Sangemar Mar, Southwest Face Attempt. Our Belgian expedition to Sangemar Mar (“The Shining Mountain”) had as members, Jean-Claude LeGros, Marcel Charlier, Bertrand Borrey, Marc Debaecke, Vincent Dewaele, Albert Decremer, André Menu, Jean-Claude Coppenole, Jean-Jacques Clayeman, Jean-Phillippe Perikel, Guido Klinkenberg, Sorella Acosta, Madeleine Loret, Evelyne Felix and me as leader. From the village of Aliabad we had a three-day approach along the Hasanabad Glacier and then the Muchichul Glacier. Hiring porters in Aliabad was easy. We got to Base Camp on July 7 at the abandoned village of Gaimeling at 3600 meters. We quickly established Advance Base on July 9 at the foot of the glacier at 4450 meters. Camp I was placed on a narrow ridge at 5000 meters on July 12, Camps II and III on a snow plateau at 5500 and 5800 meters on July 14 and 17. This took us to the foot of the principal difficulties. From the moment we started real climbing, we realized that the snow conditions were far from good. The monsoon was coming; the temperature was too high, the snow was soft and the avalanches incessant. On July 18 we were forced back to Base, where we were trapped for ten days. On the night of July 24 a fall of enormous rocks caused great damage in Base Camp, luckily injuring only one person. Finally good weather returned. After finding Camps I, II and III completely destroyed, we set up Camp IV at 6000 meters. We set out for a try on the summit (7050 meters, 23,130 feet) on July 28 but the bad snow and the numerous avalanches obliged us to turn back. On a scree slope above Advance Base, one of us fell breaking four ribs. He was helicoptered to Gilgit.

Jacques Collaer, Club Alpin Belge