Mortenson

Inspired by Croft, Chen went to Galen Rowell's photographic studio in Emeryville, California. It was a Monday morning. "Rowell wanted to see me, but he was extremely busy, so I ended up waiting five days in his office before I saw him on a Friday. The wait was worth it. We spent two hours together pouring over maps and photos of the Charakusa basin, a seldom-explored region, northeast of Hushe Valley and south of K2. I was hooked. Rowell told me that if I could wait five days to see him, I could be successful in Charakusa basin. From that point on, climbing in the Charakusa became the focus of my life," said Chen.

Chen and Robinson were on a shoestring budget, but with help from Mountain Hardwear and a small American Alpine Club grant for aspiring young climbers, they were in Pakistan by June 1999.

Hushe School

En route to Charakusa, Chen and Robinson spent two days in Hushe Village at the end of the Jeep trail. In Hushe, Chen and Robinson spent a couple days at the local school started in 1998 by Central Asia Institute. "We had a great time," said Robinson, "instead of lecturing, we put together skits emphasizing conservation and environmental awareness. Most of our themes were based on ideas we emphasis in our National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) classes. I was the 'bad guy' cutting down trees, littering and polluting the streams. Jimmy was the 'good guy.'

It was very inspiring to see these two young climbers take an interest in the local people and environment. Larger, well-financed expeditions often complain about the lack of time or resources to "give something back" to the mountains and people. Chen and Robinson did it without spending a dollar. And in doing so, they became instant Heros and role models for the Hushe schoolchildren.

Fathi Peak

The first sight of Fathi Peak's ominous north wall overwhelmed them. "It blew me away. El Cap seemed like a boulder in comparison," said Chen. They initial planned to climb the 1,100 meter wall in a one-day push with minimal gear. "The first time we went up", said Chen, "we made it half way up the vertical face, but blasted off by a violent storm. With minimal gear and protection, it was frightening."

They returned to Base Camp to reassess their strategy. Chen recalls, "I realized our objective would be more difficult than any climb we had been on. Fathi was not going to be a day outing in Yosemite. We decided to still climb Fathi in a single push." Two days later they returned and worked their way 2/3 of the way up the wall.

"Climbers have eyed the Siachen region for a long time. The majority of unclimbed 7,000+ meter peaks in the world are locked up in this closed war zone...."

"Our second try was terrifying," said Chen, "we were aiding on crumbly, loose rock. After 16 hours we reached a vertical ice pitch. In only our rock climbing shoes, it would have been suicidal. It was an emotionally difficult decision to come down. We were demoralized and torn apart; two close partners who usually think alike. I had tears in my eyes when we bailed. In Base Camp, things got worse. We thought about leaving each other. But after three days of serious communicating, we knew we could not quit. I realized we had physically prepared for Fathi, but neglected to prepare ourselves mentally. To climb in the wild, formidable Karakoram, mental preparation is a prerequisite. It was a learning process and milestone in my climbing career."

Chen and Robinson packed everything for their third attempt: plastic boots, crampons, food and bivouac gear. They started early at 2am. It took a whole day of simul-climbing (simultaneous climbing where two partners move together connected by a rope) to reach the midway dihdedral. They bivouacked sitting up on a tiny ledge, using flaked out rope as a cushion. The next day, they spent half a day reaching their previous high point. It was time to put on plastic boots and crampons.

"There were few anchor holds," said Robinson, "but our main focus was not to knock rocks off on our partner's head below. Our slogan became: "don't kill your partner with stones." If one of us were hurt, it would be almost impossible for our partner to haul the other down. There was no margin for error.

"The powerful forces that compel me to climb must be reckoned with. The process of learning about my fears and limitations has been revealing...."

Chen remembers the ice pitches as, "5.10 in crampons with hand jams in ice covered granite cracks." Robinson added, "An upper dihedral brought a 120' wall of 80° ice. This was the crux, but I knew we would make it then. We used a new innovative technique called the 'T block' technique, a type of high-tech ascender that prevents the leader from falling if the follower falls."

Two more free 5.10A pitches covered the final traverse to the skyline. Chen and Robinson's faces broke out in huge smiles as they described the summit pitch, "Suddenly, we were in the sun. It was glorious and warm. A few minutes later, at 3pm, we reached the final summit crest. The summit block was a thin precipice that only one of us could stand on. We whooped for joy. I fired off a whole roll of film in excitement. It was a day we will never forget."

When I asked Chen how the climb had changed his life, he replied, "This trip totally surpassed my greatest expectations. This journey was a milestone for me. Physically, I'm ready to climb at another level. Mentally, I've learned how important good communication is. The powerful forces that compel me to climb must be reckoned with. The process of learning about my fears and limitations has been revealing. But most of all, I feel a deep attachment to this incredible place, the Karakoram. The local Balti people's deep reverence for their land and devout Islamic faith is an eye opener. Our American society has many false preconceptions about Islam that need to be addressed. No where in USA could anyone receive the type of hospitality we have had here. We will be back soon."

Note: Jimmy Chen and Brady Robinson's climb was the first American and second ascent of Fathi Peak. It is listed at 19,400 feet in American Alpine Journal (AAJ). Robinson's altimeter read 18,369 feet at the top. They graded their Fathi ascent as: 5.10, A3, W14+, Water Ice/Loose Rock, 21 pitches, 3,100 ft.

Chen and Robinson were recently joined by Jed and Doug Workman and Evan Howe. Robinson and Jed Workman are attempting the first ascent of Parhat Peak, 5.11 free climb up a 2,600-foot wall similar to Fathi.

Chen, Doug Workman and Howe are working on a new route on Beatrice Southeast Face. It involves aid climbing with five nights on a portaledge on "Yosemite grade" granite, over a series of overhanging roofs up a vertical face.

— Greg Mortenson, MountainZone.com Correspondent