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Chogolisa: The doomed bride of Karakorum, part III
Oct 17, 2004 10: 25 EST
Beautiful Chogolisa right behind the Gasherbrums massif, at the head of the Baltoro Glacier (Karakorum) is also known as the Bride Peak. She “killed” the first man who attempted her summit - Austrian ace climber Hermann Buhl.
Since her first summits, few climbers visit Chogolisa: She is not an 8000er; and too difficult for expedition outfitters to include as a guided option. Only some small, hard-core teams have dared to face its ridges and faces. Latest attempt was this past summer.
South African/Dutch combo
A ten-member South African/Dutch combo chose Chogolisa instead of the bigger and crowded 8000ers. The Bride of Karakorum had been summited only eight times, the last time back in 1987, they said.
The expedition planned to attempt either the mountain's Southwest Ridge or its North face, climbing from a base camp set on the Vigne glacier. Both routes had been climbed before, but as the climbers pointed out; “neither of them often nor easily.”
”The weather has played its fateful cards"
The team members were Ulrike Kiefer, Andre Schoon, Ian Bailey, Linda Daffue, Willem Daffue, Fran Hunziker, Cecilia Rademeyer, Anthony van Tonder and Robert Zipplies from South Africa plus Harry Kikstra and Marian Slot from the Netherlands.
The team fought their way through the lower icefall, fixed ropes and set high camps.
Despite their efforts, on August 6th they reported: “Well, the weather has played its fateful cards with a bitter twist at the end.”
“From my 1st SMS to the day before yesterday we had continued heavy snowfalls every day combined with strong winds and only yesterday, as forecast, clear weather once more."
"In a last ditch effort Ulrike and Harry went up to Camp I on Tues 3rd hoping weather/snow conditions might allow them to get up to the ice plateau and establish Camp 2 to use the good weather forecast for 5th, 6th to make a summit attempt.. But the weather on 4th was terrible with top of spur still under deep snow and consequently this last plan also had to be abandoned."
Returning from the Bride’s arms – unharmed
The climbers retreated, but they cherished the experience of being on the flanks of the powerful mountain and, as they commented, having survived.
There were no incidents or illness among the members. They all returned unharmed from the arms of the bride, ready to dream of other mountains.
Harry Kikstra, by the way, would return to the Himalayas in fall, to attempt Everest. On the North side of the Top of the world, Harry was going to learn how the mountains are not necessarily the main source of troubles. Read his story on Mounteverest.net.
Chogolisa (or Bride Peak) is a mountain at 35° 07' N 76° 35' E in the Karakorum (Pakistan). Chogolisa has several peaks, the highest on the SW face (Chogolisa I) rises to 7,665 meters (25,147 ft.).
Image of Chogolisa (upper left side of the picture) courtesy of the RSA/Dutch expedition
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