Huge Latok Thumb in Karakorum first ascended by Miquel Mas, Marc Subirana

We started the first expedition in June 2022. The goal was to climb a mountain that had never been climbed before. It was right next to Latok II and it seemed to meet all our expectations. Located in the Latok region, one of the wildest and most inhospitable areas of Pakistan's Karakorum, the wall is completely vertical with over 1000m of drop with a marked section of mixed climbing at both the beginning and at the end. In the central section of the wall there were also several pitches with ice and snow.

We spent many days studying the wall, discovering the most logical and safe sections, 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 Advanced Base Camp.

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

Then we encountered an area dominated by mixed rock and ice climbing with a difficulties in the region of M5 for 300m until reaching R6. This is where the wall began to steepen considerably and this is where we set up our Camp 1 with the portaledge at 5,650m.

The first year we managed to climb up to pitch number 14, past difficulties up to 7a run-out and A2+ at around 5,900m. But we didn't climb a very steep section of difficult roofs and we had to move our camp above this area, since this was the only way we would be able to find snow to melt.

Unfortunately, bad weather arrived and we didn't have more days at our disposal. In total we spent 12 days on the wall and before retreating 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 complete our route. After the acclimatisation period and adhering to all the particular rules when this wall could be accessed, we started climbing.

On this wall it is vital, from 9:00 a.m. onwards, to be clear of falling stones and avalanches. From that time on, one cannot be in the access corridor because this is exposed to major rockfall and it really was very dangerous indeed.

When we were on the wall, the sun reached us at 11:00 am and left at 4:00 pm. We only had 5 hours to climb with a reasonable temperature, then it got very cold. This fact greatly limited our climbing and made us move slowly.

We managed to breath the roof area and reach Camp 2 at 6,030m. Then we climbed the last part of the wall to the top in three very intense days, arriving on the summit at 18:30 on the 18th of August 2023. We then spent 2 more days rappelling the whole wall and returning to Base Camp with our packs and with all our gear. On this second attempt we spent 18 days on the wall.

We have called the virgin mountain "Latok Thumb". It is 6,380m high, and our new route is called Atracció Instintiva (1100m 7a run out, A2+, M5).

Miquel Mas & Marc Subirana September 2023, Islamabad

Mountain Range: Latok Group, Karakorum, Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan
Access: Biafo Glacier
Aspect: South - West
Difficulties: 1100m, 7a run out, A2+, M5
Summit: August 18th 2023 at 18:30h
Base Camp: 4470m
Advanced Base Camp: 4950m
Route Start (R0): 5300m
Camp 1 (R6): 5650m
Camp 2 (R19): 6030m
1st Expedition: June-July 2022 / 12 days on the wall
2nd Expedition: July-August 2023 / 18 days on the wall