P 6504 Attempt. Jerry Hadwin, Neil McAdie, Andy Scrase and I attempted the first ascent of P 6504, which is the western summit of Satopanth. Despite delays caused by heavy rains, we established Base Camp at Tapovan on August 31, Advance Base at Sunderban on September 8 and Camp I at the foot of the mountain on the 10th. Although the weather had been settled for five days, on September 11 the skies clouded over and we had the first of the snowstorms that were to plague us for 14 days. On the 15th the weather showed no sign of improvement, but we established Camp II at 5300 meters in a cwm directly below the southwest face. It continued to snow, but we resolved to attempt the ascent and on the 17th climbed a broad snow couloir towards the south ridge. The snow conditions were atrocious. We climbed as quickly as possible to a ledge system overlooking the couloir and watched avalanches pour down it all day. Our prospective route above our 5800-meter bivouac up the ridge was of mixed snow and rock in dangerous condition. We therefore retreated. No real improvement in the weather made us give up the expedition.

Andrew Perkins, Alpine Climbing Group