Fowler and Saunders make first ascent of Yawash Sar, Karakoram
- Thursday 26th September 2024
Mick Fowler and Victor Saunders secure (yet another) first ascent in the Karakoram some 40 years after their first visit.
Making a remarkable return to the Karakoram some 40 years after their first visit, veteran mountaineers Mick Fowler and Vic Saunders have pulled off yet another amazing first ascent. Climbing in their beloved alpine-style, the pair summited the north-west face of the 6,258m peak in a seven day effort.
Berghaus, who supported the expedition, have just released the following press release with details of Mick and Vic’s remarkable achievement.
Yawash Sar is the highest and most spectacular peak in the Khunjerab sub-range of the Karakoram range. Fowler and Saunders agree that it could justifiably be called ‘the Matterhorn of the Khunjerab’. In 2022, it was attempted from the south by a British team, who were defeated by difficult climbing on loose rock at around 6,000m.
After securing a permit to climb on the mountain, Fowler and Saunders flew to the region in late August. They trekked in to Yawash Sar and established a base camp on meadows at an altitude of around 4,600m, below the First Koksil Glacier. From there, they embarked on an alpine style attempt on the mountain via the north west face, and became the first people to reach its summit on Saturday 14 September. Once they had descended safely and had trekked back to the roadhead several days later, Fowler and Saunders were able to send a message back to the UK to confirm their success.
Mick Fowler takes up the story: “The face was complex and we were fortunate to find good climbing conditions and, after extensive binocular research, weave our way through numerous probable cul-de-sacs without reaching any impasses. A notable feature of the climb was a lack of good bivouac sites and at one point, we endured an excruciatingly uncomfortable hanging bivouac in strong winds.
“The position, distinctive objective and continuously excellent climbing combined to make us feel that this was one of the best ascents that we have done together. It was absolutely brilliant!”
Mick Fowler (68) and Victor Saunders (74) first climbed in Pakistan together in 1984, and it was 37 years ago that they made their renowned ascent of The Golden Pillar of Spantik, which lies a few hours away from Yawash Sar. Fowler and Saunders were regular climbing partners in the 1980s when both men lived in London. After Spantik, they didn’t climb together for three decades until reuniting in 2016 to achieve a first ascent on the north face of Sersank in the Indian Himalaya. They had planned more expeditions before Fowler’s cancer diagnosis delayed them. Following successful treatment, Fowler returned to fitness and expeditions, and now explores the greater ranges with the additional challenge of needing to use a colostomy bag.