First Ascent to LATOK THUMB (6.380m)

Atracció Instintiva (1100m, 7a run out, A2+, M5)

Mountain Range: Latok Group, Karakorum, Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan
Acces: Biafo Glacier
Aspect: South – West
Difficulties: 1.100m, 7a run out, A2+, M5
Summit: August 18th 2023 at 18:30h
Base Camp: 4.470m
Advanced Base Camp: 4.950m
Route Start (R0): 5.300m
Camp 1 (R6): 5.650m
Camp 2 (R19): 6.030m
1st Expedition: June-July 2022 / 12 days on the wall
2nd Expedition: July-August 2023 / 18 days on the wall

First Ascent to LATOK THUMB 6.380m

New Route “Atracció Instintiva (1100m, 7a expo, A2+, M5)”

We started the first expedition in June 2022. The goal was to climb a mountain that had never been climbed. It was right next to Latok II and it seemed to meet all our expectations: located in the Latok’s Group region (one of the wildest and most inhospitable areas of the Karakorum, Pakistan), the wall was completely vertical with over 1000m drop with a marked mixed climbing section at the beginning and at the end, although in the middle of the wall there were also several lengths with ice and snow.

We spent many days studying the wall to find the most logical and safest areas, observing what time the avalanches of snow and stones fell. We carried a lot of gear (food, portaledge, cams, ropes…) to the foot of the climb from the Advanced Base Camp.

We set up Base Camp at 4,470m and the Advanced Base Camp at 4,950m. Then we had a 400m access corridor with a maximum slope of 70 degrees of snow and ice to the foot of the wall at 5,300m at R0.

After that there was an area dominated by mixed rock and ice climbing with a difficulty of M5 for 300m until reaching R6. At this point the verticality of the wall began and is where we set up our Camp 1 with the portaledge at 5,650m.

The first time, in 2022, we managed to climb up to pitch number 14, with some difficulties up to 7a run out and A2+ at around 5,900m. But we were still missing a very steep section of difficult roofs and we had to raise the camp above this area as it was the only option where we would find snow to melt. Bad weather arrived and we didn’t have more days to spend after 12 days on the wall. We left all possible heavy equipment at Camp 1 (portaledge, ropes, friends, etc) to continue the following year.

In July 2023 we returned to the same mountain to finish the route. After the
acclimatization period and with all the particular rules of the times when this wall could be accessed, we started climbing again.

On this wall it is vital to be away from exposure of falling stones and avalanches after 9am: from that time on, you can’t be in the access corridor because everything is falling and it is really dangerous.

When we were on the climbing wall, the sun came in at 11am and left at 4pm. We only had 5 hours to climb a day with a reasonable temperature, then it became very cold. This fact greatly limited our schedules and made us move slowly.

We were able to overcome the roof area and reach Camp 2 at 6,030m. Then we
climbed the last part of the wall to the top for 3 very intense days, arriving on August 18th 2023 to the top. Then we spent 2 more days rappelling the whole wall and going down to Base Camp with all the gear and equipment.

In this second attempt we spent 18 days on the wall.

The virgin mountain was called «LATOK THUMB» with a height of 6,380m by the route we opened with the name:

«ATTRACCIÓ INSTINTIVA 1100m 7a run out, A2+, M5.»

Miquel Mas & Marc Subirana
Septiembre 2023, Islamabad