If I were to look up the definition of Murphy’s Law in the dictionary, I would expect to see this expedition cited as the perfect example of “if it can go wrong, it will.”
With the expedition already delayed by a year, the expedition leader Tom Davis-Merry and I had agreed to proceed with planning, despite the overwhelming uncertainty if it would go ahead.
Tom DM had identified several unclimbed peaks in the Tian-Shan Mountains, Kyrgyzstan that offered potential for an exploratory expedition to summit new peaks and establish new lines in a light and fast alpine style. Consultation with the Kyrgyzstan Alpine Club determined the Kuiluu valley and East Bordlu glacier lay unexplored and would be the team’s primary objective.
A series of unfortunate events from cancelled flights, lost equipment, partners catching COVID and constantly changing travel restrictions kept the team on edge until the day of our flights.
I flew out to Bishkek early in late July to spend some time in the capital before the rest of the team joined me a week later.
Nestled in the west of the country between the Ala-Too mountains to the South and Kazakh border to the North, Bishkek was a relaxed yet uninspiring city typical of functional Soviet planning.
You wouldn’t have thought there was a pandemic going on there. No masks, no social distancing. It was a welcome break from the furore back home.
I didn’t know much about Kyrgyzstan before this trip. Previously occupied by the Russians and gaining its independence in 1991, the country had already seen two bloody revolutions, with the latest in 2010 where the Kyrgyz president Kurmanbek Bakiyev was ousted. The violence ultimately led to the consolidation of a new parliamentary system in Kyrgyzstan and relative period of peace.
Interestingly, Kyrgyzstan is one of the only countries in Central Asia to not have completely torn up its Soviet roots. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the newly independent countries of Central Asia removed most of their Russian lineage to establish their own national identities. Bishkek still has many soviet statues, monuments and architecture standing around the city.
The rest of the team gradually joined me over the next week and we made preparations to leave the city. Our team of five was joined by Svetlana, an ethnic Ukrainian living in Kyrgyzstan, who would cook and run basecamp for us.
Travel to Basecamp
We finally left Bishkek and drove east to the city of Karakol, our staging post to the Tian Shan mountains.
Driving to Karakol was the usual mix of traffic madness found in Asia of crazy overtaking and police check points before we finally arrived after dark.
The next day we left early in a huge six wheeled Kamaz truck and struck south of the city for basecamp. We had hoped for an old soviet military truck, but the plush seats of the truck’s cabin were a welcome luxury.
We slowly wound our way through verdant foothills that met all of one’s travel expectations in a new and unusual country. Felt yurts surrounded by grazing life stock dotted the landscape and the occasional solitary figure enthusiastically waved at us.
After a nod from the sleepy guard we passed through the border check point and continued to grind our way south. A chill penetrated the air the higher we climbed.
Apricot sellers on the road to Karakol.
The narrow mountain valleys soon gave way to wide open steppe plains. We followed the river as far as we could before making camp on the opposite bank of our intended basecamp. The river was too high to ford this late in the day and we would have to wait for early morning to cross. Unbelievably, we could see brightly coloured tents across the river. There was another expedition team pitched in our spot! There was much debate that night whether our expedition objectives had been poached.
We crossed the following morning and greeted the other team from the UK. They had been exploring the opposite valley to ours and although they had climbed some of the objectives there was still plenty to do.
We set up basecamp on a grassy plateau between the confluence of two rivers and admired the dominating peaks that towered over us. It was a good spot. We had protection from the elements, access to clean drinking water and a clear landing zone should a chopper be needed.
Later in the day we were approached by two local horseman who casually rode into camp before tying their horses to our gas canisters. The younger of the two, introduced himself as Argen. He offered his horse and service to help carry our bags up the mountainside which was gratefully accepted.
Establishing ABC
Views over the East Bordlu Glacier at sunset from ABC.
Over the next few days we moved our gear to a second cache. Tentative probes were made into the surrounding valleys for possible routes to establish advanced base camp (ABC). Tom Simpson identified a potential site for ABC on a tongue of moraine that ran parallel to the East Bordlu glacier.
At cache two Sam Mace didn’t look great and was very quite. He was showing signs of Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS) and after discussion with Tom DM over the radio I gave him some Acetazolamide before sending him down to basecamp.
After a rest day the team returned to cache two to continue hauling the gear when again Sam M had to descend from AMS. Tom DM went with him leaving the rest of the group to haul gear to ABC at 4095m.
The next rest day brought more gloomy news. Wayne Auton, my climbing partner, was still in France. He was due to join us at BC once recovered from COVID, but had been unable to get insurance for the trip and so couldn’t join us.
Sam Mace wasn’t fairing much better. Now suffering with an infected ingrowing toenail, he could barely get his boots on. A chopper evacuation was arranged and two days later he flew out of camp taking our merry climbing band down to four.
The next day we finally made our way to ABC to climb.
Climbing Pik Perseverance
Tom Davis-Merry and Tom Simpson lead to the summit of Pik Perseverance.
We had no reliable weather reports for climbing. It was a matter of sticking your head out of the tent in the morning and eyeing the sky. We had been warned by the previous expedition team that the weather often deteriorated in the late afternoon and not to rely on weather reports from the Garmins.
The next morning we blearily set off up the steep moraine adjacent to the glacier and zigged and zagged back and forth before reaching the snow line to gear up.
We split the team in two; the Toms would climb as one pair, Sam Davis and I the other. Each team had packed light and brought only a small PD rack between them.
We took to the snow and wound our way to a ridge at 4320m. The climbing was steep, but easy and we quickly made ground. The excitement from the team was palpable and every new ridge crest we came across we pounced on Tom DM asking if we had bagged a peak.
After four hours of climbing we finally reached our first objective and virgin summit at 4788m. It felt pretty cool to stand in a spot where no one else had been before. After much handshaking and picture posing we retraced our steps along the ridge before descending an adjacent glacier to ABC.
We graded the new peak PD+ and called it Pik Perseverance in honour of all the trouble we had getting to Kyrgyzstan.
Climbing the Argen Spur
Tom Davis-Merry on the second pitch of the Argen Spur.
Sam and I debated what to take the next day. This was another exploratory climb we did not intend to spend the night and so packed lightly; a small set of cams, half a set of nuts, ice screws and pitons in addition to our own personal gear. The route would hopefully top out on the ridge we had climbed that day.
It was snowing in the morning. Big heavy flakes wafted down as the team ate breakfast by headlight. We made our way up the side of the glacier and after a two hour scramble reached our first pitch.
Roped up, we made our way up a beautiful patch of ice and the team were stoked believing this to be a precursor for the rest of the route. After leading the pitch I stuck some gear in and brought Sam D up before he led along a narrow shoulder to another steep scramble.
Turns out that was the best part of the climb. We soloed the rest over extremely loose ground. The rock was super chossy and one of the team quipped that if you found a handhold you didn’t like whilst climbing you could just pick it up, throw it over your shoulder and choose another.
We topped out on our ridge as hoped, took a few snaps and ate lunch. The views were fantastic. Snow capped mountains surrounded us. Dark clouds were gathering on the horizon and a cold wind began to blow forcing us to quickly descend tired and hungry, but happy the primary objectives of the expedition had been met.
We graded the route AD+ and named it ‘The Argen Spur’ after our local friendly horseman.
The team descended that night to BC whilst I stayed at ABC to shoot the sunset and capture some aerial footage.
Attack at basecamp
The next morning I made the 8 mile trek down to BC and was greeted by Tom S at the edge of the river for him to tell me that basecamp had been attacked. Lacking the clear thinking of an early morning I asked “by animals?”
“No mate, people” he replied.
As I made my way up the bank I didn’t know what to expect, the camp trashed, a tent on fire, what about Svetlana?
Argen the horseman.
Turns out the damage wasn’t horrendous. A tent had been slashed, some equipment thrown around and items stolen. What was most upsetting though was Svetlana had been attacked, beaten and held at knife point.
I sat down in the mess tent with my head in my hands. This felt like a film script, not real life.
Slowly, through broken English and Russian we began to piece together what had happened.
Svetlana explained that during the three days we had been gone, a lone horseman had visited basecamp several times and threatened her. Before disappearing he had pushed her to the ground, beaten her and held a knife to her neck. Beside herself, she had come up the valley looking for us but did not know the location of ABC.
We raised our logistics operator ITMC on the phone who quickly logged the incident with the police and said they would be in touch.
The following day a lone horseman approached the camp and the team were edge as the stranger hesitantly greeted us. The man introduced himself as Kane and was the brother of Argen, currently away in Karakol. Kane returned my stolen power bank and Svetlana’s money. He apologised for the incident and explained the man responsible had given him the items to return. He left us more puzzled than before.
Court in Session
Two days later we couldn’t quite believe it when we saw a knackered 4x4 slowly winding its way up the mountain pass before stopping at the river separating us from them. Three men got out; an officer, soldier and the horseman, Argen.
The men introduced themselves telling us they were part of border control for the area. After the officer toured the camp, saw the trashed tent and spoke to Argen we all crowded into the mess tent and the soldiers took their place at the table with Svetlana. Argen, the team and I stood. The kangaroo court was in session.
The Kirgyz authorities, Argen and Asamat make their way back to the awaiting jeep.
What took place next was one of the strangest situations I’ve ever seen. After some discussion, the soldier got up and disappeared out of the mess tent. He appeared several minutes later with the perpetrator of the crime, Asamat.
The suspect was forced to kneel in the corner with his hands tied behind his back as the officer and Svetlana continued to discuss aspects of the incident in Russian. Occasionally the officer would turn in his seat, ask Asamat a question, laugh and continue smoking before turning back to the conversation.
It turns out that Asamat was Argen’s former boss and family friend. Argen had been mentioned in the police dispatch and sent for by the authorities. Asamat had been caught trying to leave the valley through the same checkpoint we had passed the previous week. An unbelievable stroke of luck.
We couldn’t quite establish the motive for the crime. There was no sexual motive and the items stolen were petty.
“Samogon, wodka, whisky?” the officer asked. Alcohol seemed to be the only believable explanation.
I felt pity for the man kneeling and crying in the dirt. He did not seem a stupid man, just a simple one from an uncomplicated life living in the mountains.
After several more rounds of tea and satisfied with Svetlana’s statement, the border patrol bid us dasvidaniya before taking Asamat with them for interrogation.
After the incident we spoke to Argen who did not think it was safe for the team to stay in the valley, let alone for Svetlana. There were some long discussions that night. Could one team climb whilst one remained at BC? Should we call for pickup? We all wanted to climb. So much blood, sweat and energy had been put into this trip.
Eventually, we called it a day and arranged for pickup.
The reminder of the trip was spent filing police reports, speaking with officials and reflecting on the crazy shit that had gone down. We filled the rest of our time rafting, paragliding and riding around Bishkek. Soon basecamp became a memory.
Conclusion
In all, it was a successful expedition. A new peak was summited and new line established. But there was so, so much left undone. I still pull out the maps we made and look at the objectives we missed.
I’m beginning to understand that expeditions are full of soaring highs and crushing lows. More often than not you will leave basecamp disappointed and with objectives unmet.
In moments of consolation, I think of the advice Tom Livingstone gave me before the trip.
“Go for an adventure, any climbing is a bonus.”
All the team and I would again like to thank our partners and sponsors for making the trip feasible despite difficult circumstances. These include: The Alpine Club, Mountain Everest Foundation, Montane, Expedition Foods, Olympus and Fatmap.
The team look out over the East Bordlu Glacier at sunset on our first night at ABC.
Further Reading
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