원정 개요

Depot at top of Icefall
C2 in Western Cwm
C3 on Lhotse Face (lowest of all the teams)
C4 at South Col.

On 9 May summit team Woodall, O'Dowd, Herrod, Ang Dorje, Nawang, Pemba and Jangmu went to Col intending to go from C4 at midnight of 9/10th, but didn't leave col that night because afternoon of night storm came up and caught Herrod and Ian Woodall, who arrived tired and slightly late (c5:00 pm). So decided to stay extra day at Col. 10th at Col all day and did not communicate directly to other teams on Col; radio call at 6:00 pm to BC learned Hall on ridge with a client in dire trouble and his BC trying to organize some kind of rescue; Ian spent all night on radio handling all teams communication with BC.

Hutchinson to go and bring in 2 "dead" people but Stewart said no permit to do so and next morning volunteered other help which was also refused - were not asked to lend radio at C4 for rescue coordination. Stayed at Col to keep radio open for others and then when ready to go down to C3 winds terrible and stayed night of 11th and down to C2 on 12th and BC 13th with Woodall big toes slightly frostbitten and not sure about going back up again; no room to criticize professionalism of Hall and Fischer, who stayed till last of their clients were coming down.

Woodall, O'Dowd, Herrod, Deysel and 4 Sherpa climbers left BC on 18th for another summit bid; slept in C2, 19th rested at C2, 20th Ian O'Dowd and Herrod to C3 (Deysel stayed at C2 because not put on permit till mid-May due to lack of finances for her to go on permit so not acclimatized). 21st down to C2 because of winds. 22nd in C2 resting and 23rd to C3, 24th to C4, when 3 of Sherpas came up from C2 directly. 25th left C4 12:30 am (3 members and 3 Sherpas) and arrived on top: 9:51 Ian and Pemba, 10:10 O'Dowd, 10:40 Ang Dorje and Jangbu, Herrod at 5:00 pm. Descent in dark not problem in 3/4 moon and had started in dark. Ian at C4 4:00 pm, O'Dowd at 3:00 pm, Pemba earlier than Ian and other Sherpa between Ian and O'Dowd. Passed Herrod in their descent and his ascent when he was below S Summit; he radioed at 5:00 pm he was on top and sounded so pleased" to be there, says O'Dowd. Never heard from him again but think he fell between Summit and S Summit because he did not come on radio at 6:00 pm as should have. He had full suit on, plenty of oxygen with him and was cache for him on ridge. "He was superb mountaineer, if he wasn't I would not have invited him to be my main mate" on team. 26th to C2 by all survivors; Ian in mid-afternoon waiting for Harrod in clear day and so Herrod and Ian's oxygen ran out. 27th all to BC.

"No comment" only answers on resignation/departure of February, De Klerk, Hackland [and Noble] from team.

Sherpas:
Jangbu, aka Lama Jangbu, Kharikhola, 32, atop Everest May 95 and Cho Oyu Oct 95
Ang Dorje, Tate, Khumbu, 43, no previous 8000ers
Pemba Tenzee, Chatu, Solu, 34 (Jan 62), scaled Cho Oyu 27 Apr 1990


My interview with Jangbu (aka Lama Jangbu) Sherpa - 24 Sept 1996

The three summiting Sherpas with the South African Everest team in the spring of 1996 left C2 at 6:00 am on 24 May and climbed through C3, where the three members, Ian Woodall, Cathy O'Dowd and Bruce Herrod, had slept and all six reached C4 at the South Col together at 1:00 pm. All six started up from C4 at midnight, but not very far above the camp, Herrod said he was sick and turned back; his sickness delayed Jangbu and Ang Dorje, who then ascended behind Woodall, O'Dowd and Pemba.

Very near the summit, Jangbu and Ang Dorje met the other three coming down. Pemba said they had been to the summit and had started their descent only 10 minutes there and taken pictures. Jangbu and Ang Dorje were on the top themselves at 10:30 am. There they found two metal poles standing up in the snow: the longer one had prayer flags and Sherpa scarves (khatas) tied to it, the other had something near the bottom with three pieces of glass in it [these are prisms placed there by Americans for measurements several years ago].

At 12:00 noon, when Jangbu and Ang Dorje had descended to a little below the south summit, they met Herrod, who had come up alone and who continued on toward the summit alone. Jangbu does not know whether Herrod actually reached the top.


Letter from Ian Woods to Miss Hawley - 3 Sept 1996

Many people are deeply concerned that Woodall and O'Dowd may not have summited. No convincing photograph has been forthcoming despite repeated request from the climbing community.

I attended their slide-show last week where a slide of the Chinese "triangle" was shown and presented as proof that this was the summit. A calendar of photograph has been produced with a "summit" photograph. I will endeavour to send this to you asap.

I would be most grateful and appeal to you to find out from the Sherpas their side of the story (Woodall claims they summited with 3 Sherpas). I am sure we can trust their honesty, lets hope they did succeed, but from South African point of view we do need to clarify.