Hardwear Sessions

Pat Deavoll writes, from her perspective, an account of her Karim Sar(6189m) ascent.

On June 5th 2009 Paul Hersey and I arrived in Islamabad to discover security in the city at an all time high. Soldiers with AK47's, roadblocks and a wary population had emptied the streets and our anxious guide Baig (Nazir Sabir Expeditions) saw us as a potential target for every kidnapper, suicide bomber and insurgent in Central Asia. He wouldn't let us out of his sight.

We drove north up the Karakoram Highway against an endless tide of refugees fleeing the Swat Valley, Baig breathing a nervous sigh of relief when we reach the relative safety of Gilgit. Three days later we were ensconced at basecamp beside the Shilinbar Glacier, under the south face of Karim Sar. The face was a confusing mass of steep snow slopes, hanging glaciers and granite rock bands culminating in the summit ice cap. With an elevation of 2600m, it's was a daunting sight...

Read her personal account here: www.patdeavoll.co.nz