Gasherbrum II. Our expedition had two climbers, Tiziano Zünd and me, and was accompanied by three friends, Lorenza Cattaneo, Angelo Zanetti, all Swiss, and Frenchman Claude Belli. After a 14-day approach from Skardu, we set up Base Camp on July 3 at 16,750 feet on the Abruzzi Glacier. By July 12 we had reconnoitered the long, broken-up glacier to 19,700 feet. We returned to Base Camp and were pinned down for eight days by bad weather. We set out again on July 20 on a push for the summit but got only to 22,300 feet because of bad weather; we had to bivouac for six nights at 19,700 feet until the lack of food forced us back to Base Camp. The low-altitude porters were to arrive to escort us out on July 28. We decided to send our three friends out with most of the equipment, leaving Zünd and me with two porters for a last try. We set out on July 28 and after six days and five bivouacs, on August 3 at eleven A.M. we got to the summit (8035 meters, 26,360 feet). It took us two days to descend and another seven 10-hour days to reach Skardu. We were without food for the last three days.

Romolo Nottaris, Club Alpino Svizzero