Mustagh Ata, Approached from Pakistan. From Islamabad on July 25 we headed by bus for the 4960-meter-high Kunjerab Pass on the Pakistani-Chinese frontier. This road has been open to tourists only since May. We got to the Chinese border town of Parali on the 27th and continued with two trucks to the Subashi plateau at 3800 meters. On July 29 we were transported to Base Camp at 4600 meters by 25 camels. Of the 15 climbers on the west side of Mustagh Ata, ten used skis. Camps I and II were placed at 5450 and 6080 meters on July 30 and August 1. The most difficult part of the route was from 5800 to 6600 meters, where we placed Camp III; this was because of crevasses. Two days of storm were followed by stocking of Camp III from August 4 to 7. It then stormed for five days. On August 13 we set out again. On August 15 Beppe Zandonella, Rolando Menardi, Filippo Sala, Libero Pelotti and Giulio Maggi climbed to the summit from Camp III. Camp IV was placed at 7080 meters. On August 17 Daniele Consolini, Natalina Furini, Alberto Foglio, Ettore Nanni and Roberta Faldella reached the top. Eliana Palazzi, Rossalio Patuelli, Luciano Pasquali and I, who were without skis, failed to reach the summit.

Arturo Bergamaschi, Club Alpino Italiano