Climbing in an Unexplored Valley in the Himalayas | Salimor Khola

In the Autumn of 2023, Matt Glenn, Hamish Frost, Paul Ramsden, and Tim Miller embarked on an ambitious expedition to one of the most remote and unexplored regions of Nepal, the Salimor Khola valley.

The objective of the trip was to venture into the far western region of Nepal, bordering Tibet, and attempt unclimbed peaks in this striking and seldom-visited part of the country. With little information available about the valley and mountains that lay ahead, the climbing wasn’t the only challenge.

Getting to the starting point was an expedition in itself. After flying into Dhangadhi, the team endured a two-day drive into the hills before setting off on a week-long trek northwards. Trails were rough and often precarious, hugging riverbanks and cutting through steep valleys, with very little sign of human habitation. Any locals they did encounter were friendly but clearly surprised by the presence of a climbing expedition in such an obscure part of the country.

Once established at basecamp, the team split into two pairs to find objectives that excited and challenged them. Paul Ramsden and Tim Miller directed their efforts toward a striking unclimbed peak marked on the map as Surma-Sarovar (6,605m). With no prior ascent history, they approached the mountain via its north face and launched a multi-day push that would see them complete the first ascent.

The climb proved technically demanding, with complex route-finding, snow-covered rock, and bitterly cold conditions. After four days on the mountain, they reached the summit and began a challenging descent, navigating unfamiliar terrain and crevassed slopes. “It was classic exploratory alpinism, going into the unknown and solving the problems as they come”, said Tim Miller.

Meanwhile, Matt Glenn and Hamish Frost focused on a sharp peak at the head of a glaciated valley they had scouted earlier in the trip. After establishing an advanced camp, they made an alpine-style push on a narrow couloir that cut through the mountain’s southeast face.

Progress was steady until the upper slopes, where deteriorating snow conditions and increasing avalanche risk forced them to reevaluate. With only a few hundred metres between the high point they were on and the true summit, they made the difficult decision to turn back.

“I'd far rather be haunted by a summit not climbed than the death of a friend.”

Their descent was equally challenging, requiring careful down-climbing and navigation through unstable snow. By the time they returned to camp, they had covered a significant route on a previously untouched face—an achievement in its own right in this unknown corner of the Himalaya.

In a world where many mountain ranges have been thoroughly explored and mapped, the far west of Nepal remains a rare frontier for climbers seeking true adventure. Expeditions like this are why we design and build the kit we do. Kit that keeps you protected when you need it most. Check out the kit Matt and Hamish used on this expedition.

Now live on our YouTube channel “Salimor Khola” follows this incredible expedition as well as Matt and Hamish’s strong partnership and friendship in and out of the mountains. Watch here.