Korzhenevskaya, Pamirs. After three storm-bound weeks on Pik Lenin, our joint REI-Crimea Alpine Club expedition was helicoptered to the 4500-meter Moskvina Base Camp on August 12. After a rest day, we stormed the mountain by the Suloyeva Ridge in sunny weather, climbing through 700 meters of mud cliffs, scree and crossing a rock-spitting hanging glacier. The next day, with the weather still holding, we arrived after traversing under cliffs atop a steep glacier at the 6100-meter upper camp perched on a thin ridge. On the morning of August 16, Sergey Bershov, Michael Firth, Matt Hyde, Ansel Wall, Michael Young and I set out for the summit. Rapid ascent took its toll and we found the steep winding snow ridge and a short rock pitch difficult going. By three P.M. we were on the summit (7105 meters, 23,310 feet). On the descent, we were surprised to see Gennady Vasilenko on his way up, setting a personal speed record of 11 hours from Base Camp to summit.

Daniel Mazur, REI