Mir Samir, Direct South Buttress. While on a Mountain Travel excursion to the Chamar valley, on August 3 and 4, 1972 Jim Wilson and I climbed a new route on Mir Samir (19,059 feet), the direct south buttress. The buttress we climbed is to the right of the main south ridge that leads down into the crest going over to Chamar Pass. We found leads of F6 and a 20-foot A2 pitch. The climb was all on nuts except for the aid. We bivouacked 300 feet from the summit. The weather was perfect and the rock superb. While on the climb we saw another party ascending the couloir between the two south buttresses. On August 8 I climbed Bhande-Ghar (c. 17,400 feet) with Vera Watson, technically an easy peak with a fine view of the north side of Mir Samir.

Allen P. Steck