There was considerable activity in the Caucausus this past summer, some four expeditions being in the field, two Austrian, one German, and a Polish group.

Expedition of the Austrian Alpine Club. This was the largest of the four groups and besides Prof. Rudolf Schwarzgruber, the leader, was composed of Dr. Ludwig Obersteiner, Dr. Bernhard Bauer, Rudolf Fraisl, Ferdinand Krobath, Walter Marin, Ferdinand Peringer, Hubert Peterka, Erwin Schlager, Leo Spannrast and Dr, Hans Thaler. Obersteiner and Bauer were delayed in leaving and did not arrive until a month after the others. The main party split into two groups at Naltshik. Krobath, Fraissl, Peterka, Schlager and Spannrast with the interpreter, Kola Kroton, departed for the Dykh-su Group, while Schwarzgruber, Marin, Peringer and Thaler headed up the Bezingi Valley.

On July 14th Krobath, Schlager and Spannrast effected the first traverse of the south ridge of Sugantau (14,600 ft). The following day, Fraisl and Peterka made the second ascent of Ailama, which had not been climbed since the first ascent in 1889. The next day the same group with Schwarzgruber reached the summit of Gestola by way of the Katuin buttress, after a bivouac in a snow cave on the buttress, and traversed this to Lyaler, descending its N. E. flank back to the Bezingi Glacier. On July 16th, Krobath, Schlager and Spannrast made the first ascent of Suganbash (14,420 ft.) by the ice gully between Doppakhtau and Suganbash and its connecting ridge. On the 19th Fraisl and Peterka effected the first ascent of Zurungal which was ascended from the col between it and Ailama. On the 21st this entire group ascended the east ridge of Shkara. From the 21st to the 23rd the group under Schwarzgruber worked out a route up the north wall of Janga. After two bivouacs on the wall they reached the summit on the 23rd only to find that the route of Cockin, which they had chosen for the descent, was threatened by ice fall so that they were forced to bivouac again and finally reached the glacier over Merzbacher’s old route. On the 31st Schwarzgruber, Marin and Peringer gave up the ascent of Dykhtau because of the icy wind and lack of bivouac material. On the same day Peterka and Schlager climbed a point (12,840 ft.) on the east side of the Nakhashbita Glacier which they christened Psegansubash (Freshfield-Sugansu-bash). The next day accompanied by Fraisl they ascended the Punta degli Italiani by a new route on the north ridge. On August 3rd Fraisl and Schlager made the first ascent of both the north and south summits of Tuyalatau. During this time Krobath and Spannrast had been busy climbing Koshtantau by a new route up the S. W. face, and descending the south ridge, bivouacking once on the ascent and once on the descent, the summit being reached on August 1st. After a reunion in Naltshik, the party split up once more. Marin, Schlager and Thaler climbed Elbruz ; Peringer with a Viennese mountaineer resident in Russia traversed Bshedykhtau, ascending the north ridge from the Kashcha Glacier, bivouacking near the summit and descending the southwest ridge ; Krobath and Peterka attempted the traverse of Shchelditau but were beaten back by storm ; Spannrast and Schwarzgruber effected on August 18th the second descent of the southwest ridge of Dykhtau; while Fraisl skied to the summit of Elbruz, descending from the top to hut 11, in 25 minutes.

Bauer and Oberstem who were delayed a month finally arrived and spent from July 27th to August 14th in the Chevsurian Caucausus and around Kasbek. On July 29th they made the first ascent of the middle peak of Shantau, and on August 1st they attained the highest peak of Shantau (14,660 ft.), a first ascent by way of the west face and north ridge. August 3rd-5th they climbed Kasbek and returned to Ordshonikidse (Vladikavkaz). On August 11th they made the first ascent of Sacharis Magali (12,910 ft.) from the Sacharis-gele Pass and the north ridge. The next day they traversed the turreted south ridge of Kidenais Magali to the southern summit of this mountain (13,970 ft.) a first ascent. On the 16th they ascended the west ridge of Selismta (12,700 ft.) and found the remains of a cairn on the summit. Before returning they made the ascent of Elbruz.