Sherpi Kangri Attempt. We did not get permission to attempt Batura Mustagh I and had to be content with unclimbed Sherpi Kangri, attempted by Japanese last year. The reason given us was that because of the construction of the Karakoram Highway the region northeast of Gilgit is out of bounds for foreigners. In Rawalpindi we had a two- week wait for a flight to Skardu. Once there we hurried to make up time lost but arrived at our 13,000-foot Base Camp with only three weeks of climbing time left. With good weather we established Camps I, II and III, the latter at 17,000 feet under the south face of Sherpi Kangri. After climbing to 19,500 feet, we realized that the difficulties were too great and the distance too far to reach the summit in six days. After establishing Camp IV at 19,500 feet, we were in a position to attempt two most attractive mountains, which lie southeast of Sherpi Kangri on the ridge to Saltoro Kangri. On August 14 John Vincent and I reached the summit of the more southeasterly and higher peak (21,300 feet) by its south ridge. Three days later, on August 17, Alan Hunt, John Cheesmond, Bob Smith and Dave Walsh climbed the other, already called “Pyramid Peak” (21,200 feet), by its east ridge. The two peaks stand 1½ and 2½ miles from Sherpi Kangri.

David E. Alcock, Alpine Club