Draft:Julian Freeman-Attwood

''Julian Freeman-Attwood (born 2nd October 1953) is a forester and mountaineer. Over 40 years he has made first ascents of unclimbed mountains on exploratory expeditions in remote regions, from Mongolia to the Antarctic. He is on the screening committee of the Mount Everest Foundation which gives grants for exploratory expeditions to remote and unexplored mountains.

Mountaineering

Freeman-Attwood’s interest in greater ranges’ expeditions was sparked by his part owning a boat (Bristol Channel Pilot Cutter, Baroque) that had belonged to the climber explorer H.W. Tilman and through reading Tilman’s books on pre-war Himalayan climbs and post war sailing / mountaineering expeditions to polar regions. Freeman-Attwood’s first expedition was to the Ruwenzori mountains and since then all his trips (except to Shishapangma) have been exploratory trips to remote, unknown and unclimbed mountains where first ascents are possible, on peaks below 7000m and mostly below 6500m. Areas of greatest interest have been the Tibetan Trans Himalaya, Far West Nepal and the Antarctic.

Personal life

Freeman Attwood began rock climbing from school in Sussex when he was 12 at Bowles Rocks near Tunbridge Wells. He became a forester, environmentalist and tree planter, working in his twenties for the National Trust at Chirk Castle and Erddig Park (Wrexham), replanting 18th century avenues and landscape trees in parkland. He has planted trees (invariably Oak) throughout the UK, and on his own land in Snowdonia.

He married in 1998 The Hon. Emily Rothschild with whom he had two daughters, Ivy and Lily. The marriage was dissolved in 2016. He currently lives with his partner in Wales.

Expeditions

• 1987 Ruwenzori (Mountains of the Moon) Ascent of Mt Stanley and Mt Baker.
• 1987 Shishapangma 8027m, attempt east face with Henry Day, Stephen Venables, Luke Hughes, Lindsay Griffin, Mark Upton, John Blashford-Snell.
• 1988 Mt Kenya, west ridge traverse of Mountain over summits Batian and Nelion with Mark Upton.
• 1989-90 South Georgia (sub Antarctic), first ascent Mt Kling in Allardyce range and Mt Carse and 2nd ascent Mt Vogel in Salvesen range with Stephen Venables, Brian Davison, Lindsay Griffin and Kees t’Hooft.
• 1991 Ultar 7388m (Hunza, Karakoram), with Victor Sauders, Mick Fowler, Steve Sustad, Crag Jones and Kees t’Hooft.
• 1992 Mongolian Altai mountains, first ascent of South ridge, Tavan Bogd and many first ascents of 4000m peaks with Lindsay Griffin, Ed Webster led by John Blashford-Snell.
• 1993 Bhutan, attempt on East ridge, Masagang 7194m, on the Tibet border with John Lecky, Steve Sustad, Sean Smith, Ed Webster. Through the good offices of Ashi Kesang Choden, this was the last main range permit issued by the Bhutan Government.
• 1994 Antarctic Peninsula, approach on sailing vessel Pelagic from Ushuaia. Ascent of Mt William, and peak on Duchaylard Island with Skip Novak, Frank MacDermot, Chantal Mauduit.
• 1994 Tierra del Fuego, first ascent in Cordon Navarro (Mt Poltroon) from SV Pelagic with Skip Novak, Doug Scott, Frank MacDermot.
• 1996 Antarctic Peninsula, first ever landing and attempt to climb Cape Renard Tower (Lemaire Channel) to within 70 meters of top, with Crag Jones from S.V. Pelagic.
• 1996 Sikkim, through the good offices of Princess Hope Leezum Namgyal, an attempt was made on Chombu 6362m and first ascent of Chombu East 5745m with Doug Scott, Lindsay Griffin, Skip Novak, Phil Bartlett, Mark Bowen and Col. Balwant Sandhu.
• 1998 Drohmo 6881m, Kanchenjunga Himal, attempt on Januk Chuli and Drohmo with Doug Scott (leader), Sharu Scott, Skip Novak, Lindsay Griffin.
• 1998 Tibet Trans Himalaya, Loinbo Kangri Range, recce with Lindsay Griffin and first ascent by Freeman-Attwood of Pk 6263m solo.
• 1999 Tibet Trans Himalaya, Loinbo Kangri Range, attempt at first ascent of Phola Kyang 6530m with Lindsay Griffin, Phil Bartlett, Christian Beckwith.
• 2000 Tibet Trans Himalaya, first ascent of Targo Gangri 6572m with Doug Scott and Richard Cowper.
• 2001 Nyegi Kangsang, reconnaissance from the Tibetan side of Arunachal Pradesh of the 7047m unclimbed peak with John Lecky.
• 2001 Kunlun Range, (Tibet north side from southern Silk Road, Xinjiang Province). Unclimbed 6400m peak attempted with Henry Day and Phil Bartlett.
• 2002 Tibet Trans Himalaya, Shakangsham 6822m, first ascent of Shahkangsham by east ridge with Phil Bartlett and Luke Hughes.
• 2005 South Georgia (sub Antarctic), approach by SV Pelagic from Ushuaia via Falklands. Sixteen day sledge trip up the Salvesen range from Larsen harbour to Royal Bay with attempt on Mt Baume and ascent of Pk 5680ft with Skip Novak, Crag Jones and Rick Howarth.
• 2006 Tibet Trans Himalaya, Loinbo Kangri Range, to Phola Kyang 6530m and circumambulation of Mt Kailash with Phil Bartlett, Luke Hughes and Julian Cooper.
• 2007 Kanti Himal, West Nepal, ascent of 5900m peak on Tibet border west of Koji La with Luke Hughes, Nick Colton and Phil Wickens.
• 2009 South Georgia (sub Antarctic), attempted first ascent of Mt Nordenskjold from SV Pelagic Australis, with Skip Novak and Crag Jones, (blown off by severe gales).
• 2011 Gave Ding 6541m West Nepal, attempt at first ascent of the mountain via south ridge to 6,000 meters with Ed Douglas and Nick Colton.
• 2012 Langtachen 6284m, exploration through the untrod Laruppya Khola with Ed Douglas, Phil Bartlett and Nick Colton.
• 2013 South Georgia (sub Antarctic), from SV Pelagic Australis, Shackleton crossing King Haakon Bay to Stromness with Skip Novak and Ed Douglas.
• 2015 Gorakh Himal, West Nepal, attempt to climb Assajya Tuppa with Ed Douglas, Crag Jones, Phil Bartlett, Skip Novak and Nick Colton. Expedition thwarted by 2015 earthquake.
• 2018 Takphu Himal, far West Nepal, ascent of 8 peaks over 6,000m of which 6 were first ascents with Bruce Normand, Ed Douglas, Nick Colton and Christof Nettekoven.
• 2019 Ganglung Range, West Nepal, first onto Angsi glacier to recce Ganglung Kangri 2, source of Brahmaputra and Sutlej rivers with Skip Novak and Nick Colton.
• 2023 Ganglung Kangri 2, far West Nepal. First ascent of GK2 (source of Brahmaputra 6182m) with Jim Lowther, Jim Fotheringham and Nick Colton.

Published Articles

The Alpine Journal - The Mountains of the Gangdise or Transhimalaya of Tibet.

The Alpine Journal - Antarctica:Voyage of the Pelagic]

The Alpine Journal - Karnali Country

American Alpine Journal - Nepal’s Wild, Wild West (Mountain Exploration along the Northwest Frontier)

The Alpine Journal - The British Sikkim Expedition 1996

Film / Podcast

The Great Mongolian Rescue - Green Lions