Petermanns Bjerg, Fourth Ascent, Kejser Franz Josephs Fjord, 1985. Iaian Smart, P. Sellars, P. Todd, R. Zeyen and I flew to Mestersvig on July 26, 1985, where we picked up two inflatable boats belonging to Wally Herbert, left from his circum-Greenland expedition. We attempted to leave Nyhaven on the 28th and made only 200 meters of progress due to heavy pack ice. We finally cleared the harbor the next day but were held up at Rann Ø for two further days by a band of pack ice across the inner Kong Oscars Fjord. We finally found a passage at high water between the ice and the south shore. We reached Advance Base at Nanortilik on August 2. After a brief halt, we continued through the night to the head of Kejser Franz Josephs Fjord to make Base Camp at Knaeckedal, completing a voyage of 140 miles. We got to the snout of the Gregory Glacier with two relays on the 6th and to the foot of Petermanns Bjerg on the 8th to camp at 5000 feet. With the weather still holding, we left the same day for the summit by two routes. Zeyen and Todd made the second ascent of the northeast ridge while the rest of us ascended the shattered east-southeast ridge to meet at eight P.M. on the summit (2940 meters, 9646 feet). On August 10, from a camp lower down the Gregory, we ascended a virgin peak (c. 2500 meters; 73°08' N, 28°29' W; provisionally named Luxemburger Spids). On the return journey, Zeyan made a solo ascent of Gog (c. 2600 meters; reportedly first ascended by Odell) and found a cairn 500 meters below the true summit. We regained Mestersvig on August 20, having visited Blomster Dal and Noah Bugt and having made the first ascent of the summit (1739 feet) at the west end of Sofia Sund. An attempt was made on the highest summit of the Syltoppen in the Staunings Alper, but appalling bad rock prevented a complete ascent.

Malcolm Slesser, Scottish Mountaineering Club