Gasherbrum I. A Japanese expedition led by Naoyuki Saeki hoped to climb a new route on the north face of Gasherbrum I. After an eight-day approach from Askole, they established Base Camp, Camps I and II at 5100, 5900 and 6450 meters on July 3, 10 and 23, the latter just above the Gasherbrum La. They were attempting to climb a route to the left of the north-face couloir, but the rock was rotten and their progress was slow in their climb of three pitches of snow and nine of rock up to 6700 meters. They shifted to the couloir, which had already been climbed by Italians and was being climbed by an international commercial expedition. They established Camp III at 7400 meters on August 9, where they spent three nights in bad weather. On August 12, Mamoru Taniguchi, Masashi Saeki and Hideki Inaba climbed to the top on the same day as American David Mazur and Briton Andrew Collins. [See above.]