Lured by Mountains

The Ascent of Ali Ratni Tibba 1969

M.A. with
ALI RATNI TIBBA behind on the left

We drove out to India in a short wheel based Transit van in 1969, four of us, from Scotland, and it took us 21 days overland, through Turkey, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India.  7000 miles each way. Exciting trip.

We had planned this trip for four years and finally found ourselves at the foot of the mountain, ALI RATNI TIBBA 18,013FT), previously attempted but never successfully climbed.  Described as "a splendid ice and granite obelisk", it would be a mixed climb of snow, ice and rock.

We established camp, then it snowed for a week, and we had to huddle inside our tents and play Scrabble and patience and eat rice and curried lentils, until the weather improved and we could continue to achieve our objective.

Outside tent, M.A.

But after trying to establish a higher base camp, one of the party, Jim fell into a crevasse, and we had to evacuate him with a broken collarbone, the day before we decided to attempt the mountain.  

Chris, Dave and M.A. head up glacier

Undaunted we packed up and set off next morning at 3 am, across frozen snow and ice and finally into the rock chimneys of the ridge.  I had a cracking headache, and felt very ill.  We bivouacked below the summit on a rock ledge, and in the middle of the night I had to relieve myself and managed to knock my husband's boot off the ledge.  We were lucky to find it 8 ft down on another ledge at daybreak.

We reached the summit, and Dave said "Ladies First" as I climbed onto the rock spike which went no higher.  I had a poisoned heel which I lanced with my Swiss Army Knife on reaching camp again.  BUT WE HAD DONE IT!!! First ascent, first person on the mountain..ever.  Now we just had to drive back to Scotland.

Dave, M.A. and Fred on the summit