Souvenir Pin, 1977 Pamirs Camp
The book detailing the successful British-Soviet Expedition. We based our planning on it.
Location of Pik Kommunizma
Dressing for the mountain - layer 1. There were very few high-tech fabrics other in 1977. We wore a lot of wool and cotton.
Dressing for the mountain - layer 2
Dressing for the mountain - layer 3
Dressing for the mountain - layer 4
Dressing for the mountain - layer 5
Dressing for the mountain - add the technical gear.
Sewing slings
Trying out a new pack
On the way - leaving California
London
Somewhere over Eastern Europe
Moscow, Russia
My room in Moscow
Street scene, Moscow
Moscow
Our group in Red Square.
Saint Basil's Cathedral, Red Square
Saint Basil's Cathedral
Sprucing up the gold domes (the Olympics were coming)
Lenins' tomb, Red Square
Red Square
All that glittered was, in fact, gold.
The University, Moscow
Looking over the Moscow River.
Getting the gear together for departure from Moscow.
Aeroflot airplane.
Greeting Party, Osh
Change to small field aircraft.
En route to the Pamirs
Coming in for a landing on a dirt strip.
Greeting Party
On the dusty road to base camp
Lunch stop with the Pamir Range as backdrop.
Sharing a laugh with the Kirgiz drivers.
Arrival, base camp.
We all looked like this from the dust.
Base Camp
in the kitchen at Base Camp
Mess Hall, Base Camp
Climbers who didn't make it back.
Climber memorial
Base Camp, Achik-Tasch Valley
Another memorial stone for climbers who didn't return.
Gary Ullin was with the first American Group to visit the Pamirs. They climbed peaks around the Achik-Tasch Valley, including Pk. Lenin. We were the second group to be invited, and the first with permission to attempt Pk. Kommunizma.
Yaks browsing above Base Camp.
Opening ceremonies.
Opening ceremonies for the Pamirs International Climbing Camp, 1977.
Raising our flag, Opening ceremonies.
Beginning a warm-up climb near Achik-Tasch basecamp.
Warmup climb
Achik-Tasch from high on warmup climb.
Planning our expedition food.
Visiting with Soviet climbers.
Getting our technical gear ready.
Pik Lenin, the highest in the region at ~23,000ft.
Medical exams
The helicopter to take us to Pik Kommunizma
In the helicopter
A view of minor peaks from the helicopter
A big valley glacier from the helicopter. En route to Pik Kommunizma.
A view of the Pamirs from the helicopter
Coming in for the landing.
Our starting point, near 9000'. Only 16,000' left to climb.
Soviet climbers admiring our western gear.
minor peak, sunset.
Beginning load-carrying up the Garmo Glacier.
The tongue of the Garmo Glacier.
Camp 1, Garmo Glacier
Progess so far.
A Latvian climber we met along the way.
Carrying up the moraine of the Garmo Glacier.
Out on the Garmo Glacier.
The Latvians left this note on a wand we planted in the glacier to mark our route.
On the Garmo Glacier.
Garmo Glacier.
Camp 2 at Siroc.
About to enter the treacherous icefall of the Garmo Glacier.
Creating a route up the icefall of the Garmo Glacier.
Creating a route up the Garmo Glacier.
In the icefall, the most difficult section of the lower Garmo Glacier.
In the icefall
Trying to skirt the worst of the icefall.
Difficult load-carrying.
The upper Garmo wasn't as bad.
On the upper Garmo.
A view of Pik Kommunizma from around 14,000'
Arriving at Advanced base camp, 15,000'
Progress so far. Now the climb can begin.
Advanced base camp
The mountain from Adv. Base Camp
The Nekrossov Ridge, our route on the lower part of the mountain, from ABC
An attempted airdrop by helicopter with food and fuel. The parachute failed, all was lost.
Getting on with the climb.
Camp 1 (above Advance Base Camp, or ABC)
Looking up the Nekrossov Ridge from Camp 1.
Climbing the Nekrossov Ridge
Crevases at the base of the Nekrossov Ridge.
On the Nekrossov Ridge
Camp 2, on the Nekrossov Ridge.
Sunset from Camp 2
Climbing above Camp 2
On the Nekrossov Ridge.
Knife-edged section, Nekrossov Ridge
Nekrossov Ridge
Site of Camp 3.
The main face of Pik Kommunizma from the Nekrossov Ridge
Jumarring our fixed line at 20,000ft.
A Soviet camp on the plateau above the Nekrossov Ridge. Our Camp 4 was a bit higher.
Nearing where we would establish Camp 4.
"I've fallen and can't get up"
Camp 4, 21,000'. The summit area is visible above.
Looking back at the Nekrossov Ridge from Camp 4.
Dick coming up the final face to the summit ridge.
The final summit ridge.
Showing the state flag of Colorado on the summit.
Preparing to set the world altitude record for a frisbee toss.
Setting the world altitude record for a frisbee toss.
Richard placing the first American flag at the highest point in the Soviet Union.
Looking back at the upper Garmo Glacier from the summit.
Descent
A bivouac camp on the descent.
Bivouac camp, improvised stove.
Gary in bad shape after the ordeal of the climb.
Soviet climbers at ABC
Beginning the descent of the Garmo Glacier.
On the descent of the Garmo Glacier.
Bypassing the major difficulties of the icefall on the descent of the Garmo Glacier.
Lower Garmo Glacier.
Struggling under monster packs.
Dick nearing base camp at last.
Looking out the helicopter window as we leave in a hail of dust and gravel.
The bus back to Osh
The team after the climb. Wasted is the word.
Tables and linen at last.
Back in Moscow.
The plane back home.
