Jiptik

The original objective had been the North Face of Muz Tok, an unclimbed 5000m peak in the Jiptik valley, Batken, Kyrgyzstan. This had to be changed as it involved an approach through the Tajikistani enclave of Vorukh, and one member was denied a Tajikistan visa, and also because of troubles in the Tajikistan/ Kyrgyzstan border area. They decided instead to explore the valleys south of Zardaly, with an approach which avoids Vorukh. The Yashil-Kel valley gave three objectives, all peaks of 5000m plus, and the Tutek-Su valley a number of 4000m peaks. The approach was by saloon car from Osh to Batken, 4WD onward to Zardaly, and then on foot with donkeys to the base camp at the junction of the Yashil-Kul valley and the Ak-Terek river. They first explored the Yashil-Kul valley, where the valley floor was at 2200m to 3000m, and the adjacent mountains up to 5300m, and with no access to the upper slopes from most of the valley. They investigated possibilities at the top of the valley, but found that the receding glacier had made progress impossible. An attempt on a snow peak of 5285m was blocked by a large and impassable ice-fall. They then explored Tutek-Su, where landslides and avalanches led to slow progress up the valley. By the time they reached the foot of the target peaks, they realised they no longer had time to tackle them, as they were predominantly steep rock spires. They concluded that that the Yashil-Kul valley offers no climbing possibilities, but the unclimbed peaks above the western fork of the Tutek-Su are probably accessible.