Posted: Aug 17, 2005 07:01 am EDT
After trying for days to find a passage through the glacier up the NW Spur of Rakaposhi, the international team has changed goals. Surrounded by mountains, it was not difficult to find an alternative destination: The guys chose the tallest they saw – the Batura group.

"Freedom means being able to abandon a dream when it proves impossible, and to go for a different one,” reported team leader Alberto Peruffo. “As explorers, we live in uncertainty. Our steps are guided by a diffuse light, moving in no fixed direction.”

Rakaposhi: An unreachable fortress

The team, consisting of Italian climbers plus American Carlos Buhler, definitely found no light to show them the way through the seracs and crevasses up to the NW Spur of Rakaposhi, their original goal.

Prior to departure, team leader Alberto Peruffo had seen an approaching option to the wall in some satellite images: “It took me five years of research to come up with our climbing strategy,” he said. “The result - a new approach: We will climb up through the unexplored Masot glacier, leading directly to the spur on ice and snow.”

Three attractive sisters

Once in front of the glacier though, the climbers found no way to reach the base of the peak.

A three day trek brought the climbers to the Baltar Glacier. “Above our heads rises the highest mountain yet to be climbed. We deeply breath the perfume of the unknown.”

Simone’s project

In fact, the Batura group has not been exactly unknown to the climbing community this season. Fellow Italian Simone Moro and American Joby Ogwyn attempted Batura 2 – currently the highest independent peak yet to be climbed – some weeks ago. The climb was aborted when Joby was injured by an avalanche whilst descending from a preparatory climb on Batokshi Peak.

Still inspired

However, the expedition is still inspiring to Alberto, already thinking in the second, artistic stage of the project: A multimedia show based on the expedition, to be played in theaters. “It will be spectacular in every sense. Just like the title which best represent our unrepeatable adventure: “20.000 feet above the Sea.”

Alberto Peruffo is leading the expedition along with four fellow Italians: Renzo Corona, Ivo Ferrari, Mirco Scarso, and Michele Romio. The fifth member is a friend from a previous expedition – American Carlos Buhler.

Moreover, Alberto wants to add an artistic touch to the expedition: There will be an “ArtVideoMix” - a multimedia show of the climb played in theaters. Photographer Alessandro Pianalto and Crista-Lee Mitchell (Carlos Buhler’s fiancée) are part of that action.

Born in 1967 in Vicenza (Italy), Alberto Peruffo is an accomplished climber and a strong defender of exploratory alpinism, and clean climbing. A regular in the Dolomites (Italian Alps), Alberto also led the CAI Chiantar expedition in 2000, focused on exploratory alpinism in the borderline area between Pakistan and Afghanistan. He also summited Cho Oyu in 2002, without supplementary O2 or Sherpas.

Carlos Buhler (Bozeman, Montana) is a major name in American climbing history. He has been climbing since the seventies and is still fully active. He draws from experience gained on thirty-four expeditions all around the world. In 1983, he climbed to the summit of Mt. Everest with the American team that made the first ascent of the Kangshung (East) Face from Tibet. His climbing resume includes: Ama Dablam NE face (1985), Changabang North face (1998), Kangchenjunga North ridge (1988), Cho Oyu Polish route on the W ridge in Alpine style, Dhaulagiri, Dorje Lhakpa NE ridge, K2 north ridge, Nanga Parbat and innumerable rock and ice first-line routes.

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