Masherbrum Attempt. Our “four-man” expedition dwindled down to me alone, but I knew most of the Balti porters from previous trips and had faith in them. I find reports of their unreliability, greed and negative qualities frightening and untrue. We set up Base Camp on August 3 at the junction of the Masherbrum and Serac Glaciers at 14,100 feet. Camp I was established on August 12 in the upper snow basin on the Serac Glacier at 17,725 feet. During the third week of August, Camp II was placed at 20,350 feet on the edge of the great plateau that leads to the foot of the southeast face. Bad weather held me up until September 12; in these five weeks there were only six good days. On September 13, high-altitude porter Abdul Karim and I climbed to Camp II. On the 14th we pushed on to 21,325 feet and on the 15th to 22,300 feet near the col between Masherbrum’s east ridge and Yermanendu Kangri. We were to have carried to Camp V on September 16 but Abdul Karim was sick and we lost a day of fine weather. I visited the col but could not find a route onto Yermanendi Kangri (7163 meters, 23,500 feet). On the 17th we camped at 7400 meters (24,280 feet). Bad weather and a lack of food forced us back down on the 18th. We evacuated Base Camp on September 22.

Volker Stallbohm, Deutscher Alpenverein