원정 개요

BC east of South Ridge, due west of Mingbo La
C1 on South Ridge
Biv on South Ridge
Biv on South Ridge
Biv in cave on South Ridge
Biv on SW Ridge where South and SW Ridge meet.

"That was a desperate day" when C3 cave was occupied with sugar snow and its instability but kept going: "don't give up that easily" says Smith. All down to BC to rest and 3 days of snowfall. Now because 2 groups when climb resumed: should have been 3 groups made biv in same place on way to top. Immediately above camp at 6300m traversed diagonally off to SW Ridge and normal route because here snow ridge peters out rocks wall. 200m vertically from start of traverse to its ending at SW Ridge, when made biv inside one of series of crevasses. 2nd group started one day behind 1st group. 1st started ascent on 3 Nov, moved up steadily through camps, biv on 7th, summit on 8th, stopped at normal C4 at 6400m in biv there and back to BC on 9th. 2nd group left BC on 4th for 5600m that night; 5th Nov made biv just below 5900m; 6th at 6200m, 7th at 6300m, 8th slept at 600m, 9th at 6500m; 10th on summit (slower than 1st team because of more frequent snowfall) and back to 6500m only because of snow falling even at midday when on top; 11th at 6400m in different sites, 12th and 13th different places with Smith staying night at normal C1 and arrived BC 14th, last man back, fighting for ropes buried in frozen snow and should not have fixed any rope: waste of time but had been told that was way to do it and fixed on what way actually easiest section. Was constantly bad climbing from 5900m because of sugar snow, unconsolidated snow plus same rock ice; but descent was nightmare for 2nd group for at least 48 hrs.

All camps above 5600m were bivouacs in the sense that no tents left in place. Each member had a biv sack and sometimes member of same team biv apart, sometimes one team couldn't find other's biv ledge; 2nd team had extra biv on ascent and thus lost a day.

Smith says they should have climbed in 3 teams of 2 climbers each so as to avoid waiting around on 3 more teams.

17 Nov 1994 - French leader Couton: Australians seemed "not perfectly organized"; they descended normal route and if French themselves had summit, they would have brought down all fixed ropes (Smith on 18 Nov - Australians had agreement with British to leave British ropes - they're plenty of ropes left). Australians arrived at C2 at 4 pm (this must have been 1st team) no room for than on C2's narrow ledge. French told them to go down to C1, where empty French tents were available for them. Australians waited at C2 2 hours, descended in dark in 6 more hours.

18 Nov 1994 - Brian Whyte, Australians trekking agent: Australians did not get along with each other and had numerous disputes. Sirdar had to go up to C2 to bring Corvini down in his badly frostbitten condition.

Dec 1994 - Corvini in hospital for "several months" for plastic surgery on fingers and toes with major losses, says trekking agent.