Pakistan Ski Expedition 2005: First skiers on Laila Peak

Update: Pakistan Ski Expedition update June 30th, 2005:

We’ve had a great week here in Pakistan. The sun has been shining every day and Jörgen and I have engraved the first ski tracks on Laila Peak. Laila Peak is one of the most amazing mountains I’ve ever seen, like a needle it points straight up in the sky. It’s north-west flank has a steepness of 45-50 deegres in more than 1500 vertical meters. The first day we started off by going up to our camp at 5000 meters. 02.30 the next morning we put on the crampons and continued climbing up the slopes of Laila. At sunrise we were met by the magnificent view over the Karakoram giants: K2, Broad Peak and the Gasherbrums. An unforgettable moment! After eight hours of challenging climbing on hard and solid snow the conditions changed. The terrain got steeper and steeper and we were now swinging our ice axes into solid ice with only a thin layer of dry snow to cover it. We had to use all our gear, ice screws and rope, to continue upwards. A couple of hours later and only 150 meters from the summit we felt that there was no way we could ski in these icy conditions and decided to turn around. With excitement we put on our skis and made the first ski turns ever on Laila Peak. It was more than 1500 vertical meters down to the bottom. With the almost 50 degrees steep slope we had to concentrate on every turn not to make any mistake. The icy conditions turned into solid snow and we could relax and enjoy the skiing. Not every day you can check out the majestic K2 when you’re cruising the ski slopes. A long and exciting ski run ended on the Gondogoro glacier where our friend and cook Muhammad Ali served us some snacks. A perfect ending on a great ski.

We also made a second attempt on the mountain four days after our first, hoping that the conditions would have changed. It had not. There was still too icy on the top of the mountain to make it possible to ski.

We will now rest in our camp for a few days, waiting for porters, before heading over the Gondogoro pass and on to Gasherbrum Base Camp and new adventures.

Fredrik

Photos:  Fredrik Ericsson and Jörgen Aamot

Updates

Background: The Karakorams in Pakistan contains some of the most spectacular mountains in the world. Here you’ll find Laila Peak (6614 m), which is said to be the most beautiful mountain in Asia. No one has ever skied that mountain. Fredrik Ericsson and Jörgen Aamot are, this summer, taking on that challenge, as the first in the world they will try to ski descend the steep slopes of Laila Peak.

That’s not all, after Laila Peak they will continue up the Baltoro Valley to make an attempt to ski descend an unskied line on Gasherbrum 2 (8035 m), the 13th highest mountain in the world.

Fredrik Ericsson is a skier and mountaineer that’s spending most of his time in the mountains around Chamonix, France. He has gained a position as one of the top ski mountaineers in the world after ski descents of Shisha Pangma (8013 m) in Tibet and Peak Somoni (7495 m) in Tajikistan. Fredrik has also first ski descents in Sarek National Park, Spitsbergen and the Hurrungane mountains in Norway. This year he’s looking forward to ski his second 8000-meters peak.

Jörgen Aamot grew up in the mountains of Oppdal, Norway. He’s teaching skiing, climbing and avalanche awareness at the Hallingdal College in Gol, Norway. During the last few years he’s gathered multiple first ski descents throughout Norway for example in the Lyngen Alps, Hurrungane and Sunndalen Alps. This will be his first encounter with the high mountains of Karakoram.

The Expedition: On June 8, Fredrik and Jörgen will fly to Islamabad in Pakistan. After a few days of sorting out permits and general preparations they will continue up north to the Karakoram Mountains. First they will travel with jeeps via Skardu to Hushe and from there continue on foot. Porters will help out carrying gear up to Laila Peak Base Camp which they will reach after 7 days. Thereafter they will use a couple of weeks for acclimatisation and climbing to make it up to the top of Laila Peak, 6614 meters. That’s when the big adventures start. Fredrik and Jörgen will try to ski the steep west face of Laila Peak, something that’s never been done before.

After Laila Peak they will continue up the Baltoro Valley via Gondogoro pass and Concordia to the Gasherbrum glacier where the Gasherbrum Base Camp is situated at 5200 meters. During the next few weeks they will try to climb Gasherbrum 2 (8035 m) which is the 13th highest peak in the world. Well on the summit Fredrik and Jörgen will try to ski descend the mountain via an unskied line.

Millet One Sport Everest Boot  has made some minor changes by adding more Kevlar. USES Expeditions / High altitude / Mountaineering in extremely cold conditions / Isothermal to -75°F Gore-Tex® Top dry / Evazote Reinforcements with aramid threads. Avg. Weight: 5 lbs 13 oz Sizes: 5 - 14 DESCRIPTION Boot with semi-rigid shell and built-in Gore-Tex® gaiter reinforced by aramid threads, and removable inner slipper Automatic crampon attachment Non-compressive fastening Double zip, so easier to put on Microcellular midsole to increase insulation Removable inner slipper in aluminized alveolate Fiberglass and carbon footbed Cordura + Evazote upper Elasticated collar. Expedition footwear for mountaineering in conditions of extreme cold.  NOTE US SIZES LISTED. See more here.

A cold weather, high altitude double boot for extreme conditions The Olympus Mons is the perfect choice for 8000-meter peaks. This super lightweight double boot has a PE thermal insulating inner boot that is coupled with a thermo-reflective outer boot with an integrated gaiter. We used a super insulating lightweight PE outsole to keep the weight down and the TPU midsole is excellent for crampon compatibility and stability on steep terrain. WEIGHT: 39.86 oz • 1130 g LAST: Olympus Mons CONSTRUCTION: Inner: Slip lasted Outer: Board Lasted OUTER BOOT: Cordura® upper lined with dual-density PE micro-cellular thermal insulating closed cell foam and thermo-reflective aluminium facing/ Insulated removable footbed/ Vibram® rubber rand See more here.

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