Expedition team from Secret Compass to scale an unsummited 5,400m peak to view the world's highest unclimbed mountain.

(TRAVPR.COM) AVON - April 19th, 2016 - A team of adventurers is set to scale a 5,400m peak in Bhutan for a rare glimpse of the world’s highest unclimbed mountain on Secret Compass’s newly launched Hidden Himalayas expedition.

“The goal of this new expedition is to view Ghankar Puensum in its full Himalayan glory at 7,570m from an impressively high and previously unclimbed perch,” said Tom Bodkin, director of Secret Compass.

Bhutan: Hidden Himalayas highlights

·       Attempt an unclimbed, unnamed mountain peak at 5,400m

·       Rare glimpses of the summit of the world’s highest unclimbed mountain

·       Explore ancient fortresses including the precipitous Tiger’s Nest monastery

·       Fly past Mount Everest and Kanchenjunga on your internal flight

·       Trek for 10 days through remote valleys that few if anyone has seen

·       Follow in the Walking the Himalayas footsteps of TV adventurer Levison Wood

Speaking to the BBC on the subject of unclimbed peaks, accomplished mountaineer Hilaree O’Neill said, “Unclimbed mountains or unclimbed routes are far and away the aspiration of all serious mountaineers.

“Mountaineers – at least the ones I know – are all adventurers at heart, and an unclimbed mountain, route or inventive technique epitomises that basic adventurer ideal.”

Bhutan is renowned for limiting its number of incoming tourists and since 1994 has prohibited the climbing of any mountain over 6,000m, reportedly due to local cultural and spiritual beliefs.

“The Bhutanese are very keen on protecting their own people,” said Lindsay Griffin (chairman of the Mount Everest Foundation screening committee, in conversation with the BBC). “They just looked at what was going on in Nepal with Everest and decided that they’re not going to be part of that.”

Tom McShane is operations director at Secret Compass agrees. He said, “I ground-managed filming in Bhutan for Levison Wood’s Walking the Himalayas series and so came to know and love this corner of Bhutan.

“We ventured close to the 5,400m peak and set up camp nearby, but a summit attempt wasn’t part of our project and so sight of Ghankar Puensum remained hidden behind closer mountains. 

“Taking a team of amateur adventurers there in 2017 to scale the 5,400m peak in order to view the jagged Himalayan skyline over Ghankar Puensum will be an ambitious, unique and truly rewarding experience for all teammates.

McShane continued, “This expedition doesn’t strive to be an Everest-styled box-ticker, it’s unique and ambitious, it’s far from the madding crowds of Everest basecamp and it will attract people who enjoy pushing their own boundaries in unusual, culturally fascinating and little-visited destinations.

“The 5,400m peak is what we call a ‘trekking peak’ and this physical part of the expedition is achievable by fit amateurs rather than technically competent mountaineers.

“The real aim of this pioneering expedition is to explore a hidden corner of the Himalayan world in this remote and isolated Buddhist Kingdom, achieving something extraordinary in a quiet, low-impact way in one of the world’s wildest untouched places.

Bhutan: Hidden Himalayas fact box

·       Dates: 9 – 24 April 2017 (16 nights)

·       Cost: £4,299 all inc. except international flights (from £588 rtn LHR – KTM with Qatar)

·       Contact: 0207 096 8428, secretcompass.com

Expedition destinations for 2016 and 2017 

With its military background, expedition company Secret Compass is renowned for offering expeditions and adventure travel to countries eschewed by most operators due to their remoteness, post-conflict reputations or inaccessibility.

Expedition styles range from mixed-terrain trekking and minimalist desert traverses to mountain-biking, rafting and horseback expeditions. Secret Compass welcomes applications from anyone with a good level of fitness who’s keen to achieve the extraordinary in the world’s wildest places.

Upcoming destinations include Afghanistan, Armenia, Burma, Ethiopia, Gabon, Iran, Iraqi Kurdistan, Kyrgyzstan, Madagascar, Mongolia, North Korea, Panama, Siberia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Chad and the southern Sinai.

For further press information contact communications director Kerry O’Neill on 0207 096 8428 or via email info@secretcompass.com.

Useful links

Secret Compass Bhutan: Hidden Himalayas expedition.

http://www.secretcompass.com/expeditions/bhutan-expedition-hidden-himalayas/
BBC.co.uk: http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20140703-the-last-mountains-to-climb.

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Notes for editors

Secret Compass
Secret Compass redefines what is possible by creating pioneering projects in the world's wildest places. Secret Compass is built around a team of trusted experts who combine a passion for exploration with industry-leading professionalism. Secret Compass reignites your primal need for adventure, providing the catalyst for you to come alive and achieve the extraordinary.

Secret Compass for TV, film and brand projects
Secret Compass is trusted by production companies and brands to create and capture the extraordinary in remote and wild regions thanks to its unrivalled location and risk-management expertise. Credits include location-managing Channel 4’s Walking the Nile and Walking the Himalayas series, alongside projects for the BBC, National Geographic, Animal Planet and the Discovery Channel. Brand clients to date include Mitsubishi, Sony, Nespresso, Giro, Xbox and Jagermeister.

www.secretcompass.com
www.secretcompasstv.com
www.secretcompassbrands.com
info@secretcompass.com
Press enquiries: Kerry on +44 (0)207 096 8428
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www.twitter.com/Secret_Compass

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