Trio’s Cliffhanger Ends Triumphantly

Alex Lowe sounds pretty good for a man who literally has been living on the edge for the past several weeks.

The renowned climber, reached the other day by phone at his home in Bozeman, Mont., is relaxing after a grueling expedition in Pakistan, which he describes as being “sort of like a giant Utah” in that it’s not easy to find a cold beer in a country run by Muslims.

“You can get one,” he says half-jokingly, “but you have to sign a waiver and basically prove that you’re a sinful infidel.”

Lowe and companions Mark Synnott and Jared Ogden were in the mood to celebrate after becoming the first to conquer the sheer and daunting northwest face of Great Trango Tower, a 20,618-foot peak in the Karakoram Range in northern Pakistan, which offers a stunning view of a Himalayan region often referred to as “the roof of the world.”

Their journey, a cliffhanger in the truest sense, began when they landed in Islamabad on June 14.

They reached the summit at dusk on July 29, the ascent, from base camp at 12,549 feet, having taken four weeks.

“We basically lived on the wall,” Lowe says. “We were literally living on ledges for the first two weeks, which makes us sound like rodents or something.”

During the last two weeks there were no significant ledges, so they slept on portable ledges--small collapsible tentlike cots anchored into the face of the mountain.

“It sounds horrible,” Lowe acknowledges. “But it’s really not dangerous--it’s not like you’re going to roll over in your sleep and take the ultimate plunge or anything.”

Lowe, 40, a married father of three, has so far been able to avoid the ultimate plunge, impressive considering the mountains he has climbed: Mount Everest twice, Nepal’s Kwangde and Kusum Kanguru, and Peru’s Taulliraju, to name some.

Synnott, 29, of Jackson, N.H., and Ogden, 28, of Durango, Colo., also boast impressive climbing resumes, but in many ways the Great Trango Tower, twice as high as Yosemite’s El Capitan, posed the greatest challenge of their climbing careers.

“Most climbs are technically difficult in short spurts but this one was sustained,” Lowe says. “This was challenging from start to finish.”

Indeed, advancing up such a towering cliff by using rope and anchors to meticulously “pitch” from Point A to Point B is no small feat.

Lugging bags full of freeze-dried food, clothes, stoves, sleeping bags and climbing equipment only adds to the drudgery.

There was a time when tempers flared to the point that the expedition was almost called off, but the sponsor, The North Face, would not have liked that. Nor would the executives at Quokka Sports Inc., which supplied electronics and a computer team at base camp to enable daily updates on the company Web site.

Besides, a Russian expedition had begun beneath them, also with hopes of being the first up the northwest face.

So they plodded on, pitch by pitch, dodging falling rocks and battling fatigue as well as wind and freezing rain, at times being forced back to base camp by the elements.

“Climbing is retrospective pleasure,” Lowe explains, when asked what drives him to do such things. “It’s a huge undertaking that’s not always fun but, like a lot of struggle activities, I think it’s hugely valuable to the human spirit when you set such big goals and work so hard to attain them.”

So, how did it feel to finally stand atop Great Trango Tower?

“There was a huge combination of emotions,” he says. “There’s a great deal of satisfaction, but it’s a numb satisfaction. You’re so exhausted but at the same time you’re relieved, and you know there’s a beer in your future.”

If you can prove you’re a sinful infidel.

ON THE WILD SIDE

It’s a spectacle few ever get to witness, but one that had anglers aboard the San Francisco-based Capt. Joey and Lovely Martha in awe.

While fishing for salmon late last week just beyond the Golden Gate Bridge, passengers and crews of the vessels learned how violent an attack by a great white shark can be.

The victim was a harbor seal that was swimming around happily one minute, bitten in half the next. Though mortally wounded, the seal desperately tried to dash to the Lovely Martha but was quickly devoured.

“It bit that thing right in half, in one gulp,” said Capt. Joey Moreni, 57, whose namesake vessel runs out of Fisherman’s Wharf and was fishing next to the Lovely Martha. “It was unbelievable.

“And then that shark went around my boat [to resume the attack] faster than you could blink an eye. It’s something I’ll never forget.”

Moreni estimated the shark at 15-18 feet long.

SALTWATER

* The albacore score: San Diego has been the most convenient base, but it’s no longer guaranteed to be the most productive. There was the score of 240 turned in Wednesday by the Cat Special out of Cisco Sportfishing in Oxnard. And Morro Bay boats have been in the thick of things all week, 60 to 70 miles offshore. By noon Wednesday, the Admiral and Princess each had more than 100 fish aboard and finished with more than 150 apiece.

* Southern Baja: Blue marlin season has finally begun off Cabo San Lucas and the East Cape, but so far the smaller blues, averaging 200-300 pounds, seem to be the only ones striking artificial lures. Nobody’s complaining, though, since they are providing a much-needed boost to business. Dorado fishing is picking up too, an indication that summer fishing has finally arrived off Land’s End.

FRESHWATER

The first step toward revitalizing the bass fishery at Silverwood Lake in San Bernardino County has begun and it involves removing what have been labeled undesirable species from the popular fishery.

The Department of Water Resources is footing the bill for the project as mitigation for damage caused to the bass fishery during a construction project in 1995, when low water levels for the next two years substantially impacted game-fish populations.

A lawsuit by the Southern California Bass Council helped bring about a court order to restore the fishery to pre-1995 levels. Toward that end, a plan is being implemented to remove enough carp, goldfish and Sacramento blackfish to reduce predation and competition for food. The next step is to stock more bass and add brush and trees to provide cover for bass as well as panfish.

The project is expected to last through fall.

“Recovery will be achieved when the number of bass reaches pre-[construction] project levels,” the DWR said in a news release.

HUNTING

* Pheasants: The Department of Fish and Game announced that its 64 free half-day novice and junior pheasant hunts will begin Oct. 2 in Santa Barbara, San Bernardino, Imperial, Los Angeles, San Diego and Riverside counties.

Pen-raised ring-necked pheasants will be released just before the hunts to ensure hunter success. Application and site information can be obtained by calling (562) 590-5100 or on the Internet at https://www.dfg.ca.gov. Applications are due by Sept. 1 to be eligible for a drawing.

* Shooting sports: A Day at the Range, a women’s handgun shooting clinic, will be held Aug. 28 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Insight Shooting Range in Artesia. Cost for the event, which is conducted by the Women’s Shooting Sports Foundation, is $10. Details: (562) 860-4365.

WINDING UP

Carl Goldsmith of Long Beach won Sunday’s 51st annual Catalina Water Ski Race by completing the 62-mile dash from the Queen Mary to Avalon and back in 56 minutes 39.34 seconds. His time was 4:26 shy of the race record.

Martie Wells of Colton was second in 57:00.38. Ashley Lathrop, 15, a rising star from Lake Havasu City, Ariz., was the fastest female at 1:06:35.84.

The most serious casualty was Brian Vesely of Yorba Linda, who fell going 60 mph and broke his leg in seven places, in large part because his ski failed to release.

“Those are the breaks,” he said. “It wasn’t a real bad fall, it was just the way I went in.”