Mountain photos - amateur and professional photos of mountains.

Author: Luca Maspes
www.montagna.org

 

UP PROJECT trip one 2005
Karakorum

From the left: Luca Maspes, Francesca Chenal, Cristian Brenna and Herve Barmasse on the summit ridge of “Up & Down. (foto Herve Barmasse)

Extreme climbers, sport climbers, ice specialists, all-around mountaineering… the “UP project” team cover all the ideal terrains of mountaineering’s “new age”. A young group that wants to have fun and to test themselves mountaineering outside of Europe.

The first “UP project” trip, conceived by the Italian Luca Maspes “Rampikino” in collaboration with Agostino Da Polenza, takes us to the eastern Karakorum. Like the last year, our idea to go into the Kondus and Saltoro valleys was denied by the Pakistani government two week before leaving. So we change the program and we came back in Chogolisa Glacier.

“Fast and Furious”

After the previous experience last year (4 new routes in this area opened by Luca Maspes, Herve Barmasse, Giovanni Pagnoncelli, Nancy Paoletto, Maurizio Giordani and Ezio Marlier, all Italian climbers – see Alpinist n.9), this year the “UP project - trip one” was a very success.

Ezio Marlier on the first difficult pitch of “Fast and Furious”, Peak 5500 (foto Herve Barmasse)

Many new routes in various style: big wall, free climbing, alpine style, unclimbed peak, ice and mixed climbing, bouldering.

Diary and photos on http://www.montagna.org (Up project)

18 June. In the north face of Peak 5500 (unclimbed), Herve Barmasse, Ezio Marlier and Fabio Salini climbed in a day “Fast and Furious”, a new mixed line of 700 meters with a difficult upper part up to V/4 and a little section of A1 (M6 freed from the second).

Fabio Salini on the crux pitch of “Fast and Furious”, Peak 5500 (foto Herve Barmasse)

The trio reach the summit ridge but don’t climb the highest point (a little summit spire 10 meters up to the ridge) and start to rappel the same route.

“Green tea”

22 June. On the left side of Chogolisa Shield (5300 m c., a.k.a Raven Peak, climbed the first time in the 1987 by the british climbers Hardwick and Littlejohn - see Mountain magazine n.120, march/april 1988), Ezio Marlier and Fabio Salini opened in a day a new route of 8 pitches called “Green tea” (F6b and a little section of A1, one bolt).

In a period from 16 June to 26 June, Luca Maspes, Cristian Brenna, Herve Barmasse and Francesca Chenal opened a big line in the steepest part of Chogolisa Shield, a route called “Up & Down”.

Fixed ropes in the first difficult 250 meters, with some bolt used on the first pillar for a future idea to free climb all the route in. In total 6 days of climbing, 16 pitches graded in the first ascent up to 5.11 and A1. The team finish the route on the summit ridge.

The 10 July Cristian Brenna, belayed by Giovanni Ongaro, free all the route in a day, with difficult up to F7c in the sixt pitch (the roof) and many pitches from F7a to F7b. I think one of the best and difficult free ascent in Karakorum.

Luca Maspes on the first ascent of “Up & Down”, Chogolisa Shield (foto Giovanni Pagnoncelli)

Cristian Brenna free climb the second pitch (F7b) of “Up & Down”, Chogolisa Shield. (foto Giovanni Pagnoncelli)

From 24 to 26 June, Giovanni Ongaro and Gianluca Bellin climbed the “Capucin” (5500 m c.) on the Sheep Peak, to the right of Chogolisa Shield. A little but difficult big wall of 400 meters (12 pitches) and difficult up to F6b and A2 “new age”.Two nights on the wall, capsule style with portaledges. The route, called “Duri e Puri”, finish on the summit right ridge of this beautiful spire.

Capucin

Approach to Capucin (foto Gianluca Bellin)

Giovanni Ongaro on a belay on the first ascent of “Duri e Puri” on Capucin. (foto Gianluca Bellin)

Unclimbed peak of 6000 m c

28 June. Herve Barmasse and Giovanni Pagnoncelli climbed the NW face of an unnamed and unclimbed peak of 6000 m c. on the long Farol Peak West ridge.

Alpine style, 1000 meters on ice (60°) and a little mixed climbing in the summit part. Only Barmasse reach the highest point of the mountain.

Brenna belayed Maspes on the attempt new route on Iqbal’s Wall, Charakusa area (foto Herve Barmasse)

At the end of the trip on the Chogolisa Glacier, in the base camp area (4300 m c.) Maspes and Brenna climb many boulder problems up to F7b.

Cristian Brenna after 4 days attempt climb a difficult problem called “Master of survivor” (F7c/7c+, the highest boulder of this difficult?).

For the last week of the trip, Maspes, Barmasse and Brenna moved in the Charakusa Glacier.

First the trio attempt to a new route on Iqbal’s Wall (first climbed in the 1998 by Maspes, Natale Villa and the American Galen Rowell), stopped by the bad rock on the final 100 meters after 6 pitches up to F6b/6b+ with trad equipment.

Two days later, the 21 July, the trio repeat the first 4 pitches of “Tasty Talking” (opened by Stevie House e C. in the 2004), then rappel into the gully and repeat the classic “English route” on the beautiful Naysar Brakk (5200 m).