While Pakistan’s 8,000’ers are now deserted, August is a good month for rock climbing teams to attempt new routes on big walls.
Matteo de Zaiacomo and Chiara Gusmeroli are heading to the rock spires of Pakistan’s Nangma Valley. Rising “only” 4,000m and 6,000m, the peaks are not as tall as popular spots in the Karakoram, such as the Trango Towers, but they offer highly technical new routes. Some refer to the place as the Yosemite of the Karakoram.
Matteo de Zaiacomo and Chiara Gusmeroli flew to Pakistan yesterday. Photo: Matteo Bedendo
Big walls
Although Zaiacomo is only 31 and Gusmeroli 27, the climbers have had the project in mind for a decade. They have set their goals on 5,850m Amin Brakk and 5,980m Shingu Charpa.
“They are among the most beautiful granite spires we’ve ever seen, yet only in photographs,” they told the Italian Alpine Club (CAI). “[We] can’t wait to see them up close.”
The pair flew to Pakistan yesterday and intend to spend 25 days in the mountains.
Nangma Valley lies in the southeast corner of the Karakoram, near Hushe and slightly away from the Baltoro giants. Google Maps
Amin Brakk was first climbed by Spaniards Silvia Vidal, Pep Masip, and Miguel Puigdomenech in 1999. They spent over 30 days on the wall, climbing a 1,650m line up the center of the west face that they called Sol Solet.
On Shingu Charpa, the pair will aim for the unclimbed, 1,600-vertical-meter north ridge, which they describe as one of the most ambitious mountaineering projects in the valley.
“It is one of the most aesthetic climbs imaginable,” they said.
Flexible plan
The climbers also have other potential goals, such as 6,447m Drifika. Their overall plan is flexible. They hope to climb at least one of the three objectives, as well as some shorter routes on the valley walls during brief weather windows.
“The valley offers the advantage of being able to change the project depending on the conditions,” they explained to the CAI. If it’s too dry for mixed climbing, the possibilities for rock climbing are almost unlimited, and vice versa in case of heavy snow.”
Amin Brakk. Photo: Matteo Bedendo
Zaiacomo represents the new generation of top big-wall climbers from Italy. In 2022, he opened a new route on the East face of Cerro Torre with Matteo della Bordella and David Bacci. During the upper sections of the climb, they collaborated with Corrado Pesce and Tomas Aguilo, but the joint success turned into tragedy when Aguio and Pesce died on the descent.
As a pair, Zaiacomo and Gusmeroli repeated the impressive Afanasieff route on Fitz Roy. They advocate for clean climbing, without drilling or leaving ropes on their routes.
