SKILBRUM, Итальянская экспедиция 1995
Источник
В архиве
LIVIO VISINTINI
The goal
SKILBRUM PEAK IS A MOUNTAIN of 7360 m which is mainly ice-clad. It is located in the Karakoram (Pakistan), within the Baltoro Mustagh group, at the head of the Praqpa glacier which flows in the Savoia glacier near the usual K2 base camp.
Mountaineering history
Although being next to famous mountains like K2 and Broad Peak, from where it is clearly visible. Praqpa valley is not visited at all. The only known climb of Skilbrum was made in 19571 Marcus Smuck and Fritz Wintersteller, members of the famous expedition of Hermann Buhl and Kurt Diemberger to Broad Peak, after having successfully climbed the latter, in only two days from their base camp on Abruzzi glacier, walked along the Praqpa glacier, put a camp at 6100 m and reached the top by climbing directly the SE ice wall. In the following 38 years the mountain was completely forgotten and nobody entered the valley. Apart from Skilbrum, all other summits of the Praqpa valley are still unclimbed, and this is quite amazing in an area where the fame of the ‘eight thousanders’ recall more than ten expeditions every year.
Only a very short brief exists about the 1957 expedition, and it was even difficult to have pictures of the mountain, which apparently does not capture the attention of expeditions frequenting the area. On the place, we only had some indication that one Pakistani mountain guide acting as high altitude porter for a climb on K2 west face made an exploration in the Praqpa valley, but no climb was made.
Our style
Our expedition was organised by a group of members of the Varese Section of the Italian Alpine Club and other friends, belonging to other Sections of the Club. Most of the members had previous experience in mountaineering in the Himalaya and in the Andes. The number of climbers was 7. The duration of the journey was very short, with a total of 35 days available, from 26 July to 31 August. The time at base camp was only 9 days, thus giving to us only time for one attempt to the summit, to be made in true alpine style without any preparation of the route, nor any high altitude porters. This limited choice was due to the engagements of all members with their jobs at home, but this was also a precise choice and climbing style which was used successfully in many previous cases.
1. See H.J. Vol. XXI, p. 10. – Ed.
The route
From the photographs we could get before leaving, which were confirmed on the route, the original route of Schmuck and Winter-steller today appears quite steep, difficult and dangerous because of the changes in the ice wall in the last 40 years. Thus from the start our goal was to reach the glacier cwm below the top and try to get to the large saddle which closes the Praqpa valley, called Skilbrum Saddle (6650 m), which was never climbed before. From the saddle a snow ridge or face reaches the top, with a slope not greater then 40°-50°.
The climb
After three days in Rawalpindi, two days for the road trip along the Karakoram Highway to Skardu, and one day in Skardu. the approach march to the mountain took 8 days. The route was the classical one along Baltoro glacier, with some extra difficulties due to landslides blocking the road to Askole about 40 km before its end and frequent bad weather.
The weather cleared on 9 August one day before reaching base camp.
Our base camp was set up at 5200 m on the left moraine of Savoia glacier, at the foot of the rock wall of Angel Peak. It was located near K2 base camp. Being on ground and gravel, it was definitely more comfortable then the latter, which is placed on the ice.
After two more days for aclimatisation and some exploration, we started up on 13 August with fine weather. From base camp we managed route through the crevasses and reached the centre of Savoia glacier. We reached the large and flat plateau at the
confluence of Savoia and Praqpa glaciers. We kept to the left and climbed the left side of Praqpa glacier, following the foot of the NE wall of Praqpa Ri. One stretch is definitely exposed to avalanche danger from the wall. Camp 1 was set after this dangerous stretch at 5800 m, after 6 hours.
On the following day, we continued up contouring a huge icefall to the right and reaching the centre of the glacier, where a large steep passage opens up the way to the upper slopes. Skirting some crevasses we reached the upper cwm at the foot of the SE wall of Skilbrum and of the icefall from Skilbrum Saddle. We set our Camp 2 in this wide plateau (6200 m), approximately in the same location of Camp 1 of Schmuck and Wintersteller.
The direct ascent of Skilbrum SE wall, which is the reported route of the first ascent, appears very difficult and dangerous. The slope is an average 50° with big overhanging seracs in the lower part. We think that such seracs did not exist in 1957.
The access to Skilbrum Saddle appears blocked by a vast icefall, with a height of about 400 m. We spent one day in finding a route through this icefall. To the left of the icefall, at the bottom of a large couloir which collects avalanches from the Praqpa Ri NE wall, we found the way to get to the top of the first ice-step. This was a short traverse to the right, followed by about 70 m of steep climb. We thus reached a wide snow ledge from where we continued to the right in a moderate climb. Where this path was interrupted, we could climb to the left and reach a break in the next ice wall which allowed us to reach the next ice plateau and one steep and wide couloir which can be followed to the Skilbrum Saddle, after some more crevasses and ice pitches. The couloir reaches the saddle at its extreme left. (5 hours from Camp 2). We returned to Camp 2 and set Camp 3 on Skilbrum Saddle on the following day (16 August). We continued our exploration to some hundred meters beyond the camp, finding that the ridge connecting the col to Skilbrum S face has a very thin corniced stretch, made by wet snow. The route to the top also appeared somewhat avalanche-prone because of the large amount of fresh snow fallen in the previous week.
On the following morning, at the time of making our attempt to the top, we saw clear indications of changing weather. Due to the dangers of being blocked at such altitude with very scarce food and fuel, we decided to give up and retreat. Due to the short time at our disposal, we had no possibility for a second attempt.
We left base camp on 20 August and returned to Skardu through Vigne glacier, Gondoghoro pass, to Hushe.
A conclusion
After a long period of bad weather in the second half of July (which caused floods and damage throughout Pakistan) the conditions of the mountain above 6000 m were quite bad, with a lot of fresh snow. The four days needed for getting to Skilbrum Saddle were quite exhausting. We also decided to have a very wise attitude towards the dangers of our climb. Although we had to give up near the summit, we were satisfied of having reached Skilbrum Saddle for the first time and having opened up the route to it.
Our expedition also had a very sad moment. In the last two days at base camp, we visited the survivors of the unlucky Spanish expedition to K2, which had lost three out of its seven members after reaching the top of K2 on 13 August. After spending some time with them, waiting for their rescue helicopter, we made a walk to the base of the Abruzzi ridge. About 2 hours from K2 camp on the lowest slopes of the mountain, we noticed from far away and found the body of one of the Spanish climbers, which was probably carried down by an avalanche through the 3000 + meters of K2 SE wall. With the help of the cook and some porters of the Spanish expedition, we buried him in a nearby crevasse.
Our view of pollution problems in Baltoro
Given the short duration of the attempt and our style, the problem of climbing or camping materials being abandoned at high altitude did not exist. We climbed in alpine style, carrying all materials on our shoulders, we had only one tent and one rope for every two climbers. All garbage was collected and carried back to base camp.
In our view m major problem of pollution exists for the campsites along the approach march and for base camps. The main sources of pollution are not the climbers and trekkers but mainly porters and the Pakistani army camps.
For climbers and trekkers, and specially for small groups and self-organised expeditions, we believe that environmental consciousness is high enough. It is very easy to have a very small amount of waste and dispose it properly along the track. Each camp has a trash pit where most wastes can be burnt. We took care, every day, of burning our containers. We had no more than 30 tin boxes, which we crushed and buried. But the greatest care had to be taken in doing this personally giving this task to a porter or cook meant seeing the trash being simply thrown in the river or in a crevasse.
The true problem of pollution is due to porters. Firstly because the present style of expeditions and trekkings organised by local travel agencies makes use of as much as 7 to 9 porters per tourist, so that the number of porters is almost ten times the number of tourists. Porters never make use of stoves, but use wood for cooking. The oasis of Paiju. where porters cook their food for the following days on Baltoro and collect wood, is going to be quickly destroyed. And the whole surroundings are covered with shit, which makes use of water quite dangerous.
In our view the effort in the next years should aim to reducing the number of porters which need to enter Baltoro (by giving up some comfort, or by building some fixed structures. A large number of porters is only there for carrying back and forth chairs, tables, tents and cooking equipment!) and convince them to use stoves and fuel instead of wood.
Another major source of pollution are army camps. The amount of rubbish surrounding such camps is simply appalling. Even worse then that, the army makes use of horses and mules to carry food and materials along Baltoro. The animals use the little grass existing at camp places, making water unsafe and again dispersing shit everywhere.
We spent much time in discussing about these topics with our liaison officer, and made specific reference to these sources of pollution in our de-briefing report to the Ministry of Tourism.
Summary: An attempt on Skilbrum (7360 m) by an Italian team in August 1995.
SKILBRUM (7360 M), ROUTE OF ATTEMPT. (LIVIO VISINTINI)
