Peaks in the Chogolungma Group. It seems incredible that neither of our expeditions to Malubiting Central in 1974 or 1975 really got to the mountain. This year we were thwarted by frightful air service from Rawalpindi to Skardu and incorrect word that the Japanese had already climbed the mountain. On receiving this information and having only 15 days left, we changed our objective and placed Base Camp at 12,150 feet two days short of Malubiting at the foot of the Kapaltang Kun group. We got there on July 18 after seven days of march through Tisar, Arandu and Khurumal with 65 porters. The expedition was composed of Dr. Achille Poluzzi, Dr. Francesco Cavazzuti, Bruno Baleotti, Oscar Bellotti, Giancarlo Calza, Paolo Cerlini, Adelmo Lunghini, Clemente Maffei, Anchise Mutti, Giovanni Pasinetti, Guido Rocco, Tullio Rocco, Massimo Sanavio, Antonietta Staffolani, Angelo Zatti and me as leader. Camp I was at 15,540 feet. On July 21 Baleotti, Calza, Maffei and Guido Rocco left Camp I, established Camp II at 16,750 feet and went on to make the first ascent of P 5350 (17,533 feet; south of Chogolungma Glacier between East Kapaltang and West Marpo Glaciers) by its northwest ridge. Various attempts on the c. 20,000-foot highest summit of Kapaltang failed. Bellotti, Lunghini, Pasinetti and Mutti moved north across the Chogolungma Glacier above Khurumal to place camps at 15,900 and 17,725 feet on P 6005 (19,701 feet). They reached the summit on August 3 by the north ridge. Meanwhile Maffei, Calza, Cavazzuti, Tullio Rocco and Sanavio had turned to the Berginsho group (south of the tongue of the Chogolungma Glacier). They placed camp at 15,000 feet and climbed P 5720 (18,767 feet), the west peak of the group, by its west ridge on August 2.

Arturo Bergamaschi, Club Alpino Italiano