A trio of skiers recently made history by becoming the first to descend northern Pakistan’s Great Trango Tower located in the Baltoro Glacier region. After months of careful planning and preparation, Christina Lustenberger, Jim Morrison, and Chantel Astorga successfully climbed and skied the Tower’s 6,286 meter West Face. The feat has since been declared “one of the biggest accomplishments in recent ski mountaineering history.” A mix of fortuitous weather, smart thinking, and impressive skill was behind the team’s success.
Path to success
Lustenberger and Morrison made their initial attempt at climbing the Great Trango in 2023, but were thwarted by a crevasse 500 meters below the summit. Not to be deterred, the two, along with Astorga, returned to the mountain in May with a new plan. “When we arrived at the crevasse below the summit we built a snow anchor and I led across the snow bridge and worked my way out onto a rib”, said Lustenberger. “I was able to place two ice screws, cross some snow, and build another anchor to fix a line the other climbers could ascend. The route through it on the climbers left has broken ice and seracs that constantly fall away from the face”. For Morrison, this was the most memorable moment of the entire experience as he knew from this point onwards they weren’t going to fail.
Unique skiing experience
The team found skiing and climbing in Pakistan somewhat unique compared to other places they’ve been. “It’s a much more wild environment than climbing in places like India and Nepal, everything takes longer to get to”, said Astorga. “Pakistan doesn’t have the infrastructure set in place that these other Himalayan countries have developed for tourism/trekking. It’s still “behind the scenes” so to speak”. The trio, who’ve skied in many different countries around the world, are also big fans of Europe. In particular, Andorra — a tiny principality in the Pyrenees mountains and home to the village of Arinsal — is an increasingly popular ski spot. Arinsal, Andorra is set at an altitude of between 1550 and 2560 meters and features spectacular slopes suitable for beginner and advanced skiers alike.