Blackburn, Northwest Ridge, P 10,600 and P 10,685, Wrangell Mountains. The Hokkai College Alpine Club’s expedition from Sapporo had twenty-two men and two women as members. While one group attempted the northeast ridge, supported by others, a second group climbed the northwest ridge. We were flown on April 18 to the Nabesna Glacier and set up Base Camp at 7200 feet east of the northwest ridge. The northeast-ridge group established Camp I at 8200 feet on April 21 and Camp II at 11,500 feet on April 23. On April 25 K. Kyogoku, N. Nomura, Y. Onodera, T. Fukushi and T. Suga got to P 12,741, where the northeast ridge joins the east ridge, between Atna Peak and the east peak of Blackburn. Heavy snowfall caused avalanches and our tent and equipment were lost. On April 29 Kyogoku, K. Takaba and T. Sato climbed back to P 12,741 ; Fukushi, Y. Ohira and H. Sato got there on the 30th. Also on April 30 Kyogoku, N. Watanabe, N. Komatsu and A. Ando made the first ascent of P 10,060, which lies on the ridge that descends from Atna. Fukushi and Suga repeated the climb on May 1. They gave up the attempt to get to the summit of Blackburn because of lost equipment. Meanwhile the other group was on the northwest ridge. Camp I was established on April 22 at 9800 feet, Camp II on April 23 at 11,500 feet. A snow cave was made for Camp III at 14,800 feet on April 28 after the snowfall. On the 29th H. Yamala, T. Fuji, H. Akiba, H. Hizuma, K. Yamala, M. Sanada and K. Okuoka got to the summit of Mount Blackburn (16,390 feet). On May 3 Kyogoku, Y. Sato, H. Hinoura and I made the first ascent of P 10,685 feet, which lies on the northern end of the northwest ridge, west of the Nabesna Glacier.

Nobuyuki Sakaue, Hokkai College Alpine Club, Japan