Broad Peak. Our expedition consisted of Jean-Jacques Rolland, his wife Martine Rolland, Mlle Catherine Pernot (doctor), Denis Chatrefou, Alain Cokkinos, Christian Nuytten, Jacques Giraud, Reinmar Joswig and me as leader. We arrived at Base Camp at 4950 meters on the Godwin Austen Glacier on July 14. We climbed the normal route on Broad Peak, establishing Camps I, II and III at 6300, 7100 and 7550 meters on July 17, 22 and August 4. To go from Base Camp to Camp I we had to ascend a snow couloir. From July 25 on, because of the lack of snow, this became ice. There were fixed ropes in place between 5700 and 6500 meters, but they are in bad shape. Above 6500 meters we had to cross a vast plateau in knee-deep snow. It is difficult and dangerous to climb straight to the col between the central and main peaks and so we avoided this sérac zone by a long and fatiguing detour on the left. The final ridge is mixed but mostly snow. There were some short, rather difficult spots. The snow was hard and at times icy. On August 5 the husband-wife team, the Rollands, Chartrefou and I reached the summit. On August 8 our German member Reinmar Joswig paired with the Austrian Robert Schauer to reach the summit. The latter had come to make a television program and was accompanied to the col by a photographer.

Bernard Moreau, Groupe de Haute Montagne