Gauri Sankar, Rolwaling Himalaya. Mr. Ian Clough was kind enough to send the Editor a detailed account of the British expedition led by Don Whillans; a summary follows. The other members of this light expedition were Dennis Gray, Terry Burnell, Ian Howell and Des Had- lum. They had only three high-altitude Sherpas, Girmi Dorje, Dawa Tensing and Ang Tsering. After a twelve-day march, they reached Lamabagar. Tibetan refugee porters helped them for another day up the Rong Shar gorge to Hum. Above, they ascended a steep valley which branched off the Rong Shar very close to the Tibetan frontier. Base Camp was set up in this valley on September 19 though they were still twenty miles from the peak. It took a week to hack a trail in the woods, where fixed ropes were needed even in the dense forest, to reach Advanced Base at tree line at 14,000 feet. The next camp was at the foot of a little glacier at the head of the valley, but when on October 3 they reached a 19,000-foot col, they were disappointed to find a deep valley coming up from Tibet between them and 23,440-foot Gauri Sankar. They found a lower pass of 17,000 feet over the ridge, but the ridge had bifurcated and so they actually had to cross two passes before descending to the valley which led to the southwest face of the mountain. A new camp was set up between the passes. Poor weather persisted but they continued, finally making camp under the snout of the glacier at 15,500 feet. The route between these last two camps was complicated and sufficiently difficult to require fixed ropes. They hoped to reach the west ridge, which forms the frontier, and camp at 19,000 feet. The face proved difficult and was fixed with 1500 feet of rope. On October 16 Whillans and Clough reached the west ridge, but found it razor-sharp with no reasonable route. Beyond the ridge rose the northwest face, obviously difficult and dangerous but worth a try. It was a problem to get off the west ridge, cross a rock spur and slabs and gain the glacial shelves at the foot of the face. Deep powder snow impeded progress. Camp was set up in a cave dug in the snow at 19,000 feet in order to be safer from avalanches. Whillans and Clough climbed the face to 21,000 feet on good snow but found the climbing difficult. They reached a kind of ice bowl, inclined at 60° and overhung by rock bands. By chance Whillans broke into a natural cave in the ice, which was large enough to hold a tent. This, at 21,000 feet, provided the highest camp. They crossed the ice bowl, fixing ropes, and seemed ready to lift camp to the shoulder of the north ridge. The last part of the route would ascend a gully, which rose from 22,000 feet through the final cliffs. As they entered it, they were horrified to find it filled with green ice. It was too far to climb that day, October 28. As they turned to descend, an avalanche swept down the gully. Whillans was at the side and out of the track, but Clough was in its fringe and had a desperate time of it, hanging onto his axe. That night other avalanches tore out other sections of fixed ropes. It became obvious that the route was too dangerous and they abandoned the attempt.