Nanga Parbat, Mazeno Ridge, Rupal Face attempt. Steve House (leader), Doug Chabot, Bruce Miller, and I traveled from the Charakusa Valley [see report later in this section] to Nanga Parbat (26,660 ft) base camp below the Rupal (south) Face arriving in base camp on August 9. On August 12–18 Chabot and I did the first ascent of the 6.2-mile-long Mazeno Ridge on Nanga Parbat to where the ridge ends at the Mazeno Col and intersects the Schell Route at 6,940m [see feature article earlier in this Journal for story and route-line photo]. This climb involved a day to get to an advanced base camp at 5,000m, a second day to climb to a bivouac at 6,200m on the long south ridge of the First Mazeno Peak and another three days to traverse the ridge to where it intersects the Schell Route at the Mazeno Col. Due to fatigue and deteriorating weather, Chabot and I then descended the Schell Route without going to the summit of Nanga Parbat. The intent was to return back up the Schell Route when the weather was better in order to complete the ascent of Nanga Parbat. But because of poor conditions on the descent of the Schell Route, we decided not to go back up that route to finish going to the summit.

On August 12–17, House and Miller attempted a bold new route on the Rupal Face between the Messner Route and the Polish Route [see another feature article earlier in this Journal for story and route line photo].

On August 22 Chabot, Miller, and I left base camp for home. House remained to attempt the Rupal Face again solo. But on August 27 House returned to Islamabad after initiating a solo attempt on the Rupal Face that did not get very high.

Steve Swenson, AAC