Noshaq. Driving a Volkswagen bug and microbus, four Norwegians, Eric Boehlke, Odd Eliassen, Per Gran, Owe Skjerven, and I left Oslo on June 25 and on July 12 arrived in Kabul. After the official formalities, on July 17 we all flew from Kabul to Faizabad. We traveled by truck to Qadzi Deh and proceeded on foot to Base Camp (15,100 feet) at the foot of the west ridge of Noshaq. On July 25 and 26 we all climbed Kharposht-e-Yakhi (18,688 feet) over the ordinary route and on August 1 the Norwegians climbed Asp-e-Safed (21,349 feet). Their attempt to traverse the ridge and peaks to the west was stymied by deep snow and insufficient acclimatization. I did not accompany them as I was recovering from my first bout with pneumonia. On August 8 Eliassen and Skjerven climbed Noshaq’s west peak (24,115 feet) in very cold weather and three days later Gran, Boehlke and I went over the west peak to the main summit (24,580 feet). On my return I was extremely weak and only with difficulty managed to reach Base Camp two days later. My condition was diagnosed as severe pneumonia plus frostbite of the feet. We broke camp and by August 21 were back in Kabul.

David Isles