2022 East Karakoram Expedition

In September 2022 five members of the Alpine Club travelled to India intent on eploring the Rassa Glacier and attempting the first ascent of one or more of the many 6,000m peaks that rise from it. Flying via Delhi to Leh (3,500m) in Ladakh, they first spent four days acclimatising to the altitude before crossing the 5,370m Khardung La to the Nubra Valley. After spending a night near the village of Tirit, the team then began a three-day trek up the Tirit Phu to establish a base camp at 4,750m, a little beyond the summer pasture of Arganglas and close to the confluence of the Rassa and Phunangma glacial outflows. Having identified and optimised access to the lower Rassa Glacier, an Advanced Base Camp was subsequently established on a sandy depression in the moraine at 5,100m. Further forays identified a suitable high camp on the glacier proper, at the foot of the unexplored second glacial spur. From this camp team members extensively reconnoitred this glacial spur and two members successfully made the first ascent of PK6365 (Dagarpheth Kangri) via the ESE Ridge at alpine AD. Further exploration was precluded by the onset of bad weather, forcing a retreat to basecamp and an early return to Leh.