The line of Kopold and Sabovcik’s attempt.
Dodo Kopold and Michal Sabovcik have attempted a new line on Great Trango Tower (6286m).
Over five days in August the pair climbed 1500m of what they are calling “Out of Reality” through ice, off-widths and without placing any bolts.
Their trip started with a quick jaunt up 400m of unclimbed rock on the base of Great Trango Tower while their third partner Martin Krasnansky tried to acclimatize in bascamp. A few days later Kopold and Sabovcik decided to explore a new route up the northwest face of the Tower. Though they left the tent and portaledge behind they still climbed in a heavier style than Kopold had on his 2005 ascent of the mountain vis his route “Assalam Alaikum (5.11+ A2, 90 pitches).” Kopold wrote to mountain.ru, “I’m an old man now [early thirties] and need more comfort. So we took sleeping bags, pads and little bit more food 🙂 All in one haulbag and one small backpack.”
A day of slab climbing brought them to their first night on the mountain at a V shaped feature. From here they spent the next two days climbing off-widths, traversing snow, and “incredible” M7 climbing at 5200m. Another day of climbing left Kopold curled on a miniscule ledge while Sabovcik bivied in the haul bag. They did not sleep well. Snow and ice dominated the next day’s climbing. Dehydrated Kopold and Sabovcik reached the top of the pillar/feature they’d been climbing. Four hundred meters of less difficult climbing separated them from the summit but as the pair made camp, they lost their stove. At this point they descended. A few days later they summited Great Trango Tower via the north ridge in fourteen hours basecamp to basecamp.
Michael Sabovcik getting cozy with the haulbag at a “terrible” bivy. [Photo] Dodo Kopold
For Kopold’ trip report visit Mountain.ru or his website Dodokopold.com.
M7 climbing on the headwall. [Photo] Dodo Kopold