원정 개요

Woodford - 26 May 77

Woodford, Twomey and Andrews arrive 1st flight; rest except Cunninghame (on trek) 2nd flight.

If we'd been climbing Lhotse think we'd have got to top too. But for Everest long traverse and needed several good days in succession but we were lucky if had 6 hours.

Winds on Col was lookouts and Mahoney said strongest winds he had ever met. After 65 days we had pretty much used up our strength. One of our problems isLhotse face incredibly long - doesn't look steep. From top of face to Col, consensus was if got to Col and struck bad weather no way get back without fixed rope and with our resources we hadn't strength to put in fixed rope all way to Col. If decide possible to climb Everest without oxygen could use fast thrust. If we'd decided go just for Col, could have been there about 10 April - logistics for 26,000 ft probably 25% those for 29,000 ft if using oxygen.

Probably Everest will been climbed by small party but only just possible and will take very strong party. If we'd had reasonable weather conditions we could have had done it, but with difficult snow and ice conditions, the mountain was just too big for us.

We had strong party who pulled together for 65 days above 18,000 ft, but at end of those 65 days we were just too tired to make a big push to get to summit.

Sure slept on oxygen at C5 at about 25,000 ft and Mahoney and Browne started off using oxygen on way to Col but stopped using it because not giving enough help for its weight.

Avalanche member 12 carried up from BC through Icefall.

2 broken ribs (Twomey & Woodford) and last having trouble with blood circulation - no frostbite but same numb fingers and toes.

Everybody was able to carry and all went to C5.


JMO Roberts - 19 May 77

Regarding NZ: Techniques employed wrong trying to behave as though they were ordinary expedition. Such a team should have made rapid thrust. They did do very well.


Jha, MFA - 19 May 77

Everest from LO abandoned 15 May following strong wind and chilling cold despite nice weather.

2 members Browne and Mahoney, reached South col 7986m (date not given)
All members well.


Lohni - 25 March 77

19 March Everest C1 at 19,400 feet and one member stayed there (no name given).


Keith Woodford - 10 Feb 77

Total 8, other 4 arrive probably on 14th.

March in in together. Couple days around Khunde-Namche, then perhaps slowly to BC or fairly rapidly depending on snow and members feel well. Prefer to get into BC and Icefall ahead of Germans so on not to be accused of following in their footsteps. (Germans not to South Col).

Like to be BC by 15 March but could well be earlier will try for 5 camps without one on Ridge (with carrying biv sack but hoping to get back to camp on Col).

Not having Sherpas means: "we have do lot more carrying; build up a lot slower; more flexibility and more cohesiveness in small expedition; everybody has personal stake that much greater."

Summit "sometime in May."

Hillary, Kohli, Bonington think chances small.

"Sporting chance" we think. Prefer to fail as small group than to succeed as large group" since done so many times before.

Only 20 oxygen tanks. Some left in camps for emergency. Sleep on oxygen in C5 and climb on oxygen above col.

Chinese did not grant permission. Woodford took over New Zealand expedition from Nepalese side for Spring 1977.


Letter from Keith Woodford - 8 May 77

C5 was established at 24,800 ft at the top of the Lhotse Face on 25 April. Subsequent attempts to reach the South Col from the camp have been stopped by very high winds; and blizzard conditions for much of the last two weeks have seriously delayed progress.

After six weeks of load carrying everyone is very tired, but weather permitting we hope to make a summit attempt within the next two weeks.

Everest is big. I seem to have been here for a lifetime. We progress slowly. (C5 on upper Lhotse Face has been established and used). Six of us came down yesterday to let the weather settle after some stormy days. A marathon trip; trail breaking all the way and often near white-out.

Icefall getting very broken in places; changing rapidly now too. Today hot and sunny, though cirrus cloud coming quickly from SW now and a big bank of cirro stratus beyond Tawoche and Cholatse. Maybe today is just the hole in the centre of the weather system. About 4' fresh snow here at BC.


Letter from Keith Woodford - 17 April

At present all 8 members are at Camp 2 at 21,600 ft. We are at 23,000 ft, on the lower part of the Lhotse Face.

At the moment we are in the middle of snowstorm from the south which has us sheltering in the tents. For the last 3 days it has retraced progress and today brought a very definite halt.

The winds have been gushing in the 80 mph or greater and we've had some problems with broken tent poles, etc. But everything has been repairable. Now the wind has died away somewhat but snow is pulling steadily at 2 inches every hour. We will just have a wait for wind changes until the wind starts blowing from Tibet again.

Conditions on the Lhotse Face are extremely icy and given good weather we expect it well week before we reach the South Col.


Letter from Keith Woodford, BC - March 15

We spent 4 days at Khunde and left for Thyangboche on March 10 in heavy mist. Spent one night at Thyangboche, Periche.

Dowd, Mike Andrews and I came through to BC on 13 March find a suitable site, returning to Gorak Shep that night.

We established BC yesterday (45 yak loads and 20 porters). Mike Browne, Art Twomey, Mike Mahoney and I are at present staying at Base. The others together with Captain Shah are acclimatizing at Gorak Shep and Lobuche. All are expected where within 3-4 days.

BC is very close to the American site from last year and is at 17,700 ft. For the next two days we are employing 3 Sherpas to help us build rock walls for shelter.

The weather is fine each morning but the clouds starts building up late morning and most days we are getting afternoon snowfalls. Above 22,000 ft the westerly winds appear to be very strong.

The Khumbu Icefall looks very broken this year and may take us several days to find a route through it.