Previously unreported is the possible first ascent of Honbrok (Honboro, 6,459m) on July 16, 2000, by Satoshi Hatsugai, Mori Hatsuyoshi, and Kumiko Suzuki from Japan. Prior to reaching Hushe, the three had acclimatized on the Deosai Plateau, a high-altitude plain south of Skardu. Mori had spent much time in the region volunteering on tree-planting.

The day after arriving in Hushe village, the three walked up the Honbrok Valley and after three hours camped at around 4,000m, just below the glacier at a summer shepherds’ village. Next day they left early and headed west along the north bank of the glacier, eventually crossing it and heading for Honbrok’s east face. They climbed this snow face to the main summit and returned the same way, reaching camp in the evening.

They had seen on the approach that Honbrok had two summits of almost equal height. [The 6,430m southwest peak is around 200m away from the main peak and was climbed in 2007. See AAJ 2008.] On top, they decided not to try to reach the southwest peak as one of the team was now suffering from altitude sickness. This is quite understandable given the large distance and height gain of the day’s ascent—more than 8km on the ground and over 2,000m of ascent.

— Lindsay Griffin, with information gathered from the climbers by Kaoru Wada