Shimshal Expedition 2022

Taking place two years later than originally planned, this expedition faced difficulties arriving in Hunza, but once there experienced little in the way of bureaucracy and had a more pleasant onward journey to their basecamp in the Gunj-e Dur Valley (c 4,400m). High spring temperatures had left the valley very bare, with icy faces where one would expect to find snow slopes. Even so, the team were able to identify two potential summits which could be accessed from the same col. They made their attempt on 29 August, electing to climb to the col and choose between the peaks once there. Upon reaching the col, they noted that the higher of the two summits, Pk5775, could only be accessed via a complex rocky ridge. With Reynolds suffering from Acute Mountain Sickness they felt that they could not commit to this approach and chose instead to attempt the lower summit via its more amenable snow slope. However, after only a short distance, the snow conditions worsened and they retreated in the face of significant avalanche risk.