|
2001
Mugs Stump Award Winners:
Decapio/Isaac—SE Face of Kizil Asker
Scott
Decapio & Sean
Isaac
Dear
Mugs Stump Award Committee,
 Scott Decapio (USA) and I (Sean Isaac, Canada) spent
the month of July 2001 exploring the remote and seldom visited
West Kokshaal-Tau range on the border of Kyrgyzstan and China.
As far as we know, this was only the second expedition to ever
climb in the Komorova Glacier area of this military restricted
region. What we discovered was an untouched Chamonix with stunning
ice streaked granite walls everywhere. Unlike Chamonix though,
there were no crowds, no teleferiques and no mountain side
cafes but there was endless unclimbed alpine rock and ice.
 We
drove from Bishkek (capital of Kyrgyzstan) to the mountains
via a pair of miniature Russian-made jeeps known as Lada
Nivas. After a week of epic travel which included multiple
military check posts, 4 foot deep river crossings, and digging
the stuck Nivas from muddy bogs, we finally arrived at basecamp
near the toe of the Komorova Glacier.
Our
original goal was a stellar mixed line on the unclimbed 1400m
southeast face of Kizil Asker (5842m); however, almost daily
snowstorms kept us from even attempting this objective. Despite
abysmal weather, Scott and I managed three new ice and mixed
lines during our one month stay. Each route was climbed all
free and in-a-day without the use of bolts.
As
a warm-up climb, we made the first ascent of the east face
of Pik Gronky (c.4900m) which was also the second ascent
of the mountain. Silent Bob (IV WI4, 700m), began
with a 300m strip of grade 4 ice then finished on a 50 degree
ice face and elegant snow arete to the summit.
Next,
we completed the second ascent of the Ochre Walls via a long
ice gully with WI3 bulges and finishing with two stellar
mixed pitches of thin ice, naming the creation Beef Cake (IV
M5 WI4, 600m) after South park’s cubby star, Eric Cartman.
 Finally,
we set their eyes on a sub-peak of Pik Unmarked Soldier and
an ice line that "one always fantasizes about finding":
a 700m ribbon of thin ice enclosed in a narrow granite cleft.
At times the ice was only one foot wide and inches thick
with splitter cracks to the sides providing bomber protection. Royale
with Cheese went at V M6 WI5. We named the virgin peak
after our basecamp cook/guide: Pik Mikhail (c.5100m).
This
expedition was supported by Mugs Stump Award in addition
to the Polartec Challenge, AAC Lyman-Spitzer Grant, The
Canadian Himalayan Foundation, Black Diamond Equipment,
Arc'teryx, Sterling Rope, Kayland Boots and Integral Designs.
Back
to Award Winners
|
