STEEP SLOPES AT THE BALTORO

 

Pica Herry and Sam Favret, professional snowboarder and skier respectively, traveled to Pakistan in May 2023. Accompanied by a local team of friends, their goal was to explore new faces and trace new lines on increasingly steep playgrounds. Pica recounts this expedition, alone in the heart of the Baltoro Glacier.

On Wednesday, May 17, 2023, we set foot on the immense Baltoro Glacier for the first time. We reached our third base camp on the third day of hiking, at 4,100 meters on the north side of the Baltoro Glacier. After a long 60-kilometer trek from Askole, we took some time to rest.

On May 20, we slowly headed towards Lobsang Spire, where we had spotted a couloir that didn't seem too dry or too far away. After 2 hours of walking over moraines and the glacier, we reached the bottom of the couloir, switching from approach shoes to snowboard boots. The snow quality didn't seem optimal, with lots of relief and debris, but the atmosphere was incredible. After 3 hours of intense work, we reached the col at approximately 5,150 meters. The density of the mountains around us was simply magical. The first turns were pleasant, even though the snow quickly turned.

The next day, we went climbing in the surrounding area to give my knees and Sam’s back a break. The weather forecast was poor for the next two weeks, and long discussions ensued with the team to make the best decision. Imagining turning back was difficult after so much preparation. We chose to continue by heading higher up the glacier.

The approach tested our bodies, but the views were insane. After a few hours of effort, our camp was set up on a flat spot. We thanked the porters, who turned back and left us alone on the Baltoro.

At 5 a.m., we set off to explore the Biarchedi Glacier. The approach proved difficult. We crossed rivers, skirted crevasses, and frequently had to remove our skis.

We discovered a 200-meter west-facing couloir with a beautiful approach on a smaller, secure glacier. We made good progress but quickly realized the couloir was three times longer than expected. The clouds played with the sun and the storm was never far off, but the snow looked nice and soft and the top of the couloir was getting closer. We pushed on.

Unfortunately, about a dozen meters from the col, the weather turned bad and it started to snow. We switched to ski mode as quickly as possible and descended, taking advantage of the pleasant, steep spring snow.

Over the next 5 days, the weather remained stormy and snowy. We spent a lot of time in the tent and took advantage of short breaks in the weather to practice avalanche victim searches and ice climbing.

A two-day weather window opened, and we considered riding one of the twin couloirs on the northeast face of the Biarchedi Towers: two 800-meter couloirs peaking at 5,200 meters in the middle of a wide, complex, steep, and rocky face. We ate breakfast at 11:30 p.m. and left camp under the moonlight. We spotted a pair of eyes in the night on the glacier and thought it was a snow leopard. A little scared, we checked behind us regularly, feeling that the beast was following us in the night.

The first light of day allowed us to see the majestic K2 rising above all the other mountains. The atmosphere was simply incredible! The walls surrounding us were immense, filled with snow mushrooms of all sizes. After 20 minutes in the sun, we descended quite quickly, mesmerized by the environment around us.

With a few more days at base camp, our goal was now to share a beautiful day of splitboarding with the whole team. One morning, the weather looked good enough to try our luck on the west face of the Nudig peaks. Upon reaching the bottom of the couloir, it started to snow, and we made the cautious decision to head toward the opposite mountain to find a beautiful, gently sloping descent line, free from avalanche danger or exposure to bare ice.

Back at camp, we decided to end our trip due to the weather conditions. After a full day of walking through moraines, rivers, rocky fields, and glaciers, we finally reached the Shigar Valley, happy and satisfied to have skied in the middle of these impressive mountains.

This trip to the Karakoram was a memorable experience for the entire team. Despite the weather challenges and difficult snow conditions, we were able to enjoy the incredible beauty of the mountains, the Baltoro Glacier, and the unique atmosphere of this region of Pakistan. The images and memories we shared will remain engraved in our minds forever.

 

 

©Photo credits Zom Connection