Posted: Aug 26, 2009 12:06 pm EDT
(K2Climb.net) Iran’s Arash Mountaineers team was the last to leave Broad Peak this year.

While loads of snow thwarted all expeditions’ attempts to reach the main summit via the normal route, the Iranians fought their way up a new line on the peak’s SW side - or so they thought.

Ludovic Giambiasi and Elisabeth Revol on the same challenge

Enduring storms, altitude, several attempts and technical difficulties for 40 days until running out of time and rope, the team reached as far as C3 on the merging point with Broad’s normal route.

Funny enough, the route they eyed – and want to complete next year – follows the line attempted by Ludovic Giambiasi and Elisabeth Revol early in this season. The first team to reach the mountain and the last to leave had both come up with the same idea.

“Comparing images sent by both expeditions, it looks that the French and Iranian teams followed a similar route up to 6,500m,” IMZ News reckoned. “Eli and I had no previous plans to open a new route on Broad Peak. We just reached BC, got attracted by the line and went for it,” Ludo said.

Climbing alpine-style, Ludo and Eli were halted by an exposed section at 6,500 meters - which the large Iranian team eventually managed to overcome. With none of them actually reaching the summit, both teams are searching a common agreement for proper credits.

Celebration for Kazem

Following a final summit attempt on Broad’s normal route on August 10th, aborted in bad weather three days later, the Iranian climbers collected all debris in C3 and climbed back down to BC while other members dismantled C1.

Following the long 40 days, back in BC the team held a thanksgiving ceremony - which turned into a celebration after they heard of fellow Iranian climber Kazem Faridian’s release. (Check previous reports on Faridian's fate in the links' section.)

Taking a stand for the Environment

All the garbage hoo-hah involving Tehran climbers on G2 made the Arash mountaineers on Broad Peak particularly keen to add a green note to their expedition.

"At the end of new route project, the climbers carried all debris down the mountain, except for fixed ropes, which will remain in place for a further attempt next year,” leader Babazadeh told IMZ.

“We put all our garbage in four barrels. Moreover, since we had some days left until porters arrived in BC, we devoted them to mountain environmental labours and collected junk left around by other teams- which resulted in a total of 21 big barrels full of debris.”

The Arash Mountaineers Club’s climbers were led by Kiyoumars Babazadeh and supported by Abbaas Mohammadi, the new head of the Iran's Alpine Club. They planned to open what they supposed was a new route on Broad Peak's SW face. The large team worked divided into smaller groups supporting each other. They fixed the route and set up three high camps over several attempts. Furthest point reached was C3, at 7,050m - in the place where the normal route's third camp is located.

French Antoine Girard, Eli Revol and Ludo Gianbiasi were the first team to reach the Karakoram mountains this season, hitting BP BC late May. The plan was to look for a suitable line up BP, and then perhaps move to K2 pending time and conditions. Eli and Ludo climbed a new variation route up to 6,500m on Broad's SW face, and later launched a second attempt on the S and SE ridges wich was thwarted by weather and conditions. In spring, Eli reached Annapurna's East summit from the South face, but lost her climbing mate Martin Minarik on descent.

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