Climbing expedition, Tahu Ratum, Karakoram – 2010

Three young climbers aim to attempt the unclimbed north-west ridge of Tahu Ratum (the left hand ridge in photo), a 6,651 metre-high mountain peak in Pakistan, in an expedition to be conducted from July to September 2010. The peak is an immaculate granite pyramid which rises approximately 1,500m from the Khana Basa glacier, in the Hispar Muztagh region of the Karakorum. Tahu Ratum has only had one ascent to date - a Japanese team climbed the south-west ridge in 1977. The most notable recent attempt was by Kyle Dempster, who attempted to aid solo the West Face in December 2008, but retreated 200 metres below the summit.

The expedition’s patron Sir Chris Bonington, a British mountaineer who made the first ever ascent of the South Face of Annapurna and has been recognised as one of the great explorers of modern times, said "an alpine style ascent of Tahu Ratum (6,651m) is a particularly noteworthy and challenging objective, which will help raise the profile of British mountaineering." The JWCT awarded £750 to the British expedition.

The climbing team Tom Ripley, Hamish Dunn and Luke Hunt (pictured left on Petit Dru, in the Alps) aim to climb the peak in alpine style following a six-day trek to the base-camp at the junction of the Khani Basa and Khani Basa East Glaciers. Tom said "the generous grant from the Jeremy Willson Charitable Trust will go along way towards getting us to Pakistan this summer, where hopefully we will realise our dreams and succeed in the first ascent of Tahu Ratum's north-west ridge."

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