Sangemarmar 1999

This team hoped to make an alpine-style ascent of the unclimbed N Ridge of Sangemarmar (6,949m) in the Batura Mustagh: the peak's only official ascent was by a Japanese team in 1984, via the SW Ridge. A problem was experienced because porters from the 'wrong' village were hired, but this was sorted out by their very helpful LA. An ABC was set up at 4,200m at the top of a scree ramp and then 'Glacier Camp' 800 metres higher, from which they climbed to c. 5,500m, but temperatures were much higher than expected, causing continual stonefall and precipitation in the form of rain, which produced a 7cm layer of slush on top of ice. They therefore decided to explore the E side of the mountain, but the entire mountain seemed to be subject to extreme erosion, and they could find no reasonable water supply. The expedition was therefore terminated.