Muchu Chhish, a 7,453-meter peak in the Karakoram Range, has been successfully summited for the first time, reported ExplorersWeb on Tuesday. This monumental achievement was accomplished by a team of three Czech climbers, marking the first ascent of the highest unclimbed peak in the world.
The triumphant team
Zdenek Hak, Radoslav Groh, and Jaroslav Bansky took six days to conquer Muchu Chhish. This success follows several attempts over the past four years by climbers from the Czech Republic, including Groh, who was part of last year’s expedition.
“We started on July 1 after acclimatization. We climbed via the south ridge to the main ridge and then continued westward to the summit. We stood on top on July 5 at 10:20 am and took one more day for the descent. We finally re-entered Base Camp on July 6 at 6 pm,” Zdenek Hak told ExplorersWeb, which covers adventure and environmental news.
Hak detailed their grueling climb, during which they ascended for 8-10 hours a day and made four bivouacs—temporary camps without tents or cover, commonly used by mountaineers.
“The total length of the route from Base Camp was 20 km with a vertical climb of 3,687 meters. The distance from Camp 1 to the summit was 14.29 km with an altitude gain of 2,300 meters,” Hak explained.
Previous attempts
The Czech climbers had previously attempted to scale Muchu Chhish, located in Asia’s Western Karakoram range, in 2020, 2022, and 2023. Last year, a team comprising Pavel Korinek, Pavel Bem, Radoslav Groh, and Tomas Petrecek nearly reached the summit before adverse weather conditions trapped them at 7,200 meters, just below a final rock pyramid.
This successful ascent of Muchu Chhish marks a significant milestone in mountaineering, as climbers continue to push the boundaries of human endurance and exploration.