Uli Biaho Tower, South Buttress, 1989. In late May of 1989, Nick Craddock, Paul Rogers, Murray Judge and I arrived at Base Camp at the confluence of the Trango and Baltoro Glaciers. We were to attempt the southeast face of the Uli Biaho Tower, using the same approach gully as Roskelley’s party in 1978. A long period of unsettled weather made camp stocking difficult because of the dangerous nature of the approach gully. Finally, an attempt was made on the southeast face, but weather forced a retreat again. With only a week left before departing the area, a brief spell of fine weather enabled Craddock, Rogers and me to climb to the base of the south buttress, climbed by Italians in 1988. We made a bivouac there on June 23, 1989. Our ascent took three days, the last bivouac being at 19,500 feet. The climbing was 5.10, A3, and snow was falling half the time. The rock boots never came out of the pack. It took a day and a half to descend to Base Camp the day before the porters arrived to start the trek out.

Guy Cotter, New Zealand Alpine Club