원정 개요

Barker - 14 May 74

Burgess and Barker arrived last night from C3; Burgess climbed alone. Neame went with Burgess to C3, but not feeling well and dropped back at 400 ft from summit and Burgess onto top alone.

Much more technical difficult harder than expected. Looked from air a walk once got to 19,000 ft but was far from it. Knife-ridge very sharp above col 17,800 ft and 2 vertical ice walls at about 19,800 ft and 21,000 ft; last 400 ft to summit snow in very poor condition and 5% slope up to almost vertical slope just before summit.

Without Sherpas, so much more humping than otherwise.

Rest arrive KTM 15 May by road and all leave for HKG on 17 May except Chamberlain who probably goes on RAF.

Chamberlain only 20 years old. 1st man on top. 1st ascent of summit of that height.


MP Khanal

C3 established on 11th Basek (24th April) 21,300 ft.
Lamjung expedition Basek 12 & 14 (May 25th, 27th) climbed from C3:
12th (25 Apr) - Chamberlain, Neame
14th (27 Apr) - Isherwood, Scott
Union Jack and Nepal flag hoisted on summit.


Maj. Barker - 15 March 74

Recce flight to see whether to go in North or South. Different logistic problems: N approach march vs 4 days. More important easiest climbing route because seen photos of N Side; for ropes thought might be easier but "when we got up there, northern side looked fairly formidable" - SE Ridge looked easiest.

Shorter approach but last 2 days beyond villages and at 16,000 ft and having to drop down again. After flight around mountain, Burgess, Isherwood and Ang Phurba Sherpa dropped off at PKR with LO and they set off on ground.

Recce for BC side. No Sherpas - economy "and we feel we can do it without." We're all prepared to hump; we feel we've allowed owerselves time enough and we have enough people not a high mountain by Nepal sides.

Our objective is to climb the mountain. A member to get to top and everyone else is resigned to humping; no one in rescue.

Also Fonfe dropped at Pokhara and he starting sort baggage which went to Pokhara by truck. Barker waits KTM for other 3 members to join. So now 9 total arrived Sunday AM. All leave Monday or Tuesday. All in army except Isherwood and know each other well. Join Fonfe in Pokhara and all leave Friday or Saturday from Pokhara. Recce will come back to Pokhara probably. Snow appears quite low now.


Barker & Burgress - 10 March 74

8 total members: 2 Neplaese and 6 British including 1 civilian.
Captain Michael Burgess, leader
Major Jeff Barker, organizer
(Dick Isherwood's air)

Burgess and Isherwood leave 13th for recce. Main party leave KTM as soon as possible with baggage to Pokhara by road.

Route via North South - depends on approach march.
(No Sherpas)

Fonfe is in Pokhara; arrive Kathmandu 11th. Others arrived 16th or 17th.


MP Khanal - 5 April 74

Sange Tamang returned to Kathmandu 3rd April; dropped out of expedition because of diarrhea.

Sapper Derrick Chamberlain
Single, 22 yrs, Mt. Blanc, last rock climbing in UK.
Temperorily in Hong Kong
Engineer, parachute squadron

2nd Lt. John Scott, just comissioned from Sandhurst.
25, single
Just joined parachute regiment based Aldershot.
Very experienced strong climber, 3 or 4 alpine seasons.


Report on Lamjung Expedition by Jeff Barker

Burgess and Isherwood did recce of approach to base camp 15 to 20 March. Recce done in fine weather with snow only on last day near mountain. Recce indicated on approach march of only 4 days. It was planned that after 3 days when the expedition should be at pre-base camp. The majority of our porters would be paid off and we would equip the remaining twenty to cope with the snow for the fourth day. These porters would ferry the balance of stores over the following two or three days. As it turned out we ran into a heavy hailstorm which later turned to snow on the second day out from Pokhara. Day 1 were already humping stones carrying sometimes as much as 70-80 lb a man. During this period Sange Tamang, developed amoebic dysentary which eventually forced him to return to Pokhara and thence to Hong Kong.

Ferrying of stores continued until 10 April when the last few loyal porters packed in too. Conditions had been particularly bad with snow most days and heavy blizzards on 8 and 9 April. Over those lost few days the expedition had been well spread out with some ferrying stones to pre-base, some ferrying from prebase to base and two, Isherwood and Neame, pioneering the route carrying essential climbing gear from base camp up to advanced base camp situated on top of a glacier at about 15,500 ft. Beyond the col the route to the summit lies along the South East ridge. The ridge is narrow and sharp. On 15 April Isherwood and Neame reached a height of about 19,700 ft some 2000 above the col, but were forced to return to Camp 1 for more equipment to tackle an ice wall and having found no suitable site for a second camp. Fixed ropes were eventually placed and C2 established on 22 April by Neame and Chamberlain. These two continued in the lead establishing C3 on 24 April at 21,100 ft and reaching the summit the next day.

Isherwood and Scott reached Camp 3 on 26 April and the summit on 27 April. There is likely to be one more attempt on the summit before the climbers return to base. This attempt would be made by Burgess the expedition leader and one other members as yet unnamed.

The weather since our arrival at base camp has been good with virtually no snow. Mornings have been freezing, with crisp snow, moonlight and stars followed by clear blue sky and a hot sun. By about 11 o'clock Nepali time (we have set our watches on 2 hours to take advantage of the good conditions in the early morning) the sun has turned the snow into a soft much which ahs made walking without snow shoes almost impossible. In addition by that time the mist has crept up the valley and most of the mountain, certainly all below about 19,000 ft is shrouded with visibility down to about 20 yards.