First ascents

We achieved three first ascents on our expedition-two unclimbed peaks and a new route. We also made an ascent of a route by Andreou and Barrett from their expedition. Here we briefly describe our first three ascents. Names and grades are provisional as we are still mulling these over.

The first  FA was climbed by John Proctor and I at 5034m, we have decided to call it Mur Samir (formerly pk 5008 but we got a more accurate altitude from the GPS device). Exact coordinates of the summit to come very soon. The whole story behind this ascent will be posted in due course, be assured that it is entertaining. We decided on the grade AD for our ascent route and PD for our descent route, the reason for our route choice will be apparent in a future post.

Above....Glacier with Mur Samir in background middle. John on summit of Mur Samir, China in background.

The second peak was climbed by Adam Russell and Robert at 4800m(more accurate height soon) and took a route up a couloir that was a veritable shooting gallery. This we decided to call Pk Karishkur, Kyrgyzy for wolf. It lies towards the North end of the Mustyr ridge. We settled on a grade of PD+ with fairly hefty objective dangers!

Left, Robert on the summit slopes of pk Karishkur, looking worse for wear after two back to back peaks and associated cold, sun and starvation. 
Above, Adam on the summit slopes, grade I/II ice.
Below, Adam on the summit.

Adam and John climbed a long ice route at AD/D from the Teke-Lutor glacier. It provided 700m of ice climbing, mostly grade II but with occasional sections of grade III. However, when they topped out onto what they expected to be the summit they found themselves to be on a subsidiary summit. A ridge traverse was required to reach the true summit, not visible from the glacier below.

                                                           Above, Adam on grade I/II ice.

Three new routes in the 12 days climbing we had budgeted is pretty good especially considering that the weather was not always ideal. To have managed three first ascents of such good quality is success enough, the fantastic cultural experience a massive bonus. Stories and more pictures to follow soon!

We would like to thank our sponsors, The Mountaineering Council of Scotland, The Scottish Mountaineering Trust, The Sang Award and The Fabulous Bakin' Boys.

Safe return, success and stories.

We are all back in Edinburgh after a day of travel, more details on the expedition's successes to come very soon. We will post with the rough details then have a lot more, exquisitely detailed posts after that chronicling our many adventures in Kyrgyzstan. We all kept diaries on the trip and took plenty of photos/video so expect our EMFF entry very soon!

Robert

Airport

After some baggage drama (we were looking at an excess of £900 and financial ruin) we repacked and came in just over the limit. Once at the airport a little bit of foot support/combined tactics took us just 5kg over...which they ignored!

We are in the departure lounge at the moment waiting to board. Getting our baggage from Euston to Heathrow was fun on the tube, incurring much anger from the soulless, sullen eyed and sallow expressioned commuters. Lol.

See you in a month!

Last entry before departure

We are congregating at John's to pack the last of our gear and eat then getting a lift (cheers Harry) to Waverley train station where we board the sleeper for London. We have spent the day buying the last of the freeze dried provisions and double/triple checking lists. Next post will be post trip, wish us luck!

Final preparations

We are all in Edinburgh and catching the sleeper train to London tomorrow. Items are being decided on, if they are deemed esssential weighed and packed; jackets and trousers reproofed and final items (radios, gifts, bribes, batteries, freeze dried meals) bought. We all began taking our chloroquinine last Wednesday and instructions are to take them once a week so tomorrow begins for us with two exceedingly bitter pills. All rabies vaccines (three shots each) have been injected and passports, visas, border permits and the masses of paperwork required are all ready to go. Maps have been printed, annotated and laminated in triplicate.

The psyche, already at astronomical levels, is building even further....

Training

As described earlier, the planning has been a lot of work.  We have been working out what has been climbed and what hasn’t, obtaining maps and photos, applying for funding, booking flights and 4WD transport, applying for visas and border permits, assembling medical and toolkits, making sure we have all appropriate gear, (trying to) learn Russian (у меня болитживот!), getting important maps and photos laminated, getting vaccinations, the list goes on…

But most of this work has to take place during the evenings, as weekends need to be left free to climb.  It would be no good turning up in Kyrgyzstan having not climbed for the last 2 months…  So we have been busy at the weekends (and when time allows throughout the week).

Robert has been trail running, mountain biking, swimming and going to the gym in order to raise his general fitness. In addition to this he has been using the bouldering wall at his place of work every lunchtime and climbing outside at every opportunity. A productive few days were spent on Arran, with the A'chir ridge and the South ridge of Cir Mhor being climbed.

Adam enjoyed a week long cragging roadtrip in the Far NorthWest visiting Sheigra, Inbhirpollaidh Rock Gym, Diabaig and Seanna Mheallan amongst others, also bouldering in Rhiconnich, Torridon, Skye and Glen Nevis. Have recently spent 10 days in the Barra Isles of Pabbay and Mingulay on the immaculate Lewisian Gneiss. All the climbing was four star, but stand out routes include: Prophecy of Drowning, Endolphin Rush, Sugar Cane Country, The Raven, Voyage of Faith and Sirens.

John had a productive 4 days on Skye.  The highlight was probably Grand Diedre in Coire a’Ghrunnda.  This route tops out just south of the Thear-Dhublaich gap.  We crossed the gap and continued with King’s Chimney and a traverse of the ridge to Sgurr Dearg, where we rounded off the day with an evening ascent of the Inaccessible Pinnacle and delightful sunset.  Arctic Way on the Rosa Pinnacle on Arran was also a good day, as were trips to Gimmer, Pavey Ark, Raven Crag and Dove Nest Crag in the Lake District.

This post is basically just an excuse for some good photos…

Robert climbing on Cir Mhor, photo by Thomas Henderson Schwartz

John on the Rosa Pinnacle, Isle of Arran. Photo by Jonathan de Leyser.

Adam on Prophecy of Drowning, Pabbay. Photo by Mike Coppock.


I guess a brief introduction to ourselves would also be appropriate. We (John Proctor, Adam Russell and Robert Taylor) are three friends who met through the Edinburgh University Mountaineering Club. John is a scientist, Adam is a gymnastics coach and Robert is a student. We have all climbed in the Alps before but this is our first trip to the Greater Ranges. We are very psyched…


We would like to thank our sponsors, The Mountaineering Council of Scotland, The Scottish Mountaineering Trust, The Sang Award and The Fabulous Bakin' Boys.

                                                        

Kyrgyzstan-a brief overview

It is important when visiting another  country to have a basic understanding of its people and customs.

Kyrgyz customs are largely influenced by their nomadic heritage. This is most obvious in the yurta, the tent used by many people to this day. This consists of a wooden skeleton and a felt cover and takes only an hour to set up.
 Kyrgyz music consists of mainly stringed instruments, which I am keen to have a go on!

Traditions.

The first sentence on Kyrgyzstan's 'traditions' part of its wikipedia page reads "Illegal, but still practiced, is the tradition of bride kidnapping". This is nowadays a far less hostile thing than it once was, a throwback now to the days when if you wanted a woman, you stuck her on your horse and made off.

Food.
The food of the region is heavy on meat, dairy and bread and light on spices. Each meal ends with the 'omin', a facewashing motion giving thanks to God.
 Kyrgyzstan is well known for its national dish, Beshburmak. This literally means 'five fingers' and this is how it is supposed to be eaten. It consists of noodles, pieces of meat and a spicy sauce. A sheep is butchered and the parts given out according to custom. Honoured guests get the sheep's head and eyeballs, considered a delicacy.

Drink.

Kymyz (pronounces Kumis) is the national drink of Kyrgyzstan and is a slightly alcoholic drink made of fermented mare's milk.

Games.

Kok Boru, literally "Goat snatching" is the most famous game to originate in Kyrgyzstan. Two teams of horsemen seek to snatch a goat from the centre of the field and deliver it to the other team's goals.

Other games are mainly horse based as well. 'Oodarysh' is wrestling on horseback, 'Tyin Enmei' is picking up a coin from the ground while galloping at full speed.

'Kyz Kuumai' is a traditional wedding game where a young man on horseback must catch a girl (also on horseback) and kiss her. Should he catch her (she is given the best horse and a 20m head start) he gets to kiss her, should he fail to pass her by a given point they ride back to the start, the girl whipping the man all the way.

'Er-Siysh' is a bit more aggressive, in that two riders try to pull each other off their horses using pikes.

The Kyrgyz are known as friendly, welcoming people with a rich culture and heritage.

We would like to thank our sponsors, The Mountaineering Council of Scotland, The Scottish Mountaineering Trust, The Sang Award and The Fabulous Bakin' Boys.