Monkey business in the Karnak gorge
Words: Cosmin Andron Photography: Cristina Pogacean, Jonathan Parker, Cosmin Andron Ladakh 2017 We arrived in Delhi mid-August, hopeful and with loads of luggage. Cristina and Nasim (her partner) were aiming for H17 in the Zanskar valley, an unclimbed granite monolith. I was to join them as logistical support but I also had plans of my own: last year, during our T16 expedition, I noticed, on a side valley, a stunning mixed couloir that I wanted to attempt once the girls were up on their wall and if conditions were allowing. A day later we were in Leh where we spent half a week running after supplies, getting the luggage overland from Delhi (thank you Jaggi, Prerna and Gopal) trying to organise transport (with the help of our Ladakhi friends) and getting ready for departure. When Nasim arrived in Leh we were ready and we set off…
Gandharva Chuli and the long list of Piolet d’Or 2014
<> Piolet d’Or website <> Nice props from “Tendon” <> Comunicatul Clubului Alpin Roman
Gandharva Chuli – First Ascent – 4-6 May 2013
Words by Lindsay Griffin Romanians Cosmin Andron and Cristina Pogacean have made the first ascent of Ghandarbha Chuli, a snow and ice peak on the eastern rim of the Annapurna Sanctuary. Ghandarbha Chuli (a.k.a Gandharva, and formerly the Gabelhorn, 6,248m) lies on the ridge connecting Annapurna III (7,553m) to Macchapuchhare (6,993m), nearer to the latter. There have been no previous official attempts. Ghandarbha Chuli is on the permitted list as a peak that can only be attempted by foreign team if it forms a joint expedition with Nepalis. Including cooks and helpers the two Romanians had eight Nepalis on their expedition. The team set up base camp on the 2nd May at 3,857m (GPS), at the confluence of the Modi Khola and the river that runs north from Singu Chuli (Fluted Peak). Next day, with the help of some of their Nepalese companions, they made an advanced base below the…
New route on Les Aiguilles Rouges, massif du Mont-Blanc – Le Brevent SE face
On 16 April 2011 Geordie (Waiwah Yip) and myself climbed our way up a new route “Lost in Translation” on Le Brevent (Les Aiguilles Rouges, massif du Mont-Blanc) above Chamonix. We left in the early afternoon with the intent of climbing ‘Frison Roche’ but a walk down the ski slope and the snow accumulation at the base of the wall which we circumvented by two abseils deposited us way more to the left at the very base of the wall. We spotted a line and I climbed the first 35m pitch under the horrifying whistle of rockfall liberated from the wall by the early afternoon sun. Brick and coffee-table sized chunks wizzed by and I found solace under a small, illusory protecting, roof 35 or so meters up. Geordie carried on with the next three pitches – more a collection of curiously balanced rubble and interesting cracks. The last two…