원정 개요

BC at normal site
C1 at not quite top of Icefall
C2 in Western Cwm
C3 on Lhotse Face
C4 just below Col but normal site.

Used 3-nation team's fixed ropes above C3 to S Col. Australians did some but not all Icefall maintenance after having put in entire route through Icefall; were ahead of 3-nation's team to C3, then deliberately waited for others to put up C4 thus putting in rope to that point; asked to wait by 3-nation team who now had great load carrying capacity and moving faster to meet their May 5th summit date.

1st Aussie summit team [Rheinberger, Muir, Strohfeldt, Smith, Curry and Truscott] did not get higher than C3; turned back by wind on 12 May.

2nd summit team [Farmer, Lambert, Van Gelder, Zaharias] got to S Col 14th May and to 8500m 16th; deep snow (knee-deep) took 11 hrs to reach this point and going too slowly and returned to C4 on 16th.

3rd summit team [Boyne, Cullinan] slowed by deep snow in icefall (left BC 16th, to C2 17th, arrived C3 18th, C4 19th) and spent next 6 nights at C4 and set out for top. Bayne on top 12:30 pm (afternoon) 25th and Cullinan 14:30 pm 25th; Cullinan back at C4 at 11 pm, Bayne couple of hours earlier. Spent all 26th exhausted in C4. Arrived C2 evening 27th and BC 28th having used at least 5 oxygen bottles each from C3 to top and at C4.

4th summit team were Rheinberger, Curry, Strohfeldt, Muir, Truscott and McCullagh. 19th Truscott turned back from C2 exhausted while others to C3; Muir stayed at C3 sick. On 20th other 4 to Col and spent nights of 20th and 21st, MuCullagh down on 22nd, Curry and Strohfeldt down on 23rd and Rheinberger to C2 on 24th till 30th.

Curry and Muir were 5th team: left BC 26th and arrive C2 same day, C2 to C4 27th, left C4 12:15 am (midnight) 28th; Curry's Japanese oxygen system malfunctioned (Australians own oxygen supply exhausted and only Muir had any by now) and he turned back at 8500m while Muir went on to summit, arrived there at 11:15 am 28th, returned to C4 at 4:30 pm 28th; both down to C2 on 29th (arrived at 4:30 pm) and BC 30th (midday).

Only accident: Pitham fell 500 ft on Lhotse Face into crevasse - merely bruised.

3 members in BC only: Allen, Delaney, Trenam
3 members to C2 only
4 members to C3 only
6 members to C4 only
6 members reached 8500m only
3 members reached summit
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25


Brooks & Rheinberger - 5 June 1988

No attempt made to climb West Ridge, for which had permission. Rheinberger: "we kept it as an option till we saw how much 3-nation expedition would tolerate us."

Towards end of climbing period when 3-nation team was with leaving from Everest, several Australian members urged them to take on some Sherpas to send up load-carrying and save members strength - matter was debated and decision went against the idea.


18 May 1988

Australians 2-3 May reached Col - after that leader and some members went at Lobuche 26-27 and others 2-3 May.
Left BC 13th May.
Brookes said they attempt would summit 13-14 May.
No one had occupied Australians Col camp, as far as Isono knows, before he left BC.


1 June 1988

John Muir on 28 May to summit.

Chris Curry and Muir left C4 (at midnight) 12 pm but Curry had to turn back because problem of oxygen bottle not functioning well. Muir on top 11:16 hours on 28 May - saw Japanese flag.

Oxygen cyclinder and prayer flags of 3-nation expedition; he was extremely happy.

Muir and Curry reached C4 15 hours same day.