원정 개요

BC at "rock camp" of Tengkoma
ABC at glacier camp.

2nd Oct to head of glacier at foot of South Face for ascent of South Pillar and camped here. Fixed 200m slope from glacier to foot of pillar on 3rd Oct. Mountain 3 km long with about 5 peaks. 4th took gear up, ropes and dumped at bottom of pillar. 5th went up ropes, pulled 2 ropes out and climbed on steep pillar 4 pitches to 5270m and biv. 6th did more pitches up pillar to ice grotto and biv here at 6600m. 7th 4 more pitches to above "cauliflower" on pillar at about 6750m. 8 Oct to top of pillar and then left (west) on east-west ridge to central summit, 6855m high, which could be the highest summit of Drohmo (a Finnish map says west summit is 36m higher, but "from visual inspection I would not have thought so"). "Scared all the time" because inadequate belay points were "a bit unnerving"; heavy monsoon had brought much snow. 500 ft of climbing zigzagging up pillar in difficult climb; when found rock it was good granite but pillar mostly snow and ice; luckily had five days good weather. 8th slept at 6750m biv, 9th at 5800m camp. Technically hardest climb Scott done since Shivaling East Pillar in 1981 - hard because carrying huge weights. Had to carry for alpine-style ascent. "Very satisfying trip." Took 4 gas cylinders and 4 days food. 21 abseils and 4 pitches of rock climbing. Mear did much of lead climbing: lighter weight and younger than Scott.