MULTINATIONAL
EXPEDITION LEADER BRYAN GODFREY
Canadian
Alpine Club team returns
SEPTEMBER28-2000
By
Asem Mustafa Awan
ISLAMABAD
- Six member multinational group of exploratory climbers are leaving for
home on Friday (today) after scaling two unnamed peaks of below 6000
metres.
The
climbers were from New Zealand, England and Canada and were sponsored by
the Canadian Alpine Club.
Bryan
Godfrey from New Zealand said," It was a great experience in the
Ishkoman Valley and we climbed two of the peaks of below 6000 metres and
they are first ascents."
The
team arrived at the Base Camp on August 13. Tom Gleeson from Canada was
injured by a stone on the arm and had to return while second member Peter
Ford from England left early due to job commitments.
The
expedition made Base Camp at 3500 metres followed by an Advance Base Camp
at 4200 metres and Camp 1 at 4700 metres.
The
expedition on the first peak braved bad weather spell for 24 hours in
which 50-60 centimeters of fresh snow made the condition dangerous.
In
all it took the four members 14 hours to make the summit through a heavily
crevassed glacier offering 40 to 45 degrees angle to the summit at 4800
metres
the
second peak also in the trekking zone below 6000 metres was approached in
late August. It was approached from a different glacier with Base Camp at
3500 metres, Camp 1 at 4600 metres followed by a high camp at 4900 metres.
The
weather in early September remained clear and the last 200 metres to the
summit included an ice slope of 40-45 degrees. The four made the top and
back the same day at approximately 5600 metres.
The
team planned for a third peak but unstable rock at 5200 metres and above
forced them to come down for safety.
The
expedition comprised of Bryan Godfrey (New Zealand) Jock Jeffery (New
Zealand), Simon Woods (UK) Peter Ford (UK) Graham Rowbotham (Canada) and
Tom Gleeson (Canada).