원정 개요

No fixed camps. First went to see mountain and acclimatize to 6000m on south side for 6 days. Then to Pangboche for rest and returned to BC 20 April to start climb, which began 21 April (with all 4 members climbing together). Bivs close together because very steep route and possible to climb for only 3-4 hours in morning before clouds and falling snow made visibility only 20 meters and necessary to see where to go. To Biv3 55 degrees, above average 50 degrees but sometimes vertical, some places horizontal. Many rock towers; mixed snow and rock. Spent 1 hr on top, saw from Kangchenjunga in east to maybe Annapurna in west. 200m down from top, could see nothing; descended to 6400m and 29th glacier, exhausted; had spent 2 nights at 6th biv because on 27th could not see way above. Had little food left on descent; had only 4 ropes which used only for belaying; climbed in "pure alpine-style." Route rather difficult especially where were unstable seracs or very hard ice, but main problem was weather. Many avalanches: only small ones on this route ("we chose route correctly") but 100m to right big ones.