Engels 2009

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Mountaineering expedition "Engels 2009" - report

In 2005 I saw the report about the activities on Peak Engels in Mountain info. Irena Mrak who was also a member of 2005 expedition (leader Garth Willis) gave us  some very useful info. That inspired us that we did our trip to Tajikistan  to the South West Pamir this year.

Our idea was to climb Pik Karl Marx (6723 m) and/or Peak Engels (6510 m) from Shaboy Glacier. When we came to the Tajikistan Ergash Fayzullobekov gave us transport support. As we arrive to the Javshangoz (village by the road where we should start our hike to the Gacier Shaboy), we found out that local people had very little or no interest in cooperating with providing some donkey or horse support for carrying our equipment to our proposed BC. So we make a deal that we continue our drive to the lower Naspar valley. Here we set our BC close to the shepherd's stays and enjoy all hospitality that they provide us. They offered us meals and also donkeys for hike some way up the valley and at the end we made friends.

After first trip to the Naspar Glacier we decided that we will put the ABC close to the North-East face of the Peak Engels. From ABC we then made acclimatization climb to the peak with strange name on the map TbGU (6142 m). After acclimatization we made one attempt on Peak Engels but when we reach the North ridge we somehow we didn't feel strong enough to continue.

On the way back to Dushanbe, we made stop in Kalai Husein (Husein's forest), where we intend to climb several rock routes. It turned out that the rock on the walls surrounding that village is very bad, so we climb only one route. After that we went back to Slovenija.

Mountains in South-West Pamir had been explored and climbed many times and via many Routes by Soviet climbers in the past. These were mostly big expeditions and they put up some very hard Routes. Despite that fact I think there are many possibilities to make new Routes and also repeating the existing ones in more modern style.

1. Members of the expedition

Peter Poljanec (Slovenia, Mountaineering Club Tolmin), 32 years old
Matija Jost - Matic (Slovenia, Mountaineering Club Celje - Matica), 38 years old

2. Agency in Tajikistan

Tour de Pamir
Lenin Street 77
736100 Khorog GBAO
Tajikistan
Tel: (+992-3522) 26661
Tel: (+992-93) 5007557 mobile
E-Mail: tourdepamir@yahoo.com
Manager: Ergash Fayzullobekov

3. Chronology of the expedition

29 July , 30 July: Flight Ljubljana - Istambul - Dushanbe
30 July, 31 July: Drive Dushanbe - Khorog (GABO)
1 Avgust:  Drive to Javshangoz and further to BC. 
2 Avgust - 6 Avgust:  Hiking to the Naspar glacier and to the point 4600 m above BC. Setting ABC on the west blank of  the Naspar glacier at the altitude 4418 m (GPS: North = 37o  11.60'  East = 72o 32.13'  Alt = 4418 m)
7 Avgust: Climbing from ABC to B1 (GPS: North = 37o 11.08'  East = 72o 34.29'  Alt = 5501 m) on the Tb. GU 6142 m  via north-west flanks.
 
9 Avgust: Climbing from B2 to the summit of Tb. GU 6142 m ( GPS: North = 37o 10.54'  East = 72o 34.54' Alt = 6125 m) via North ridge. Descent to B2 via same route.
10 Avgust. Descent from B2 to the ABC. We downclimb the route of ascent. Descent further to the BC.
11., 12. Avgust: Rest days.
13. Avgust: Walk from BC to ABC.
14. Avgust: Resting in ABC. At the evening we start climbing in the left part of the North-East face of Pik Engels (6510 m). We climb all night.
15. Avgust: At the dawn we reach North Ridge at altitude 5572 m (GPS: North = 37o 10.78'  East = 72o 30.94'   Alt = 5572 m). We stay at that point all day long and latter made comfortable but somehow cold  bivouac.
16. Avgust: Descent to ABC.
17. Avgust: Clearing up ABC.
18. Avgust: Descent from ABC to BC.
19. Avgust: Driving from BC to Khorog.
20. Avgust: Driving from Khorog to Kalai Husein.
21. Avgust: Resting in Kalai Husein.
22. Avgust: Rock Climbing. We climb probably new route in rocks on the South side of the river running trough village Kalai Husein.
23. Avgust: Resting in Kalai Husein.
24. Avgust: Drive from Kalai Husein to Dushanbe.
25. to 27. Avgust: Dushanbe
28. Avgust: Flight from Dushanbe via Istambul  to Ljubljana

Peak Engels (6510 m) as seen from Naspar valley. B is East Ridge of Peak Engels climbed in 1964 (leader A. Kustovskiy;  Russian grade 6A+). C is Chunovkin  route climbed in 1971 (Russian 6A). A   North Ridge climbed in 1964(leader P. Budanov; Russian 6A)

4. Sketch Map of the Naspar valley

Sketch map of Naspar valley. Green line is our route to TbGU.

5. Ascents and attempts during the expedition

Ascent of peak Tb.GU - 6142 m

From 7th Aug. to 10th Aug. 2009 we made ascent via North-West flank and North Ridge. Just above site of B2 we found old pitons in short vertical rock step. Climbing was mostly in snow and  ice up to 60o and one short (10 m) steep rock barrier on the North Ridge (UIAA V+).

Peak TbGU (6142 m) and Peak Engels (6510m) from the North as seen from the upper Naspar Valley. D (red line) is Poljanec-Jost 2009 ascent.  A is East Ridge of Peak Engels climbed in 1964 (leader A. Kustovskiy;  Russian grade 6A+ ). B is upper part of  Chunovkin  route climbed in 1971 (Russian 6A) . C is upper part of  North Ridge climbed in 1964(leader P. Budanov; Russian 6A) foto: Matic Jošt

Peter Poljanec on the summit of TbGU.

Site of B2 just below the steep rock barrier.

Attempt Peak Engels (6510 m)

We started our climb at evening from ABC camp. We climb all night long and after 8 hours of climbing we reached the North Ridge. Climbing was mostly ice but one steep section of rock (V and A0, UIAA) just below North Ridge. After day rest we made bivy but next day we didn't feel strong enough to continue so we decide to descent. If you look at the photo below C is the line of our attempt, X is highest point we reached (5572 m, GPS) and F is line of our descent mostly by rappel.

There are many Routes in North-East face of  Peak Engels. The lines below are very approximate. I draw them from various sources but the main is internet site at http://mountains.tos.ru/clmb.htm (and you chose Pamir on the right side and again South-West Pamir on the bottom of the page).

North-East face of Peak Engels (6510 m). A is Peak Engels (6510 m), B is Peak Karl Marx (6723 m). E is East Ridge climbed in 1964 (leader A. Kustovskiy;  Russian grade 6A+ ). D is Chunovkin  route climbed in 1971 (Russian 6A). I is Efimov route climbed in 1982 (Russian 6A). J is Nepomniaschiy route climbed in 1973 (Russian 6A). G is Agafonov route climbed in 1991 (Russian 5B). H is Zhilin route climbed in 1991 (Russian 5B).   F is upper part of  North Ridge climbed in 1964(leader P. Budanov; Russian 6A), the ridge itself was reached from North-West side from Shaboy Glacier. C is attempt Jost-Poljanec in 2009, X is highest point (5572 m, GPS), F is line of  our descent.  (foto: Matic Jost)

Rock climbing in Kalai Husein

On our way back to Dushanbe we stop in village named Kalai Husein. There are nice looking rock faces just behind village, but it turns out that rock quality isn't so good, so we did only one climb. We named the route "FLYING CIRCUS", the grade is
V+/ II, III (UIAA) and the route is cca 200 m in height. Very serious Route in very bad rock, first pitch is the worst.

Rocks above Kalai Husein with position of our Route  Foto: Matic Jost

Topo of the route "Flying circus", foto: Matic Jošt

First pitch, foto: Peter Poljanec

6. Financial report

7. Conclusion

In the past almost all climbing expeditions to South West Pamir came from other parts of Soviet Republic. These were well organized teams of climbers. They climbed in "Russian style" and established some impressive hard and also some dangerous routes. The main potential in this area is to repeat existing routes "free" and in modern style (alpine style) but there is also enough space for climbing new routes of all grades. Despite the fact that there is roads infrastructure quite close to the mountains, whole area of Pik Karl Marx and Pik Engels is rarely visited by climbers, and there is almost no trekking activity. Local people are very friendly, but somehow  it is hard to get for example cook for Base camp.  Any way it is great place to visit, with spectacular scenery, unspoiled nature, no crowds and great walls to climb.

Our Pamiri host

Transport to the ABC