원정 개요

C2 in Cwm
C3 on Lhotse Face
High point at South Col.

Last expedition to arrive at BC: had contract with the New Zealands that icefall route would be made for them & wanted to center expedition on summit bid on 15th May - were 2 weeks too late. Had trouble with Sherpas not very strong, sirdar left to buy food but went home actually (25th April & returned 1st May) getting loads to col. C3 tent destroyed by wind & snow 1st May. C4 pitched on 12th May but no food at first; first occupied by 1 member on 15th May to C2. 16th May much snow on mountain & only 17th up from C2 but only 2 members reached C4, other 3 stopped at C3. 18th May 2 members reached C4 while 1 went down. 19th May windy & cold so stayed in tent. 20th May decide to go down because too windy & cold, 2 had been at col several night & no oxygen so go down to C2. During night 20/21 May Lovato developed pulmonary edema, at 7 am started to evacuate him: asked British to provide oxygen, 2 members & 2 Sherpas manpower; 1 member came from BC to help French & British - in icefall he was close to death & arrived BC only 9 pm & 21 May Lovato rested in British BC (2 members still in BC resting). 22 May asked for helicopter on 22 May; his edema gone but some infection; 23rd bad weather so evacuated to KTM on 24th. 1 member planned up to make summit bid (BC 11 May, arrived C2 20th) but aborted this plan when Lovato became ill.


Kefford - 1 June 92

Not only Russians climbed on other expedition's backs. Only people who came truely equipped to climb Everest was Spanish army and British. Adverse comments about siege type expeditions: Frenchman would have died if British hadn't provided 3 expensive oxygen bottles, medicines, stretcher and manpower to get him through Icefall and radio communication to BC. French leader and member only struck their heads out of tents while British extracted him from his a lot of people were topping over their egos.