원정 개요

BC at west side of Lhotse Shar Glacier
High point at snow dome.

Left tent at 610om on 25th Sept because of soft snow above and new snow falling and returned to BC same day. On 3rd Oct regaining 6100m and slept there. 4th to 6750m and slept there in same tent that had been at 6100m. 5th weather threatened more snowfall, so left tent at 6750m and returned to BC that day. On 14th Oct tried to reach 6750m but only got to 6700m and back to BC because heavy snowfall (waist-deep snow) and avalanche danger. Last summit bid left BC 18th to ABC, 19th Oct to 6750m where tent was there but poles broken (used ski poles). 20th to 7250m in "stormy wind" with wind-blown chunks of snow coming down. 21 Oct Fuster alone up to 8050m at 11 am and then wind trying to blow him off.

Not technically difficult by alpine standards but were two 80-degree steps of 20m which were only places they fixed rope. Were on same route as 1970 spring Austrian team.

Calendar of Events:

1 Sep : Arrival in KTM
9 Sep : Bus trip to Jiri

10 Sep : Approach march with 20 local porters in 8 days up to Namche
Bazar and then with 7 yaks and 4 local porters in 4 days to BC

21 Sep : BC established at 5350m on the moraine between Lhotse Shar Glacier
and Island Peak

22 Sep : Liaison officer, Krishna Napit, left BC because of high
altitude sickness. He stayed the whole time after in Namche.

22-24 Sep : transport of equipment and food over the rocky spur to 5750m and
established ABC (by Spirig/Steininger)

25 Sep : Reconnoitre of route up to 6100m. Left one tent and some equipment
there, then installed a fixed rope over first step (Spirig/Steininger)

27 Sep : 1st attempt by Fuster/Spirig
after one night in heavy snowfall up in ABC, we climbed down to BC
again. Avalanche danger was too high to continue

2-5 Oct : 2nd attempt by Fuster/Spirig
1st day: Up to ABC, where we found our deposited tent
damaged and food supplies stolen by ravens.
2nd day: reconnoitre of route up to 6500m and installing a fixed
rope over the second step (20m). We spent night at 6100m
3rd day: We climbed up to 6750m and spent one night up there.
4th day: With signs of bad weather we decided to climb down to BC

13-14 Oct : 3rd attempt by Fuster/Spirig
1st day: Up to ABC
2nd day: Up to 6700m - a day of mostly strenous trail-breaking with
weather getting bad again. So we decided to climb down to BC.

18-22 Oct : 4th attempt by Fuster/Spirig
1st day: Up to ABC (5750m)

2nd day: Up to C1 at 6750m. There we found the tent badly damaged by
avalanche snow. Both poles were broken and the outer skin got some
holes (of ravens and avlanche). We spent hours for clearing snow from
the tent and repairing tent poles using tubes of the ski poles.

3rd day: Up to 7250m and established C2. Weather was clear, but very
windy. We had to find a well protected spot for the damaged tent.
So we found an overhanging Serac, which gave us enough protection
from the destroying wind gales.

21 Oct : Because of my still present illness, I decided to stay at C2.

Beda Fuster started at 4:30 am alone for the summit. At 11:00 am, he
reached the snow dome, in about 8050m. But here, the wind gusts got
too strong for continuing over the small ridge to the summit slopes.

Avoiding frostbite and exposure, he had to turn back, only 350m below
the summit. We stayed one more night in C2 and descended the next day
to BC.

We made the decision to abandon because of:
- expecting storms with continue
- my illness, which I caught on the approach
- shortage in time

23 Oct : We left BC with 4 yaks and started the walk out to Namche Bazaar
(3 days).

From Namche we walked with 6 porters in one day to Lukla. Liaison
officer got there a flight to KTM. There were no seats available
in the planes the next days, so we had to walk out to Jiri.

3 Nov : Departure from KTM