KAZAKHSTAN - The Marble Wall and Khan Tengri Traverse

02 Aug 2011 - Advance Up Glacier Towards Marble Wall

 

All content copyright © Ashley Burke 2011. Not to be copied, duplicated or used for any purpose without permission.

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Today we advanced with our tent and all remaining gear up the glacial morraine once more, and setup our tent at the spot where we'd deposited some gear the day before. Then we portaged a load of gear to a point on a ridge at 4285m. The route chosen by my guides was very loose, slippery, steep and dangerous, they were obviously not following the most suitable route up Marble Wall, and they were following the side of the ridge rather than the ridge itself. After stashing some gear on the ridge we returned to our uncomfortable camp on rubble at 3600m.

On the morning of 2 Aug 2011 the weather was better and we could see the route ahead by looking up the glacier. This photo shows the formidable mountain range ahead of us. We must cross these mountains, where the clouds can be seen at the top of the ridge in this photo, and descend the other side.
We found a footbridge, avoiding the freezing cold river crossing that we had braved the day before. On the previous day we had crossed the torrent a little further upstream, not knowing that the bridge was there.
Today we carried all our remaining gear up to this rather bleak looking point on the glacier and setup the tent.
The food at this point is still quite substantial. The large block of pig fat in this photo can be cut into slices and eaten on a cracker. The salami and cheese provide additional fat and calories!
After the lunch of salami and pig fat we take a load of gear up a very steep, loose and dangerous ridge and leave it at a col at 4285m.

After dropping our stash of gear at 4385m I managed to pursuade my 2 guides to descent the ridge by an easier and safer route - keeping to the ridge rather than sidling beside the glacier below!

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All content copyright © Ashley Burke 2011. Not to be copied, duplicated or used for any purpose without permission.

Page created 29 Nov 2011, last updated 5 Dec 2011.