A SHORT WINTER IN THE HINDU KUSH

Having climbed quite a lot in Afghanistan between 1993-1996 I have taken a deep interest in recent groups attempting to resurrect mountaineering and trekking in Afghanistan, although it still must be classified as 'extreme adventure.' I am proud that New Zealanders are at the forefront of breaking new trails in the Hindu Kush and Karakoram. One Kiwi is reviving skiing in Afghanistan.

Mir Samir, which the British expedition attempted this year in winter and we tried in October 1994. Made famous by George Newby's A Short walk in the Hindu Kush. Photo: Bob McKerrow

I followed Patricia Deavoll and Christine Byrch, sisters from New Zealand,  on their expedition this year. A quote from Pat.

Christine and I summitted Koh-e-Baba-Tangi (6515m) in the Wakhan Corridor (Afgahnistan) on the 9th August  2012. Five days to the summit with some good steep ice, then 2 days to decend the West Ridge (line of the original 1963 ascent). Ours is only the second climb of the mountain, done via a new route up the N'NW 

This was a magnificent achievement by Pat and Christine and for more information, go to Pat's website

James Bingham in his article below on winter climbing in 2012 in Afghanistan,  mentions another New Zealander active in the Hindu Kush, one Steve Parker. He says:

"In the absence of chair lifts and gondolas a couple of hours were expended ‘skinning’ up the Koh-e 

Baba mountains to take advantage of the beautiful virgin powdered slopes. We met the enigmatic 

Steve Parker , a New Zealander, who had given up some his time to teach a couple of local 

shepherds and budding guides the dangers of avalanches in their back yards. "

Before launching into the most recent climb of Mir Samir, here is an article on our attempt in 1995.

From the American Alpine Club Journal 1995

Mir Samir and ascent of P500.

 After years when it was too dangerous to enter the mountains of Afghanistan, New Zealander Bob McKerrow and Englishmen Ian Clarke and Jon Tinker headed for Mir Samir in the Hindu Kush. McKerrow is head of the International Red Cross in Afghanistan and Clarke is a former Royal Marie, now head of the Halo Trust mine clearance organisation in Afghanistan. Tinker has worked in the country a number of times in the last seven years.The three climbers set out from Kabaul on September 23, 1994, acclimatizing near the Salang Pass before setting out for Parian in the upper Panjchir.

Ian Clarke left:

There four horses were hired to carry food and equipment up the Chamar valley to base camp at 3,400 m.Clarke's skills were put to the test when the saw air-dropped scatterable anti-personnel mines.They established a high camp at 4,300 m on September 29. Because of the deep snow, the two Englishmen made slow progress the next day to bivouac at 4,900 meters on an unclimbed snow route on the southwest face of Mir Samir. On October 1 they made a summit attempt.but unseasonable deep snow turned the back at 5200 meters, soime 600 meters from the summit. While Clarke and Tinker were climbing Mir Samir, McKerrow climbed an unclimbed peak at approximately 5000 metres, a prominent feature when viewed from the Chamar Valley. For further stories on climbing and trekking in Afghanistan, go to my weblog,

Now onto the article I found today of the attempt of Mir Samir. An excellent article for those wishing to do winter climbing in Afghanistan.

A SHORT WINTER IN THE HINDU KUSH

British Mountaineering Council Report

Mir Samir 19,878ft (6,059m), Afghanistan

10 January 2012 – 29 January 2012

James Bingham (author) 

Quentin Brooksbank (editor) 

Mark Wynne (editor)

Address: 42 Rivermeads Avenue, Twickenham, Middlesex TW2 5JQ 

Email: jbingham100@hotmail.com

A SHORT WINTER IN THE HINDU KUSH 

EXPEDITION OBJECTIVES

 Mir Samir, Afghanistan 19,878ft (6,059m)

 The team will attempt the first winter ascent of the mountain 

 The team will also attempt a first ascent of the unclimbed North Face 

SUMMARY

The team attempted the first winter ascent of Mir Samir, Afghanistan. The mountain, located in the 

remote upper section of the Panjshir Valley, was made famous by Eric Newby and Hugh Carless in 

the popular adventure book “A Short Walk in the Hindu Kush”. 

Our objective was the unclimbed North Face, although if conditions prevented this we planned to 

climb the  East Ridge, the same route Eric  Newby attempted in the summer of 1956. Eric and his 

climbing partner turned back 700ft from the summit after running short of time and becoming 

concerned about getting down in the dark. 

Unfortunately, a number of factors  led to our expedition being cut short. The theft of a kit bag 

containing essential equipment, coupled with very deep snow conditions and route finding difficulties, 

meant the team were unable to even reach the base-camp of the mountain. 

While the summit of Mir Samir escaped us, the expedition was a success in the sense that we 

travelled safely within Afghanistan, met some incredible people who welcomed us as their guests and 

had the adventure of our lifetimes. Climbing Mir Samir in the depths of an Afghan winter was always

an ambitious dream, but I feel we have come away wiser and hopefully with the knowledge to come 

back and try again.

INTRODUCTION 

It was clear from the very beginning that attempting a winter ascent of a near 20,000 ft mountain in 

Afghanistan presented us with a formidable challenge. Three of the team (James, Mark and Quentin) 

had previously travelled to Afghanistan in the summer of 2010 and successfully climbed Mt. Noshaq, 

at 7,492m the highest mountain in the country. That expedition provided us with some vital insight into 

such a misunderstood country and undoubtedly laid foundations for our trip to Mir Samir. 

Having read Eric Newby’s book and keen to explore more of Afghanistan, we started to research the 

possibility of following in Newby’s footsteps. In November 2010 we  contacted David James of 

Mountain Unity and mentioned our plans for an attempt on Mir Samir. David had previously assisted 

during the planning  of our Noshaq expedition and had a wealth of contacts within Afghanistan. He 

discussed our plans with the American led Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) who were based in 

the Panjshir valley. David subsequently reported back that the PRT were very interested in developing 

tourism and felt that Mir Samir was a viable objective. This came with a risk warning that the mountain 

sat on the border with Nuristan which had become unstable, but  the advice was  if  we  approached

from the Panjshir side it should be safer.

There were many worries given the remote location and security concerns within the country. While 

our last trip had taken us to the relatively stable north east of Afghanistan, this time we would have to 

fly into Kabul. At that time we only had limited knowledge of the security situation in and around Kabul. 

While we understood the Panjshir valley to be relatively safe by Afghan standards, we would still have 

to travel out of Kabul on the open roads. There would be many concerns to address before the

expedition could become anything more than a pipedream.  Aside from the security we could also 

expect extreme weather conditions. Would the roads be passable in winter? Could we even reach the 

mountain at that time of year?4

KEY CONTACTS

Key people who supported us, provided advice and guidance are detailed below. Without their help 

the expedition would never have happened. 

Philip Abbey, Provincial Reconstruction Team. Philip worked at the Panjshir PRT. He provided us 

with information on the roads and travel, advice on weather, security and permits. His help was 

invaluable. Panjshir was one of the first provinces in Afghanistan to take control of its own security 

and when this transfer of  power took place the PRT closed. It had been disbanded by the time we 

travelled to the area.  

David James, Director, Mountain Unity. David set up  Mountain Unity in March 2009, as a social 

enterprise to provide marketing and capacity building support to economic development in north east 

Afghanistan. David mainly provided support for our earlier trip to Noshaq, but right at the start spoke 

to the PRT  to gauge whether they would  support our  Mir Samir  expedition. It was this initial 

encouragement that set the wheels in motion. 

Jerome Starkey is a war correspondent and investigative journalist, who at the time was based in 

Kabul, Afghanistan. He not only provided us with invaluable security information and guidance, but 

also put the whole team up at his house in Kabul. Jerome also introduced us to  various high ranking 

officials and politicians which greatly facilitated our transit through the numerous checkpoints.

Dr Abdullah Abdullah is an Afghan politician and a doctor of medicine. He was an adviser and friend 

to Ahmad Shah Massoud, legendary anti-Taliban leader and commander known as the "Lion of 

Panjshir". In 2009 Abdullah ran as an independent candidate in the Afghan presidential election and 

came in second place. Dr Abdullah approved our expedition and discussed the trip with the Governor 

of Panjshir. This high level support was very useful as we travelled to the Panjshir and had to pass 

through numerous military checkpoints. 

Ali Farhad, Dr Abdullah Abdullah’s “media guru”. Ali discussed our expedition with Dr Abdullah, who 

in turn spoke to the governor of Panjshir. All of these men fully supported our endeavour. Ali was 

concerned about security and said he couldn't entrust anyone with our safety. He therefore decided to 

drive us to the Panjshir himself. For a while, perhaps swept up in the whole adventure, I think Ali even 

contemplated joining us for the climb.

Peter Jouvenal, former freelance cameraman, who as the Taliban fled Kabul on 13 November 2001 

filmed the BBC’s World Affairs Editor, John Simpson, walking into the city. Peter now owns the 

Gandamack Lodge in Kabul. After a meal at his restaurant, Peter kindly offered the loan of his land 

rover to the expedition. This greatly assisted us when travelling over the high passes and snow 

covered roads in the Panjshir. Peter also introduced us to his former guide and fixer Rahman Beg, 

who had worked for him and John Simpson during the time of the Soviet invasion. 

Rahman Beg (“RB”), former guide and fixer for John Simpson and Peter Jouvenal. Following Peter’s 

recommendation we employed RB to accompany us as we drove to the Panjshir. Although RB now 

lived and worked in Kabul, he is from the upper Panjshir and his contacts within the remote mountain

village that we stayed were vitally important. 

Shannon Gaplin, Director, Mountain 2 Mountain. Shannon is the founder of Mountain 2 Mountain, a 

non profit organisation, dedicated to creating programs to empower and encourage women and 

children in the rural villages in Afghanistan. During her time in Afghanistan Shannon also cycled the 

length of the Panjshir valley and was able pass on the details of her experience and the reception she 

encountered. Her personal account of travelling within the Panjshir was very useful as we assessed 

the risks of travel up through the valley. 

James Wilcox, Director,  Untamed Borders. James’ company provides bespoke adventure travel 

holidays to remote countries such as Afghanistan, Pakistan and  North East India. James had 

arranged several small adventure travel tours to Kabul and had travelled into the lower Panjshir valley. 

He was therefore able to provide us with a good understanding of what to expect.

EXPEDITION MEMBERS

James Bingham (36): Expedition Leader

James grew up in North Wales and was introduced to the hills by his Dad. He climbed Tryfan when he 

was 7 and has kept going ever since! Over the last 10 years James has travelled the world following 

his dreams of high adventure in the mountains. Expeditions have included successful ascents of Mt 

Everest,  Lhakpa Ri, Noshaq, Ama Dablam, Island Peak, Lobuche peak, Aconcagua, a couple of 

attempts on Denali and a failed winter ascent of Elbrus. 

He started out on guided expeditions before building the experience and confidence to lead his own trips. Now James seeks out remote regions, climbing in small teams, travelling light and ideally with 

climbing friends. Last summer he led a team comprising two school friends and an Alaskan salmon farmer to the top of Afghanistan’s highest mountain, Mt Noshaq (7,492m). Against all odds the team 

accomplished the first British ascent of Mt Noshaq in 35 years. 

Edward Bingham (30): Climber 

Edward is a former British soldier lives on the doorstep of Snowdonia, 

where the hills became his playground. At the age of 21 Edward joined 

the Army and from there he further developed his  mountaineering 

skills following assignment to the Army Alpine Training Centre.

Edward  has  climbed extensively in Wales, Scotland and the European Alps, gaining significant 

experience on rock and ice routes. He has successfully climbed many alpine mountains including Mt 

Blanc and the Matterhorn. Beyond Europe he’s  trekked and climbed in North America, including an 

ascent of Mt. Denali.

Quentin Brooksbank (34): Climber and logistics 

Growing up in Snowdonia, Q made the most of conditions all year round, especially the great winters! Regular forays in to the dark winter depths of the Scottish Highlands and European snow and ice 

climbing trips to the Austrian, Bavarian and French Alps. He was an integral team member on the successful expedition to Mt Noshaq. 

Summer 2011 was spent climbing in the Cordillera Blanca, Peru.

Mark Wynne (36): Climber, team medic and photographer 

Four months after leaving school Mark  went looking for action by joining the Royal Marines. During his eight years in the Corps he served in jungle and desert terrains, as well as spending five winters 

in northern Norway, gaining his  military ski survival instructor qualification. 

On leaving the Corps Mark pursued his  love of the mountains in Europe nearly always with a snowboard on  his back searching for powder, of which he found plenty along with some close encounters with the odd avalanche!

Mark was called back to the Royal Marines for duty again in 2008 for his  first experience of Afghanistan  in Helmand Province for nearly seven months. He often looked to the distant mountains wondering 

how good it would be to explore them but from where he was sitting at the time it wasn’t very likely. That was until he was offered a place on the Mt. Noshaq expedition last year, which crazy as it sounded to 

most people, appealed to him as the best holiday idea he’d ever heard!

ADMINISTRATION AND LOGISTICS

Destination area: Afghanistan

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office advise against all travel to specific regions of Afghanistan and 

against all but essential travel to other specific regions of Afghanistan.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office advise against all but essential travel to Bamiyan, Parwan and 

Panjshir. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office advise against all but essential travel to Kabul. 

Research materials and information sources: 

Interesting links:

The source of our inspiration - Eric Newby’s book “A Short Walk in the Hindu Kush”

http://www.panmacmillan.com/Titles/displayPage.asp?PageTitle=Individual%20Title&BookID=410419

Eric Newby’s obituary http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/1532127/Eric-Newby.html

Hugh Carless’ obituary http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2012/jan/22/hugh-carless-obituary

Our previous expedition to Noshaq: 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-10758430

http://www.thebmc.co.uk/modules/article.aspx?id=3852

Training and equipment testing: 

The team met several times in  some the worst weather that the mountains of Snowdonia, North 

Wales, have to offer.

Permission and permits: 

The Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) of Panjshir Province initially  advised that the security 

situation should allow us to visit the region safely. The PRT stated  they would arrange a letter of 

introduction from the Director of Culture and Information, which will allow the team to travel in the 

area. The PRT subsequently closed their office in the Panjshir and by November 2011 they advised 

us that the security situation within the Panjshir had deteriorated. 

We thought we may need to take police / armed militia with us as we travelled through the Panjshir 

valley. We had to do this when we climbed Noshaq. In the end we decided it would be safer to travel 

under the radar without police or military escorts. 8

Fund-raising

We applied for grants from the following organisations: 

1. British Mountaineering Council (BMC)

2. Mark Clifford Award

3. Mount Everest Foundation (MEF)

4. Nick Estcourt Award

5. Polartec Challenge

6. Sports Council for Wales

7. Wilderness Award

8. Berghaus

We won the Wilderness Award for 2011 (£650) and received grants from the BMC (£500) and Mount 

Everest Foundation (£2,000). We are very grateful for all of the support we received. 

The rest of the trip was self-financed.

Finances

The attached Appendix details the main costs of the expedition.

Insurance

It is possible to obtain insurance coverage for travel and high altitude climbing in Afghanistan.  IHI 

Bupa provided over cover, although there is a 300% premium loading for Afghanistan. We paid £341 

each and arranged over through the following broker:

Coral Parfitt, Bellwood Prestbury Limited

4 Imperial Square, Cheltenham, GL50 1QB, United Kingdom

T: +44 (0)1242 588 678 F: +44 (0)1242 588 688

www.bellwoodprestbury.com

Travel, transport and freighting

We flew to Kabul with Gulf Air and took all of our equipment and supplied with us. Our return flight 

from London to Kabul cost £687.  Their customer service is  very  poor and they changed our flight 

schedule several times without any consultation or notification. Their customer service centre doesn’t 

respond to emails. But there was some good news - they didn’t charge a penny extra for the 160kg of 

luggage that we checked in! They are also the only carrier that offers a through service from London. 

We changed at Bahrain and the flight was without incident. 

We carried the bulk of our food and supplies with us as we didn’t want to spend a lot of time shopping 

in Kabul. There are a couple of Western supermarkets in Kabul and you can get hold of most food 

products. Western imported foods are expensive and these Western style supermarkets have been 

targeted by insurgents in the past. 

Fuel

Given the difficulties of obtaining canisters of butane/propane we opted for liquid fuel. We purchased 

unleaded petrol in Kabul as we could not find any other suitable fuel. There was no obvious white gas 

or naphtha. We had the same issue when we travelled to the north of Afghanistan in 2010. This time 

we took our own jerry cans as the ones supplied on our last trip contaminated the fuel.    

Accommodation in Kabul

We stayed with Jerome Starkey and other journalists at their house in central Kabul. At the end of the 

trip we stayed at the Gandamack Lodge which comes recommended www.gandamacklodge.co.uk

You have a couple of choices with the accommodation. The high end hotels have the most security, 

blast walls, metal detectors, more men with guns etc, but they also tend to be subject to some of the 

most audacious insurgent attacks. The smaller, more discrete hotels and guest houses, hopefully fall 

under the radar. 

Kabul Airport 

No vehicles can get close to the arrivals or departure gate, so you have to walk several hundred 

meters to reach the taxis and buses. There are plenty of young men who will be eager to help carry 

your luggage so best have a few dollars loose change ready. It does get fraught and two baggage 

handlers came to blows over our luggage. 

Taxis 

There are lots of taxis at the airport, and it costs about $10 to get to the centre of Kabul. However, 

given we didn’t know where we were going, it was recommended that we get a pick-up from a minicab 

company called Zuhaak taxi: +93 777 409 030. They are one of about five companies geared up to 

serving the expat community. Their operators & drivers speak passable English. They normally 

charge $5 a trip, but it's probably about $20 from the airport. They have a fleet of newish red Corollas. 

Food and accommodation

For high altitude freeze dried meals we brought  it all  from the UK. It is possible to buy discounted 

American army ration packs in the local markets around Kabul. Kabul has several western style 

supermarkets which are well stocked. You could buy everything in Kabul if needed, but the prices are 

high and the supermarkets have been targeted by insurgents. 

Cash points 

These are very limited and we only located them inside a couple of the western supermarkets. They 

have a maximum withdrawal limit of 200USD per credit card per day. It is therefore advisable to bring 

your cash from home. US Dollars is the currency of choice and is accepted everywhere. It is easy to 

change into local currency if needed. There are limited opportunities to pay for goods and services, 

including hotels, by credit card. Bring plenty of cash. 

Clothes 

When travelling around Afghanistan we dressed in local clothing (Shalwar 

Kameez) and had grown  beards. It certainly made us feel more inconspicuous when walking  and travelling  around. We spent several days wandering the streets and markets of Kabul and had no bother from anyone. 

Some of the team visited a tailor on the first day and bought inexpensive tailored clothing. 

Water 

Bottled water is widely available in Kabul, we also melted snow and ice in the mountains. 

Communications: 

Satellite phone: SO-2510 Thuraya Satellite Phone with GPS 

Spot trackers: Spot Connect and Spot Satellite GPS Messenger 

Email is available in the larger hotels and guest houses. 

Our mobiles had reception in Kabul and also on the road to Panjshir. 

Specialist equipment: 

Avalanche transceivers: We’d never bothered with them for climbing trips before, but given the winter 

conditions we decided to take them this time. Luckily we had no need to use them, but it provided 

some additional peace of mind. 10

Security 

The risks of travelling in Afghanistan cannot be downplayed. Most of our expedition planning 

concerned making sure we minimised the security risks as far as possible. However, in the months 

before departure the security situation in Afghanistan markedly deteriorated.

Towards the end of August 2011 we received news that two German climbers had been kidnapped 

close to the Salang Pass. The news later took a dreadful twist when we heard that the climbers had 

been murdered. Of course, at such a time we had to reflect on whether it was wise to continue with 

our own expedition. 

Over the next few months we made additional contacts on the ground in Afghanistan in order to try 

and gain further insight into the security situation. Looking at the news there appeared to be a 

constant stream of attacks and no obvious lull as the winter approached. 

In August 2011 Taliban gunman stormed the British Council in Kabul  killing 12 people. In mid 

September the Taliban launched coordinated attack across Kabul, in which Nato's headquarters and 

the US embassy are among those targeted. And then in mid October the Taliban carried out their first 

successful suicide attack in the Panjshir valley, targeting the PRT building.

This news unsettled us all and I think we all reflected as to whether we should continue. In November

our lead climber, decided the trip wasn’t for him  and dropped out. Although  his decision was 

understandable, having one of the team drop out made us all think seriously about whether we were 

taking the right decision. 

Following further consultation with foreign nationals who live, work and have travelled to the areas we 

were heading to, we decided to travel. We took it one step at a time and decided we would firstly 

travel to Kabul and then assess whether we should travel to the Panjshir. If we made it that far then 

we could assess whether or not to continue to the upper Panjshir as we had received specific 

intelligence that this could be an area of concern. And once in the upper Panjshir we would then 

assess whether the conditions allowed us to travel into the mountains. 

Whether or not to travel to Afghanistan is very much a personal decision. Of course there are 

significant risks and you have to take the risks onboard if you do travel. We tried to look beyond the 

newspaper headlines and reflected on the fact that Kabul is a city of 3.6m people. These people get 

up every day and go about their daily lives. As a westerner you are more vulnerable, but we spent 

nearly a week walking the streets and had no hassle from anyone. Those people who did notice us 

were welcoming and friendly. Perhaps we were lucky, but that was the chance we took.

There are private hire companies in Kabul who will pick you up from the airport in an armoured  land 

cruiser. We did think about this for a while, but having sought further advice, we opted for a more low 

key approach. No one knew we were coming or where we were staying. We changed into our local 

clothes in the arrivals lounge and called a recommended minicab company (Zuhaak taxi) when we 

arrived at the airport. 

                    

The roads are in good condition and fully surfaced. It was January and the roads were clear until we 

were well into the Panshir valley. 

Checkpoints 

When approaching checkpoints at night, switch on your interior light and approach the checkpoint

cautiously.

Motor Insurance 

We drove a borrowed land rover to the Panjshir valley from Kabul. We were advised that there is no 

vehicle insurance so you have to take your chances on the road if you decide to drive. It is probably 

safer and more sensible to arrange a taxi to drive you. 

Transport to the Panjshir 

Originally we planned to travel with Afghan Logistics who were recommended as one of the best 

transport and logistics companies in Kabul. However, after contacting them from the UK for a quote, 

they refused to take us and advised us not to come to Afghanistan given the security situation. This 

was more unsettling news given they had a clear commercial interested to transport us. So when we 

finally arrived in Kabul we didn’t know how we would get to the Panjshir or whether it would be safe 

enough to travel. In the end we borrowed a land rover from Peter Jouvenal and Ali Farhad drove a 

second car. Zuhaak taxis would also have taken us and we did receive a reasonable quote. When we 

returned from the Panjshir we drove ourselves in the land rover  and hired a taxi for the second 

vehicle. Taxi fare around 100USD but expect to haggle hard. 

Snow chains

In winter these are essential for driving through the higher mountain passes where the roads are 

covered in snow and ice. We didn’t have them and this meant one car couldn’t get all the way and we 

had to hitch a ride with a local taxi with chains! We managed to get our land rover through but had to 

dig it out several times. Snow chains would have saved a lot of bother and the embarrassment of 

being overtaken by local buzkashi rider on the way to a game!

Winter conditions 

We came prepared for a winter ascent. Our equipment was what you would expect for a Denali  or 

even an 8,000m peak. Sleeping bags were good for -30c. 

Avalanches

Based on the large amount of snow that falls during an Afghan winter we were very concerned about 

the general avalanche risk. Each member of the team carried a transceiver, probe and shovel. Even 

on the roads there were risks. We travelled in two vehicles and at times switched on our transceivers. 

Medical arrangements: 

Mark Wynne was the team medic given the medical experience he gained serving with the Royal 

Marines. We had two full first aid kits which  also  contained high altitude medicines and antibiotics 

(amoxicillin and ciprofloxacin). 

Itinerary

The itinerary can be found in Appendix.

Conclusion

The expedition was always a long shot, not only attempting a first winter ascent, but over the past year 

in particular the security situation in Afghanistan had deteriorated to a point where I think we all 

questioned whether we should continue. We are all pleased we took the risks and traveled to this 

beautiful country. On reflection this trip wasn’t so much about mountains, it was the people we met 

and the places we stayed. It was a true adventure.

Expedition: A short story.

We arrived in Kabul on the evening of Thursday 11 January and spent three nights with Times 

journalist, Jerome Starkey and his housemates. These guys were fantastic and Jerome's subsequent 

introduction to Ali Farhad (Dr. Abdullah Abdullah's media guru) helped facilitate our passage through 

the Panjshir. Ali discussed our expedition with the Doctor, who in turn spoke to the governor of 

Panjshir. All these men fully supported our endeavour.  

Ali was concerned about security and said he couldn't entrust anyone with our safety. He therefore 

decided to drive us to the Panjshir himself. For a while, perhaps swept up in the whole adventure, I 

think Ali even contemplated joining us for the climb!

The night before we left for the Panjshir, we bumped into Peter Jouvenal, at his hotel The Gandamack Lodge, who was once the cameraman of John Simpson when they secretly trekked 

through the mountain passes of Pakistan in to Afghanistan during the days of the Taliban’s fall. Peter kindly offered to loan us his Land Rover for the duration of the trip. After a fantastic meal at his restaurant, and against all our safety briefings, we found ourselves driving back to Jerome’s house through the 

streets of Kabul, in Peter’s trusty Land Rover  – completely ignoring any local vehicle regulations and those that our own country would normally enforce upon us.  

Peter kindly introduced us to his former guide and fixer Rahman Beg ("RB"), who was from the upper 

Panjshir. After a few late night telephone calls to his boss persuading him to agree the time off work, 

RB agreed to come with us.

We left Kabul at 6am on Saturday 14 January. Having Ali and RB with us was fantastic and we 

passed through the military checkpoints without problem. Jerome had become interested in our 

journey and along with RB and Ali, decided to accompany us to Parian. 

S

The journey was without incident and we were treated to a beautiful sunrise over the plains outside 

Kabul.  As we progressed further up the Panjshir valley, the route became more challenging with the 

roads covered in snow and ice. Ali's car eventually became stuck and could not continue. Without 

snow-chains, even the Land Rover was struggling and we had to dig it out on a number of occasions. 

A local car with snow chains stopped to help and we managed to hire this vehicle in order to continue 

over the pass.  

Quentin, RB and I were the first to arrive at Kawjan, a small hamlet of stone/mud houses, just beyond 

the Parian District Centre. RB recommended that we wait in the Land Rover while he spoke to the 

local men who had started to gather around. RB appeared to know most of the men in the village and 

once he had explained the situation, we were invited to meet the village elders. In spite of our 

reservations, we were warmly welcomed by everyone. Interestingly this was the area that had been 

specifically flagged to us as a potential security risk. In the event, the local Chief insisted that we 

stayed in his house and for the next two nights we were treated as their guests and offered shelter, 

delicious breads, thick winter stews and lots of hot tea.  

Unfortunately for us, it later transpired that a large kit bag had gone missing, probably between the 

contents of the Land Rover being unloaded and manhandled up to the Chief's house. The news came 

as a bitter blow to us all as the bag contained vital equipment for our expedition; after a year’s 

planning and to have come this far, it was now looking as if the trip was in jeopardy. For Quentin, the 

news was even more disappointing as he had lost his thermals, sleeping bag, insulated boots and 

snowshoes. As a team, we had lost a tent, one of our climbing ropes and an important cooking stove. 14

As guests in the Chief's house, we were put in a very difficult position. How could we bring up this 

apparent theft without offending our guests? I held a private meeting with RB and the village Chief. RB 

advised that the situation was getting “very dangerous” for us and we risked slighting the Chief’s 

honour. We decided to stay for another night in the village, in the hope that the situation would change 

and that perhaps the bag would reappear, but we were without luck.

“Tense times”, negotiating permissions, with the District Chief of the Upper Panjshir and a room full of curious villagers, to continue our expedition into the mountains. 

Permission granted – the team finally sets out from the Kawjanvillage into the mountains of the Hindu Kush.

We mustered what kit we had. Mark had some spare leather trekking boots and although only suitable 

for UK weather, Quentin decided to continue into the mountains and see how he found the conditions. 

To his credit, he managed to stay with us for two days and nights, sleeping in  -20°C with an old 

Russian army surplus sleeping bag, before making the tough decision to turn around and make his 

own way down the valley and back to Kabul

Although obviously sad at seeing Quentin leave the team, Eddie, Mark and I continued to work our 

way up the valley towards Mir Samir basecamp. Progress was incredibly slow. The snow was deep, 

the route not obvious and the sleds we relied upon to haul our gear were millstones around our necks. 

We constantly fell into deep snow and even with snow shoes it was up beyond our knees. The valley 

sides were too steep for the sleds which constantly slipped off the slope, threatening to pull us down 

towards the valley floor. 

After four days of this torment, we lowered ourselves down into the valley. We thought the Samir River 

would be frozen and that we could follow its course, which would offer better terrain for hauling our 

sleds. This worked for a time and we made some progress but later in the day, the ice thawed and we 

found ourselves breaking through the ice. The floor of the valley was a classic terrain trap with 

evidence of recent avalanches sweeping down. We proceeded with caution, switching on our 

avalanche transceivers and keeping a good distance between the next man.  16

The sleds, weighing nearly 20kgs, proved to be hazardous on the steep terrain.

Our progress was ultimately blocked as the valley led into a steep ravine with polished rock walls on 

either side. Ahead of us lay a frozen waterfall which at first appeared passable. I led out and managed 

to climb about half way up when suddenly the snow and ice broke away. The waterfall was covered 

only with a soft snow bridge which simply could not hold our weight. To have fallen through would 

have been a disaster.

The next day we tried to climb back up the valley side but the terrain was too steep with our large 

packs and sleds. We had been climbing for five days now and had only managed around 1,000m. We 

couldn’t believe how hard it had been and how little progress we had made. The weather forecast was 

heavy snow and possible storms. We were so behind our planned schedule now there simply wasn’t 

time to climb the mountain even if we managed to get to base camp. After considering our position, 

we made the difficult decision to turn back and head down.

Arriving back in the village later that day, it was clear how slow the uphill journey had been. We 

couldn’t believe how quickly we returned after all those days of hauling. There were some fine 

moments when we arrived back in the village and gave our sleds to the local kids; seeing their smiles 

as they played with their new toys, somehow made everything seem worthwhile.  

The expedition was always a long shot; not only attempting the first winter ascent but over the last 

year, the security situation in Afghanistan had continued to deteriorate to a point where I think we all 

questioned whether we should continue.

However, we are all extremely proud of ourselves for taking the risks and feel fortunate to have 

travelled to this amazing and beautiful country. This wasn’t so much about the mountain but the 

people we met and the places we stayed. It was a true adventure.

Upon returning to Kabul, and following a few beers behind the triple security doors of one of the few 

‘Western’ drinking holes and a number of days exploring the city’s streets, Mark and Quentin 

managed to organise flights to the ancient province of Bamiyan for some sightseeing and three days 

off-piste skiing.

In the absence of chair lifts and gondolas a couple of hours were expended ‘skinning’ up the Koh-e 

Baba mountains to take advantage of the beautiful virgin powdered slopes. We met the enigmatic 

Steve Parker , a New Zealander, who had given up some his time to teach a couple of local 

sheppard’s and budding guides the dangers of avalanches in their back yards. 

Steve Parker, left, and Mark Wynne , right, snowboarding down a beautiful powder filled couloirs.

However, these beautiful slopes hide a deadly force…the close call of a strong avalanche brought us 

quickly down to earth from the highs of incredible back country skiing. We all carried avalanche 

transceivers, probes and shovels as a precaution and fortunately Mark was shrewd enough to alter 

course and snowboard out of harms way. Quentin didn’t have much choice about which way the 

avalanche was heading, but his steady hand managed to take some great pictures

The final day was taken up by cross country skiing in the newly formed National Park of Band-e Amir 

and its beautiful frozen lakes. A super ending to an adventurous trip in a country that some perceive 

as dangerou

Itinerary

Day Date Where

Tuesday 10/01/2012 Depart London 

Wednesday 11/01/2012 Night 1 Kabul (Jerome's house)

Thursday 12/01/2012 Night 2 in Kabul (Jerome's house)

Friday 13/01/2012 Night 3 in Kabul (Jerome's house)

Saturday 14/01/2012 Night 1 in Kawjan (Local chief’s house)

Sunday 15/01/2012 Night 2 in Kawjan (Local chief’s house)

Monday 16/01/2012 Walk to Camp 1            3,010m 

Tuesday 17/01/2012 Walk to Camp 2            3,218m 

Wednesday 18/01/2012 Walk to Camp 3       3,430m 

Thursday 19/01/2012 Walk Camp 4               3,480m

Friday 20/01/2012 Attempt to reach Camp 5. Return to Camp 4. 3,480m

Saturday 21/01/2012 Return from Camp 4 to Kawjan.  Drive back to Kabul. 

(Jerome's house)

Sunday 22/01/2012 Back in Kabul (Gandamack)

Monday 23/01/2012 Back in Kabul (Gandamack)

Tuesday 24/01/2012 Back in Kabul. (Gandamack)

Wednesday 25/01/2012 James and Eddie flight back to London 

Mark and Q fly to Bamiyan

Thursday 26/01/2012 James and Eddie arrive at Heathrow

Friday 27/01/2012

Saturday 28/01/2012 Mark and Q leave Bamiyan

Sunday 29/01/2012 Mark and Q arrive at Heathrow