Thanks for a fantastic time out here, fingers crossed I can get back out soon!

(Africamper)

home SiteMap Contact

Adventure Alternatives

The Expedition, Trek, Safari and Gap company. Professional, ethical adventure holidays around the world

Call us Today on 02870831258

Mustagh Ata, China - 7547m

This climb is fairly straight forward and an excellent stepping stone for those who aspire to climb an 8,000m peak. It has few technical problems , with easy gentle slopes, and in its own right gives a high altitude expedition in a remote and fascinating part of the world.

Mustagh Ata is part of the Pamir Mountain range, and its highest peak. It is an isolated massif rising from the western end of the remote Taklamakan Desert in the Xinjiang province of China, where ice meets with the desert.

In Uygar language “mustagh ata“ means the Father of icy mountains. The barren landscape rises more than two miles above sea level, and it is in the centre of the great mountain ranges of Asia. The Karakoram mountains lie to the South, the Pamir to the West; the Kun Lan and Tien Shan to the North.

As it rises from a remote corner of the central Asian Plateau the easiest approach is by the famous Karakoram highway. Small settlements lie scattered along the highway , otherwise nomadic Kyrgyz people roam the vast plains with their camels and horses.
The lack of any industrial development and sparse population means the entire area is ecologically untouched.

History

Mustagh Ata first gained the attention of climbers in 1894, when the Swedish explorer Sven Hedin attempted it on a yak! Unfortunately they were denied the summit and retreated from 19,500feet. All early attempts were thwarted including one by the British explorers Tillman and Shipton, who in 1947 got to within 200 feet of the summit. It was finally conquered in 1956 by a large Russian-Chinese expedition.

Weather

The best season for climbing is June until mid September, with low winds and long days of warm sunshine. On the summit you can expect temperatures to vary between -20 and -30c.

Qualifications

Although Mustagh Ata is one of the easier 7,500m peaks, climbers are required to have previous high altitude and mountaineering experience to at least 6,000 metres. Mountains such as Denali, Aconcagua, Ojos Del Salado would be ideal stepping stones to this expedition.

Info Pack with full details click here

Getting There

Our journey will start in Bishkek, capital of Krgystan, and then go overland through the Taklamakan Desert to Kashgar in China and then onto Base Camp (2 days) however depending on group wishes there is an option of flying into Beijing and then on to Kashgar which would reduce the number of travel days.

Day	Itinerary ( for in depth itinerary click here)
Day 1	Depart home flight to Beijing then Kashgar or overland option as above
Day 2	Arrive Kashgar, transfer to hotel and welcome dinner
Day 3	City tour of Kashgar exploring all the famous local sites
Day 4	Bus travel to Subashi 200kms along the Karakorum highway. Over night in local hotel
Day 5	Acclimatisation day and local walks
Day 6	Trek with camels to Mustagh Ata base camp
Day 7	Settling in, acclimatisation and sorting gear and supplies
Day 8	Carry to camp 1
Day 9	Camp 1 and sleep overnight
Day 10	Carry to camp 2 and back to base camp
Day 11	Rest day and packing for next carry
Day 12	Climb to camp 1
Day 13	Climb to camp 2, establish camp and overnight
Day 14	Carry to camp 3 and back to base camp
Day 15 / 16	Rest days at base camp and local walks
Day 17	climb to camp 1
Day 18	climb to camp 2
Day 19	climb to camp 3, establish camp and overnight
Day 20	Summit day
Day 21/22	Additional summit / bad weather and acclimatisation days if required
Day 23	Return to Base Camp if not already reached on previous days
Day 24	Trek out to Subashi and on to Kashgar
Day 25	Return Home either overland or flight

 

Equipment

A variety of clothing will be requires for the expedition. You will need clothing for around town , traveling and eating out, trekking in the heat and humidity , and clothing for the extreme temperatures on the mountain. Down gear, crampons, ice axe, poles, good sleeping bags and  a variety of layered thermal and fleece clothing is necessary. A full kit list will be supplied later.

It needs to be lightweight , functional and adaptable to a wide variety of conditions, and the quality of the equipment and clothing you bring will have a lot to do with how warm, dry and comfortable you feel. When making the final choice of what to bring, remember it’s about taking enough to do the job and not carrying items you will probably not use.

Land costs include
Scheduled hotel nights
Meals as the itinerary
Transport as the itinerary
Camels and porters to and from Mustagh Ata base camp
All meals on trek and on mountain
Group tents and cooking gear and fuel
Western guides

Land cost do not include
International air fare
Chinese visa
Unscheduled hotels and meals
Personal equipment
Personal items such as alcohol, phone calls, laundry, souveneirs
Rescue and cancellation insurance
Airport departure tax