Another one-day ascent of a difficult mountain this week: Alexander Parfenov and Alexander Ryndyk of Russia have completed the fastest winter climb of the north face of the unusually named Free Korea Peak (Svobodnaya Koreya) in Kyrgyzstan’s Tien Shan range. This follows Tommy Caldwell and Siebe Vanhee’s 24-hour triumph on the South African route of Chile’s Central Torres del Paine.
The climbers tackled one of the most difficult lines on the 900m face in a record 18 hours and 32 minutes from the start to the summit. It took them a total of 24 hours from base camp to base camp. It is the first time this climb has been done in winter without spending a night on the wall, Mountain.ru reported.
Parfenov and Ryndyk’s route. Photo: Mountain.ru archive
Tough conditions
The climb progresses on difficult mixed terrain, involving difficulties of 6a and aid climbing passages of A3-A3+. Conditions were gruesome: -18º C, strong winds, and constant snowdrift avalanches, Parfenov reported on his social media.
The previous fastest time had taken 23.5 hours, with a night on the wall and in summer.
“The task teetered on the edge of overconfidence and recklessness, but deep down I knew we could do it,” Ryndyk said. “Years of training and other climbs had gradually led us to this point…The only thing I was worried about was the weather.”
Background
Alexander Parfenov and Alexander Ryndyk are two of the best-known alpinists of the younger generation in Russia. Last year, they were on the team that attempted the south face of Baintha Brakk (known as The Ogre) in Pakistan. On that occasion, Ryndyk was evacuated from the mountain due to sickness.
The north face of Free Korea Peak from the north. Photo: Wikipedia
Free Korea peak (altitude 4,740m or 4,777m, depending on the source) is located in the Ala Archa National Park in Kyrgyzstan. Its north face became a coveted challenge for elite climbers of the former USSR since an expedition led by V. Andreev first climbed it in 1959.
