Pakistan – Biafo Glacier, Snow Lake, Workman Peak, Hispar Glacier, 2005
Physically and technically demanding trek over Biafo Glacier up to Snow Lake, crossing over Hispar La and descending over Hispar Glacier is considered to be the most difficult trek in Pakistan. From Ascole village (3 000 m) we walked over Biafo Glacier up to Snow Lake (Lukpe Lawo).
We had a case of brain oedema at the altitude of 4 000 m, which I have Managed to treat successfuly for 24 hours before the rescue helicopter arrived. Our group split into two smaller ones – a trekking group, which stayed two more days on Snow Lake, crossed the Hispar La, camped in a high camp just below the col, then descended to Bantha Brak, where all its members waited for the others – for the climbing group. Our climbing group was made of five climbers, who left the Snow Lake camp after spending one night there and continued up to Hispar La. We have turned North on the ridge and built a small base camp (5 150 m) with two tents just a few hours from Workman Peak (5 895 m).
We chose to climb the Western face of Workman Peak. The approach to the face took us almost five hours in deep snow, we have climbed up to the summit ridge late in the afternoon. The sun was shining fully on the wall, the ice was melting under our feet and pieces of it were falling on our heads from above. We have managed to return unharmed back to our base camp just at sunset.
We descended from our base camp on Hispar La the next morning and joined the trekking group, which was waiting for us at Bantha Brak camp (4 380 m). Together we followed the Hispar Glacier back to civilization – to Hispar village (2 850 m).
After leaving Skardu we have slept in our first camp in Ascole village (3 000 m), then in camps Namla (3 690 m), Mango (3 660 m), Bantha (3 990 m), Marphogoro (4 480 m), on the Snow Lake (4 570 m), the climbing group slept in base camp on Hispar La (5 150 m), the trekking group slept in high camp under the Hispar La (5 040 m). Both groups joined on the Hispar Glacier in Bantha Brak camp (4 380 m) and descended through camps Shiquam Bakris (4 020 m) and Dachigan (3 750 m) to Hispar village (2 850 m). Reaching Hispar village we have completed the 200 km long trek, which lasted two weeks. From Hispar village we drove by jeeps to Karimabad in the fertile valley of Hunza river.
