원정 개요

BC at Kumbhakarna Glacier
High point at north wall face.

Early Oct slept one night in boulder camp, which was essentially a depot. Then still in early Oct, used C1 to sleep in instead. Got only 400m vertically up wall and then down because disagreement on how to climb face. Also could see wind blowing 100 mph daily on summit, so no point in attempting to reach it. 2 Benegas brothers went to 5700m in first effort on wall; were fixing rope to this point and down to C1. In C1 found all others in disagreement with them and brothers gave up climb and down to BC. Ogden & Sustad went up and fixed some more line to 6000m and then down. Really bad snow on wall and difficult to fix rope. Sustad and Ogden felt impossible to climb wall/face with only 2 climbers. Grajales and Wong went around to SE Ridge to see possible descent route and got to 6000m 12-13th Oct and then down. Then told members had abandoned north attempt; had gone up to 6000m from there C2 at about 5900m just below SE Ridge itself with Ang Babu Tshering Sherpa.


Wong - 27 Oct 97

Wong and Grajales intended to go to summit via SE Ridge with Babu Tshering and were unpleasantly surprised to be instructed by walkie-talkie by Benegas to abandon climb. Only then learned team had no permit for SE Ridge and he told them to quit as they were there illegally.


Spitzer - 27 Oct 97

Expedition was disaster because leader self-centered and unable to organize things properly.