Ausangate summit pyramid

Ausangate summit pyramid

After a long slog on the high plateau, we finally reached the summit pyramid. Although we first got to it from the south, we didn't see a way up from there. We had to go around it, along the west face to the northwest to find a ridge that we could climb. As this photo shows, the west face starts out vertical and as if that would not have been difficult enough, it's guarded by an impassable bergshrund. 4 June 2011.
rgg
on Oct 31, 2011 12:32 am
Image Type(s): Alpine Climbing,  Scenery
Image ID: 757029

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Luc

Luc - Nov 7, 2011 12:38 pm - Voted 10/10

good one!

looks ominous and near impassable.

rgg

rgg - Nov 8, 2011 9:33 am - Hasn't voted

Re: good one!

This face sure does. And if I remember correctly, I think we had one or two ice screws left between us, so, even if we could get over the bergshrund below it, there's no way we could have climbed the face!

My guide actually warned me much earlier on the climb that the summit pyramid might prove impossible. I'm an optimist, so I kept thinking, we'll find a way. Coming from the south, the most obvious south ridge (on the right in this photo) was protected by a bergshrund - which then continued along west face as this photo shows. We looked for a suitable place to cross it, and ended up here, and decided to go up the northwest ridge (on the left in this photo).

Luc

Luc - Nov 8, 2011 1:13 pm - Voted 10/10

Re: good one!

nice going, love your pics btw.

Viewing: 1-3 of 3