원정 개요

9 May 1969

Pemba Phutar, ex-Manjo - 3 wife - 46 Dalamu
Tenzing, 32, ex-Pangboche, wife - Pemba Tiki, 28, children
2 daughters - 9 + 3
1 son

arrive today

1) must spend Rs 4000-5000 each on death service: light 2000 ghee lamps, make
rice balls to give each relatives attending ceremony on 49th, give salt also
2) income tax
3) schooling

Pemba Phutar's wife: Rs 10,000 for 3 sons education and rest in house; education at Thyangboche to 6th year and then Salleri School.

Tenzing's wife: eldest daughter has to look after baby son and baby to school Pangboche; Rs 1200 loan to repay.

Not to remarry as too much distress when they die and Mrs. Pemba Phutar has already 5 children. Life essentially same.

Pemba Phutar had been to Dhaulagiri 4 times and he was avery good climber; half income from climbing and hiking, half from ?

5000 5,800 service
8000 8,000 tax
10000 1,200 loan
------- 15,000 education
23000


Duenwald & Read, Press Conf - 2 May 1969

Ill at ease at airport - apologized for hurried departure.
Tribute to all Sherpas and liaison officer, terrific help and inspiration.

Appreciate and welcome new rules of Gov't of Nepal, tremendous cooperation from gov't. Hope our experience doesn't interfere with others in future.


Chronology statement:

April 28 - carrying from 12,400 up 14,900 ft and another 14,900 to 17,000 ft
2nd group: Everett
Ross
Hoeman
Gerhard
Reichardt
+ 2 Sherpas

Arrived at 17,000 ft at noon and putting poles in place across crevasse. Tremendous ice avalanche swept down on party depositing debris 500 vertical ft below. Reichardt unhurt at point of impact and searched for others. Afternoon 1 hour down glacier searching further - reached 12,000 ft and informed rest who went up to 16,500 ft (now 6 pm and searched) until after dark and no signs of others. Went to 12,400 ft next day. On 29th Duenwald to Jomsom to send news there and met Read who had gone for evacuation for minor medical treatment - serve no survivors (end statement) times before - about all members had been up there. Survivors in excellent health. Today helicopter sat Kalo Pani waiting for weather and met 3 and liaison officer and Bech others who all in fine condition.

Read: 1 week before 28th suffered pulmonary edema (going too light too fast) and now blind in right eye, temporarily he hopes; had planned to fly back to expedition. Expedition now leaving mountain in orderly manner. Hired porters around Kalo Pani, Leyte and Danbu. Will leave Leyte tomorrow or next day: in Pokhara Thursday.

It's a calculated risk when you climb a mountain, but no premonition of avalanching and morale high. Whole area of accident was sloping glacier.

Weather during climbing basically good; clear parts of each day; weather had been no major problem.

First saw summit long way down from mountain, "very beautiful mountain."

1st day of climbing was 20th or 21st. Planned climbing until monsoon, 1-15 June (perhaps 19th).

Don't know whether intend to return to Dhaulagiri. Had excellent Sherpas.

Chose SE Ridge very attractive route and will be climbed some day; declined elaborate on why attractive.

Liaison officer at 12,400 ft on 28th waiting for permanent base camp be established at 14,900 ft.

Read and Duenwald to stay in KTM waiting for others.

Terry Bech accompanied party as well, a Fullbright scholar ex-Spokane; hiked to base camp and at 12,400 on 28th.


Brooks - 1 May 1969

Leaves 6:00 am in helicopter; 2 hrs 30 minutes KTM/Jomsom. Read and Duenwald to fly out, Brooks to trek to Pokhara.

Problem to get through Kali Gandaki gorge's winds and low clouds at narrowest width between Dhaulagiri and Annapurna of 300 yards. Doug Blakely pilot.


Everett - 7 April 1969

Concerned about fact that route very long, "most extended route" in Nepal Himalayas. Delay of baggage and monsoon looming; leave Friday or later.

Married:
Morrisey - 2 children
Duenwald - at least 1
Hoeman - none
Everett - resigned from Lehman Corp

Liaison Officer: Hari Das Rai (as subinspector, was with British expedition to Gaurishankar in 1964).

Boyd Nixon Everett, Junior
Security analyst

Al Read
Moose, Wyoming
Climbing guide

Paul Alexander Gerhard
Laguna Beach, California
Computer systems analyst

Rest arriving next 4 days with more expedition baggage

SE Ridge never attempted before; no oxygen (unable get any).


Statement of William Read:

On the morning of April 28 expedition was carrying loads in two groups, one from 12,400 to 14,900 ft, another from 14,900 to 17,000 ft. Group going from 14,900 to 17,000 ft was carrying technical climbing equipment and poles to bridge the crevasse.

This group included Boyd Everett, Dr. William Ross, David Seidman, Vin Hoeman, Paul Gerhard, Lou Reichardt, Tenzing Sherpa and Pemba Phutar Sherpa. This group arrived at 17,000 ft at approximately 12 noon at which time they were engaged in placing poles across the crevasse. As this was in progress, noise of an avalanche was heard and a tremendous ice avalanche swept through the party and continued down the glacier, depositing its debris approximately 500 feet lower. Lou Reichardt was left unhurt at the point of impact. He immediately searched the area for any sign of the other members of the party but found none. After about an hour of searching, he proceeded down the glacier, searching as he went for any sign of life. Finding none, he descended to 12,400 ft and informed the rest of the party. All of us immediately proceeded up to 16,500 ft to search the debris further for survivors. This was approximately 6 pm, and we searched until after dark, finding only some light pieces of equipment and no signs of life. After completing search, our party descended to 12,400 ft next day. The next day Duenwald descended to Jomsom to bring out the news, and met there William Read who had come down previously to seek evacuation for a minor medical problem. We feel certain as a result of our search that there were no survivors and that it would be impossible recover any bodies.


Letter from Boyd Everett - April 26

In the early morning of April 22 William Read, deputy leader of the American Dhaulagiri Expedition, suffered a severe case of pulmonary edema at 15,000 ft. He was immediately treated with oxygen, Laisix and other medication by Dr James Morrissey. He was also evacuated to the town of Leyte at 8000 ft where he is currently recuperating. A full recovery is expected within a week or two but it is not certain that Mr Read will be able to rejoin the expedition on the mountain.

Pulmonary edema is a disease somewhat similar to pneumonia which is unfortunately quite common among climbers between 12,000 ft and 20,000 ft. It can be fatal within a few hours unless the patient is immediately treated and removed to a lower altitude which was done in this case. Except for requiring a long period of rest there are usually not too many complications from the disease.

In spite of this setback the expedition, has moved its base camp from 15,000 ft to 17,000 ft on the East Glacier and advance party has requested 2 days foot poles to cross a crevasse, but there have no major technical problem as yet. Beginning at 19,000 ft, however, the route promises to be technically difficult as any ever done in the Himalayas. We will attempt to climb the 2500-foot rock and see ice averaging about 60 degrees to gain the crest of the South East Ridge. The ridge will have several thousand feet of corniced climbing which does not end until about 24,000 ft. Beyond that we have not had or good view.

The spirit of the party are high, although we regret losing one of our strongest members. Inspite of the difficulties of the route we are fairly confident of success, provided the route can be done before the monsoon comes.