The Great Mongolian Rescue - A rescue against the odds in the Mongol Altai

The story of a serious accident befalling our president, Lindsay Griffin, whilst on the Chinese side of Mongolia’s Altai range in 1992. In July 1993, H.R.H. The Princess Royal, whilst on the first Royal visit to Mongolia since its independence 3 years earlier, gave the Queen’s medal for ‘Valuable Service in the Air’ to a Mongolian pilot for the part he played in the rescue of a British climber during the previous summer.

During that rescue of Lindsay, the pilot illegally flew into Chinese territory and into the south side of the Altai Mountain Range, where no previous expedition had been. Julian’s team, comprising Ed Webster and Lindsay were the first western climbing team into the Tabun Bogdo range post breakup of the Soviet Union. The range, which lies in the far north west of the country, is the meeting point of the borders of Mongolia, China and Siberia.

This illustrated talk encompasses the life and ways of Mongol and Kazakh nomads and tells of the hiring of horses and camels to get the expedition’s equipment to base camp on the edge of the remote Potanina glacier. The talk further tells of the ascents of many unclimbed peaks including the first ascent of the south side (Chinese side) of the range's highest mountain, Mt Huithen. This was accomplished from the hitherto untrodden Przevalski glacier and culminated in the near disaster.

The story of the epic rescue (with very much a ‘Touching the Void’ aspect to it) is an important part in the story and was widely publicised in the press at the time.