Khurdopin pass

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Khurdopin pass

After 18-21 years of failures the Khurdopin pass (5790m) in Northeast Pakistan, Between Shimshal and Snow Lake, got finally crossed this summer. the trekk organized by my self since many years Iwas intrested for this pass and luckily I succeed my mission Together with Jef Houben from Bulgem, and 4 Shimshali porters(LailiShah/ Muhammad Abdul/ BulbulKarim/ Eid Muhammad) we started the ascent on Sunday the 24th of June, coming from Snow Lake. At 4 o'clock in the morning we started from high camp at the left side of the crack zone. At 6.30 we were blocked by a vertical wall of ice, 10 meters high. By my self and Muhammad Abdul we went up Using two ice axes and fixed a rope with a snow bar and an ice screw. The others followed Using crampons, an ice ax and an ascender. The snow bridge between Muhammad Abdul At the top of the vertical wall and me a bit higher could collapse at any Instant.
At 8.15 the whole team was on the upper plateau of the pass. We went gradually up Till we reached the edge of the plateau, on the right side of the Khurdopin Peak. The Leomann map sheet 2 showed a wrong location of the pass. After some route Searching we realized the way down was on the left side of the Khurdopin Peak, instead of the right. At 14 we started the descent, one hour later we made Camp beneath the Khurdopin Peak. Until now the slope had gradually gone down
Without any difficulties.
On Monday the 25th we left at 4 o'clock in the morning. Not until 7.30 we found a Way down through the middle of a crack field. At one spot a descent by fixed ropes was necessary. We reached a huge snowfield; we crossed it at the right side and encountered a new crack field. A horizontal traverse of a steep slippery snowfield by fixed rope was required to reach a safe spot at the edge of the crack zone. At 12.30 we reached steep couloir that was too risky to cross due to a continuous Bombardment of rocks freed from the ice by the burning sun. A new attempt at 15.30 Appeared to be too risky either. We climbed a bit back up until reaching a spot where the ground was level enough to put two tents. The soft temperature during the night brought no solution for the rock fall. Just before starting the descent through the couloirs an impressive crack collapsed nearby. At 5.30 we tried our Luck and luckily nobody got hurt during the passing of the couloirs. At 6 we were on the glacier. At 8 we were out of the glacier, we crossed some scree slopes till we reached Sakarwar at 11.45, a roofless shepherd hut. At 13 we continued walking cautiously on the scree slopes, and then we had to cross 3 ferocious rivers, the first One protected with a rope after I had crossed the river without protection.
At 19 we reached Chiririn, a hut with a roof.
On Wednesday the 27th we left at 7.20. After 3 river crossings we reached a hut Near the Verjerab River, at 9.40. At 12.30 we started again crossing a marine till we noticed around 15 that the way was blocked down in the valley by a large river. A scouting trip revealed that the river was not fordable. At 17 we made camp down
By the river.
On Thursday the 28th we left at 2.30 in the morning. A steep climb brought us to the edge of the hilltop, then we traversed the scree slopes and went down on a Steep slippery slope, reaching the valley bottom beyond the river at 8.15. At 10 we started again, going up and down 2 times to avoid rivers coming from the
Yazghil glacier.

Qudrat Ali (4, 8000er climber)

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