Koyo Zom

KOYO ZOM, PECHUS ZOM, GAINTHIR CHISH, GAHKUSH, DAS BAR ZOM AND OTHER PEAKS OF HINDU RAJ, 1968

ALBERT STAMM (O.A.V.)

ON 17 June Elfriede Baltuska, Viktoria Hribar, Gerulf Wilhelm, Giinther Wohrl and of the Vienna Academic Section of the Austrian Alpine Club (O.A.V.) left Vienna to drive overland to Pakistan. After arriving Chitral and set out with 12 donkeys to make the 183-mile trip up the Yarkhun Valley to Pechus. Near a hot spring at Pechus, 3,255 m. (=10,679 feet), set up the Base Camp for four weeks. Within the first two weeks we explored the region, climbing smaller peaks and getting acclimatized. During this period a Japanese expedition on Koyo Zom failed. In the second part of our stay we climbed the 6,000-metre peaks above the Chhatiboi and Pechus glaciers. We could reach the upper plateau of the Pechus glacier over either of these glaciers. On 17 August Hribar and Wilhelm made the first ascent of Koyo Zom, 6,872 m. (=22,546 feet). From the highest camp they had to climb 3,500 feet. They reached the East Ridge by the south-east face. A difficult rock buttress higher blocking the ridge had to be turned over an ice wall again on the south-east face. Then followed a treacherous corniced ridge, an ice-covered rock buttress and an ice ridge before it flattened off below the summit. Half of the climbing had to be carefully belayed. On 23 August Baltuska, Wohrl and I stood on the top of Koyo Zom, too. On 14 August Baltuska and I made the second ascent of Gainthir Chish, 6,235 m. (=20,456 feet), and we all made the second ascent of Das Bar Zom, 6,072 m. (=19,921 feet), on the 22nd. All other ascents were firsts. They were: Pechus Zom, 6,514 m. (=21,371 feet), on 21 August by all, Gahkush, 6,111 m. (-20,049 feet), on 11 August by Hribar and Wilhelm, Korum Zom, 5,440 m. (=17,848 feet), on 31 July and Peak 4,986 m. (=16,299 feet) on 29 July by Hribar, Wilhelm and Wohrl, Peak 5,436 m. (=17,835 feet) and Peak 5,280 m. ( 17,323 feet) on 3 August, Peak 5,500 m. (=18,045 feet) on I August and Mroi Zom, 4,825 m. (=15,830 feet), on 31 July all by Baltuska and me and Peak 4,596 m. (=15,079 feet) on August by Wohrl.

Islamabad – Chitral – Mastuj – follow by jeep to Yarkh river to Shost – and trek via Lasht – Ghararam – Kotalkash-chhat – Kishmanja to Koyo Glacier to Koyo Peak 6872 meters and return by the same route.