We enjoy a fine one-course meal.

 
And start to settle in for the night.

 

Ian reflects upon the view of the valley from whence we came.

 
Spencer and Brad get ready to turn in for the night. Click on the picture to enlarge.   

 

Summit Assault Day, 6:30 am. The path would take us up this ledge, appearing about halfway down the face shown in this photo. Paul told me not to worry, said it looked different from up there. He was right.

 
Spencer and Brad were still feeling the effects of altitude sickness, so elected not to go. After crossing the stream under the waterfall, Misha, Kirsten, Ian, Alan, Paul and I began the climb to the ridge and looked back at our base camp brethren below. 

 

Kirsten dubbed this Suicide Ledge, though she seemed relaxed as we went up. I was not.

 
The ledge originally led us in the opposite direction of Shahdagh, winding its way up and around. At the top of this face we would be heading in the direction of the peak. 

 

We headed into a cool notch formed by rockfall.

 
At some point, we got high enough that Shahdagh came into view behind us. The saddle in the distance, seen over Paul's right shoulder, is where we would gain the ridge that leads to the summit. Click on the picture to enlarge.

 

Don't look down.

 
Do NOT look down.

 

A good shot of the summit. Notice the slight lean into the mountain adopted by Paul and Alan. Click on the photo to enlarge.

 
Kind of a narrow spot. If you visit you can probably find my fingernail marks etched in these rocks.

 

We prepare to round the last bend before the relative flats above,  where we could finally trek in the direction of the summit. Click on the picture to enlarge.

 
When you get up top, this is the view back towards Shahdagh. The saddle in the middle of the photo is our way up. Click on the picture to enlarge.

 

On the way across the flats we were lit up by a horizontal rainstorm and sudden temperature drop. Kirsten and Ian, who did not have full waterproof gear, were soaked pretty quickly. Alan lent Ian his Goretex pants and headed back down to base camp with Kirsten.

 

The path up to the saddle was long, steep, and extremely unpleasant. I alternated between snow and scree, without much luck with either.

 

 

 

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