원정 개요

BC at normal site
C1 at NE Col
C3 on not so steep section of ridge before rock buttress.

Weather bad with constant snowfall, so didn't go onto mountain until 28th Sept when arrived gear to cache at NE Col 5700m and back to BC. Rested on 29th, moved up to col; all three climbed together. 1st Oct up to C2, very stormy night and on 2nd ready to descend but weather so bad, couldn't see where to go, so decided while waiting to dig a snowcave, which turned out to be "so effective and decided to stay" and stayed there for acclimatization for 3 more nights. 5th up to summit attack camp with 2 Japanese and later that day Chamoux followed, so 6 in position to go to top together on 6th. Ball slower than usual that day (normally had steady pace with a lot of endurance - not a Chamoux rapid-type climber) and obviously tired last 100m and Gustafsson went back to carry his (Ball's) rucksack to C3, arriving at C3 4:30, saying he (Ball) was hypothermic so given hot drinks. During evening he developed lower breathing and other symptoms of pulmonary edema so given medication for that. Too dangerous to descend at night Hall felt, so stayed awake all night, helping him sitting up and giving hot drinks. All 3 began descent at first light and Ball now fully alert but too weak to walk; pulled him on gentle slope and on steep part got him down ropes (fixed by Japanese, et al) and called down to Japanese ask for oxygen, which they brought not for above C2 at 3 pm and immediately gave Ball oxygen. Kept on down to C2 at 4:30 pm and Belgians made tents available there - condition deteriorated shortly before arrived at C2 and at C2; less alert, confused and no normal conversation. At tent Hall took off Ball's clothing covered in snow and gave him his own and put him in sleeping bag and tried to get him comfortable and had oxygen supply. After 3 pm sun went off route, got very cold and he seemed stable. But began to spit up foamy blood and few minutes later he died; tried all techniques to revive him for half an hour, but couldn't revive him. 7th Gustafsson stayed at C2 to make his own ascent and he went to C3 on 8th. On 6th BC Sirdar had come up from BC to C2 and was there when Ball died; on 7th Hall, Kami Tenzing and 2 Japanese sledded Ball's body down to NE Col; on 8th they took him to top of icefall above BC and Jim and Helen Wood came up from BC and body lowered lowered into big crevasse at 5000m and "let the rope go." 9th Hall to Jomsom and flew to Kathmandu on 10th and ladies left BC on 10th but Gustafsson may arrive with them at Jomsom on 11th.

"So good to be back strong and fit and fixing on all cylinders", Ball said 2 days before illness and all going so well. Ball very nearly died on K2 in summer of 1992 of several illness combined, one of them pulmonary edema.

13 Oct - Gustafsson: he went back to camp at 7350m on 8th Oct and left at 3:30 am next morning alone (other team camped there said they would rest for a day or two); got to summit at 10 am left it at 11 am and reached BC at 4 pm, clearing camps as he descended - had no accident.


Chamoux - 11 Oct 93

Chamoux organized close cooperation amongst expeditions, fixing rope and working together. Then New Zealanders arrived later said they were alpine-style group and stayed separate.

When Ball got sick, he was 10m from Imanura's team who used oxygen that night and next night on return from top.

Ball should have been taken down that night. Route was fixed with ropes and Chamoux had descended alone at night before this. "It was stupid" that Ball was not brought down (as Chamoux urged that evening) and that he died.