원정 개요

Tom Frost - 9 May 79

South Ridge (slightly west of south - left-hand ridge).

Jeff Lowe on 30th April to summit when supposed to be clearing mountain of ropes. Basically same route with same diversion into gullies between 2 South Ridge above C1 to C3. 0n 30th left C1 at 3 am and to summit and C3 at 4 pm on a route probably harder than others route.

No accidents or illness - Boysen frostnip.

That's a hard route and we really impressed with those folks back in 1961.

Rocky ridge between C1 and C2 hard. Our C3 at Bishop's C4 and route from C2 to C3 harder still. Ice wall now 50 feet high (20 feet in 1961) but easy for Jeff. A technical ridge all the way from C1.

Route was in excellent condition, dry and cold when we arrived. Premonsoon best season when not lot of snow on it.


Rodney Korich - 29 April 70

Robinson and Wasson reached summit 25 April. Left C3 6:00 am and reached top about 3:00 pm and back to C3 about 7:00 pm (after dark). On top in cloud and saw nothing.

Same members in KTM ex-Lukla - men mostly and 4 summiters.


Roger Brown - 25 April 79

Korich's information correct re summit.

Came down in dark and Boysen has light frostbitten toes; very cold and windy. Left 7:30 am C3 1700 feet below top and got back 9:30-10:00 pm. Had only 1 headlamp (with Jeff Lowe who led them down alley).

Today Robinson and Wasson saw them today 10:00 less than 700 feet from top.

C3 established about 4 days before 22nd by Jeff Lowe and Boysen and Breashears.

No accidents. Boysen walked to BC Ok in larger boots. No serious illnesses.

Ruwitch, Bossier and Dubin did not get to top because 1st two didn't acclimatize and 3rd because dysentery.


Rodney Korich - 25 Jan 79

5 pm on 22nd 8 members on top:
J Lowe
Boysen
D Breashears
G Lowe
Pilafian
Wright
Frost
Lhakpa Dorje


Shailendra Raj Sharma, Ministry of Tourism - 11 April 79

Tom Frost reports via SYB radio today C1 established by
Martin Boysen
Greg Lowe
Jeff Lowe
David Breashears

Date not given.
Health good.
Weather overcast with intermittent snowfall.


Rodney Korich - 22 March 79

Have requested permission to traverse and descend north side.

Pilatus mountain flight RQ by Brown to go around not on 20th April which hopes will be summit date.


Shailendra Raj Sharma - 3 April 79

Permission for north side refused; request came too late.


Tom Frost - 19 March 79

Route = South Ridge, maybe traverse to North Ridge.

ABC paying for expedition and were making for them: primary objective is to make a good film of climbing a Himalayan peak. To make a good film you need to get to top because thats the most important part of the film, but must get there in way to make good pix; hence known route on know, not with known varied types of climbing situations.

Leave KTM 20 or 21 March, if plane to Lukla available; hope established BC by 1 April and completed with project by end of April.


BC at Mingbo 15,000 feet and ABC at Green Hut at 17,000 feet near foot of ridge
C1 at 19,000 feet. Around C1 difficulties start on route (18,700-19,000 feet)
(need low BC for guests including wives and kinds).

Assume will pretty much follow Hillary group's route and camps with 4 high camps of traverse, would need support on north side with series camps; this not yet worked out and may not happen anyway.

2 HA Sherpas
Only medical oxygen

Ama Dablam
Left for Lukla 20 March
All Frosts
Boysen
Jeff Lowe
Greg Lowe
Pilafian
Phil Freedman
Breashears
Sirdar Ang Temba
Wright
Ruwitch

Left for Lukla 21 March
Brown
Dubin

Left for Lukla 22 March
All other members except Korich and all other guests


Summit/Aug-Sept 1979
Ama Dablam 1979 by Tom Frost

We began with the usual aspirations of a small group of friends going to the Himalayas to do what we enjoy - making films and climbing mountains. Roger Brown was sure he could get financial support for filming an ascent of Ama Dablam. Three years later and one month before our tentative department, he was proved right.

At that point, because of the introduction of money, our small original group which included Dough Robinson, Tex Bossier, Greg Lowe, and Jonathan Wright, exploded to 24 as more climbers, more film people, kayakers, friends, wives and children were added. Most important for me, it included the members of my own family.

The thrust of the expedition remained unchanged, however - to climb the most beautiful mountain in the Nepal Himalaya, a mountain sacred to the Sherpas, by the proven photogenic route of Bishop's 1961 climb; to produce a superb quality mountaineering film for ABC Sports/American Sportsman; and last, but not least, to participate in an expedition that would be be enjoyable for all.

It would have been miracle if all that were accomplished, but strangely miracles seemed to become almost commonplace on this expedition. It seemed amazing:

- that the peak was entered on the permitted list after our application was submitted;
- that Rodney Korich could implement the whole logistics effort in such a short time;
- that Jeff Lowe and Martin Boysen were able to join us on short notice to help meet
ABC/s film needs;
- that we had (and needed!) Greg and Jonathan, two of this country's finest mountain
cameraman;
- that our twin Otter survived its stimulated crash landing at Lukla;
- that Martin and David Breashears were able to climb nearly a dozen routes on the
big boulder at BC (located at Chome, near Mingbo, at 15,000 ft.);
- that all of the members continued to pull together during three weeks of effort to
complete our first priority, the film (while enjoying our second priority, the climb);
- that the unsuccessful French expedition of the previous fall left enough fixed rope
to enable us to complete the task;
- that eight people with their ropes continually becoming entangled were able to
struggle to the top on the first summit day;
- that Jeff was able to engineer a 2000-foot night descent over technical ground,
thus saving us both anguish and undercooled toes;
- that the two-man second summit day was just as slow as the first;
- that our health and strength remained good and that we sustained no injuries;
- that we returned home friends, stronger friends than before.

In the face of such a string of miracles, I stand all amazed. After the climb was completed the majority of our party raced for KTM and the Arun.