Tien Shan Unclimbed Peaks & Khan Tengri Expedition News 19th July 2008

Tien Shan Unclimbed Peaks & Khan Tengri Expedition News 19th July 2008.

The Team Leaders : Sean James & Roger Chaldecott

David Malia

Paul Hejl

Stuart Goulds

Roger Millis

Timothy Newton

Henry Preston

Jake Meyer

Lee Clements

John Newsom

Richard Morriarty

Emma Wilson

14th August – Sean has called in today to say that sadly the weather did not break and having spent 5 days at Camp 3 the team have now had to descend back to BC. All are safe and well.

13th August – Sean and five members of the team are currently at Camp 3, the other 4 members decided to descend to Camp 2 after having sat out 3 nights bad weather at Camp 3 (at present, we do not have details of which clients have stayed and which have descended).  Tomorrow is the last possible day for the summit attempt before the group return to Base Camp for the helicopter ride out.

9th August – A message was left by Sean yesterday to say that the group are up at camp 3 on Khan Tengri and hoping to make a summit bid on Monday.

5th August – The Khan Tengri team have moved up to Camp 1 on Chapayev. Looking to make the most of their acclimatization from the unclimbed peaks part of the trip and utilizing the tents & equipment left by the Tien Shan Peaks team, they will need to establish their 3rd camp on the col between Chapayev & Khan Tengri. From here they will make their launch for the summit.

31st July – The team have now returned to BC and are awaiting the pickup by helicopter tomorrow. The team decided to turn around on the final peak as the unconsolidated snow conditions and loose rock were deemed to be too dangerous. The team will head back to Maidadyr and then the Khan Tengri group will fly to Khan Tengri BC.

27th July – The team have been successful on a previously unclimbed summit at around 4900m. They placed one intermediate camp and it sounds like everyone summitted. After a brief rest at base camp eight members of the group are now established at another camp at 4400m where the other 5 are planning to join them tomorrow. From here they have recce’d two more unclimbed objectives for the following days. Everyone’s well and enjoying the climbing.

23rd July – Sean & Roger reported in yesterday to say that they had now been dropped off by the helicopter. There was some delay at the border to Maidadyr en-route to the Helipad, but other than that things have gone well. After establishing base camp the team will then start their exploratory walks to suss out the surrounding peaks.

15th July – The group will depart the UK on the 19th July.