BRITISH DRIFIKA EXPEDITION LEADER SCOTT ELBOURNE
Drifika photo inspires British climbers
JULY3-2000
By
Asem Mustafa Awan
Islamabad
– Six members’ British expedition will leave for Skardu on Tuesday to
scale Drifika 6447 metres.
The
expedition is inspired by the Stephan Venables report on the peak besides
that no British team has been able to make the summit.
Alistair
Hearn, member of the expedition said,” It is our first time to Pakistan
and the peak has been climbed very few times.”
Twenty-nine
years old Scott Elbourne is leading the expedition and is very hopeful
that the team has the requisite potential for making the summit.
The
first ascent on the peak is by the Japanese in 1978 followed by Italians
in 1997.
“We
will attempt Drifika in Alpine Style and we expect six days from Base Camp
to summit and back with a bivouac on the way down depending on weather and
snow conditions,”said Scott adding,” A British team, attempted Drifika
in early 1987 but they were unsuccessful.”
“The
Base Camp is an altitude of 4000 metres and the only technical portion
that we have to negotiate is a steep terrain of 300 metres where the
Italians fixed the ropes and
we hope not to fix that portion from 5100 to 5400 metres.”
“It
is gradual slope on the glacial terrain from Base Camp to 5000 metres
followed by the steep portion and after that the ridge continues all the
way to the summit.”
Scott
has climbed in South America, Europe, North America and Himalayas and the
highest he has been on 6960 near the summit of Aconcagua in Argentina,
South America.
Andrew
Rice is the oldest member of the expedition and at age 45 he has loads of
experience in climbing technical routes in all parts of the world.
Two
women climbers Hazel Davies (39) and Helen Rafferty (28) are also part of
the expedition and will vie for being the first British woman on Drifika.
Oliver
Clark is the youngest and fittest climber in the lot and is one of the
rock climbers at the British mountaineering front.
The
expedition will make the summit bid in late July.
CAPTION:
Scott Elbourne