“Peak Giorgio,”first ascent, Amico Gio. Our expedition comprised Giuseppe Bonfante, Antonio Valerio Carrota, Silvano Colombo, Andrea Corti, Angelo Gnecchi, Giovanni Mazzoleni, Nerino Panzeri, Simone Ripamonte, Giampaolo Schiavo, Dario Valsecchi, and I as leader. Most of us come from Lecco and are members of the Gamma Group. In August we visited the Shafat Valley in Kashmir at N 34° 05' W 76° 12' [a side valley of the Suru northeast of Nun Kun leading to the Kun Glacier—Ed.]. Here we made the first ascent of “Peak Giorgio,” a 5,135m rock aiguille, by the northwest face. This peak lies south of Ringdom Gompa, and we established an advanced base below the wall at nearly 4,300m. The route. Amico Gio, had a vertical height of 900m but 1,100m of climbing. On our final push Carrota, Corti, Mazzoleni, Panzeri, Ripamonte, Valsecchi, and I climbed to the summit in 36 hours, with one camp on the face, reaching the top on August 15. We left five bolts and 30 pegs in the route. The 27 pitches were relatively sustained, from UIAA V to VII, with the 22nd pitch being A1. Prospective second ascensionists will still need to carry blades and angles. The large peak immediately to the north, which was our original objective, has huge granite walls.

Giovanni Pomi, Groupo Gamma, Italy