Subscribe to Outside Magazine
advertisement
Survival Guru

Today's Question
What should you do if you run into a cougar in the backcountry? answer

What is the number one backcountry skill people should learn? answer

Eco Adventurer

Today's Question
What are the five best environmental movies of all time? answer

What are the greenest colleges? answer

Videos Ask Dave
  • What kind of dog will make me look manlier? answer
  • Is there a sport that safely combines my twin passions for guns and kayaks? answer
  • How come most of the world's cultures enjoy eating goat, but Americans don't? answer

Online Favorites

Special Issues

Photo Galleries
save this page print this page email this page
  • share this page

Outside Magazine

Because It's Still There: Arganglas 2001

The team's high point on Argan Kangri. The summit slopes might not look very steep but this huge easy-angled snow slope can be particularly dangerous in avalanche conditions.
September 24, 2001
Report by Chris Bonington (unedited)

Base Camp

Final Expedition Report

On 20 September Jim Lowther, Divyesh Muni, Cyrus Schroff, Samgyal Sherpa and I waded through knee deep snow up the Central Arganglas Glacier to Argan Kangri. The snow had not consolidated since the storm and the risk of avalanche on the huge snow slope leading to the summit appeared too dangerous to be justifiable. We therefore decided to turn back and dropped down to advance base to find the two Marks.

In view of the international situation and the fact that we now have winter conditions with the snow not clearing from the glaciers or the steepest slopes we have decided to head for home. It has been a superb expedition with everyone getting on really well together, one major first ascent of the Argan Eiger by Mark Richey and Mark Wilford, two other first ascents by Divyesh Muni, Cyrus Schroff, Satya Dam and Vrijendra Lingwal. Harish Kapadia has explored the Rassa Glacier. Jim Lowther and I have done an awful lot of walking and reached the head of the Phunangma Glacier.

All dispatches and photos courtesy of www.bonington.com