Charting a New Course: The Allure of the Unclimbed
An Unexpected Change in Alpine Ambitions
What began as a meticulously planned expedition to the Karakoram region of India for Chris Wright, Michael Hutchins, and Stefano Ragazzo took an unexpected turn. Due to border complexities between India and Pakistan, their original objective, the southwest face of Rimo III, became inaccessible. This unforeseen hurdle prompted the team to swiftly re-evaluate their options, demonstrating remarkable flexibility and determination in the face of adversity. The trio, including Wright (UK/U.S.) and Ragazzo (Italy), both seasoned guides from Chamonix, quickly finalized new arrangements to travel to Pakistan, a testament to their unwavering commitment to their mountaineering pursuits.
Funding the Vertical Dream: Grant Support for High-Altitude Exploration
The ambitious undertaking of the climbing team was significantly bolstered by a $6,000 Cutting Edge Grant from the American Alpine Club, alongside additional backing from the Italian Alpine Club and the Mount Everest Foundation. These crucial financial contributions have been instrumental in facilitating the expedition's transition to a new, more challenging destination, allowing the climbers to dedicate more time to specialized training rather than exhaustive guiding work, optimizing their preparation for the demanding alpine environment.
Yukshin Gardan Sar: A New Frontier Unveiled
With their original plans thwarted, the team has set their sights on the north face of Yukshin Gardan Sar, a colossal 7,530-meter peak in the Karakoram. This unclimbed wall, double the size of their initial target on Rimo III, presents an immense challenge. Despite the peak having seen three ascents via its easier south ridge, the north face remains a blank canvas. The team aims to establish a novel route up this formidable wall, anticipating a multi-day ascent in pure alpine style, followed by a perilous descent. Information on this specific face is scarce, making the expedition a true exploratory venture into the unknown.
Unraveling the Mystery: Sparse Information and Vast Challenge
The mountaineers acknowledge the limited data available on the north face of Yukshin Gardan Sar. Beyond a few photographs from the 2015 Karakoram Anomaly Project, which focused on glacial lake outburst floods, and an expert's chilling note describing it as a "Monster NE Face, over 3,000 vertical meters!", the team has minimal pre-existing knowledge. This dearth of information emphasizes the expedition's exploratory nature, compelling the climbers to rely on their expertise and adaptability to assess conditions and navigate the unknown terrain as they ascend.
Strategic Acclimatization and Approach
To prepare for the monumental climb, the team will establish a base camp at approximately 3,600 meters on a moraine. The actual ascent begins eight kilometers away at 4,400 meters, necessitating a careful acclimatization strategy. The lower sections of the face are anticipated to be less technically demanding, while the central headwall, characterized by mixed terrain, will pose the ultimate crux. The plan involves acclimatizing on the mountain's lower reaches before launching a definitive push for the summit, ensuring they are adequately prepared for the demanding conditions of the upper wall.
Forging a New Partnership: Collective Strengths for a Shared Vision
Despite this being their first expedition as a complete unit, the team members, connected through Chris Wright, bring a diverse array of exceptional skills and experiences. Stefano Ragazzo, renowned for his rope-solo ascents of challenging routes like Eternal Flame and The Nose, complements Wright's Piolet d'Or-winning ascent of Link Sar. Michael Hutchins' extensive experience, including six of the seven major peaks in the Fitz Roy massif, further strengthens the team. This synergy of individual prowess and shared ambition forms the foundation of their confidence in conquering this unprecedented challenge.
A Glimpse into the Past: Yukshin Gardan Sar's Climbing Heritage
Yukshin Gardan Sar, varying in reported altitude but generally accepted as 7,530 meters, has a documented climbing history, though its north face remains unclimbed. The peak has seen three successful ascents, all via the south ridge. The inaugural climb was achieved in 1984 by an Austrian-Pakistani team, who employed a classic Himalayan style. Shortly after, a Japanese team, initially thwarted in their north face attempt by vertical and brittle rock, successfully summited via the south ridge in alpine style, demonstrating the inherent difficulties of the peak's unclimbed sections. The most recent ascent, in 1986, was a dramatic affair for a Spanish team, highlighting the extreme challenges even on established routes, solidifying the formidable reputation of Yukshin Gardan Sar and underscoring the immense undertaking for the current expedition aiming to forge a new path.
Unveiling 'Zindabad': A New Horizon on Spantik's East Ridge
A Daring First Ascent: Forging a Path on Spantik's Unconquered East Ridge
Between June 2 and 7, a two-person team comprising Mueez Ud Din from Pakistan and Mathieu Maynadier from France achieved a remarkable feat by establishing a novel climbing route on the untouched East Ridge of Spantik, a mountain reaching 7,029 meters in the Karakoram range. Although their ascent culminated at 6,999 meters, just shy of the true summit, due to a massive, dangerous wind slab, their achievement is monumental. They named their challenging new line 'Zindabad,' meaning \"Long Live\" in Urdu, grading it M5, A1, with an 80-degree incline over an 1,800-meter stretch.
The Expedition's Foundation: From Initial Doubts to Base Camp Success
The journey to Spantik was a comprehensive undertaking, involving Maynadier as the lead climber, Ud Din, a videographer, a documentary filmmaker, a drone operator, and two cooks. Forty-two porters supported the team during the initial phase of their expedition. The mission itself almost faced cancellation due to escalating tensions between Pakistan and India, which led to numerous other expeditions pulling out. By May 20, Maynadier's group was potentially the sole expedition remaining in Skardu. Following an extensive drive, they reached Arandu, a small village in Baltistan's Shigar Valley, which serves as the traditional gateway to Spantik's base camp.
Navigating the Approach: Challenges and Acclimatization Endeavors
The team arrived at base camp on May 26 after a strenuous three-day trek, covering 35 kilometers of crevassed glacier terrain. This phase was not without its difficulties; a porter's fall into a crevasse, though fortunately without injury, caused temporary unrest among the group. After successful negotiations, they pressed on. Their acclimatization process involved two days of ascending to higher elevations, spending nights at 5,200m and 5,800m along Spantik's conventional southeast ridge route, before returning to base camp for rest on June 9, preparing for the final push.
The Ascent: A Four-Day Battle Against Nature's Elements
With a narrow weather window presenting itself, Ud Din and Maynadier embarked on their summit bid via the east ridge. Ud Din recounted their patience, waiting 25 days, with 10 spent at base camp, for the opportune moment. They departed from base camp, situated at 4,200 meters above a heavily crevassed glacier, and embarked on a four-day climb covering 1,800 meters. Their journey saw them cross a bergschrund at 5,200 meters, ultimately reaching their highest point at 6,999 meters. The decision to retreat, though difficult, was made in the face of an insurmountable wind slab and excessive snow, prioritizing safety over a full summit. Ud Din expressed that the completed route itself was the true objective.
An Epic Descent and the Ridge's Intricacies: Overcoming Technical Hurdles
The ascent necessitated three bivouacs. The descent involved connecting their newly forged path to Spantik's conventional route, with one additional bivouac at 5,800 meters. After a day and a half, the pair successfully returned to base camp, concluding a demanding five-day round trip. The east ridge presented a complex mix of snow sections and technical mixed climbing. As they gained altitude, the ridge narrowed into a razor-thin edge of snow and rock, demanding precise and cautious navigation.
Conquering the Crux: A Test of Skill and Endurance
Maynadier revealed that the most challenging section of the climb emerged on their final day: two pitches of mixed climbing rated M5, where ice-covered granite necessitated delicate footwork and expert ice axe placements. An A1 aid section further tested their technical abilities, requiring inventive solutions to surmount an overhanging rock face. Maynadier noted the increasing steepness with altitude, compounding the ridge's inherent exposure and making every movement a calculated risk. Despite clear skies on the first two days, deteriorating conditions on days three and four, including snow flurries, obscured holds and impeded progress. Their final bivouac at 6,700 meters was particularly trying, as 20 centimeters of fresh snow blanketed their camp. Maynadier described the night as \"a little stressful,\" marked by howling winds and a snow-laden tent upon waking. Despite these formidable challenges, their perseverance yielded a significant reward. Ud Din proudly shared on social media their return with more than just frostbite and memories, while Maynadier expressed satisfaction with their creation, calling it \"a really cool line.\"
Spantik's Legacy: A History of Bold Ascents and Uncharted Territory
Spantik holds a rich history within the climbing community, first summited in 1955 by a German expedition via the southeast ridge. Early attempts, like the one in 1906 by American explorers Fanny and William Bullock Workman who reached 6,700 meters, were groundbreaking for their time. Subsequent milestones include the 1978 Japanese ascent of the south ridge and the 1987 climb of the striking northwest pillar by British mountaineers Mick Fowler and Victor Saunders. However, the east ridge remained untouched until Maynadier and Ud Din's recent bold endeavor. The American Alpine Journal confirms no prior ascents of this challenging route. Unlike the more common guided, fixed-rope ascents on Spantik, their approach adhered to the purist ethos of modern alpine climbing, marking a new chapter in the mountain's storied past and revealing its untapped potential.
Mathieu Maynadier: A Veteran of High-Altitude Milestones
Mathieu Maynadier, a 38-year-old French guide from Briançon, boasts an impressive career marked by numerous first ascents. His notable achievements include the 2010 first ascent of Lunag II (6,812m) in Nepal via the southwest face, a route that earned a Piolet d'Or nomination. In 2012, he opened a new route on Latok II (7,108m) in the Karakoram, reaching the southeast summit. The following year, Maynadier achieved the first ascent of Gaurishankar's (7,134m) south face. In 2015, he established a new route on Dzasampatse (6,295m) in Nepal, stopping just short of the summit due to unstable snow. His extensive experience also includes a 2017 summit of Gasherbrum II and a close call in 2018 in Pakistan's Tagas Valley, where he sustained injuries after a rockfall. Despite this, he made a remarkable recovery. In 2021, he and Tom Livingstone attempted Pumari Chhish East, retreating just 100 meters from the summit. The next year, Maynadier completed the first ski descent of Diran (7,266m) in the Karakoram. Most recently, in 2023, he co-led the opening of \"Goldfish\" on Meru South's (6,570m) southeast face in India.
Mueez Ud Din: A Rising Star in Pakistani Mountaineering
Muizz Ud Din, a burgeoning talent from Pakistan, symbolizes a new generation of local mountaineers. His profound local knowledge and unwavering determination proved crucial to the expedition's success. This collaboration between Ud Din and Maynadier bridges global and local climbing communities, and their ascent potentially marks the first major new route established in Pakistan by a local climber. Maynadier expressed hope that this achievement signifies a significant leap forward for the Pakistani climbing community. For Ud Din, 'Zindabad' transcends a mere climbing route; it stands as an inspiration for aspiring Pakistani climbers, affirming that technical, high-altitude ascents are indeed within their grasp.
During World Female Ranger Week, observed annually from June 23-30, we recognize the unparalleled dedication of women leading conservation efforts globally. These remarkable individuals are not only safeguarding diverse ecosystems but also challenging entrenched gender stereotypes and fostering resilient communities. They embody a new paradigm in environmental stewardship, demonstrating how courage, innovative strategies, and community-rooted wisdom are essential in addressing the planet's most critical crises.
Among these trailblazers are Larissa Hale from Australia, a Jalunji Warra woman who skillfully merges ancient Indigenous knowledge with modern technology to protect land and marine environments, from the Great Barrier Reef to fire-prone bushlands. Her work emphasizes cultural respect and climate resilience, earning her the prestigious Earthshot Prize. Similarly, Dr. Rosa Vásquez Espinoza, an Andean-Amazonian chemical biologist in Peru, champions the legal protection of stingless bees and traditional healing practices, drawing inspiration from her heritage. Her groundbreaking research and advocacy underscore the vital, often unseen, connections between people, nature, and ancestral wisdom. In India, Dr. Sonali Ghosh has shattered glass ceilings as the first female Field Director of Kaziranga National Park, achieving a year free of rhino poaching through shrewd surveillance and inclusive leadership, including forming India's first all-female rhino protection unit. In West Africa, Grace Kotee Zansi, one of Liberia's pioneering female rangers, works tirelessly in the East Nimba Nature Reserve to mitigate human-wildlife conflict and educate local communities, fulfilling a childhood promise to protect her country's forests. And in North Sumatra, Pera Pinem defies societal expectations as the region's first female ranger, confronting social stigma to monitor biodiversity and prevent forest encroachment, proving her unwavering commitment to conservation in a male-dominated field.
The stories of these female rangers illuminate a powerful truth: conservation is more than just a profession; it is a profound commitment to life itself. They exemplify how integrating diverse perspectives, challenging established norms, and empowering women can lead to groundbreaking solutions for global environmental issues. Their efforts remind us that the guardians of our planet come in many forms, each contributing uniquely to a future where both nature and humanity thrive in harmony. By supporting initiatives like World Female Ranger Week, we contribute to a movement that values equity as a cornerstone of environmental sustainability, ensuring that conservation's frontlines reflect the rich diversity of the world they protect.