Hagshu

The team was given permission well in advance for an attempt on the North Face of Hagshu, a 6657m peak in Jammu and Kashmir. Shortly before leaving they discovered that the IMF had issued another permit for the face to a Slovenian team, and on arrival that yet another had been issued to an American team! A base camp was established on the true left bank of the Hagshu Glacier, and from here the entire team climbed a peak of 5680 just NW of Hagshu for acclimatisation. When they returned to the base camp they found that the Slovenians were already established on the North Face, and so decided to try a prominent slanting line on the North East Face. Three days of mixed climbing, including hard ice, led to the foot of the summit buttress, and a very uncomfortable bivouac. The following day they traversed to the right edge of the summit buttress to join the Slovenian route, and then enjoyed some steep and sunny rock climbing to just below the unclimbed North Summit. The following day they continued over the North Summit, and then a beautiful ridge to the main summit, and descent via the South East Ridge taken by the first ascensionists. While Fowler and Ramsden had been on Hagshu , Burns and Cartwright climbed an attractive unnamed peak of about 6000m west of the base camp, and a Himalayan Brown Bear had made regular visits to the camp.