Progression Page Published
This summer is a big step for me both on a personal level and in developing my skills and experience as a climber. It's the first time I'll have complete autonomy and the ability to create my own style in the great ranges. If you'd like to see where I've come from and how I'm headed to the high Pamir at 26, here's a little context.
Altay
Hey everyone,This is the first town of any size that we've encountered. Everyone's in good spirits after quite a lot of bumpy and dusty travel. Our original Land Cruiser (and driver Tsele) had to be towed all the way back to Ulaanbaatar. As far as we can guess, the fuel filter/fuel injection was totally shot, as well as maybe the transmission. Our drivers attempted to fix this by breaking a hole in the exhaust with a rock hammer?!? and our fears were confirmed when we reached town. Anyhow, we all huddled into the Russian van for quite the ride across some of the craziest roads yet to Biger. There, we met a wonderful new Land Cruiser and driver Nyamsaikhan who scrambled out from Bayanhongor to meet us. By all accounts, he's a pretty rugged guy, and a really nice addition to the crew. Our work in Biger went unbelievably well, and we haven't missed a beat. We're now poised to take our first day, or half-day off tomorrow, before driving west to Darvi and Dzereg. We'll turn back towards Ulaanbaatar no later than July 1st, budgeting around 4 days for the drive across the country.I'm feeling really well, and have been able to go on some amazing runs out here. We're actually at a bit of altitude (a few nights ago we slept around 8000 ft), so maybe some of my fitness and acclimatization will help for the upcoming climbs. I've also gotten quite a bit of reading done and have enjoyed passing the evenings laughing and joking with the Mongolians. Derek, Jeremy and Jobe are hilarious as usual.Take care,Hari
Text Dispatch: On the road again
We're still miraculously on schedule after a rough trip north. Our suv is getting towed so we all squeezed into the Russian van and pressed on. We're hoping to meet another vehicle here racing out here to Biger tomorrow. My stomach is touchy but all is well.
Text Dispatch: Solstice at a Spring
We worked hard the past two days and we'll start the long drive out of the Gobi tomorrow afternoon. I found 100s of dinosaur bones yesterday including large vertebrae. We stopped in Gurvantes and had dinner and a glorious shower. Now camped on beautiful grass by Naran Bulag spring.
High Sierra section added
Hey everyone,This summer, in addition to live expedition reports, I'll be rolling out content from some of my past climbs. The first installment comes from what is now my home range, the High Sierra. This section is certainly incomplete, and I'll look to add complete photo galleries from selected climbs in the future, but for now, here's a brief overview of some of my favorite trips in the Range of Light.
Ulaanbaatar
Greetings from the capital of Mongolia! With over 60% nomads, UB (pop. 1 million) is really Mongolia's only city, with other towns all under 40,000. UB is an interesting, rapidly growing city, with a very eclectic patchwork of old and new.
It looks like we're all set for an early departure to the Gobi Desert tomorrow. We spent the day changing money, picking up some last minute field supplies and sorting out field equipment. Things here feel pretty similar to last year, but there's certainly a lot of hustle and bustle into the leadup to the Parliamentary elections on the 28th. With recent issues including the former president being arrested on corruption charges, and a lot of seats up for grabs, there's a lot of anticipation.
Anyhow, our rough plan is as follows:We'll head to the Bayn Dzag, near the town of Dalanzadgad. Bayn Dzag is famous for some of the best dinosaur fossil localities in the world. There, we'll sample paleosols, ancient soils, for clay and carbonate minerals which can tell us about the climatic conditions when they were deposited. After Bayn Dzag, we travel west into the remote Nemegt Basin, where we'll continue sampling. After Nemegt, we have planned a very adventurous several hundred mile drive to the northwest to more field sites near Altay. Finally, we travel west to the town of Khovd along a main road (main roads are still pretty wild though!) and sample at 3 or so other sites. From Khovd, we'll begin the several day drive back across the country to UB, completing our several thousand mile clockwise loop. We plan on being out in the field for about three weeks as we're scheduled to leave the country on June 8. I'll check in with brief updates from the field or the occasional town along the way.Take care,Hari
Liftoff!
Mountains are not stadiums where I satisfy my ambition to achieve, they are the cathedrals where I practice my religion...I go to them as humans go to worship. From their lofty summits I view my past, dream of the future and, with an unusual acuity, am allowed to experience the present moment...my vision cleared, my strength renewed. In the mountains I celebrate creation. On each journey I am reborn. -Anatoli Boukreev
Pamir Expedition Breakdown: Korzhenevskaya and Ismoil Somoni
Following Lenin Peak, I travel to the icy heart of the Pamir. Located in Gorno-Badakhshan, an autonomous province bordered to the east by China and the Kunlun Shan, and to the south by Afghanistan’s narrow Wakhan Corridor, the Pamir are known as the Roof of the World.Getting to NowhereFrom Lenin Peak, I will travel overland to the Kyrgyz-Tajik border at Karamyk Pass. This is probably one of the most difficult ways to enter Tajikistan, which is already the world’s 3rd least visited country with only 4000 tourists per year. Traveling with a few other climbers who are attempting the same trip (at this point, I think it’s just me, a Russian, an Austrian and a team of Kazakhs), we’ll drive down the Vakhsh River to the small town of Djirgital on July 26th. On the 27th we hope to fly (on Tajikistan’s only helicopter!) to the Moskvin Glacier at the base of Peak Korzhenevskaya (7105m, 23,311 ft) and Peak Ismoil Somoni (formerly Peak Communism, 7495m, 24,590 ft), the world’s 50th highest mountain. Located in the Academy of Sciences Range, these peaks rise over 10,000 ft above the surrounding glaciers, including the 90-km long Fedchenko. These remarkable places are sadly facing critical threats from climate change and it will be an incredible opportunity to see the home of the snow leopard while these glaciers still exist. The Fedchenko, the longest glacier in the world outside the polar regions, is shrinking at a rate of 15-20m per year, and it is estimated that 30% of Tajikistan’s glaciers could disappear by 2050.KorzhenevskayaAs I’ll arrive with the enormous benefit of prior acclimatization on Lenin Peak, I’ll have ample time in my 21-day climbing window for Korzhenevskaya and Communism. Korzhenevskaya is certainly the easier of the two. The route is fairly direct, ascending rock and gentle snow slopes past a series of camps to the popular 5800m (19,000 ft) camp located on a well-protected snow ledge beneath a rock overhang. From there, the route traverses snow slopes before reaching the crux, a 50m vertical rock band protected by fixed line. Following the rock cliff, the route follows the moderate meandering snow ridge past two camps to the summit. The upper mountain is famous for its spectacular views of Peak Communism and the neighboring peaks.
Ismoil SomoniNow named for the Tajik national hero, Peak Ismoil Somoni is a giant. The normal route to the summit, the Borodkin Spur, presents few major technical difficulties, but it’s a huge, committing and complex. Ascents often last 6-7 days. The route begins from the Walter Glacier and can be threatened by serac fall from a hanging glacier thousands of feet above. Typically, this short section is climbed quickly in the middle of the night. The route then ascends some steep rock sections and moderate crevassed snow slopes to the enormous Pamir Firn Plateau at approximately 6000m (20,000 ft). The route then crosses the broad, blank white expanse before ascending a rib of Peak Dushanbe, a 23,000 ft shoulder. Finally, steep snow slopes and a knife-edge ridge lead up the last 1500 ft to the highest point in the former Soviet Union.
Petit Griffon and Crystal Crag
It’s hard to beat the High Sierra in June. A bunch of earth science folks had wanted to squeeze in one last trip before we took off for the summer. On Friday, we headed out and camped near Tioga Pass to acclimatize. By 6:30 the next morning Brad, Zach and I, fresh off an ascent of the East Arete of Mount Humphreys a few weeks ago, started hiking up from Mosquito Flat. Our objective was the Petit Griffon, a small, seldom-climbed spire next to Mount Abbot. We made quick work of the beautiful approach.
In sharp contrast to most climbs in the High Sierra, the approaches in this region start from a high trailhead (over 10,000 ft) and aren’t usually longer than 4 or 5 miles. By the time we hit the couloir marking the base of the route, the snow had softened up considerably, but we weren’t postholing.
Upon reaching the Sierra crest, we racked up and got ready for the rock finish. Zach opted to take the leads as he wasn’t planning on climbing Sunday as well. Two stout 5.9 pitches set the tone…the Petit Griffon wasn’t going to let us off that easy! I’m not ashamed to say that after sinking my feet pretty deep in snow and freezing my hands on the first pitch I pulled on a prussik to get past a move. On the second, a handhold broke and I took a few tries getting up a headwall before a short airy traverse.
Brad led the fun 30 foot finish to the summit which was just big enough to let the three of us enjoy some lunch and check out the view. Upon viewing the summit register, we noted that the Petit Griffon is climbed only about once a year. For such a spectacular route in a relatively accessible spot, it’s wonderful to know that there are still plenty of wild places.
After a delicious dinner and soak at some hot springs, we crashed in the woods near Mammoth. Over a late breakfast, Brad and I decided to climb the classic North Arete on Crystal Crag. It’s in a beautiful setting and has a wild, alpine feel, but is very accessible above Mammoth Lakes. With our systems dialed from the day before, Brad and I charged up and down in a few hours, meeting up with our friends at Crystal Lake for the hike out. This was one of the most enjoyable routes I’ve done in a while. The ridge and quartz vein near the top were spectacular. What a way to wrap up training for this summer's Pamir expedition!Complete photo gallery here:Petit Griffon and Crystal Crag
Pamir expedition receives American Alpine Club support!
I'm extremely excited to report that the upcoming Pamir expedition has won one of five highly competitive Live Your Dream grants from the American Alpine Club's Southwest section. The AAC is a leading organization that provides conservation and advocacy for our wild places as well as knowledge, inspiration and community to those who love them. Thanks so much to the AAC for their support.
Pamir Snow Leopard Peaks Expedition Breakdown: Lenin Peak
First off, I’d like to make a sales pitch for climbing and traveling in Central Asia. It’s a spectacularly beautiful part of the world, and the logistical difficulties aren’t quite as imposing as one would imagine. There are very professional tour operators, and I’ll be traveling under the care of a company that will handle all of my logistics and support up to the base camps.Kyrgyzstan is a remarkably mountainous country—nearly the entire country is inhabited by major peaks. In the north stands the Tien Shan and to the south, the Alai and Pamir Mountains. Just to the north of the Alai Mountains lies the ancient city of Osh and the fertile and politically volatile Fergana Valley of Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan.
Ibn Sina Peak, more commonly known as Lenin, is located on the Kyrgyz/Tajik border in the Trans-Alai Range. The Trans-Alai is a stunning ridge of snowcapped peaks which rise out of the broad grassy Alai Valley marking the northern extent of the Pamir.Lenin PeakLenin is considered perhaps the easiest 7000m (23,000 ft) peak in the world. Of course, this is a relative term, and climbing anything of this size presents some pretty serious physical, mental, and logistical challenges. For me, Lenin itself is a perfect way to start the expedition. One of the things I’m trying to do this trip is to gain some experience with running my own expedition. A wise climbing axiom is to never change too many variables at once. In this sense, my trip to Lenin will give me complete autonomy over my decision-making and style on the upper mountain, while the elevation and technical demand of the route are well within my limits.I’ll arrive in Bishkek on July 9th. I’ll need to buy food and supplies for the entire course of the expedition, as re-stocking in Djirgital, Tajkistan (the only town I’ll visit during the climbing period) is just as difficult as it sounds. The next morning, I’ll fly to Osh, a city older than Rome in the Fergana Valley of southern Kyrgyzstan and make the rugged 8-10 hour drive to Lenin’s Achik Tash base camp at about 3400m (11,000 ft).
Once at base camp, I’ll have a relatively short 16-day window for climbing. I’ll spend the first few days shuttling loads up to advanced base camp at 4400m (14,400 ft) and acclimatizing. Acclimatization is probably the most important component of high altitude climbing. It can be tricky to provide both the stimulus of high altitude and the rest necessary to grow the red blood cells required to function with so little atmospheric oxygen available. Atmospheric pressure at the 7134m (23,406 ft) summit is only 40% of that at sea level, and adaptation takes weeks.After approximately 4 days, I’ll be ready to begin establishing camps on the upper mountain and sleeping higher. The precise schedule will certainly vary with mountain conditions, weather and my acclimatization. The route itself will place constraints however. Above ABC, there is an easy slope followed by a crevassed section of the glacier leading to camp 1 at 5300m (17,400 ft). I will make one or two trips through this section when acclimatizing and establishing camps. From camp 1 to camp 2, the route travels up a long snowy ridge to Razdelnaya, a subsidiary peak of Lenin at 6148m (20,171 ft). Camp 2 is located on a saddle on the windy summit ridge at approximately 6100m (20,000 ft). I would like to spend at most one night at this extreme location and may consider a summit attempt from lower on the mountain. I’ll need to budget adequate time after the summit push to return to ABC and shuttle my loads back to base camp before leaving on July 26th for Tajikistan and the second portion of the expedition.OK, enough of the details. Some awesome things about this portion of the trip: it has a spectacularly beautiful base camp, with lakes, marmots, wildflowers and local nomads living in yurts. Lenin Peak is the highest point on the northern flanks of the Pamir, and the Alay Valley lying just to the north adjacent to base camp is spectacularly beautiful. On a clear day from high on the mountain, I’ll be able to see well into China, Afghanistan and, of course, the rest of the Pamir.
Microbe CollectionOn the climbing portion of this expedition, I’ll assist geoscientists working on weathering and nutrient cycling by high altitude microbial communities. This work is part of a partnership between the nonprofit Adventurers and Scientists for Conservation, of which I’m a member, and the University of Arizona's Biosphere 2. By understanding how climate change will affect the production of living matter in these extreme environments, we can better contextualize the impacts of global environmental change. I’ll sample rocks from a series of altitudes on each of the peaks I climb this summer.
Introducing the Piggyback: Fieldwork and Mount Humphreys
Time for a confession: I get paid to camp. And not just that, but my research takes me to sedimentary basins near mountain belts, so I can usually find a way to squeeze in some climbing after I’m done. This cunning strategy has already allowed worked in Colorado, the Alps, the Tetons and the Tien Shan. Last week was no exception. Our research group traveled to Owens Valley and Fish Lake Valley in eastern California and Nevada. We’re working on a project to record the last eight million years of climate in these regions and document the topographic development of the Sierra Nevada during this time. We had a fantastic week collecting ancient lake and stream sediments for stable isotope analysis. On their way back to campus, the guys dropped me off in Bishop, a mecca for bouldering and alpine climbing.
In Bishop, I met up with friends Anthony, Brad and Zach from the Stanford Alpine Club for a spectacular weekend of climbing. Our main objective for the weekend was Mount Humphreys, which dominates the Bishop skyline. Just 14 feet shy of 14,000 feet, Humphreys is one of the most stunning peaks in the range, and has no easy route to its pointy summit. We chose to attempt the East Arete, one of the classic alpine rock climbs of the range.After a long and BUMPY ride to the trailhead, we started up the trail, quickly heading off it in favor of heading straight for a headwall. A loose gully took us to the broad plateau below Humphreys, and soon we were at the col marking the start of the complete East Arete. After some discussion over the route choice, we split into two teams, with Brad and I climbing the arête proper, while Zach and Anthony scouted routes to the left. We met up at a notch below the first big pinnacle. We scrambled up to the sweet little summit before traversing a technical portion to the notch below the upper mountain. At this point it was getting late, and we’d already had quite a nice day. Adding to the altitude was lack of sleep for the other guys who’d driven out the day before. Following some discussion, Brad and I continued on while Anthony and Zach tagged a nearby pinnacle before descending.
Brad and I definitely clicked on this trip. I was pretty pumped up to have such a solid partner and we moved well together. We powered through some deep snow and low 5th class, simulclimbing most of the route. I led what ended up being the crux, while Brad got some really fun pitches including a very fun finish. The upper mountain was absolutely spectacular, and views to the Humphreys Basin were incredible. We could see practically the whole range, from Whitney to north of Yosemite.
We chose to descend to the north, and opted for two rappels down a gully. After the first, we had the only minor nervous moment of the day where it took some finesse to retrieve our ropes. We then quickly switched into crampons and started downclimbing the North Couloir which was very pretty. Part way down we encountered a short rock and ice section, but soon thereafter we were back to easy plungestepping to the glacier. Some postholing and glissading later and we arrived at beautiful little Longley Reservoir and make quick work of the trail back to the car. What a day!
The next day, we were all a little bit tired, so we slept in, took some awesome geology stops, swam in the Tuolumne River and scrambled around a bit on Stately Pleasure Dome near Tenaya Lake. What a nice way to cap off a great trip!Full pictures here:Spring Fieldwork and Humphreys
Summer 2012 Part 2: Pamir Snow Leopard Peaks Expedition
The Pamir, known as the Roof of the World, stand at the center of many of the world’s great ranges. To the Northeast are the Tien Shan, to the south and east stand the Kunlun Shan, the Himalaya and the Karakoram, and to the south and west rise the Hindu Kush. In the former Soviet Union, there are five peaks over 7000m (23,000 ft). Those who have climbed all five receive the prestigious Snow Leopard award. To date, only two Americans have achieved this elite peak-bagger status. Two of the Snow Leopard Peaks stand in the Tien Shan Mountains of Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan: Pobeda (At 24,406 ft, certainly the most difficult and dangerous of the Snow Leopards) and Khan Tengri, which I climbed last summer (click here for my expedition report on Khan Tengri). This summer, I’ll attempt the three Snow Leopard Peaks of the Pamir Mountains. Following my fieldwork in Mongolia, I will travel to Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan. After a day buying food and supplies for the upcoming five week expedition, I will travel to Osh, in southern Kyrgyzstan, and then make the rough 8-10 hour drive to the base camp for Lenin Peak (23,406 ft). I have allotted a 16-day window on Lenin Peak, which is a relatively short time to acclimatize, carry loads up the mountain to establish camps, rest and wait for the weather window for a summit bid. I will be alone on Lenin, or as alone as one can be on the standard route of large commercial peaks.
Following Lenin Peak, I will travel overland, crossing the Kyrgyz/Tajik border at Karamyk Pass. This is a seldom traveled route, and I will likely be the only American crossing it this year. After arriving in Djirgital, Tajikistan in the heart of the Pamir, I will fly via the only helicopter in Tajikistan to the base camp for Peak Korzhenevskaya (23,310 ft) and Peak Ismoil Somoni (At 24,590 ft, the highest peak in the former Soviet Union). Here I will join three elite Russian climbers who I met and climbed with on Khan Tengri last summer. These guys are pretty amazing, having climbed extensively in the great ranges of Asia, including big walls in Kyrgyzstan, 8000m peaks, even a new route on K2’s West Face in 2007. I have 21 days on the Moskvin Glacier at the base of these peaks. With the benefit of my prior acclimatization on Lenin Peak, I hope to make fast single-push style ascents of these two peaks. On each of these climbs, I will also be collecting rock samples for a project with the University of Arizona/Biosphere 2 and the Adventurers and Scientists for Conservation.
Need to brush up on your central Asian geography? I did too. Here’s a Google map of my Pamir Snow Leopard Peaks Expedition:View Pamir 7000ers Expedition in a larger mapMany more details on the process, style, equipment and strategy necessary to pull this trip off will follow. But for the time being, I’ll say this: mountains have captivated me from a young age. It’s easy to get caught up in the details, perceived danger, or strangeness of this trip…after all I’m new to central Asia too. But on all of my trips, I have been consistently blown away by the richness of the local culture, the stunning scenery and the adventure. I’m just a grad student living the dream. It's gonna be awesome.
Introducing Summer 2012: Part 1, Mongolia Fieldwork
Armchair mountaineering has fully entered the digital age. Slow and cumbersome updates from wild places are now a thing of the past now that blogging and satellite communications have entered the mainstream. So, if you’re looking to travel vicariously to some wild places this summer, you’ve come to the right place.
Part 1: Mongolia Paleoclimate Field Research
This summer, I will return to Mongolia for three and a half weeks for part of my PhD research to develop records of central Asian climate over the past 70 million years. Along with researchers from Stanford University and Rocky Mountain College, I will collect carbonate and clay minerals from sedimentary rocks. These minerals contain oxygen and hydrogen whose oxygen and hydrogen isotopic compositions reflect ancient climate. With samples from the Gobi Desert of southern Mongolia and Khovd Province in the far western part of the country, we can reconstruct climatic and topographic change in central Asia.A Google map of our proposed trip is below. For more on this project and other components of my PhD, visit the Research section of this site.
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in a larger map
Welcome to the Blog!
Hey everyone, I’m Hari and welcome to my blog. Here you’ll find posts ranging from trip reports, photos and video to thoughts on my style, technique and spirit of adventure in the high alpine. The blog will also feature live coverage from my expeditions, including summer 2012’s monster trip to Asia for paleoclimate research in Mongolia followed by a triple-header expedition to the three highest peaks in the Pamir of central Asia!