Kashmir Himal. Four Americans, Leslie Wheeler, David Graber, Joel Bown and I, joined four Kashmiris, Mohammed Ashraf, Vijay Kumar, Nazeer Ahmad, and Mohammed Aslam, for the first ascent of Tuliyan Peak (15,900 feet). On June 1, we reached the summit via the southwest ridge from a camp at Tuliyan Lake, about 20 miles south of Phalgam, Kashmir. The Americans then moved to the Kunir Hayan peaks above Shishnag Lakes near the route of the Hindu pilgrimage to the cave at Amarnath. On June 8, we climbed Shiva (16,500 feet via the east face); on June 10 Bown and Wheeler climbed Vishnu (16,700 feet via the northeast spur) while Graber and Blum climbed Brama (16,300 feet via the west face). All three peaks were approached from the north from a high camp above Shishnag Lake at 13,600 feet. They appear to be identical with the Shisha peaks climbed by C.G. Bruce in 1898 from the south, making ours the second ascent.

Arlene Blum