Pik Kommunizma and Other Peaks, Pamirs. Our group consisted of Jim Bock, Ken Nolan, Chuck Huss and me. We first came to the Achik-Tash Camp at 3600 meters and then were flown to the Moskvin Base Camp at 4200 meters. The first day we climbed to set up camp at 5300 meters. After waiting out a snowstorm, we started for the summit of the Peak of the Four (6400 meters, 22,998 feet) by the standard route on the third day, July 19. Bock and I got to the top, but Nolan turned back with equipment trouble, assisted by Huss. After a rest day at Moskvin, we carried to 5240 meters on Pik Kommunizma. After another rest day, on July 24 we started up the Borodkin route and camped at 5300 meters. A carry the next day and a climb the third day over Kirov Peak (6400 meters) put us at Camp II on the Pamir Ice Plateau at 6100 meters. At the end of the fourth day we camped at 6600 meters on the side of Dushambe. On July 28 Bock, Huss and I made the summit of Pik Kommunizma (7495 meters, 24,590 feet) and returned to Camp III. Back at Moskvin we split up. Huss and Nolan went back to Achik-Tash to attempt Pik Lenin. After a rest day Bock and I on July 31 made Camp I at 5900 meters. On August 1 we achieved the summit of Pik Korzhenevskoi (7105 meters, 23,310 feet). On August 4, Huss and Nolan had been on Pik Lenin for a day and Bock and I started up. On August 5 Huss and Nolan were turned back from their Camp II at 6100 meters by strong winds. Bock and I started for the summit from our Camp I, meeting the other two on the way down, and got to 6500 meters before being turned back by poor visibility. We descended and having no more time, prepared to leave.

Thomas Mereness