Patron: H.R.H. THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH, K.G., K.T.
Report of the Chairman for 2003 - 2004
With the Fiftieth Anniversary of the First Ascent of Mount Everest celebrations safely behind us, we return to our more normal activities - interviewing and assessing exploratory expeditions for support during 2004. It was unfortunate that it was not possible to field the planned Replica Everest expedition led by Iain Peter for lack of sponsorship, but even without it the Foundation received much useful publicity. In particular, the Royal Gala Endeavour on Everest in the Leicester Square Odeon was a great success, attended by HM The Queen, HRH Prince Philip (our Patron) and several other members of the Royal Family, as well as a packed house of other enthusiasts. We are most grateful to all who participated and to those who made the whole event a possibility, particularly to Sarah Turner who harnessed the somewhat anarchic impulses of the climbing world, and its reticence to make Thursday 29th May 2003 such a memorable success.
Once again, the most popular venue for expeditions in 2003 was Greenland (probably because of the lack of bureaucracy involved), attracting no less than nine trips, all recording complete or partial successes. Some 60 peaks received first ascents, whilst new routes were recorded on many others, including the ever-popular Dansketind (2390m) and Tupilak (2264m).
Although the eligibility of expeditions with scientific aims is clearly defined in our criteria for support, the MEF receives regrettably few applications, so we were pleased to have two in 2003, both to venues in South America. 'APEX 2' was a continuation of research into the effects of altitude on the human body, carried out at the Chacaltaya Research Laboratory at 5200m in Bolivia. In Peru, a multi-national team used modern thermal imaging techniques to search for - and find - Inca ruins in the Andes, 'lost' since 1913. Also in Peru, at its second attempt a two-man team was successful in making the first ascent of the Central Couloir on the SE Face of Jirishanca (6094m). In Venezuela, a husband and wife rock-climbing duo from UK joined up with local climbers to put up new 'free' routes in the Gran Sabana region, including the first ascent of a 600m tower on Acopán Tepui which they climbed in 21 pitches, graded up to E6. Two teams with short memories of Patagonian weather returned to do battle - but once again met their match. The mystery of whether Maestri and Egger actually climbed the North Face of Cerro Torre (3128m) in 1959 remains unsolved, the worst weather for six years preventing the team from even reaching the foot of the mountain. In Chile, bad weather also stopped yet another attempt to make the first ascent of Cerro Aguilera (c.2500m), although a view of it from a neighbouring peak has suggested ideas for the future. They plan to return in 2004. Further south still, after an approach by boat in the Bill Tilman tradition, appalling weather (160 kph winds and a 40mb pressure drop in 5 hours) forced attempts on various peaks in South Georgia - including Mount Paget (2934m) - to be abandoned due to avalanches and other objective dangers.
In North America, four expeditions to Alaska had mixed successes. In Tokositna, both couloirs on the S Face of Kahiltna Queen (3773m) were climbed by a pair from UK whilst a mixed duo from New Zealand made the first ascent of a 900m couloir on the North Face of Peak 11,520ft (3511m) and repeated several other routes, but found that avalanche risk made their main objective - the West Face of Mount Hunter (4442m) - too dangerous to attempt. In Kichatna, the first British ascent of The Citadel (2597m) was achieved with a new 21 pitch route (overall Alpine grade ED3 VI) that has been called Super Dupa Couloir, climbed in 30 hours. After successfully climbing two other routes to acclimatise, another pair hoping to make the first ascent of the 'awesome' SE Face of Mount Foraker (5305m) realised that their intended route was threatened by huge séracs, so accepting that discretion was the better part of valour, retreated to the fleshpots of Anchorage. On the border between USA and Canada, an attempt on Mount Vancouver (4812m) was abandoned when it was realised that a plateau seamed with large crevasses was too dangerous for a two-man team to cross, but by then the pair had already made the first ascent of nearby Mount Foresta North Peak (3341m).
After something of a decline in recent years, China and Tibet are once more returning to popularity. The realisation that there are many 6000m peaks in Sichuan Province that have never even been attempted has just hit British climbers, and a strong 4-man team set out to make the first ascent of one of them, Mount Grosvenor (6376m). They were surprised that their base camp at 3800m was surrounded by the tents of over one hundred local people hunting for caterpillar fungus - a valuable aphrodisiac: they must also have been hunting for food, as most of the climbers' rations disappeared during their first foray on the hill. After a 45km round trip to re-stock, two separate attempts on the steep NW Face had to be abandoned due to heavy snow, spindrift and the danger of loose rock. Six months later, after having their permit for Qomo Lhari (7314m) rescinded at a very late stage, another duo managed to transfer to Mount Grosvenor, and were successful in making its first ascent by the N face and W ridge. We are indebted to the veteran Japanese explorer Tamotsu Nakamura (AC), who continues to publish pictures of unclimbed peaks taken on his travels, particularly in the Nyenchentangla Range. The MEF supported two such trips during the year, one of which made the first ascent of Da Kangri (aka Beu-tse) (6270m) via its NW Face, whilst the other was forced to abandon the first ascent of Chukporisun (6359m) within 200m from summit due to the risk of cold injury. This team did however make a circumnavigation of the northern section of the range, making the first western crossings of two high passes, and viewing some 30 unclimbed peaks over 6000m. No doubt they will be going back!
One of the most inspiring successes of the year was in Nepal, where a trio made the first ascent of the much attempted SW Ridge of Annapurna III (7550m). Further east, in Khumbu, a party made several attempts to climb the NW Face of the so-called 'trekking peak' Teng Kangpoche (c.6500m), the best - solo by the expedition leader via the NE face - reaching within 150m of the summit.
Of the two trips to Kyrgyzstan one team hoping to make a ski traverse of the entire Ak Shiirak range discovered that their intended access route was blocked by heavy snow and avalanches, but by making double-carries adding 40km to the start of the trip (and using up valuable time), they ferried all their kit over the Ak-Bel Pass, and pressed on. Although they did not complete the traverse, they made ski ascents of several peaks up to 4600m and confirmed the area's potential for ski mountaineering. The Kuilu-Too range of Kyrgyzstan proved a suitable choice for a 'Club' expedition, which achieved first ascents of seven peaks between 4100m and 4780m graded from PD to D.
Four caving trips were supported during the year. Two were to China where in Yunnan Province, although no great depth was achieved, 57 new cave entrances were logged at altitudes between 3800m and 4200m, mainly for future exploration. In Guangxi Province (close to the Vietnam border) 44 caves were explored with 21.4 km of cave passage surveyed and photographed. In Vietnam itself, another team explored and surveyed 44.8 km of 'new' cave passage, bringing the country's total to 93 km. In Meghalaya (the 21st state of India), 25.7 km of 'new' cave passage was explored & surveyed.
In November 2003, the MEF once again joined up with the British Mountaineering Council to present a series of short lectures on recent expeditions at the Kendal Mountain Film Festival. This has now grown to be one of the world's top events, and in addition to the above lectures and many other features, included the official film première of Touching the Void (about an MEF supported expedition of 1985), that has since received the BAFTA Award for Best British Film.
Once again, it is proper to record the unstinting efforts of Bill Ruthven, our Secretary who has been awarded Honorary Membership of the Alpine Club (he is already an Honorary Fellow of the RGS), Lindsay Griffin, Chair of the Screening Committee, and our Treasurer, Richard Morgan plus the members of both Screening and Management Committees. We continue as a lean organisation (we have no paid staff) whose support to expeditions has enabled British and New Zealand teams to keep in the forefront of endeavour on new peaks and new, demanding routes. Many of these ventures are at the extreme edge of our sport, receiving little publicity in a world dominated by advertising sponsorship. Due to falling investment income our grants may be smaller than in former years, but they are still valued. It is forty years since I first applied for an MEF grant (Eric Shipton was then in the Chair). I value greatly the support the MEF has given me, for modest trips to far off ranges - and there is little doubt that the MEF will continue as a powerful force for years to come, but we do need more money.
Finally, I hesitate to mention (but feel I must) the continuing uncertainty regarding the ownership and copyright of the Everest photographs and archives. I feel sure that with continuing goodwill between the MEF, the Alpine Club and the Royal Geographical Society (where they are housed) an amicable and equitable solution is possible.
At the next AGM, I complete two busy, happy years as Chairman, and hand over to Dr John Gerrard.
Dr Charles Clarke - Chairman MEF
July 2004
Once again, the most popular venue for expeditions in 2003 was Greenland (probably because of the lack of bureaucracy involved), attracting no less than nine trips, all recording complete or partial successes. Some 60 peaks received first ascents, whilst new routes were recorded on many others, including the ever-popular Dansketind (2390m) and Tupilak (2264m).
Although the eligibility of expeditions with scientific aims is clearly defined in our criteria for support, the MEF receives regrettably few applications, so we were pleased to have two in 2003, both to venues in South America. 'APEX 2' was a continuation of research into the effects of altitude on the human body, carried out at the Chacaltaya Research Laboratory at 5200m in Bolivia. In Peru, a multi-national team used modern thermal imaging techniques to search for - and find - Inca ruins in the Andes, 'lost' since 1913. Also in Peru, at its second attempt a two-man team was successful in making the first ascent of the Central Couloir on the SE Face of Jirishanca (6094m). In Venezuela, a husband and wife rock-climbing duo from UK joined up with local climbers to put up new 'free' routes in the Gran Sabana region, including the first ascent of a 600m tower on Acopán Tepui which they climbed in 21 pitches, graded up to E6. Two teams with short memories of Patagonian weather returned to do battle - but once again met their match. The mystery of whether Maestri and Egger actually climbed the North Face of Cerro Torre (3128m) in 1959 remains unsolved, the worst weather for six years preventing the team from even reaching the foot of the mountain. In Chile, bad weather also stopped yet another attempt to make the first ascent of Cerro Aguilera (c.2500m), although a view of it from a neighbouring peak has suggested ideas for the future. They plan to return in 2004. Further south still, after an approach by boat in the Bill Tilman tradition, appalling weather (160 kph winds and a 40mb pressure drop in 5 hours) forced attempts on various peaks in South Georgia - including Mount Paget (2934m) - to be abandoned due to avalanches and other objective dangers.
In North America, four expeditions to Alaska had mixed successes. In Tokositna, both couloirs on the S Face of Kahiltna Queen (3773m) were climbed by a pair from UK whilst a mixed duo from New Zealand made the first ascent of a 900m couloir on the North Face of Peak 11,520ft (3511m) and repeated several other routes, but found that avalanche risk made their main objective - the West Face of Mount Hunter (4442m) - too dangerous to attempt. In Kichatna, the first British ascent of The Citadel (2597m) was achieved with a new 21 pitch route (overall Alpine grade ED3 VI) that has been called Super Dupa Couloir, climbed in 30 hours. After successfully climbing two other routes to acclimatise, another pair hoping to make the first ascent of the 'awesome' SE Face of Mount Foraker (5305m) realised that their intended route was threatened by huge séracs, so accepting that discretion was the better part of valour, retreated to the fleshpots of Anchorage. On the border between USA and Canada, an attempt on Mount Vancouver (4812m) was abandoned when it was realised that a plateau seamed with large crevasses was too dangerous for a two-man team to cross, but by then the pair had already made the first ascent of nearby Mount Foresta North Peak (3341m).
After something of a decline in recent years, China and Tibet are once more returning to popularity. The realisation that there are many 6000m peaks in Sichuan Province that have never even been attempted has just hit British climbers, and a strong 4-man team set out to make the first ascent of one of them, Mount Grosvenor (6376m). They were surprised that their base camp at 3800m was surrounded by the tents of over one hundred local people hunting for caterpillar fungus - a valuable aphrodisiac: they must also have been hunting for food, as most of the climbers' rations disappeared during their first foray on the hill. After a 45km round trip to re-stock, two separate attempts on the steep NW Face had to be abandoned due to heavy snow, spindrift and the danger of loose rock. Six months later, after having their permit for Qomo Lhari (7314m) rescinded at a very late stage, another duo managed to transfer to Mount Grosvenor, and were successful in making its first ascent by the N face and W ridge. We are indebted to the veteran Japanese explorer Tamotsu Nakamura (AC), who continues to publish pictures of unclimbed peaks taken on his travels, particularly in the Nyenchentangla Range. The MEF supported two such trips during the year, one of which made the first ascent of Da Kangri (aka Beu-tse) (6270m) via its NW Face, whilst the other was forced to abandon the first ascent of Chukporisun (6359m) within 200m from summit due to the risk of cold injury. This team did however make a circumnavigation of the northern section of the range, making the first western crossings of two high passes, and viewing some 30 unclimbed peaks over 6000m. No doubt they will be going back!
One of the most inspiring successes of the year was in Nepal, where a trio made the first ascent of the much attempted SW Ridge of Annapurna III (7550m). Further east, in Khumbu, a party made several attempts to climb the NW Face of the so-called 'trekking peak' Teng Kangpoche (c.6500m), the best - solo by the expedition leader via the NE face - reaching within 150m of the summit.
Of the two trips to Kyrgyzstan one team hoping to make a ski traverse of the entire Ak Shiirak range discovered that their intended access route was blocked by heavy snow and avalanches, but by making double-carries adding 40km to the start of the trip (and using up valuable time), they ferried all their kit over the Ak-Bel Pass, and pressed on. Although they did not complete the traverse, they made ski ascents of several peaks up to 4600m and confirmed the area's potential for ski mountaineering. The Kuilu-Too range of Kyrgyzstan proved a suitable choice for a 'Club' expedition, which achieved first ascents of seven peaks between 4100m and 4780m graded from PD to D.
Four caving trips were supported during the year. Two were to China where in Yunnan Province, although no great depth was achieved, 57 new cave entrances were logged at altitudes between 3800m and 4200m, mainly for future exploration. In Guangxi Province (close to the Vietnam border) 44 caves were explored with 21.4 km of cave passage surveyed and photographed. In Vietnam itself, another team explored and surveyed 44.8 km of 'new' cave passage, bringing the country's total to 93 km. In Meghalaya (the 21st state of India), 25.7 km of 'new' cave passage was explored & surveyed.
In November 2003, the MEF once again joined up with the British Mountaineering Council to present a series of short lectures on recent expeditions at the Kendal Mountain Film Festival. This has now grown to be one of the world's top events, and in addition to the above lectures and many other features, included the official film première of Touching the Void (about an MEF supported expedition of 1985), that has since received the BAFTA Award for Best British Film.
Once again, it is proper to record the unstinting efforts of Bill Ruthven, our Secretary who has been awarded Honorary Membership of the Alpine Club (he is already an Honorary Fellow of the RGS), Lindsay Griffin, Chair of the Screening Committee, and our Treasurer, Richard Morgan plus the members of both Screening and Management Committees. We continue as a lean organisation (we have no paid staff) whose support to expeditions has enabled British and New Zealand teams to keep in the forefront of endeavour on new peaks and new, demanding routes. Many of these ventures are at the extreme edge of our sport, receiving little publicity in a world dominated by advertising sponsorship. Due to falling investment income our grants may be smaller than in former years, but they are still valued. It is forty years since I first applied for an MEF grant (Eric Shipton was then in the Chair). I value greatly the support the MEF has given me, for modest trips to far off ranges - and there is little doubt that the MEF will continue as a powerful force for years to come, but we do need more money.
Finally, I hesitate to mention (but feel I must) the continuing uncertainty regarding the ownership and copyright of the Everest photographs and archives. I feel sure that with continuing goodwill between the MEF, the Alpine Club and the Royal Geographical Society (where they are housed) an amicable and equitable solution is possible.
At the next AGM, I complete two busy, happy years as Chairman, and hand over to Dr John Gerrard.
Dr Charles Clarke - Chairman MEF
July 2004
