British Yarkhun Expedition
31st August – 10th October 2019
Koyo Zom (6877m), Yarkhun Valley, Hindu Raj, Pakistan
by Jasmine Tours
The team arrived in Islamabad on 1st September and travelled to the Yarkhun Valley via Chitral, arriving at their base camp (3500m) on 6th September. They spent three nights acclimatising at 5040m from 9 to 12 September.
Will and Uisdean were ill on the following days, so Ally, John and Tom slept at 5040m again, and then at 5880m on the ‘right hand skyline’ of Koyo Zom. This was effectively the north-west face. They returned to BC on 18th September.
On 20th September, Uisdean and Will spent another night acclimatising by sleeping around 4800m, and on 21 September, Will climbed to the summit of a 5500m peak above BC. This is believed to be the first ascent.
On 22nd September, Will, John and Uisdean began climbing the left hand skyline of Koyo Zom. This was the north-east ridge. Tom and Ally also began climbing on the right hand skyline.
After four days of snow, ice and mixed climbing, Will, John and Uisdean bailed out due to expected bad weather and illness. They had climbed complex ridges and their highpoint was about 6000m. They returned to BC on 28th September.
Tom and Ally spent five days climbing the north-west face,enjoying steep (at times,overhanging) mixed, ice and rock,to reach the summit of Koyo Zom(6877m) at 1pm on 28th September. They descended the east face [the line of ascent in ’68 by Austrians (the first ascent of Koyo Zom) and Brits in ’77]. On 29 September, whilst walking down the Pechus glacier back to BC, Ally fell in a crevasse and sustained injuries to his head and leg. Tom and Ally were rescued by Pakistani Army helicopters on the following day (30th September).
The team reunited in Islamabad on 2nd October.
Ally Swinton seconding steep ground, reminiscent of Gogarth photos by Tom Livingstone
The north face of Koyo Zom from our base camp at the foot of the Koyo glacier
Return to the top of this page, or to the complete Index, or to this section's Index.
