원정 개요

Noguer & Arias - 18 Oct 82

Arrive BC 23 Sept 3960m
Route was W Face
C1 4550m - 24 Sept
C2 4800m - 26 Sept
First section between BC and C2 very easy so fast progress.
C3 5450m - 2 Oct; most difficult section, grade 5 by UIIA stds; mostly rock, had to fix 800m rope.
C4 6060m - 4 Oct

7 Oct reached 6500m going towards C5 at saddle at 6900m between Annapurna III and Gangapurna. Above 6500m snow slope of 45 degree maximum. Not a problem to climb higher but expedition tightly scheduled and time had run out: had only 1-1/2 months in Nepal because of jobs and money.

High point of 6500m reached by Benavent and Noguer.
All went well, no accidents, no illness, no avalanches.
Went slower than hoped in 1st part because had to carry loads themselves and snow was deep.

Followed US 1978 route as far as C4 - like British in 1979; above C4 to saddle like Japanese 1970.


Arias - 9 Sept 82

Route = W Face = US 1978 autumn route or perhaps more direct to summit depending on snow conditions.
Only Arias now in KTM, others arrive KTM 13 Sept.
Leave KTM 16 Sept by road to Pokhara and then Modi Khola into Sanctuary to BC perhaps at normal site, 4115m, perhaps higher. Arrive BC 22-23 Sept.

4 camps above BC, possibly 5. C1 = ABC about 5500m; above this point hope to make one continuous push upwards but if weather is bad, would retreat to ABC (not BC).
Make ABC 4-5 days after BC.
ABC to summit 7-8 days, so 6-10 Oct on summit.
16-17 Oct in KTM (at Ambassador Hotel) with trekking group.

Catalan Expedition to Annapurna III
No Sherpas above BC; expensive and difficult rock climbing makes them impractical.
3 medical oxygen only.