Akher-Chagh, Koh-e-Tez, Shayoz Zom. A Polish expedition, led by Ryszard Koziol, first made several acclimatization climbs in the Salang massif near the Salang Pass road. They then entered the Urgunt-e-Bala valley, which had been explored for the first time in 1962 by Poles, when they made the first ascent of Koh-e-Tez. As before, this year’s group established camp on the “Krakow Plateau” between Koh-e-Awal and Koh-e-Tez on the western end of the Kotgaz Glacier on July 27. On August 2, 5 and 15 they climbed the 18,700-foot peak on the east ridge of Wala Peak 582. On August 10 and 15 they climbed Koh-e-Awal (19,029 feet, Wala 281). They got for the first time to the col between Koh-e-Tez and Akher Chagh and on August 21 A. Lewandowski, W. Kurtyka and J.K. Rusiecki completed the very difficult new route over the west ridge to the summit of Akher Chagh (23,032 feet). Route preparation took from August 8 to 20; they fixed 1300 feet of rope. An even more interesting route was also made on Akher Chagh, a direttissima up the northwest face, completed on September 5 by P. Jasinski, Kurtyka, M. Kowalczyk and Rusiecki. The 6000-foot face was first snow and ice and then ice and rock above. They also made a new route on Koh-e-Tez (23,015 feet) when Kurtyka, A. Bednarz and Koziol on August 28 climbed the north ridge. They descended the previously climbed west ridge. They also ascended Shayoz Zom (22,490 feet) on September 5, not a first ascent.

Adolf Diemberger, Österreichischer Alpenklub