An Arbroath-based Royal Marine who returned to Afghanistan as a civilian has conquered one of the area’s highest peaks just months after fighting the Taliban there.
Mark Wynne originally from Trefriw in Wales agreed to join an expedition to climb Noshaq, Afghanistan’s tallest mountain, despite it meaning he’d have to return to the region where previously he was caught up in battles with insurgents.
Noshaq (7492m) is the second highest independent peak of the Hindu Kush after Tirich Mir (7690m)
Despite being repeatedly under fire on his six-month tour of duty with 45 Commando from RM Condor last year, Royal Marines reservist Mark decided to join a four-man Welsh team, which reached the top of the 24,580ft peak at the end of last month.
The climbers were the first British expedition to make an ascent for more than 30 years.
Mark (35), who was first deployed to a base near Sangin in 2008, said his patrols had constantly come under attack during his time in the “green zone” there.
“When you see some of your mates coming back, arms and legs missing, it really hits home,” he said.
“All you ever hear about the country is soldiers getting killed there, but it was good to see a different part of the country, as we did on the climb. It’s so far removed from all the fighting, it was amazing, although there was still the threat of Taliban activity.
“It was completely different not being armed but I was still on guard all the time.
“I remember the first night of the trip, in a guesthouse in the small border town of Ishkashim, was nerve-wracking. I had to switch off all my instincts when walking alone through a village in the Wakhan District, similar to the ones I’d encountered in Helmand.
“I was taking pictures and when I looked round I was being followed by a big entourage of about eight kids a far cry from being with 30 of your mates on armed patrol.”
The group also had to dodge minefields, were forced to accept an armed police escort and faced storms and dangerous avalanches during the ascent and descent of the mountain.
But the heavy weapons specialist who could be called up for a second tour in Afghanistan said he had been glad to see a different side to the country on the month-long expedition, despite initial reservations.
“There were times when I was waking up at night thinking: ‘What the hell am I doing? You can’t do that’,” he explained. “But once you research it a bit and dig below the surface of what you see on the news, it’s a different world completely.”
Main photo courtesy of Bill Lyden.