원정 개요

BC at road at foot of Rongbuk Glacier
C3 at main Rongbuk Glacier north of North Face
C4 on North Face
High point at C5.

Major route problems: bergschrund at foot of face and 600m of blue ice.


1986 US Everest North Face Expedition
(received Aug 1986 from Al Read who received this from leader)

The 1986 US Everest North Face expedition reached 25,500 ft in its attempt to make the second ascent of the Great Couloir of the North Face of Mt Everest. Bad weather, avalanche danger and exhaustion delayed and then ended the team's attempt to place the last camp (C6) and a try for the summit after its time expired.

The eleven member team reached Lhasa by air on March 9 and BC at the foot of the Rongbuk Glacier by jeep and truck on March 19. C1 was established a week later and C2 (20,000) and C3 (20,500) on the main Rongbuk Glacier north of the North Face by late March.

The route from the foot of the face to C4 (23,500 ft) was obstructed by a bergschrund at the start and made more difficult by 2000 ft of blue ice. Spring conditions differed considerably from the Styrofoam-like snow in the fall of 1984 when the Australian team made the first direct ascent of the couloir. The team spent a month placing 18 fixed ropes before occupying C4 on April 19 and another three weeks putting up C5. After 5 attempts to establish the last camp, the time expired and the team turned back, reaching BC on May 24 and Lhasa two days later.

Apart from one climber who suffered frostbitten fingers and had to return, a case of snowblindness, and much respiratory sickness early in March and early April, the members of the expedition were generally healthy.

The expedition members were Todd Bibler, Carlos Buhler, Dana Coffield, Mark Jenkins, Doug Kelley, Andy Lapkass, Michael Lehner, Joe Murphy, Sandy Stewart, Ann Whitehouse and Brinton Young.