Pakistan Expedition 2019
After seeing those incredible towers, our team — Max Faletti, Matteo Della Bordella, Maurizio Giordani, and David Jonathan Hall — set out to find them. Once we reached around 6,000 meters, we realized they were almost unreachable, due to the extremely dangerous glacier conditions, with huge serac collapses constantly crashing down around us.
As an alternative, we decided to open a new route on a 900-meter wall, which we named Ellison Peak, in memory of a great mountaineer — the mother of Tom Ballard. The summit rises to about 5,600 meters. It may have been a “backup” climb, but it turned into an ascent of real substance and commitment. The mountain looked like a gigantic ship, with a control tower crowning the top.
We reached the base of the small tower — about three pitches high — where we would have needed to use a hand drill for pitons, since there were no cracks at all. We started the approach with minimal gear: two sets of friends and a #4, traveling light because we were counting on the rappel line that Maurizio Giordani and David Jonathan Hall were setting up. However, after five pitches, they too had to turn back.
The climbing difficulties were high, with pitches up to 9- / 7b+, snowy sections and 20–25-meter slabs in full no-fall zones, and offwidth chimneys of a serious grade. After a bivouac on the wall, we reached the main summit, beneath a smaller 90–100 meter tower midway up the long, massive face. To continue we would have needed bolts, which we didn’t have.
The descent was far from easy. With little gear left and our partners having retreated, we were forced to improvise rappels from jammed knots and wedged stones. Once back at base camp, and with limited time remaining, we decided to go for another peak — a 6,000-meter mountain standing right in front of us, more alpine in character but equally captivating.
On the first day, with David and Matteo, we climbed from 3,500 meters at base camp up to 5,400 meters. The following day, Matteo and I continued, reaching 5,700 meters, when I was struck by altitude sickness and had to descend. Matteo went on alone for another 200 meters before turning back.
It was an intense experience, full of effort, uncertainty, and pure beauty.
I thank the mountain — always a teacher, always the keeper of our limits.