Hiunchuli, Southeast Face. Rising 10,000 feet above the Modi Khola gorge, Hiunchuli (6441 meters, 21,133 feet) presents a climbing and route- finding challenge. We arrived at our 13,200-foot Base Camp after a strenuous 3000-foot climb up grass slopes out of the gorge. Camps I and II were at 15,500 and 17,500 feet respectively below and above the rock band that guards the upper mountain. Camp III was at 18,800 feet among seràcs on the glacier that descends from the summit. Our summit day, October 9, required laborious trail-breaking with several ice pitches. We descended our 3000 feet of fixed rope to Base Camp in a raging blizzard. Reaching the summit were Andy Politz, Ron Highet, Jim Waldron, Dick Wright, Daria Jezierska and I.

Eric Simonson