New route Light before wisdom...

New route Light before wisdom by Kennedy, Novak, Pellissier and Prezelj in the east face of Cerro Kishtwar.



The international Kishtwar 2015 expedition, consisting of Slovenians Urban Novak and Marko Prezelj (both from AO PD Kamnik), American Hayden Kennedy and Frenchman Manu Pellissier, succeeded in October as the first to climb the demanding east face of Cerro Kishtwar (6173 m), a prominent peak in Indian Kashmir, which got its name due to its similarity to the more famous Cerro Torre in Patagonia. The technically extremely demanding ascent, rated ED+, which is an elevated highest grade on the French six-grade scale, is a new top alpinistic achievement in the Himalaya.



Last year's first ascent by Aleš Česen, Luka Lindic and Marko Prezelj on the north face of Hagshu not only brought the golden ice axe, the highest international alpinistic award, but also the idea for a new ascent – to Cerro Kishtwar, which got its name due to its sharp shape reminiscent of Patagonian peaks. On the international Kishtwar 2015 alpinistic expedition, which took place from September 9 to October 16, 2015 and was also supported by the Alpine Association of Slovenia, top alpinists from Slovenia, USA and France joined forces and experience: younger generation alpinists Urban Novak and Hayden Kennedy, and more experienced Marko Prezelj and Manu Pellissier. In quite variable weather and demanding conditions, they climbed two new routes in alpine style – the extremely demanding Light before wisdom/Svetloba pred modrostjo in the east face of Cerro Kishtwar (6173 m) and a demanding one along the south ridge to Chomochior (6278 m).



Both peaks are located in eastern Kishtwar in the Indian Kashmir region in the Himalaya, which was reopened to foreigners only a few years ago. Before the official closure, the British "owned" the area, involved in all attempts and ultimately the first successful ascent of Cerro Kishtwar, achieved in 1993 by Mick Fowler and Stephen Sustad. In 2011, Swiss climbers Denis Burdet and Stephan Siegrist, Austrian David Lama and American Robert Frost climbed a new route in the northwest face. Thus, from the northwest side there are two routes to the summit, while from the east Cerro Kishtwar had not seen an ascent attempt before the arrival of the Slovenian-American-French team. "The northeast and east faces visually offer possibilities for demanding mixed climbing even in less favorable conditions. I showed the alpinistic group a photo of the mountainous area with a prominent pyramidal mountain and remarked that the area is worth revisiting. Urban liked the idea and came to me with the proposal that we go climbing there together. The main goal was obvious, and we limited the team to at most four people. Urban invited Hayden, I invited Manu. Urban decisively took care of the bureaucratic tasks and organization, the rest helped him," Prezelj described the choice of the alpinistic goal and the planning of the expedition.



After alternating heavy rain and snow that marked the beginning of the expedition, between September 27 and 29, Novak, Prezelj and Kennedy made an acclimatization ascent to Chomochior, which meant the second approach to the summit and a new 1400-meter demanding route along the south ridge, for them primarily important psychological preparation for the main goal of the expedition.



On October 5, the quartet of alpinists entered the freshly snow-covered east face of Cerro Kishtwar. The demanding terrain and conditions made difficult by snowfall did not allow rapid progress. After a full day of climbing and the first bivouac on a narrow ledge, the most uncertain part of the route awaited them, continuing with climbing steep and sun-eroded, softened ice. In the branched system of cracks, where ice climbing and mixed terrain intertwined, the second night caught them, but searching for a suitable bivouac spot delayed the climbing until 2 a.m. A wide slab and chimney with steep ice brought them on the third day of the ascent to one of the key sections, demanding slabs covered with fresh and unconsolidated snow. Wet snow further on ensured that the climbing stretched late into the night again. The exit chimney ended at the last belay in the rock below the snowfield, twenty meters below the summit, which they reached on October 8, 2015, spent the fourth night there, and woke up to a god-like view admired from the most prominent mountain. They descended via the south slope to the col into which the east glacier flows, from there with rappels down the rope to the base of the wall.



As expedition leader Novak emphasized in the Kishtwar 2015 expedition report, during the ascent in moments of doubt and hesitation Prezelj showed why he is what he is in alpinism. "Without previous ascents, I wouldn't even think of this one. Certainly, years of experience help when the pressure of doubts becomes annoying. With years, confidence in one's abilities clears up," said Marko Prezelj, an alpinist with numerous notable ascents in home and foreign mountains, also recipient of three golden ice axes.



"Primeval environment, variable weather, demanding conditions and diverse personalities of the expedition members were the right mix for an intensely experienced adventure. Among all the listed factors, I would highlight our personalities, which, despite different ages, lifestyles and environments where we live, complemented each other excellently. Precisely because of the positive atmosphere during the stay and climbing in the Indian mountains, moments of uncertainty and discomfort were just challenges that we successfully overcame with joy, curiosity, friendship and camaraderie," expedition leader Urban Novak concluded, who despite his youth already has several successful alpinistic expeditions behind him.



Experienced alpinists rated the first ascent, 1200 meters long route in the east face of Cerro Kishtwar, which they named Light before wisdom/Svetloba pred modrostjo, ED+ (extrêmement difficile supérieur = extremely difficult), with the elevated highest grade on the French six-grade scale.



"The expedition was designed in the currently modern way: small group – two ropes, alpine style of climbing, acclimatization on suitable neighboring peaks that allow ongoing views of the main goal, and of course a smartly chosen goal that is attractive and demanding enough for the high level of expedition members. The execution was also at the top level. According to the report, the experience of Marko Prezelj was decisive above all, who probably has the most experience in the world with such expeditions. Right decisions at the right moment, when the first doubts about the correctness of decisions creep into the team, and of course high technical climbing level, which can pull those few meters further to the summit when the engine just below the summit slope starts losing power and speed and could change the direction of movement. The ascent is excellent, as is the entire execution of the expedition, and it will certainly resonate in the international alpinistic community. I hope that the Slovenian 'audience's' habituation to such ascents will not diminish its value at home," top alpinist Andrej Štremfelj assessed the ascent.