Kohe Shan, Urgund Group, Wakhan. Our expedition, consisting of Professor Alberti, Sinigoi, Predonzan, Stefanini, L. Corsi, W. Romano, Ricatti and me as leader, left Trieste on July 9 overland for Afghanistan. About a month later we were in the Urgund-e-Bala valley, closed in at the head by a semicircle of five peaks: from east to west Kohe Tez, Shoghordok Zom, Shayok Zom, Kohe Shah and Kohe Urgund (Wala peaks 268, 267, 266, 265 and 258 respectively). The local people called Wala peak 265 Kohe Shan; this was the only unclimbed peak. We placed Base Camp at 13,125 feet, a day and a half above Kaskandyo. Camp I was at 15,100 feet right under the ice wall on the last moraine. We climbed a huge icefall on the eastern side of the north wall amid innumerable crevasses and séracs, using fixed ropes. Camp II was established at 18,375 feet on August 12. On August 15 Corsi, Romano, Sinigoi and I set out from Camp I and spent the night at Camp II. On the 16th we climbed the wall to the col west of Kohe Tez, went west toward the col behind Shoghordok Zom and Shayoz Zom and placed Camp III at 21,000 feet. It snowed in the night. In the morning we climbed to 21,650 feet but had to turn back in bad weather. That night Sinigoi had difficulty breathing. I took him back to Camp I on August 18 while Romano and Corsi climbed first Shayok Zom (22,654 feet, first climbed by Austrians) finding slopes over 50°, descended over the back side and climbed the long ridge to make the first ascent of Kohe Shan (22,704 feet), reaching the top at two P.M. They had to climb Shayok Zom again on the descent and got back to Camp III after dark.

BRUNO TOSCAN, Club Alpino Italiano