Rupal Peak (c.5500m), Pakistan
I rose at 4.30am and prepared myself for my first Himalayan ascent. We had camped at approximately 4600m beneath Rupal Peak, which lies on the south side of the Rupal Valley. The climb to our base camp had afforded us some spectacular views of the Rupal Face and Mazeno Ridge of Nanga Parbat to our North. Today I would try and climb Rupal Peak together with a couple of Frenchmen called Nicolas and Vincent that I had met in Tashkurgan, China. With virtually no climbing experience between us we would be guided by Abdul Bari Rana of Lost Horizons Tours , and Ali, a local high altitude porter from the Tarashing valley. Rupal Peak in the evening shadow of Nanga Parbat Rupal Peak base camp (c.4600m) We left camp at 5.30am. After crossing a short boulder section we were onto glacier. Nicolas and Vincent were slipping on their backsides every few seconds and I hit the deck once as well. Bari suggested we don crampons, which Nicolas and Vincent promptly ...