In June 2024, my partner Nicolas ‘Nico’ Navarrete and I spent 17 days climbing in Ak-Su Valley, Kyrgyzstan. My goal this time was to consolidate my skills and knowledge about climbing expeditions in remote places and continue gaining experience on big wall climbs.
The rope team Dama and Nico.
In the first months of 2024, I took yoga-teacher training two or three days per week in India. I was strengthening my body but not climbing. On the 15th of May, we met with Nico in Turkey and climbed for two weeks in Antalya, a recognized world-class climbing area. With beautiful orange limestone and many tufas, I reconnected with climbing and prepared for our next stop.
Climbing the stunning limestone in Antalya, Turkey.
On June 1st, we arrived in Osh, Kyrgyzstan. The skills I have gained with NOLS during the past years helped me a lot, from gathering information about accessing the valley, the climbing routes and the approximations, deciding the best days to climb, buying food and packing wisely, objectively making decisions about bailing a climb after analyzing many factors.
Gear packing at our guest house in Osh.
After preparing all the logistics for our adventure, we started our journey towards Ak-Su Valley. After seven hours of driving and six hours of hiking, we arrived at the place where we camped for 17 days. Weather conditions were rough the first days, with low temperatures and rain in the afternoon. On the fourth day there, we had a nice window and attempted “La Petite Ruse Tower.” We climbed the route on the right side of the wall, a beautiful 6b+, 350m. My first contact with the granite of Kyrgyzstan was incredible. The first pitch I climbed was a long 5+. The climb went smoothly, and we reached the summit around 3:00 pm. The rain threatened us for a while during the descent, but luckily it stopped. We came back to the campsite and rested for our next adventure.
A good lesson was to find the line of the rappels and make decisions to avoid the rope getting stuck. Another important lesson was to drop worries about the weather, focus our energy on the rappels, and keep moving step by step.
Dama getting to the summit of the Little Russian Tower with the rain at her back.
We waited several days for a nice weather window. Then, we considered our strategy to attempt Perestroika Crack (800m, 7a+). We planned to arrive at the ledge on the pitch 4th the first day, climb the rest of the route the next day, and sleep back on the ledge. Our friend Paola Bravo helped us by sending the weather forecast through an inReach device.
Advance camp at the first ledge of Perestroika Crack.
The days at the campsite included finding water, eating yummy food, reading, doing yoga, and contemplating the valley's beauty.
Finally, the day to try this famous continuous granite crag system arrived. We started our day at 6 a.m. The approach to the start of the route took us two hours. We brought 10 liters of water, gear, and other supplies to spend the night at the ledge. I led the first four pitches, climbing with weight, which made the wet wall intense. We arrived at the ledge around 3:0) pm, set up our tent, and Nico climbed the next pitch and left the rope fixed. Then it started raining; the forecast marked 3 mm that day. Happily dry and satisfied to have accomplished what we wanted for the day, we ate and “slept.”
Dama approaching Perestroika Crack through some technical terrain.
At about 8:00 pm, the wind started to blow up more and more. In one moment, it was so strong that the sound of the tent made us decide to take it down. Some hours later, Nico suggested we move to another vivi that probably was more protected. We decided to move and finally were able to sleep.
We initially planned to start climbing at 5 a.m., but we started later due to the wind and lack of sleep. It was cold and still windy when I started jumaring the 5th pitch, but my motivation to climb the perfect granite crag was high. I led the next six pitches, and every pitch was amazing. I started gaining flow and enjoyed being fully present with the rock and with myself. Nico was happy to be there, happy to be trying this route that he had in mind from many years ago.
Nico climbing the gorgeous crack system on the Perestroika route.
On one hand, climbing second is challenging. You get colder from belaying the first person and also tired from climbing with weight. On the other hand, climbing first is challenging because the adrenaline and fear involved in leading a route slowly tire the mind and the body.
We decided to go down when we finished the 11th pitch; we still had many rappels and a long walk back to the campsite. The wind was still active; we were tired and didn't know when it would slow down. We had a smooth journey rappelling. We arrived at the campsite, ate and slept. The next days, we reflected on our performance and came up with these learnings:
-We can go lighter; every gram counts.
-If we try this route again, we will do it in one single push. Climbing and walking with weight is draining.
-We will check how the wind is going to be; the thermal sensation is something other than the temperature.
Nico climbing our last pitch on Perestroika Crack.
We waited a few days to try our last route. We tried Missing Mountain 6b+, 600m. The conditions were not the best. The forecast predicted 3 mm of rain at 3 p.m., but we still wanted to climb again. The previous days had rained a lot, so when we arrived at the base of the wall, it looked wet. We decided to climb the first pitch in a different route because it looked more protected and easy.
The next three pitches were still humid, and protection was scarce; we had a slabby face climb. After this, there were more crags, flakes, and the sun-dried wall. We arrived at a big ledge, and Nico got ready to climb pitch 8, but it started raining. We were lucky to find a little roof that kept the gear and us semi-dry. When the precipitation stopped, we started coming down. The rappels were easy to find, and the approach to the campsite was short.
Wet conditions on Pamir Pyramid.
Dama enjoying the last climb in the valley.
Dama leading the rappels on the Pamir Pyramid.
Two days later, we left the valley with our hearts filled with beautiful experiences and learnings. This expedition was very important for me. In one moment, while I was waiting on a ledge for Nico to finish a rappel, I reflected on the reason why I was doing this, and my answer was just for fun. It's a game. Other people chose to play with other things, and I chose to play in the mountains, in the rocks.
Sometimes, it is very nice and comfortable because the weather is good, the climb is flowing, and I feel strong in my mind and body. And other times, it gets hard, it's cold, it's scary, and it's tiring. The key is to enjoy it either way, to stay present, and to drop any expectations of getting to the summit. Sometimes, the conditions are given to do it, and others are not. Knowing when to stop is as important as knowing how motivated I am.
Last sunset on Ak-Su Valley.
Gear check at base camp.
The Rothberg-Birdwhistell Expedition Fund was established by the Rothberg-Birdwhistell family to support NOLS Instructors as they design and execute personal wilderness expeditions.
All Photos | Nicolas ‘Nico’ Navarrete and Damaris Jaramillo
