Koyo Zom, Hindu Raj. Bruce and Harry Hooker, Neville Jordison, Bruce Littlewood, Rob Wild and I climbed for five weeks in the Koyo Zom group at the head of the Chitral valley in July and August. Permission to climb Thui II was refused at the eleventh hour; hence our knowledge of Koyo Zom was sparse. Nevertheless, after two weeks’ reconnaissance on the Chatiboi, Pechus and Koyo glaciers, we agreed to establish a high camp at 16,500 feet, two days from Base Camp at Pechus village, for an attempt on Koyo Zom by the east ridge. On August 6 Little wood and Wild made the first ascent of a snow peak (19,800 feet) east of Koyo Zom. The weather was predictable—two or three days of low cloud and snow every five or six days. The attempt on Koyo Zom was planned with this in mind. On August 16 the two Hookers retreated from the east ridge after a light-weight alpine attempt from the second high camp on the upper plateau. Little wood and Wild bivouacked at 21,000 feet on the next day and reached the summit (22,545 feet) on August 18. Their descent was made more interesting by a 200-foot fall at 22,000 feet, fortunately without serious injury. At the upper plateau, they met the Hooker twins, who had just climbed the two adjacent 20,000-foot peaks.

Colin Brown, Imperial College Mountaineering Club, England