Supported by a grant from the MEF, New Zealand sisters Christine Byrch and Pat Deavoll have made the second ascent of Koh-e-Baba Tangi (6,516m) via the previously unclimbed North West Ridge.
Baba Tangi, Jade Peak in local dialect and the highest mountain in the eastern sector of the Afghan Hindu Kush, was first climbed in August 1963 by Italians Giancarlo Biasin, Giancarlo Castelli and Carlo Alberto Pinelli. They placed three camps on the West Ridge.
In 2008 four Italian women (including World Cup Ice Climbing champion Anna Torretta), most likely the first all female climbing expedition to the high mountains of Afghanistan's Wakhan Corridor, attempted to repeat this route but found it more difficult than expected, retreating from 6,000m.
In his book Peaks of Silver and Jade, Pinelli notes that the North West Ridge 'seems to be particularly attractive......a varied and hard route but probably not too dangerous, alternating sections of rock, mixed and ice'.
Byrch and Deavoll were joined for the attempt by the renowned Indian mountaineer Satya Dam, but an injury prevented him taking part in the final ascent.
The two women spent 10 days trying to acclimatize before taking off for the climb, although difficult terrain around base camp precluded little more than spending two nights on a nearby 5,200m col.
In early August they left base camp to establish an advanced base below the North West Ridge, next day climbing a 500m ice face at 60-80° on the right flank. On the steeper terrain it was decided that Deavoll would lead and haul her sack, while Byrch would follow, sometimes on jumars, with the heavier "seconds" sac.
Next morning, after spending the night camped on a small col, the pair climbed an ice gully, steep to start, moving out right near the top to avoid the cornice. On this last section sac hauling proved difficult and progress slowed, but the pair managed to reach the ridge and set up camp for the night.
Day three brought ominous skies in the west, and a steep ice slope above sported an awkward rimaye that took three hours for both climbers to negotiate.
By mid afternoon it was snowing. Byrch and Deavoll spent an uncomfortable night close to the summit plateau and the next day reached the western side of the plateau, where in late afternoon, and at an altitude of 6,000m, they found a perfect sheltered campsite.
On day five they were away early, forcing the route through a bitterly cold wind. At around 10:00am they gained the summit and magnificent views west to Pakistan, north to Tajikistan and east to China.
Returning to their tent that night, the two were determined the next day to make a traverse of the mountain by descending the West Ridge. Apart from being a more aesthetic conclusion to the climb, this would hopefully get them down faster than reversing their ascent route.
Multiple rappels took them to the left end of a long snow/ice traverse leading to the top of the ridge, where they were surprised to discover cairns and an old tent platform, complete with firewood, left from the original ascent 48 years ago.
They began scrambling down the 1,500m rocky ridge and towards the end of the afternoon found another cleared campsite. It was a beautiful night, so they didn't bother pitching the tent, simply sleeping under the stars.
On their seventh day they reached the glacier and a waiting Satya Dam.
Deavoll longs to return to these largely unexplored mountains but notes that with the US military pulling out next year, and NGO aid agencies beginning to lose heart, who knows how long North East Afghanistan will remain secure for visiting climbers and trekkers.
The photograph shows Baba Tangi from the Kezghet Valley approach to the north. The West Ridge is the right skyline. The North West Ridge is the next major spur to the left, falling directly from the summit.
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