PLANNING A FIRST ASCENT

We gave the route we climbed on ‘Lasarmula’ in this feature the alpine grade of AD+. The skills required were glacial travel, roped moving together and some pitches of climbing. There was an abseil on descent.

It is often thought there are few unclimbed mountains left in the world, and the ones that are left are really hard. But this isn’t true. Many peaks in the 5000-6000 metre range, some of which are not technically difficult at all, have not yet seen an ascent. This is often due to factors like remoteness, being situated in areas of political unrest, or being in a nation where there is not a culture of mountaineering amongst the local population.

As access to areas waxes and wanes with the socio-politics of a region, the opportunity to climb these mountains opens and closes. Kashmir, Sikkim and former Soviet countries such as Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan are good examples of places where there are lots of unclimbed mountains, as is Tibet, although it is still notoriously difficult to get the correct permissions here. Remote areas such as parts of Nepal and lower but no less challenging peaks in Alaska, Greenland and (the eye-wateringly expensive) Antarctica are also places where a large amount of peaks remain unclimbed.

Here are some things to consider when thinking about whether to try and climb an unclimbed peak:

Research: Expedition reports can indicate what might not have been climbed before; but it is possible that multiple ‘first ascents’ are made of some peaks.

Skills and knowledge within the team: What skills will you need? Do you have currently have these skills? Are you simply rusty, or do you need to learn from scratch?

Permissions: This includes the possibility of needing visas and permission to visit an area, as well as a permit to climb a peak. These all need to be researched, organised in advance and generally involve parting with some cash.

Logistics: This can be easier that you expect, even in very remote areas. Have a clear idea from prior research, which can be sourced from backpackers or previous expeditions. Travel, where to buy supplies and communications infrastructure are all important.

Budget: Insurance can be very expensive for remote areas, so begin here when working out the cost of a trip, following this by adding up the cost of travel and permits. One of the most affordable places is Kyrgyzstan as there is very little red tape and logistical support is low-cost.

Medical and rescue: What form would this take? In what timescale? What are the local and national medical facilities like? Knowing this information informs what medical kit and knowledge is required within a team and the risk being undertaken.

Funding: If a mountain is unclimbed then you may be eligible to apply for some funding. In the UK the BMC, the Alpine Club and the Mount Everest Foundation are some of the biggest funding bodies, but there are also many smaller ones. Grants from these awards will not fund an entire trip but they can make a big contribution.