Unclimbed

These Swiss mountaineers, led by Albert Eggler (third from left), reported from Nepal last week that they had not only conquered Lhotse, at 28,100 feet the world's highest hitherto unclimbed peak, but twice climbed its 29,002-foot twin. Mount Everest, previously scaled only by Sir Edmund Hillary and the Sherpa guide, Tenzing Norgay, in 1953.

Looking to the east we could see Api and the mountains of west Nepal, shapely snow peaks in the distance, while in the immediate foreground, much lower but still dramatic, were the peaks of Panch Chuli IV and V (III was hidden by the lip of a huge cornice), Telkot and Nagling, all of them unclimbed, all steep and challenging.