원정 개요

C1 at North Col
High point on North Ridge.

Intended to climb via Great Couloir, but there was so much snow that too great avalanche danger so made no attempt to leave normal route. For my benefit, we established a camp at 7500m with 2 tents and fair supplies because otherwise too far between camps. Stocked 1 tent at 7800m (Hungarians had pitched 2 tents and coordinated efforts) but never slept there. Planned C4 at 8300-8400m but did not get there. 20th Sept so others went down from C2 to ABC - weather deteriorated so down by Hommer to BC with two trips to ABC but bad weather (snowfall and wind) recurred. Once Homer spent 15 days in ABC waiting for avalanching to stop and snowfall to hold off and wind to abate. Hommer's highest point was 7500m camp which reached but never slept there because no space in camp. High point of 7800m, site for C3, fixing rope there and setting up a camp. Hommer had problems with residual ends of left leg and scar tissue because so dry it cracked open and split from end to end and bled and hurt. On 8th Oct, the date for cut off of trying for top from ABC, "we realized summit chances had disappeared in the wind." So expedition spent next days cleaning the mountain. Hommer would have made a summit attempt even with leg problem because only "aggravating not debilitating." Felt "pretty disappointed," took 25 years to get to Everest; disappointing and frustrating to get so close and not to have weather good period. "We had given it our best shot." "Yes!" (want to go again in 2003, may be in spring).


Ed Hommer - 12 August 2001

Both amputations 4 inches above ankle. Lost his both lower legs after a light plane he was piloting crashed over North America's Mt McKinley in Alaska in 1981. His legs became frostbitten after he was stranded on the mountain for several days.

This 1st time I'm allowing anyone to assist him - Sherpa will do so.