Kongur Attempt, Xinjiang. The first American expedition to Kongur (7719 meters, 25,325 feet) arrived at Base Camp on July 20. The climbing party consisted of Gil Anderson, Rob Leitz, Art Porter, Andy Shidner, Ed Stachon and me as leader. Our goal was to repeat the first-ascent route of the 1981 British Expedition. High temperatures and consequent abysmal snow conditions severely hampered our progress. Even at 18,000 feet the temperature did not drop below freezing on some nights. Snow conditions practical for travel would exist for only four or five hours a day at best. We reached our Camp III at the approximate location of the British Advanced Base in the upper basin of the Koksel Glacier on August 1. Camp V at 22,000 feet was established on August 8, and a reconnaissance to the Kongur-Kongur Tiubie col at 22,300 feet showed that even there the snow conditions were not better. Since we were running out of both food and enthusiasm for wallowing in slush, a retreat began on August 10. We may have encountered an exceptionally hot summer, or perhaps it was just a mistake to attempt a south-facing route in early August. Skis, which we did not have, would have been a great help. We acknowledge with thanks the assistance of the Chinese Mountaineering Association. Our liaison officer, Chen Shangren, and our interpreter, Guo Jin-Wei, executed their duties with consummate skill. This expedition was sponsored by the Colorado Mountain Club Foundation.

Richard Dietz, Colorado Mountain Club