British Pik Dankova

The area round Pik Dankova (5,982m) in the Western Kokshaal-Too of Kyrgyzstan close to the Chinese border offers plenty of scope for first ascents and new routes. Although access to the area went very smoothly, with none of the problems of permits etc experienced by previous visitors, this pair soon realised that climbing in the area was a very serious business, made more so by the heavy snow and storms that they experienced. On several peaks they were turned back by steep rock towers, but they did achieve the first British ascent of Pik Molodezhniy ('Youth Peak'), 5,338m, by its NE Ridge.