원정 개요

BC at 2 km from base of face
C1 little over half way up face
C2 never slept in
High point just above C1 site.

Porters from KTM quit at 3800m through lack of experience; 8 stayed with team who had experience (shuttled gear to BC). Couldn't take normal route above BC because of frequent avalanching. Had to go straight up through icefall, where fixed 400m of rope. After 5 days of route making, entire rope wiped out by avalanche after return to BC and buried all equipment for C2 which was at 5300m. 5 days to dig out tents and food and stoves. 29th Rolfe reached C1. 29th 5:27 am huge avalanche hit BC and took out kitchen and tents (but got them back). 30th Rolfe carried load to C1 intending to stay there with Patrikios, but heavy snow that afternoon and down to BC. Snowed all day 1st and 2nd May with 2-3 feet snow at BC. 3rd Jamison and Patrikios to C1 and had to dig it out from snow and took it down. Now decided to leave mountain.

With Rolfe was Parsu Ram Rai (aka Tshering) during climb. Unusually cold (at night -25 at BC on about 31 March). Team's reduced by 5th member, Robert Fox, leaving before arrivng at BC and Wright's reluctance to go very far (he went up from BC only twice, got across glacier to bottom of fixed ropes at 5050m and retreated, frightened).