원정 개요

C1 at North Col
C2 moved on 29th to 7700m.

16 May Klimine, Kolesnikov and Piotr Kuznetsov tried for top but only 8400m and turned back because deep snow.

18 May next try: Bolotov, Pershin, Timofeev, Vinogradski left C3 at 5:00 am Chinese time and on top 15:20 hours (13:05 NST) all with oxygen (some with oxygen night before) and slept C3, arrived there 18:00 hours - slow climbing because much snow.

21 May again summit by Moshinikov 2:45 pm (12:15 NST) without oxygen and Roman with oxygen 2:10 pm (11:55 NST).

22 May on top Arsentiev man and wife without oxygen at 18:00 (15:45 NST) after having started at midnight. Wife found by Uzbeks at about 8500m lying down, still alive, gave her oxygen and 2 stayed with her while other 2 went to top.

30 May - Regarding Arsentievs: Uzbek summiters of 22 May met them above 2nd Step at 8700m on 22nd and spent 15-20 minutes chatting with them as they were moving upwards (he went back upwards with them as little distance); the Uzbeks told them they were too late to go to top, but they said they were prepared for bivouac.

They were seen by Shabanov and Chinese liaison officer through binoculars from BC to be on summit "after 6 pm." On 23rd Uzbek summit party of 5 met her at First Step at 8600m while they were going to top; she was standing but not moving, did not ask for help, in fact did not speak; Fedorov and Grigoriev stayed an hour with her, gave her oxygen [but to no apparent effect] and sat her down in comfortable position, but got no response from her, and they then went on to summit. Uzbeks had already met her husband below First Step at 8500m, and he seemed to be in "not bad condition"; he wished them good luck and good weather; he was descending and reached C3 about an hour later at about 10:00 am Chinese Time; Sokolov assumed he was going for oxygen for his wife, for other items for her and perhaps people to help; he left C3 at 4:00-5:00 pm, and went up alone with oxygen, medicine, food and drink to look for her. He was never seen again; his wife was found dead at 8600m by Sherpas on 24th May. There were no other members of their team in C3; they had stayed up alone with no support, no radio and no oxygen.

31 May 98 - Sokolov by telephone: 2 South African Sherpas on 24th on their way to summit gave her water, he thinks and did put her arms in her sleeves and gloves on her hand. When they came to her on their descent at 2:30 pm (Chinese time), she was dead.

Oxygen used in and above C3 by some.

2 June 98 - Cathy O'Dowd of South African team described encounter with Francys on 24 May and O'Dowd's Sherpas with her: On 24th left C3 at 2:30 am Nepal time: Woodall, O'Dowd and 3 Sherpas (1 Sherpa stayed in C3) plus a younger (Chinese) TMA wanted to get to top. Soon after left C3 3 Uzbeks caught up with South Africans and made a party of 9. Reached North Ridge at dawn and Uzbek's paused while other 6 kept on up Ridge reached First Step and near bottom found body of woman which moaned and moved in spasms and could say only "don't leave me alone" and "why are you doing this to me" and "I am an American"; lying in horrible position: clipped in to fixed rope which kept her waist up while her head and feet down. O'Dowd, Woodall and Zangbu stayed with her an hour, moved her around to boulder and put her into better position while Sherpa put hot drink to her lips; Woodall tried to get her to come to attention but eyes open but not seeing. This was at 5:15 to 6:15 am - realized she hopeless: her speech line automotor with 3 phrases - not sure who she was. O'Dowd "very shaken" and asked Ian if he would come down with her and he agreed. Woodall asked for Sherpa to go with them while other 2 Sherpas chose to go to top and did with Tibetan, about 10:15 am. Woodall, O'Dowd, and Sherpa with them to C1 while summiters to ABC same day. No one was in C3 when came through but numerous others came up past them on their way to top.

31 May 98 - Uzbek member Sokolov (by telephone): South African summit party of 5 came to First Step and 2 members went down immediately "full of feeling" at seeing Francys Arsentiev and returned to C3 at 9:00 am Chinese time; they took "no action" at C3 about Francys and this was "terrible." 2 South African Sherpas before proceeding on to summit gave her water, he thinks and put her arms inside her sleeves and her gloves on her hands; when these two Sherpa summiters descended to her at 2:30 pm Chinese time she was dead.

26 May 98 - Capetown journalist Ken Vernon by telephone: members Brasg, Fouche, Le Roux and Ronald resigned from expedition 18 May and left BC about 18/19 May because Woodall "lied to them" and "verbally abused them."

10 June 98 - Russell Brice of New Zealand-Japanese team: Uzbeks told no one about Francys condition on May 23 although they had radios and could have called to others to help her. Brice was not too far away and had injectable drugs; he and his Sherpa could have gone to her, injected her and got her down. Her husband alone could have done almost nothing. East Europeans bring no Sherpas, are not as strong as they think they are and are too weak to rally to a crisis - maybe they, don't care about other people's problems. Brice saw the Arsentievs at 7500m on 3rd and 4th and thought then they seemed to be people who were doggedly determined to up no matter what - even then and at that altitude they were going slowly and with big loads.