원정 개요

BC at normal site
C4 at Chinese tent.

Had helped Chinese team during climb (prepared fixed rope) so Chinese left tent at 7600m for use by Russians and others. 1st Russian summit bid on 27th April by Choustrov and Gravilov from C3 and 28th C4 (Chinese tent) to 8000m then stopped by hard deep snow making progress too slow. Pimkin and Sergeev on 28th from C2 and reached top at 1:00 pm and slept in C4. 30th Choustrov and Gravilov going to top when Steponov in C2 coughed so hard something broke inside him much blood flowed from mouth and he died in his tent at about 10:00 am. All climbing stopped - body covered with stones. Sergeev skied down from 7600m to 7000m. 10 ropes of route technical because ice early in the year; at end of climb, snow covered ice and now easy climbing.

* Argentinean leader of Cho Oyu expedition 13 May 98 - Argentina's doctor examined saw Stepanov and judged an artery on his neck burst - caused by high altitude and/or exhaustion.

Dr. David Shlim, KTM doctor, 15 May 98: It is virtually impossible to cause artery in neck to burst, but not artery in lungs if person had prior history of TB or other cause of scar tissue in lungs.