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When we arrived in the Karavshin, a guided trekking company was taking down its camp for the season, but Kevin and I weren't the only climbers still hanging out in the Kara-Su. We camped next to an international group of four, hailing from Canada, the Czech Republic, and the United States, and we often shared time together. It was cool seeing how they approached a big-wall expedition, and how they appeared to be more comfortable committing to the big lines in less ideal conditions. Still, they had arrived before us, and had planned to spend several more weeks in the valley after we left. While we climbed the Yellow Wall, we could see their portaledge across the valley on the Free Aussie Route, on a peak called Asan. It seemed to be relatively accessible and its summit less wintry than the slightly higher peaks, so Kevin and I decided to make moves to attempt it.