원정 개요

Trimble press conference - 21 Jan 81

Weather did not cooperate. Abandoned expedition 13 Jan due to combination bad weather very cold and high winds and sustained snow fall. 4 reasonably good days when first arrived.

Helicoptered to BC on 30 Dec at 4000m; couple days to acclimatize then made C1 on 2 Jan (slightly above 1978 C2); too short to acclimatize.

5 days of heavy snow, -20 degrees to -40 degrees, wind 40-60 mph. Snow quite heavy so difficulty to move higher.

Got 2 days reasonable weather, back to C1 and tried push route further up. Then 4 days of snow and at end of that food running low and weather not improving and time running out; abandoned after 15 days. In walk out weather still bad.

Highest point 18,500 feet by Trimble with other 3 slightly higher.

16,700 feet = C1 on South Face

From C1 looked at variety routes possible. 1978 route had been swept clean by avalanches which left hard blue ice instead of snow slopes; also icefalls and icewalls to be encountered.

No accidents, frost bite but wind and cold made him feel physically beaten.

Lot of avalanches on slopes of Ganesh II but relaxed little on C4 till day left BC 13 Jan two huge avalanches and one swept near C1.

Followed hostages progress on radio.

Not sure about Tilicho in spring; Xixabangma in fall definite; no plan to return to Ganesh IV.

Wind now worse than on Everest in autumn 1976; ice difficulty greater now.

Saw no Yeti, but believes Yeti highly probable since descriptions so similar and areas so wild.


Trimble press conference - 29 Dec 80

Joint US-Nepal Expedition to Pabil (Ganesh IV)

Important for ambassador Trimble to see as much of a country as possible so have tried to spend 1/4 of my time outside KTM valley.

1st attempt by ambassador in Nepal to climb a Nepalese peak and 1st American winter expedition in Himalayas.

I expect weather greatest obstacle we will face.

Only 4 on mountain; no one at BC. "Four men against the next" and expect to accomplish it relatively quickly.

I expect it will be extremely cold down to -60 degrees F and high winds part of time of 50-60 mph. If constant winds that violently and that cold, will not be possible to climb mountain.

Will try SW Ridge route which would be new route. From South Face, SW Ridge route straight up from BC and not off to right as Japanese route; but if ridge not possible will repeat Japanese route.

Food for 21 days; all have to be back in KTM at end of January.

Helicopter to 3000m tomorrow and then 1-2 days to BC other climbing members;

Mingma Tenzing, Annapurna [sirdar].
(LO) Yogendra Thapa, inspector
Kamal Bhandari, subinspector

May return to KTM by helicopter depending on time left after climb; would like to walk out.

Mountain climbing always dangerous; less dangerous in winter because should be diminished avalanche activity. "One never knows about these things" but in winter with less snowfall.

BC at 4000m. Expect minimum of 12-14 days of climbing of 21 days. If weather good, no storms no one gets sick should be able to reach summit 12-14 days, so don't have time to sit out a week's storm. 4-5 days to acclimatize in 4000m area then climb. 3 camps above BC, moving each camp up as go, not leaving fixed camps in place as move up mountain. Expect all 4 members to go to top.

Picked Ganesh IV because waited about 7000m peak with challenge, but feasible in short time and because close to KTM.


Trimble - 8 Dec 80

Leave for Ganesh IV on 30 Dec.

Route = Japanese South face to Ridge or some shorter variation; exact route depends on winter conditions; hopes avalanche danger, which appears to be there in other seasons, will be less in winter.

Plans alpine ascent: no fixed camps, no up and down, just up.
BC = Japan's C1

Frank Morgan not coming. Only 4 men on mountain: Trimble, 2 Nepalese (Thapa and Bhandari) and 1 Sherpa who also will climb.

Hope to spend only 10-20 days on mountain; maximum 30 days out of KTM. Chance of success not 100%.

Winter weather, avalanche possibilities, possible difficult section high up
No oxygen, even medical


Sharma, Tourism - 2 Dec 80

Permit granted to Ambassador Phillip Trimble with
1) Yogendra Thapa of Nepal Police
2) Kamal Bhandari, Nepal Police
both of whom climbed Ganesh IV in 1978
3) Frank Morgan, attorney (private practice)

1 Sherpa, Mingma Tenzing as sirdar (was Japanese sirdar in 1978)
Climbing 3-4 weeks in Dec and Jan
Route = SE Ridge, same as Japanese 1978