원정 개요

BC at road
ABC at East Rongbuk (normal site)
C1 in couloir immediately on east side of North Ridge
C4 at North Col
C5 on North Ridge by Schmidt and Lacatusu.

2 French were not teammates really, refused to carry even light loads. Quite technical ground to C1 subject to a little rock fall on warm days & to slab avalanche conditions if there snow & wind; very steep mixed rock & hard ice; fixed from glacier at about 6800m to C1. From C1 up couloir & very fast but steep & fixed here also to 8000m. 9th May & again 16th May reached this highest point on this route: Brice & Chuldin Sherpa 1st, Schimid & Ang Rita 2nd time (Ang Rita strong). Intended to make C2 at N Ridge at normal C6 site, but ran out of rope temporarily & there heavy snowfall with strong winds loaded couloir with small avalanching daily. 22nd May Brice at 7800m avalanche came from above & confirmed that would have trouble if continued.

23 May asked Swenson his agreement to change route to normal one & on 24th had people at the N Col C4 7000m & content (paid Americans fee of $1000 per person). 25th Lacatusu & Schmidt at C5 without Sherpa at 7800m on N Ridge & this the highest any members reached (but 3 Sherpas went higher, to C6 at 8300m on 26th to rescue Canadian). Found some old fixed ropes 200m above C1 which had not been placed by Schmuck's Spring 1991 member who died there. Japanese C1 debris found there & Barry Blanchard reportedly had been in this couloir then basically ended up helping rescue others.

If commercial expeditions went to take shortcuts; it's irresponsible because spare oxygen, etc. lacking. 5th May sent Sherpas down to help Simonson's Sherpas carry down one of there Sherpas from ABC to BC. 19 & 20 May helped N Ridge Italians get down from N Col & down to ABC. 25th May Simonson member (Paul) very sick with asthma at N Col & Brice's doctor had to help him & sending 31 Sherpas on oxygen from C4 (7000m) to C6 (8300m) in 4 hrs 20 minutes & rescued Canadians (used up all of Brice's Sherpa support and oxygen). 28th helped Simonson's Whetu get down from C5 to C4 & on down to ABC in storied rescue. 30th Whetu rode Brice yak to BC. For Brice team to continue impossible: were totally exhausted - had also spent time & effort looking after Kowalzik's members, Lacatusu went out and fixed Canadian's McIsaac when he was falling on N Ridge, plus cleaned everything off the mountain; had people in position to go for top & in condition to do so but burned out by rescues & support not available for possible summit pair (Schmidt & Lacatusu). Sherpas to 8300m were Chuldin, Karsang (Ang Rita's son) and Lobsang.

Brice team came at right time; others there a month before them, battled wind and cold for a month. People on south summited while north side people tied down by winds; north side never successfully climbed by guided clients.