SAMAYA x REGARD SUR L'AVENTURE

 

 

In October and November 2023, Bruno Fromento, Didier Gignoux and members of their association "Regard sur l'Aventure" reached the Inylchek glacier in Kyrgyzstan to continue their study of glacial flooding, begun 4 years earlier. For Samaya, Bruno talks about their two-month exploration and the road ahead.

 

You had already completed two expeditions to Kyrgyzstan, in 2019 and 2022. What made you decide to go there again?

Bruno Fromento : We wanted to return to the Inylchek glacier to continue our investigations around Lake Merzbacher and in relation to glacial flooding. This is one of the longest non-polar glaciers in the world, 60 kilometers long and advancing 120 meters per year. Our aim was to explore the glacial mills located at the confluence of the north and south glaciers. It was an opportunity for our team to immerse themselves in the heart of the glacier and follow the sub-glacial networks.

 

This project is therefore a continuation of previous expeditions. Why are these expeditions important from a scientific point of view?

BF : Our observations show that the glacier continues to melt. Some of the mills explored in the glacier's downstream zone have partly disappeared. Glacial springs are evolving and moving along the front of the glacier. We found previously buried poles used to observe the glacier, over 3 metres high. These poles allow us to confirm that the glacier is slowly melting.

Today, understanding glacial flooding is of the utmost importance. In high-mountain regions such as Nepal, Pakistan and India, valleys populated by villages can be devastated by GLOF (Glacial Lake Outburst Flood). This is a crucial issue for local populations, who need to be alerted to impending GLOF-related risks, as is the case in France for certain lakes in the Alps, which are monitored to prevent disasters.

 

How do you implement all this on site?

BF : Getting to the Inylchek glacier is a four-day journey before reaching the Gottfried Merzbacher scientific station at 3500 meters altitude. We follow the Inylchek River in an all-terrain vehicle. The journey takes us along a track, then over the glacier moraine to the lower base camp at 2800 meters altitude. We spend two nights here before ascending to the high camp. Porters help us carry our gear, which weighs around 500 kilograms. To reach the next high camp, we walk 17 kilometers and climb 1000 meters on the moraine.

We bivouacked up there for 12 days. This camp is located on the north face, so it's never sunny. It's always cold and shady. A communal tent is our meeting place, where we share meals, discussions, games and hints of comfort. We're surrounded by peaks ranging from 4,000 to 7,000 meters in altitude, and temperatures are always negative, around -15°C.

During the day, we form teams to explore the windmills. In other words, everyone volunteers to go down to the glacier to enjoy the few hours of sunshine. Walking on the Inylchek glacier is magical. We're at the junction of two huge glaciers that collide in crevasses, seracs, frozen lakes, creaks and canyons. Commitment is a given in this kind of landscape. There's no room for error; accidents are impossible. We have no logistical support, no helicopter. The safety aspect is therefore omnipresent.

 

 

What are your days like on the glacier?

BF : The answer to this question begins with an explanation of the terrain's composition. A bédière is a watercourse created by melting ice, which flows into a mill. At the moment, the rivers are frozen. Descending into a moulin is no mean feat: we have to equip the access with pins and ropes. The sun and the melting glacier, however slight, can cause problems in our explorations: falling rocks or ice, meltwater spraying down on us. When the sun disappears behind the high mountains and the cold returns, the terrain stabilizes. However, we may encounter other difficulties, such as the ice exploding after a crampon has been hit or a pin has been put in place. We're releasing tension! We also have to be careful not to get wet in the water basins in the mills, as the sub-zero temperatures would make the situation critical. This exercise requires a certain amount of rope acrobatics!

 

 

For several weeks, you continued your study of the glacier. Can you share with us the moments that made the biggest impression on you?

BF : I immediately think of a moment of exploration during which we descended into the heart of a 90-meter-deep mill, with the sound of a waterfall not far away. On the wall of this vast space, suspended ice stalactites and slabs of ice weighing several tonnes had formed, stuck together by the frost. We put the pins in and I remember feeling a sense of trepidation. The feeling made me realize that we'd certainly taken some risks.

I also think back to the moment when our truck, which was taking us over a pass at 3900 meters, got a puncture on the snow-covered track. Or when one of our team crossed the ice of a frozen river and got wet up to his calves.

Otherwise, what particularly touched me were the moments of sharing. We all went bivouacking on the glacier to explore the windmills and accesses to Lake Merzbacher. We spent many happy nights in the Samaya3.0 tents. They were spacious and easy to pitch, and the vestibules gave us plenty of protection for our gear. Despite the cold and the conditions, we all enjoyed being such a close-knit team.

 

 

It's been a few months since you returned. How do you feel today about your project?

BF : I feel a sense of pride, as exploring a remote area in winter is not a common occurrence. However, having a strong team on site makes things easier. Lastly, glacial mill exploration remains a marginal activity that deserves more detailed attention. It can provide a wealth of information.

The mystery of this natural phenomenon, GLOF, remains unsolved. We've put forward some hypotheses, but to do it properly, we'd have to observe the glacier in summer. We're short of time and money. We don't despair of being able to lead a team of researchers interested in the region.