Annapurna, First Ascent of East Ridge and Traverse. Our members were Frank Tschirky, leader, Dr. Bruno Durrer, Norbert Joos, Ueli Bühler, Fritz Hobi and me, all guides. We established Base Camp, Camps I, II and III on September 17, 19, 27 and October 2 at 4300, 5700, 6500 and 7100 meters, the last below the summit of Tarke Kang (Glacier Dome). On October 6, Joos and I made an igloo just beyond Khangsar Kang (Roc Noir) at 7490 meters. The next day we descended to Base Camp. From October 9 to 16 the weather was bad. On October 18, 19 and 20 Bühler and Durrer climbed to Camps I, II and III. On October 21 the other four of us left directly for Camp II. The pair in Camp III were tent-bound that day because of the wind. On October 22, Joos and I left early for Camp III and continued on from there with Bühler and Durrer towards the igloo. The latter two descended from Khangsar Kang. On the 23rd, Joos and I left at 5:30 A.M., reached the east summit (8047 meters, 26,400 feet) at two P.M. and continued to the col between the east and middle summits. In violent winds we bivouacked in an igloo at 8020 meters. At 8:30 A.M. on October 24 we left, passed over the central summit at ten A.M. and reached the main summit (8091 meters, 26,545 feet) at 1:30 P.M. That same day we descended the Dutch Spur with one 50-meter rope and one ice screw. This buttress is rather difficult and had no left-over fixed ropes on it. We descended to bivouac again at 5000 meters, before reaching the northern Base Camp on the 26th. Our friends on the other side of the mountain had no news of us until we all met in Kathmandu on November 4.

Erhard Loretan, Club Alpin Suisse