Fanskiye Gory, Western End of Pamir-Alai Chain. A strong 10-man expedition of the Czechoslovak Mountaineering Federation was led by Petr Schnábl. They made eleven ascents, six of them firsts. The new routes follow. Jirí Martiš and Petr Valovicon from July 22 to 26 made a new 6500-foot route on the northwest face of Chapdara (5157 meters, 16,919 feet; UIAA VI, A2). It was similar to the south face of the Marmolada. Josef Rakoncaj and Miroslav Šmíd climbed the left side of the west face of Bodkhona (5304 meters, 17,402 feet; VI +, A2) from July 23 to 26. This 5000-foot-high rock face is vertical or overhanging for 3250 feet. Igor Koller and Radovan Velísek climbed the Great Groove on this face (VI+, Al) from July 25 to 28. On July 27 Karel Jakeš and Bohuslav Mrozek climbed the 3000-foot-high north face of Soan (4750 meters, 15,584 feet), which was 60° ice with pitches of 80°. Šmíd soloed two new routes. On July 31 he made a new route on the right of the north face of Maria (5000 meters, 16,404 feet; V), 3525 feet of ice up to 80°. On August 5 and 6 he climbed the great couloir on the left of the north face of Miraly (5170 meters, 16,962 feet; VI with ice up to 80°). The Fanskiye Gory Mountains are a small but spectacular group of inaccessible-looking summits and pinnacles. They offer many climbing problems of high standard on both rock and ice.

Józef Nyka, Editor, Taternik, Poland