Lenin Peak Summited

Sari and her climbing partner Artturi Kroger from Finland have summited Lenin Peak (7134m) in the Pamirs in Kyrgyzstan. The team summited Lenin 26th July at 3pm after 10-11 hours climb from the camp 3.

Great start for the Kara Gakar Expedition 2009!

We are now a team of 4....

Well, some bad news; unfortunately Mike is no longer able to join us on our exped. We are all gutted as Mike has been such a big part of the build up and a mainstay of the planning, as well as a darn good friend. I'm sad that we will have lost his cheeky grin and ability to turn everything into an epic (well maybe not so sad about that....).

Hope it gets better chick.

In Arolla

I flew out to the Alps on the 5th, arriving in Geneva at 7pm, on a sunday. Not even Swiss public transport was good enough to get me to Arolla that night, but the guides on my course were. Paul had also just flown in and ended up sharing his van with me. The course started at 9 the next day and I was introduced to Carry and Sam who with me would be guided by Phil where we headed out to a dry glacier to practice our cramp-on technique and crevasse rescue along with a little exploration down into the depths of the ice world.

We walked up to the Marie rose hut in good weather the next day, only to walk down due to bad weather but we still learnt a lot, braking trail ain't easy. The next outing seemed to be more promising as we walked towards the Dix hut working our war along a ridge as we went. The Dix hut has a stunning position looking at the north face of the Mont Blanc de Chelion. From here we headed up the Pigne d'Arolla on great crisp snow.

I next traveled to Saas to meet up with Sally and we would prove to have a successful 8 days exploring both sides of the valley.

Fun and frolics in Saas Grund, Switzerland

Well its been 10 days of excellent climbing and gaining new heights!  Eddy had 5 days of Alpine intro course in Arolla which he thoroughly enjoyed, and no doubt he'll write a few words of his own.  We bumped into each other in Saas Grund at the Mischabel Camp site - Grita - thanks so much you and yours were just lovely! I thoroughly loved the freshly baked croissants delivered each morning...

We got a little multipitch climbing done in the valley, played on the Mittaghorn via ferrata as a warm up, then wandered up to the Almageller hut to do the Weissmies (4027m) by the South South East ridge early the next morning and over to Hohsaas.  It was a little thundery so instead of doing the Lagginhorn we walked down to Kreuzboden and rode monster bikes down.

The weather looked better the next day so we grabbed our window with both hands and decided to go for the Lenspitz (4294m)/Nadelhorn (4327m) traverse.  This involves a 2km walk-in with 1500m of height gain...to the Mischabel hut.  This was a hut which we had spied from the Mittaghorn, and mountain lust had set in on both Eddy and I's account.  This is a fine fine spot, which I highly recommend to anyone without a fear of heights.  It is a stunningly situated hut, with a gruff bluff warden who has a heart of gold.  He watched us with his binos and fed us without complaint on our late return. An Italian guide had died on the descent a week earlier so we were really careful when we made our way back down to our tents.

The route we did was essentially two AD routes strung together, the traverse is especially compact, consistent and enjoyable, and the descent from the Nadlehorn is swift. We wandered up for about 0345hrs and the sky was clear and sparkled, and then the mountains turn to red. A very good day (although I did drop my water bottle... oops?).

It was an stunning trip and a brilliant warm up for the exped, and we left as storms deposited a heavy dusting of snow at 2000m, perfect timing!  

Sari's away! and the freight and Eddy, and me...

Well our first departure is upon us. Sari leaves the UK tomorrow to begin yet another exciting phase of her already adventurous year. She will be flying to Almaty KAZ on Monday and should arrive in Kyrgyzstan by Tuesday. There she will put the group kit into ITMC storage and set off on some mountain orientated trip no doubt. We will then meet her in Bishkek at the beginning of August: ruddy faced and mountain fit :).

Out freight also flies out on the same day! Thanks expedition foods for all your assistance and patience. It has taken us a few forms to fill in and a fair amount of tail chasing but we have gotten half way there. Now all we need to be able to do is pick up our stuff at the other end... without having to cut off an arm and a leg.

Eddy is off to the Alps tomorrow as well (it's a busy week!) to start his Conville Alpine training course. And I will be meeting him shortly afterwards in Saas Grund for about 10 days of Alpine fun (weather permitting).

Mike has done an excellent job of divvying up the group kit and will hopefully get some decent Lakes weather during July. And he looked a little like a pin cushion on Friday after seeming to get most of his jabs in a 1er...

And both he and Vanessa got their passports back after entrusting them to me.
Phew.

Vanessa has been sending us various gems of Med advice via email and keeping us in the loop with altitude issues.

Only a month to go now....

Sal..