원정 개요

From AAJ description of the approach march by Kellas, the team must have been on the S Ridge of Jethi Bahurani (6850m), not Rokapi.

Note: A 2023 British expedition to Surma-Sarovar discovered remnants of the 1974 Jethi Bahurani attempt on the south side of Surma-Sarovar South (6387m), indicating that the 1974 team was on Surma-Sarovar South, not Jethi Bahurani.


Kellas - 16 Oct 2002 (by email)

I'm certain that if the base camp site and peak configuration are correct, then we went north from the col (just before it actually) and got within about 1000 ft from the summit but quite a long horizontal distance. [Thus climbed South Ridge of Jethi Bahurani?]

We had no oxygen with us.

Our Sherpa went above base camp to our advanced base on the glacier below where the climbing started.

Tom Leppart is the same age as me, i.e. 58 now. Denis Edwards is about 6 years younger but I haven't seen him since before we left for the expedition, he never made it to base camp!


Kellas - 10 June 74

Every day getting snow from 11 am onwards. On 27th had avalanche. Snow kept building up on us. We were in retreat on 27th; had gone up on 25th for possible to summit via biv, but 4 feet of snow on 26th and weather main reason for not success.

Illness: Barron 3 weeks thumb and Leppart staggered about with bad stomach.

More difficult then expected, knife-edge ridge. Never got more than 500 ft vertical above C3, horizontal distance perhaps as much as a mile. Figured could hence reached summit from a 4th camp at 21,500 ft. By time reached C2 had used up almost all our fixed rope.

Of 43 days, 8 snow-free. Not 100% sure what mountain were on. Were on a south ridge from Nampa; this ridge has several summits. Summit working towards was about 22,000 ft and could have been Rokapi (22,441 ft) or a summit just south of it.

Barry Smith in Bhairawa enroute to Delhi.


Shrestha, MFA - 7 June 74

Members of British Nepal expedition returning without success due to bad weather.


Mrs Barron - 2 June 74

Nampa: As on 27 May had gotten above C3 along ridge but not far enough to make C4. Very difficult climbing and weather bad with snow every afternoon. May make C4 but probably not summit.

Mr Barron left BC 27 May.


Letter from BC May 11th:

On the mountain the climbing has turned out much more difficult than expected and we had to use up nearly 1600 ft of fixed rope (most of our supply) to reach C2 at 19,000 ft. This camp was established by all fine of us on April 28th.

We then had 10 days when it snowed every afternoon, sometimes heavily. We carried on making the route above C2 using another 750 ft of fixed rope to reach the ridge which leads in about 2 miles to the summit. The ridge is very narrow and corniced and as route climbs steep ice on the windward side, slow work. Eventually the weather became better and C3 was reached at around 20,000 ft on May 8th by Bob and Barry Smith. Since then the weather has been atrocious with very heavy snow down at base camp. It looks better today and Barry and I are going up tomorrow. We hope to establish a C4 in 3 days or so and then make an attempt on the summit. We feel very much at the mercy of the weather.

One important point I forgot to mention is that we are now and have really been for the last 10 days, effectively a 3-man team only. John Barron has been confined to base camp for the last 10 days with sceptic thumb and Tom Leppert, although he has been on the mountain, has got stomach trouble. I don't suppose you ever heard from our doctor!


20 April Kellas to Cheney:

We couldn't get far enough up the Salimor Khola to get at Bobaye, as we are attempting (virgin untried) peak.

Rokapi (22,441 ft): it looks very difficult and success will depend very much on the weather.


Emil Wick - 7 April 74

Nampa: everybody there yesterday and today. 4 landings at Bajang to airlift Nampa expedition from Bhairawa.


Barry Smith - 5 April 74

Kellas and Smith leave KTM tomorrow with LO and 1 Sherpa cook on Pilatus Porter to airlift baggage ex-Bhairawa to Bajang. Others left KTM in lorry several days ago.

Base Camp will be on Salimor Khola; a mile or so from junction with Seti River, southeast of Nampa.


Kellas - 26 March 74

6 members, all British, 3 climbers at Bhairawa.

Nampa South Peak - 21,500 ft and no Sherpas.
Left UK 22 Feb, arrived Bhairawa 25 March (5-6 days in NDH).


(Nampa South Peak)

Leader: Ali Kellas
Peak (no official name) is 1-1/2 miles south of Nampa.