Noshaq. On August 15 Günter Virt, leader, and Edmund Prandstetter of the Austrian Hindu Kush Expedition (Austria Section, Vienna) climbed both the west summit (24,580 feet) of Noshaq. On the 20th Michael Hasslinger, Karl Mahrer and Peter Reischer climbed the west summit. On August 19 Virt and Prandstetter traversed Rakhe Myani I and II (both 17,050 feet). They began below the saddle which plunges some 700 to 1000 feet to the Wakhan Gol between Rakhe Myani and the westernmost Rakche Kuchek. They gained the ridge by means of a rotten-rock gully and got to the western summit of Rakhe Myani* (Peak 91 on the Wala map) by difficult rock climbing (UIAA IV) at 3:30 P.M. The traverse to the eastern summit* (Wala peak 92) was equally difficult. They got there at seven o’clock and improvised a bivouac. On August 24 and 25 Prandstetter, Reischer and Virt traversed Aspe Safed I (21,325+ feet), II (c. 21,000 feet) and III* (c. 20,925 feet). After climbing the main peak, they bivouacked in a tent on the summit and spent the next day traversing the corniced ridge in deep snow over Aspe Safed II and III. The north face plunges off steeply. Although their altimeter broke on Noshaq, they felt that previous altitudes for the main peak of Aspe Safed had been given as about 100 meters too high. They descended some 500 feet between Aspe Safed I and II and climbed back up some 150 feet. The descent between Aspe Safed II and III was about 350 feet. Unclimbed Aspe Safed IV is much lower (c. 19,700 feet); the ridge descends from there to a steep gully that divides the four Aspe Safed peaks from a jagged ridge that leads to Rakhe Daroz (Wala peak 85). Mahrer and Pradstetter climbed Kharposhte Yakchi (18,695 feet) on August 27.

adolf Diemberger, Österreichischer Alpenklub

* First ascent.