to our physical limits. (Text and pictures by David Hamilton).

David Hamilton Web site :

http://www.highadventure.org.uk

2004, the French Biafo Hispar traverse (recital by V. Dumas) : Pierre Neyret was the first to explore the area by ski 2 times. V. Dumas take is pencil to share is great adventure of the big Biafo Hispar ski traverse :

Récital by V. Dumas

It all started with a simple add in a specialised journal like " looking for a partner for a crazy adventure, made out of gunpowder and virgins (poudre et vierge) and even more, if similarity of character ". This was a sign from a man whom we'll call Peter by discretion. I liked it immediately.

The action will take place in Pakistan, just to assure the exotic side. Few were chosen. The Americans, searching to track down Saddam, going into a resolute Muslim country at war in Irak, discouraged the zeal of many reasonable people. And as for the others, there was little left after the first freezes and fatigue, but that is another story.

The Preparations : For the time being, winter coming to an end, hardly any snow, the members of this team agreed to meet at the entrance of a little village lost in the HauteMaurienne mountains, at Bonneval sur Arc. This is where Peter's love was born for the mountains but for some of us, it was the beginning of the end. Around a table in the only public house of the area, we look at the books full of describing images of this far away magic country - so far and yet so close at the same time. Back to reality, we have to test our progress with a pulka that was lent to us for the occasion. It's like a sledge with a double bamboo or metal bar that keeps us in touch and allows to direct downwards. When the soil is easier, the pulka, on http://blankonthemap.free.fr/5_voyage/55_ski_karakoram/ski_traverse_karakoram_cadre.htm (8 sur 15)24/10/2006 13:57:27

Cachemire (kashmir) : géographie, himalaya, karakoram, cartes hindu / kush (raj), troisième pôle

where the bars are attached to a traction belt, follows by itself (or nearly). Today, the pulka is loaded with our tents, sleeping bags and other necessities corresponding to the weight it'll have over there, however the road is no good for us, every day it's used by skiers, walkers or people using snow shoes. So we try another route to see and that was when things went astray. Luckily, the weather's good. First night in the tent, we start by carefully tapping the snow beneath so as not to wake up in a puddle, thereafter the construction of the super North Face VE25 dome, the expedition tent that is the same all over the world… maybe it's too early to climb the Girard Col, but there's no one to see us. The night is cold, even icy. My sleeping bag deflates slowly until the cold from the ground wakes me up. Once or twice per night, oh well, it could have been worse. Following a friend's suggestion, I took my yop, nickel bottle, the right diameter. It's like -10 -15°C. Peter is sure that it won't be that cold up there, it's difficult to believe but except for one night, he was right. The downhill ride with the pulka was rather easy and fun. It follows well in the tracks even pushing a little. Back to civilisation, the big departure date is 15 days later.

The Trip : Charles de Gaulle airport, our luggage exceeds "slightly" the authorised weight and in spite of earlier negotiations, obviously non written, we have a hard time to make the airport employees admit and accept 60 Kg overweight without extra fees. Finally, we are able to contact the right person on the phone and everything comes back into place. Islamabad, early in the morning. At this awful early hour in the morning, our luggage is quickly picked up and we have no custom problems. Whereas the Pakistanis have to wait with their few bags and parcels, someone comes to pick us up, loads our equipment, to avoid administrative hassle, which could have occurred because of our satellite phone considered in Pakistan as war material. We won't even mention our French "saucisson". A little walk through this new town, the capital of Pakistan since the creation of this country, i.e. 50 yrs ago. The town is built in American cubes (don't tell them please). There's lots of greenery and space. One can admire the views from the hills in the north because the town is built on a flat form similar to a flat outstretched hand. The old part of the town, where we stay is dirtier, noisier, more animated in one word, more typical. Our shopping is done, the last elements of our packages are assembled and we are ready to leave for a 16 hrs drive, in a small minibus, direction China, on the only existing road, the KKH, Karakoram Hwy which will take us to our destination by going from Islamabad through the northern plains, then going up the Indus river where huge gorges of 2000m were hollowed and which are surrounded by the northern Nangat Parbat massif. To the right of the Indus, the KKH follows the road to Skardu and then takes us to Gilgit. A brief stop well due but not very relaxing because I'm the first victim of the nourishment, a classical sign of foreign travellers. It took 2 days to go by, afterwards there was a long walk. The road to Karimabad, the Kingdom of the Aga Kan Prince, is of great beauty, the apricot trees are blossoming and we drive along the impressing Rakaposhi slopes, a close to 8000m incredible barrier and more than 6000m above the valley thus hiding the horizon for 15 Km. We have to leave our little bus and become more serious, a pink jeep (it's more serious, isn't it ?). The track runs along the border of an open air school. A police station registers all foreign visitors that come to this lost area : 15 ever since the beginning of the year. The track winds and shakes us up and the suspended bridges whine even more in a sorrowful way under the weight of our heavily loaded jeep. The weather's good and the scenery becomes more and more mineral. The final stop is at 3200m in the last village of this valley. I'd say that there are about 300 souls that live, or rather survive because of the very difficult conditions. Agriculture is based on cattle with the help of a man who carries a load of wood to break the heaps. Small irrigation canals leave 200m higher up coming from a glacier stream, they are then deviated towards the alluvium plains suspended 100m above the top of the valley. The Hispar glacier, very close, shows a monsters tongue. It carries tons of blocks and other remains from the above summit that surrounds it. It seems to protect, with its large coat, its icy black heart, awaiting the end. The surface is chaotic and the progression very difficult.

The Trek approaches : The day starts. Once the bags are closed, we all weigh them and then give them to the various porters. There are ten of them plus a helping cook chosen by Shah Jahan Geer, our Pakistani guide. The caravan is set into motion. A very long day during which we see a lot of women coming down with loads of dead wood. Two yaks are at peace before the Spantik, 7000m high known to mountain climbers because of its Golden Summit. It's made of yellow marble and as high as 3 north faces of our Grandes Jorasses and it only allowed two climbers to accede. We cross the stream made out of glaciers by using wooden planks, they were the replacement of the ancient boxes suspended by cables. All recitals describe this unique crossing http://blankonthemap.free.fr/5_voyage/55_ski_karakoram/ski_traverse_karakoram_cadre.htm (9 sur 15)24/10/2006 13:57:27

Cachemire (kashmir) : géographie, himalaya, karakoram, cartes hindu / kush (raj), troisième pôle

with emotion, this is, however, too late for us because of its modernisation. The route goes over moraines lateral to the glacier. The scenery is mineral, only a few shrubs and thorny bushes. The track is relatively good. The caravan goes on. For the heavily loaded porters, stops take place often. We feel the altitude and our breathing becomes irregular, I'm unable to speak, it's serious ! The day comes to an end. At the turn of the track, a huge glacier blocks. It comes from the basin of a glacier hidden by the shadow, enclosed by three mastodons nearly 8000m high. Ever since an hour, we went pass the last possible place to camp. Here, there's no water or ground to set up tents. We have to keep going. On the other side, dried stone cabins used by shepherds, offer a comfortable refuge to the porters. However a wall of earth and unstable rocks make it impossible to reach. The porters are way in front, the ease with which they advance is impressing and this in spite of their broken boots and shoes. The soil becomes even harder, lots of small stones, it seems to want to through us downhill. The slope becomes even steeper and Peter, who has an ice axe, cuts steps as best as he can. The most nimble are already at the bottom when suddenly a gas bottle loosens itself from the hold of one of the porters and rolls down towards the porters with lots of noise. Some find shelter behind big rocks, all are ill at ease but nothing happens, the gas bottle, after lots of bumps, comes to a stop in bad shape but still usable. The sun has nearly set when we arrive on the bumpy glacier covered by sliding blocks on the black ice. We go through this labyrinth as well as we can in order to reach the foot of the opposite moraine which luckily, is less steep. Above, we find a small plateau with sand and a little stream, we are at the altitude of the Aiguille du Midi and there is some wind. We quickly set up the camp, everything's calm. This time, the adventure really starts and in these magnificent surroundings, our cook is happy to prepare an unusual dish - French fries. The second day of the trek, the ceiling's low, the sky's grey. The caravan continues in silence. We walk on the terraced moraine above a huge silent sea. Another new shelter for shepherds becomes the joy of the porters who squatter there and make a fire to heat their round bread. It snows a little. A beautiful green mountain grass surrounds us. Just after lunch, as we were heartily climbing on the lateral moraine to look for a passage, confusion occurs between the porters and our guide. Some pretend that the passage that goes through the steep sandy slopes below, has collapsed and that we have to go over the falls of the ice pinnacles onto a new flat lateral glacier. The new flat area does not come. Spooky ice pinnacles, that we can see through the white of the fog, make us decide to backtrack. Right at the bottom of the Hispar glacier, Peter thinks that he can see a kind of snowy valley whereas everywhere else, the glacier consists of ice waves covered with huge accumulated blocks. So, while our guides try to find a reliable passage to that area, we set up camp and wait under more heavily falling snow. Early next morning, there are 30 cm of accumulated fresh snow, it's still grey, we take leave of our cook and his help and start downhill into the steep moraine hoping to reach the promised valley. Peter even takes out the ropes that the porters ignore superbly, they are at home here and the blocks covered with unstable snow do not upset them, in spite of the 15-20 Kg that they carry. We make our first steps on the Hispar glacier. To navigate in this heavy fog is not easy but luckily Peter and Jahan Geer left certain recognisable signs (cairns?) because their footsteps left the day before were totally covered by the falling snow. Time goes by slowly, walking is difficult because the snow hides irregular blocks and the holes are traps for the ones in front. It's snowing again, even strongly, but we can see the valley. The loads are unloaded and we prepare the pulkas and the skis because it's time to leave our porters. Jahan Geer has a soul feeling, he's afraid. He never skied in his life and all his friends called him crazy wanting to cross the Hispar pass in winter. Peter diplomatically tries to persuade him. He's not indispensable neither for the route or his alpine knowledge. He came, invited by Peter, to discover this new means of an expedition. However, for the security of this new adventure lasting 10 days, it's good to be at least four. Furthermore, the material, food, gas for heating utensils and tents was calculated based on four. In spite of the snow and all the uncertainties of the crossing, luckily Jahan Geer was able to be persuaded. We do have mixed feelings though when we see our porters leave. We came for this and yet it looks as if a door is closing behind us. It would be impossible for us, even if we left most of our equipment, to go backwards all alone, the exit is in front, we have to go forward, they are waiting for us on the other side.

Uphill towards the pass, downhill to hell : We're on our way. Impatient to discover, I leave first, looking for the best passage through this labyrinth. We have to go through the stream of sub glaciers, half frozen, without overturning the pulkas. It winds and its turns create difficulties for the skiers and especially their gear which tends to overturn. It's still snowing, we go along some ice walls decorated by stalactites . The erratic blocks become more and more. Already three hrs of great effort when night falls and we set up camp. The GPS is formal : we only did 2 Km on our skis.

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Cachemire (kashmir) : géographie, himalaya, karakoram, cartes hindu / kush (raj), troisième pôle

Next day, nothing changed. We tag along like ox pulling their wagons. The snow is deep and our pulkas trace huge marks just as profound as large. From time to time, a glacier wave or a small glacier lake forces us to go to another slope in a lob sided way. However, the pulkas seem to want to play like most kids. Just like children love to roll on green grass, the pulkas love to turn upside down on the snowy slopes. The stretcher that is attached to us, has problems following the movement, and tries, like a cork screw to twist to avoid having its head upside down. A necessary stop. Then starts a small ceremonial : undo the belts of the stretchers and go backwards, plus note our skis provided with anti-backward skins, don't like this manoeuvre. When this is completed, they are still askew and outside the track. They are difficult to turn. We have to make use of the sticks of the stretchers and the use our leverage to avoid more rolling and then we leave the tracks for them to be able to get into it. And obviously, once they're in the tracks, they want to get out of it immediately, I told you, a pulka really wants to play games. The first time you laugh a little but after 30 times, you laugh less , then not at all and start swearing. Since morning it's grey, then after a while the sun finally emerges through the clouds and we can see the summits. The scenery is superb, enormous - it seems cleansed by the immaculate snow. The temperature rises quickly, we undergo an unexpected strip, lying on the pulka, we need no more stockings and an hour later, I take off my Gore-Tex, a small summer pants would be more than enough. However, with this heat, the snow glues seriously. After a small lunch stop, we desperately try to make these pulkas slide with wax and soap. There is some improvement. But the glacier becomes more difficult, the waves are deeper and we go through funny ups and downs. Only funny for those watching because the falls are tremendous especially when the speedy pulka troughs its driver and then rolls over him. The weather's great. The snow has become more firm because of a slight wind and our pulkas glide easily. No more swearing and all of us benefit from the peace, each with its own thoughts of pleasure in this calm and magnificent scenery. Behind us is the third affluent, the Yatmaru glacier, at the south a border of 6000m without a name, the light is beautiful. We all use our cameras. Our sleeping bags are drying in the sun. We do well to appreciate. Early morning, the sky's grey. The crevasses block the road and Peter and I turn around separately for two hours to find a passage. The short, steep rises through Jahan Geer off balance. Because of his inexperience, his skis won't settle. Just to the side, Christine's 50 Kg have a hard time against the 45 Kg pulka. When we at last reach a less bumpy area, the white day has begun. Peter, a little in front of us, suddenly disappears followed, at great speed by his pulka. We find him flat on his belly in the snow 2 meters further and his pulka, which over flew him, had made a stop with its nose in the snow. More fear than harm, however, the concern that this could happen again stays with our leader all day. So, I become the leader : by accident or need ? Whatever, at about 4 p.m., when we were crossing a forth glacier on more and more sharp ice blades, my pulka decides, without asking my opinion, to go astray. Totally unbalanced and incapable to go upwards in this icy snow where my skis won't settle, I have to let it go down further for 6m, luckily into a large flat field. Since this was obviously chosen to be, we then set up camp there. By the way, the other pulkas came down the same way, through off some of their goods, cans and cookies. It starts to snow again and this'll last 36 hrs. We only leave our tents to get rid of the accumulated kilos of snow which are too much weight. Some are reading, we drink, eat, sleep and start all over. Our spirits are low because in 5 days we only travelled 17 Km whereas we had hoped to do 40 and reach the Hispar glacier. So we have a general meeting and decide to go straight to the pass - we continue. A total of 1 m of fresh snow has fallen. We really have to be crazy pulling our pulkas. Maybe 5 Km into a good direction and then you have to count the zigzags. It's again snowing. Thanks to an unexpected sunshine, we can see a large barrier of ice pinnacles that block the last rigid slope to the pass. To the right, an uncertain soil with avalanche possibilities or to the left, huge holes - a big guess as to which road to take. We decide to let sleep guide us - it'll be to the left. I won't go into any descriptions of deep snow, steep slopes, uncontrollable pulkas, in short, we had a hell of a time. However, Peter was perfect all through this critical and decisive crossing. Full of will, trust and optimism, he was everything for us. For eight hours non stop, he prepared our paths regularly, little by little, took us over many bumps to the top of the pinnacle falls, enabling us to get a view of the pass, which then seemed so close, at 5000m altitude. Our moods became better, the spirits rose, the pass is very close deliverance after many doubts.

The" Summit Day " : The night was full of stars and cold -12°C in the tent and probably -20°C outside, if not less. Sunrise is spectacular, the sky is without clouds, the nearly 8000m are all over the horizon, finally we're out of the mess. Wherever we went by their feet, we can see them all over around us, we also swore at their trash. We leave good heartedly, the goal is close. Well, at least that's what we thought, "close" for 3hrs we advance without stopping, on a sliding snow with our pulkas who have become wise, it's not understandable. At the white line of the horizon, we see the swaying Baintha Brakk also called Ogre. It goes up and down, sometimes disappearing and suddenly reappears, this in the midst of the bumps and holes of the glacier that http://blankonthemap.free.fr/5_voyage/55_ski_karakoram/ski_traverse_karakoram_cadre.htm (11 sur 15)24/10/2006 13:57:27

Cachemire (kashmir) : géographie, himalaya, karakoram, cartes hindu / kush (raj), troisième pôle

we follow like little ants in a great white desert. Finally, it emerges for good and we can see the bottom of its north face which bathes in the "Snow Lake", the famous "Snow Lake" visited by Conway in 1892. We fell into each others' arm, congratulations and of course a group photo. The expeditions that went through this pass during the winter season can be counted on the fingers of one hand. Christine is probably the first woman and Jahan Geer the first Pakistani. However, every summer the pass is visited by hundreds of trekkers and the Baltis, at one time, came there to rob the horses of their rich

neighbours. However, it front of us, we still have to battle, the slope plunges, making the route invisible to us and what we can see to the left is a terrifying fall of pinnacles. We take the middle path and for the first time the pulkas get moving, nearly pushing us because of their haste to go down. We make some large turns between little dangerous depressions. We've been roped 2x2 since the day before as well as our pulkas. The slope becomes a little more abrupt, equivalent to a red skiing slop, however the thick snow becomes heavier because of the sun and the pulkas complicate the situation. Some falls later and an additional return for those more at ease to help descend the pulkas, we stretch out in the sun, our difficulties are over, we savour this unique scene. Camping 5 stars at the "Mont Blanc's" altitude on the famous Snow Lake, - in fact, it's at the confluent of two glacier basins practically flat, each 15 Km long and 6 large.

The Descend :

have to pull our pulkas and the last camp on snow.

If it were possible to keep in mind one "only" day, it would probably be this one : a beautiful blue sky, spotless snow, a festivity of granite needles carved into a snowed passage - an impression of boundlessness to hold your breath and then a magnificent sunset with warm colours. Then we go back to routine, grey sky and lots of snow. Still another 24 hrs of an unwanted rest, it's still snowing but they're waiting for us, so we're again in motion to get to the appointed location where we are to meet our porters coming from Askole to help us carry down our material into the valley. Unfortunately, the glacier, once again, has many bumps and holes and it's impossible to go down by ski. So, once again, we walk and we have to come and go through the crevassed meanders and unstable rocks in order to reach the moraine where we set up camp. The next morning, the four porters joined us. Yes, strange, four are enough whereas we needed ten to go up. The weather's good and we have a little time, so the porters try out our skis, very few falls but a lot of unbalance miraculously corrected. Then it's the last snow tongue where we

To end the trek, a very long walk on a glacier covered with rocks, unstable moraines and finally the plain and its civilised paths. Askole, first of last inhabited village weather you climb up or down the valley, lost to the world, has witnessed many Europeans go by because it's the starting point for the famous K2 and the less famous Broad Peak, Hidden Peak, Gasherbrun and the Trango towers. However, the expedition season has not yet started and we are the first foreigners of the year, also the first success. At the bottom of the village is a road that has been constructed a few years earlier but it's not always usable. In fact, two days before our arrival, many land-slides due to heavy rainfall, have blocked the road in four different places. It won't be open yet, we have to wait. The mood of the camp is gloomy, Peter tries to get news. Then suddenly, a Pakistani of good will shows up at our camp, comes towards us and is indeed happy to see us. He arrived from Skardu with his jeep and was instructed by the agency, to take us back. In fact, in Islamabad, nobody knows that we succeeded. The driver, who probably was full of doubt, congratulates us warmly. We too, are happy to see him because that means that the road is open again. Actually, this road is used by the Pakistani army to furnish supplies to the highest located battle field of the world at the border of the Baltoro and Siachen glacier - Kashmir zone disputed by India and Pakistan. So the army, who had planned on delivering supplies, really speeded up to get the road into shape. It's a superb track along the sides of a canyon. The morning light is very pretty. The first green islands in the valleys impress us enormously after a 15 days crossing of a mineral ice desert. Still seven hours of track and we arrive in Skardu, we are housed in the historical motel used by all the people of expeditions. On the walls are lots of photos, newspaper articles and post cards explaining the adventures of those that stayed there. At the foot of the terrace, the Indus flows silently. The atmosphere is serene We are lucky, the weather's good, the plane can take off. We save a 20 hrs bus ride to Islamabad which can be exhausting. The airport is in quite a large valley but surrounded by high mountains. As soon as the plane takes off, it turns immediately and lifts itself over the town in a spiral. Far to the east is K2, only a small summit amongst others, to the west another famous 8000m, the Nangat Parbat, surnamed "the man eater", they form a small island before the plain. If the Pakistani's port holes weren't so scratched, you could admire this superb view through my photos. All the way back from Askole to Islamabad, Jahan Geer meets his friends who treated him crazy before he left. They are all very impressed by our success. Jahan Geer, a small guide who started late amongst them, has now become a hero. Even a Pakistani journalist from the Peshawar come to interview us at length in http://blankonthemap.free.fr/5_voyage/55_ski_karakoram/ski_traverse_karakoram_cadre.htm (12 sur 15)24/10/2006 13:57:27

Cachemire (kashmir) : géographie, himalaya, karakoram, cartes hindu / kush (raj), troisième pôle

order to write an article of our crossing. The last tourist day at the Faysal mosque and it's back to Paris with a full head of souvenirs. Already in the plane I dream about another crossing on skis in the midst of lost glaciers between China and Pakistan. Maybe one day. (Text by V. Dumas, pictures by V. Dumas & P. Neyret).

2003, 2004, 2005, ski traverses toward Snow Lake (recital by Pierre Neyret) : Spring 2003 - It's already been 10 yrs since I regularly travel in the northern areas, through Hindou Kouch to Shimshal by going over Baltoro, but I still don't know anything about Snow Lake except superb images taken by Shiro Shirahata published in his works on the Karakoram. In April 2003, I organised a small expedition on Hispar and Biafo glaciers to camp on this unique legendary plateau of the world. This experience reveals a new dimension of ways to use the mountain, autonomy on skis and a new huge secret garden : the biggest glaciers of Asia. The fact is, to be able to transport two weeks of food and gas on the pulkas, opens a whole new dimension of considerable action towards places where it's difficult to make use of anybody's help. To travel through the immensity of the glaciers in the heart of the Karakoram, it's a good idea to be independent and the means of the skiing formula, is the easiest and most adapted. I discover that the Snow Lake is even more beautiful than the photo of the famous Japanese photographer, I have never felt more fulfilment in high mountains. The mixture of great peaceful horizontal spaces with vertical walls around them, is fascinating. Going easily down the smooth Biafo glacier under the spectacular Sosbun and Uzun towers, I'm already planning to come back one day to share these spaces with other passionate people of grand nature. In 2004 and 2005, I took two small groups to the Hispar pass via a return on Biafo, 15 Days of happiness each time. At Snow Lake, I'm used to camp under the Solu towers, 1000 m of granite full of ice, with the entrance of the tent turned towards east and the Sim Gang glacier that gets lost behind unnamed mountains and which are 15 Km from there. Further on we can find three passes that give access to other great glacier basins : the Lupke la towards the Braldu, the Skam La towards the Nobande Sobande glacier and the the Sim gang towards the Choktoï, all visited by Shipton during his cartographic expedition in 1937 and 1939.

2006, around the Ogre (recital by Pierre Neyret) :

Récit par P. Neyret

Back to these unvisited spaces without any weariness, these long windy rivers with their soft curbs that invite us to be at peace of mind, these solitary bathed days in the altitude's light, these long brackets out of this world. Ever since Askole we walk tree days in a row with our porters in the Dumurdo valley. Enormous avalanches broke down the giant pass that falls from the Bullah peak c3,000m uphill. Snow rises by a couple of hundreds of meters on the opposite slope. However, the weather's good and we go through without any fear, examining the slopes for any vegetation. Twice in a row, we see Ibex and a gypaetus that come to observe us each day. The valley is blocked by the melting ice of the Panmah glacier, which is itself dominated by a massif of needles from where its back is part of our way to the Skam la. The Choktoi valley goes straight toward the Latok towers towards at the rocky bastion of the Baintha Brakk. A bad surprise, there is no snow on the Panmah. I hoped to put on skis at the confluent of the Choktoi but in front of us we only find kilometers of stone and ice waves. The porters only have two hours left before going back down into the valley to be able to avoid an icy night on altitude. We're going to camp in a hole of a small ablation valley that's luckily full of snow, which is along the left side of the Panmah thus avoiding many long and difficult manoeuvres Good by to the Askole people, meeting point 15 days later in Mango on the Biafo glacier some 100 Km from here. Weather's superb but the pass is far away. Jahan geer, the Hunza guide who accompanies me on all my skiing expeditions, repeats non-stop, "we need good weather for the la" as if this great sunshine had come too early.

Finally, the little valley leads us not too far and we only carry the 40Kg of pulkas for 700m amidst the snowy blocks to join the ice tongue of Nobande Sobande. The hardened snow makes our progression much easier. 1st camp on the great river that curls itself in a huge turn of 180°, giving us a fantastic perspective on the whole myriad of the surrounding summits overflowing with swelling glaciers. The high coloured walls of the Skamri, overrun by ice flutes, hang over us. The GPS gives me an impossible situation on the map, 5 Km more to the west, in the middle of granite needles. We have to admit the lovely card from Switzerland at 1:250 000 has many errors concerning this area. The next day we turn west in front of the mouth of the Chiring with its level of torn up ice being a couple of ten meters way above the top of the lateral moraines. It's good to see that there are still strong glaciers whereas in most of the countries, they are diminishing. The http://blankonthemap.free.fr/5_voyage/55_ski_karakoram/ski_traverse_karakoram_cadre.htm (13 sur 15)24/10/2006 13:57:27

Cachemire (kashmir) : géographie, himalaya, karakoram, cartes hindu / kush (raj), troisième pôle

sky is still pure and we go for 12 Km 500m across uneven ground to reach the entrance of the great plateau, part of the superior basin of the Nobande Sobande. The elegant ice tower of the Biacherahi stands in front of the summit pillar of the Ogre. We can imagine the Skam la still more than 10 Km away. During the day, the heat is suffocating, more than 26°C and the sun's burning. However, as soon as the sun sets behind the white tops of Bobisghir, the temperature drops immediately and goes down to -10° C. The team is in shape, looking forward to the objective, the pass, worried a little about the weather forecast which can be unpredictable in the Karakoram. We know that a storm may break out in a couple of hours and that it can last many days, accumulating fallen snow which would make the crossing practically impossible because of the avalanches. Luck is with us. We go on for one more day on hard snow thus doing 10 Km more before going into a last circle at 5360m. The sky becomes cloudy while I try desperately, in the foggy tent, to open the clogged gas containers. It's my birthday, the fourth that I celebrate on the glaciers. The most beautiful gift would be the Skam la, tomorrow maybe. Beautiful weather. To the east the view goes over the tops that border the Nobande Sobande glacier, hundreds of summits showing the shadow of their blue west faces stretch into infinity and they're dominated by the perfect pyramid of the K2, 65 Km from there. We go further towards the steep slopes of the pass. Two sharp rises in the ground force us to take off our skis and pull the pulkas until we get to a small flat form of a crevasse , only a couple of meters from the goal. The sharp line plunges into the dizzy slopes of the Sim Gang glacier. A last holding brings us to a big enough plateau where we are able to set up camp just between Snow Lake and Nobande Sobande, at 5660m. The Skam la is the most beautiful pass that I was ever lucky enough to go through. The outlook stretches over 200 Km, from the K2 until the Ultar, overlooking all of the center of the Karakoram with its summits of which I've never seen any image before. The pointy peaks of Hispar Muztagh came out as a perfect alignment. The superior basin of Snow Lakes shines and reflects under the settling sun. A quick look onto the slopes allows us to determine where to go down the next day. It's a celebration of the pass which is illuminated by the lights of the night. It only took us one week to reach this part, that means, we still have 12 days to make use of this happiness of being there. Sixty meters of rope allow us to reach the bottom of a 50° slope where we can stock the pulkas in a blocked crevasse. Further down, we'll still make use of one hundred and sixty more to reach the bottom of the pass from where it's possible to use our skis, encouraged by the weight of our huge sledges. The operation took four hours. Tension diminishes after having overcome this major obstacle. We slide easily into the inferior basin of the Sim Gang. When we see the Solo towers, upright 18 Km further west, I feel that I've come back home. We stay for about one week on Snow Lake, always with good weather. We make use of this time to visit the Lupke La (c5,544m) which gives us a fantastic view of the Braldu glacier as well as the mysterious Wesm Mountains from where emerges the rocky tower of Crown Peak at 7265m. We enter into the northern sanctuary of the Ogre sides which jump out over 2000m height in order to reach the Sim la (c5,400m) and then overlook the Chotkoi glacier that we saw 10 days earlier and 2500m below. We come across some fox tracks, unusual at this altitude of 5000m. Some swallows make a stop at our camp, on top of our skis, just like halyards holding on to sails in the middle of the ocean. Our return via Biafo is full of skiing days close to the Uzun Brakk towers and the Baintha Brakk before regaining Mango at the end of the ice. We find the men from Askole to help us go down into the village to end this magnificent circle, which took place under the sigh of luck and good fun. Already looking forward to come back to do new itineraries, dreaming about the crossing of Shimshal Askole via the Shimshal and Lupke la passes, or even more adventures in the Khurdopin pass. (text and pictures by P. Neyret)

Pierre Neyret's Web Site

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Cachemire (kashmir) : géographie, himalaya, karakoram, cartes hindu / kush (raj), troisième pôle

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