Tien Shan and Pik Pobedy Attempt. Our trekking group was allowed to travel from Kirgizstan over the Turugart Pass to Kashgar and the Mustagh Ata Base Camp, a route which has been cut off for decades. We were struck by the contrast between the green, flowery Kirgiz Ala-Too, the white peaks and the desert on the Sinkiang steppes. Our travel on the Kirgiz side was facilitated by helicopter and overland vehicles. On the Sinkiang side, a camel train undertook our baggage transport. While we were there, a German Alpine Club (DAV) expedition led by Ludwig Hösle from the Allgäu attempted the difficult north rib of Pik Pobedy in the central Tien Shan. Because of bad weather and snow conditions, they were unable to get higher than 6000 meters.

Karl F. Schott, Deutscher Alpenverein