Spantik, Southeast Ridge. Our expedition, consisting of Yoshiharu Murata, leader, M. Kamei, H. Shibata, Y. Shiro, M. Sakai and me, established Base Camp at the junction (14,350 feet) of the Chogolungma Glacier and its Basin Glacier on July 11. We used the Basin Glacier with its few crevasses as a route to the southeast ridge. The weather alternated from fine one week to rainy the next. We established Camp I on the glacier at 15,550 feet, Camp II at P 5670 (18,603 feet) on the southeast ridge and Camp III beyond prominent snow P 6340 (20,801 feet) on July 17, 29 and August 5 respectively. Kamei and Sakai set out on August 6 to establish Camp IV but the crusted snow on the plateau helped them so much that they went on to the summit (23,055 feet). They returned again to the top on the 7th and were followed on August 8 by Shibata and Shiro and on the 9th by Murata and me. Our route was safe except for a small icefall at the entrance of the Basin Glacier and some avalanche threats on the way to Camp III.

Takao Kondo, Reiho Alpine Club, Japan