Malubiting West, Ascent. On July 29, Matthias Dischinger (28) from Lorrach, Germany, Roland Brandli (35) from Zurich, Switzerland, Ruedi Karrer (38) from Zurich, Switzerland, and Dieter Funfschilling (25) as expedition leader, started the walk-in from Tisar together with 26 porters with the goal of climbing Malubiting West (7454m). On August 2 we reached base camp at 4300 meters along the Chogolungma Glacier. Malubiting and Spantik base camp are the same. On August 4 we established CI (ca.4800m) halfway between base camp and Polan La (5800m). On August 7, we reached CII at ca.5300 meters, just at the foot of Malubiting North. The heat was the biggest problem, turning the Chogolungma glacier into a labyrinth of lateral crevasses. The next day we tackled Polan La. After 9 a.m., the 350-meter “wall” below Polan La became dangerous.

On August 11, we started our summit attempt from base camp and, on August 15, slept at Polan La (CIII) for the first time. Over the next two days we fixed ca.230 meters of rope on

the mixed ridge above Polan La. From CIII to the summit we climbed alpine style. CIV (6300m) is just one terrace above the Austrian camp. We used our one-meter skis for the first time to reach the beginning of the large plateau (CV, 6650m).

On August 19, we crossed the plateau and rested at 7100 meters, just below the pass between Malubiting West and Central. Matthias and Roland went for the summit on foot via the northeast ridge, while Ruedi and I returned within one hour to CV because of headaches and exhaustion. We basically followed the first ascent route of Horst Schindelbacher et al. From base camp to summit to base camp we enjoyed perfect weather

Dieter Funfschilling, The Mostly Harmless Climbers’ Club