Trango Tower Expedition

Great Trango was first climbed in 1977 by Galen Rowell. John Roskelley. Kim Schmitz, Jim Morrissey and Dennis Hennek by a
route which started from the west side (Trango Glacier), and climbed a combination Of ice ramps and gullies with rock faces,
finishing on the upper South Face.

The east face Of Great Trango was first climbed (to the East Summit) in 1984 by the Norwegians Hans Christian Doseth and
Finn Dæhli. who both died on the descent.

The first successful climb of and return from the East Summit was in 1992, by Xaver Bongard and John Middendorf. via “The
Grand Voyage”, a route parallel to that Of the ill-fated Norwegians, and the only route ever completed up the 1,340m east-
southeast headwall. These two climbs have been called “perhaps the hardest big-wall climbs in the world.

The least difficult route on Great Trango is on the Northwest Face, and was climbed in 1984 by Andy Selters and Scott
Woolums. This is nonetheless a very serious, technical climb.

Trango (Nameless) Tower was first climbed in 1976 by the British climber Joe Brown. along with Mo Anthoine. Martin Boysen.
and Malcolm Howells. There are at least eight separate routes to the summit.

After several unsuccessful attempts. the second and third ascents were achieved in 1987, with the opening of two new routes:
The Slovenian Route, better known as the Yugoslav Route. a pure, clean, logical crack route on the south-southeast face. by
Slavko Cankar. Franc Knez (sl) and Bojan Srot. and the Great Overhanging Dihedral Route. a spectacular and technical ascent
on the western pillar, by Swiss/ French team Michel “Tchouky” Fauquet, Patrick Delale. Michel Piola and Stephane Schaffter.

The first route that was freed (using fixed lines to return to a base each night). in 1988. was the Yugoslav Route by German
team Kurt Albert, Wolfgang Gullich and Hartmut Munchenbach.

Another notable route is Eternal Flame (named after a Bangles song). first climbed on 20 September 1989 by Kurt Albert.
Wolfgang Güllich. Milan Sykora and Christoph Stiegler. This route ascends the South-East Face of the Tower. and was climbed
almost entirely free. These climbs inaugurated an era Of pure rock-climbing techniques and aesthetics on high-altitude peaks.

The first female ascent, on 6 September 1990, was achieved in free climbing style, again on the Yugoslav Route, by Catherine
Destivelle (with Jeff Lowe, and David Breashears filming).