Trango Towers - Southeast Faces

Home to some of the world's best granite, the Trango Towers have a legendary reputation. They rise straight out of the Baltoro glacier and offer long, technical climbing at high altitude, a stark contrast with the true giants to the east, the Gasherbrums and K2.

This image shows the southeast face of Great Trango, including perhaps the greatest alpine big wall route of the last few decades, Middendorf and Bongard's Grand Voyage (line 16), as well as some of the routes on Nameless Tower. For a better view of the latter, the South Face image might have a more interesting perspective.

This shows a spectacular sunset light show from the Urdokas campsite, on the way to K2.

Free download link - medium resolution, personal use only (no printing allowed)

Route List

1: Speck, 6b A0 70°, M. Della Bordella, L. Schiera, S. Schupbach, 07/2013
2: Southeast Buttress, 6b+ A3, M. Giordani, R. Manfrini, M. Venzo, K. Walde, 06/1988
3: Three Hundred Eggs, 6b+, S. Karo, A. Grmovsek, 08/2006
4: Refrigerator Offwidth, 7a A2 M5, L. Gheza, A. Baú, F. Ratti, 07/2022
5: Obvious Line, 5.8 A4, J. Roskelley, R. Kauk, B. Forrest, K. Schmitz, 07/1979
6: Russian Roulette, 6c+ A2, E. Bashkirtsov, D. Veretenin, 2013
7: French 1983 Route, V+, P. Cordier, E. Decamp, R. Wainer, 05/1983
8: Sur les Traces d'Éric (Attempt), VI+, Y. Astier, M. Mabboni, P. Montiglio, O.Soulie, 05/1988
9: Japanese 1986 Attempt, 09/1986
10: Japanese Route, 6a A2, F. Fujita, M. Itoh, R. Nonaka, Y. Nonaka, T. Sasaki, 09/1987
11: Azeem Ridge, 5.11R/X A2 M6, K. Cordes, J. Wharton, 07/2004
12: American Route, V+ A1, D. Hennek, J. Morrissey, J. Roskelley, G. Rowell, K. Schmitz, 07/1977
13: More Czech, Less Slovak, 7- A2, I. Wondráček, T. Rinn, P. Weisser, M. Drašar, J. Dutka, 07/1999
14: Azazel, 6a A3+ M6 WI4, M. Dumas, J.Y. Fredriksen, Y. Mimet, S. Beaugey, 07/2005
15: Norwegian Pulpit Direct, 5.11 A4, R. Caspersen, G. Karlsen, P.L. Skjerven, E. Wold, 1999
16: Grand Voyage, 5.10 A4+ WI3, J. Middendorf, X. Bongard, 07/1992
17: Norwegian Pillar/No Return, A4, C. Doseth†, F. Doehli†, S. Aasheim, D. Kolsrud, 08/1984
18: Spanish Route, 5.10 A3, M.A. Gallego, J.L. Clavel, C. Ros, J. Seiquer, 07/1989
19: British Route, 5.10 A2, M. Anthoine, M. Boysen, J. Brown, M. Howells, 07/1976
20: Eternal Flame, 7b+ A2/7c+, K. Albert, W. Güllich, C. Stiegler, M. Sykora, 09/1989/T. Huber, A. Huber, 08/2009
21: Slovenian Route, 5.11 A0/5.12, S. Cankar, F. Knez, B. Šrot, 06/1987/K. Albert, W. Güllich, H. Münchenbach, 09/1988
22: Run for Cover, 5.11 A3+, G. Child, M. Wilford, 08/1992
23: Cowboy Direct, 5.13a, R. Model, T. Skinner, M. Lilygren, J. Bechtel, 09/1995
24: Kurtyka-Loretan, 5.10 A3, W. Kurtyka, E. Loretan, 07/1988
25: Steppenwolf, 5.10 A4+, T. Minamiura, 09/1990
26: The Book of Shadows, 5.10b A4 WI4, E. Brand, J. Ogden, W. Benegas, K. Starr, 08/1995
27: Is Enough, 6c+ M4 80°, J. Schweighofer, F. Dertnig, 08/2012

Sources and Credits

• “Western Baltoro Mustagh, Zeszyt 1” Jan Kielkowski, Przewodnik Alpinistyczny, 1988
• “Western Baltoro Mustagh, Zeszyt 2” Jan Kielkowski, Przewodnik Alpinistyczny, 1989
• “Mountain Profile: Trango Tower,’” Greg Child, Alpinist Magazine, Issue 11, Summer 2005
• “Great Trango Tower,” Xavier Bongard, AAJ, 1995
• “Great Trango Tower,” Dennis Hennek, AAJ , 1977
• “Uli Biaho Tower, South Pillar, Speck,” Lindsay Griffin, AAJ, 2014
• “Uli Biaho Tower, East Face, Russian Roulette,” Lindsay Griffin, AAJ, 2014
• “Uli Biaho Great Spire, East Face, Refrigerator Offwidth,” Alessandro Baù, AAJ, 2023
• “The Obvious Line: Uli Biaho,” John Roskelley, The Himalayan Journal, 1981
• “Suffer Well, Thirst and Hunger on the Azeem Ridge, Great Trango Tower, Pakistan,” Kelly Cordes, AAJ, 2005
• “The Trango Towers in Review,” John Middendorf, AAJ, 2000
• “Up and Down Great Trango Tower,” Gabo Čmárik, Dodo Kopold, AAJ, 2006
• “Azazel, Trango Pulpit,” Sam Beaugey, AAJ, 2000
• “Trango Conclusion,” J.V. Anthoine, AJ, 1977
• “Trango,” Leo Hoorn, Arcade Motion, 2024
• “Azazel,” Guillaume Broust, Petzl, 2006
• Planet Mountain
• Alpinist.com
• bigwallgear.com
• Dodo Kopold
• John Middendorf
• John Roskelley
• Dennis Hennek
  
• Paul Pritchard

Updates

Mar 6, 2026: Initial publication