원정 개요

C1 at top of Icefall
C2 at West Cwm
C3 on Lhotse Face
C4 at South Col.

Left C4 16th 8:45 pm, on top about 9:00 am Zachary and Mingma together. Frostbite due to taking off outer gloves to manueover better when difficult sections especially Hillary Step and even on way down did not focus on need to put gloves back on. Had difficulties at ice shelve just above Col and couldn't see route but went off to left and lost track of what happened next; next thing to remember was noise, woke up to lights used by Discovery Team using filming and then had Pasang Tshering with Belgiums calling him to get up. 8:30 pm in tent; about 2 hours gap in memory. Went on oxygen as soon as got in tent for hands, which were realized had 3 badly frostbitten fingers. Mingma went on ahead of Zachary since Zachary had said during ascent for him to go ahead.

Used oxygen intermittently from C3 to C4 and on to top and down (probably not going down Hillary Step). When back in tent at C4 probably supply had run out. Mingma from C4 to top and down. Used to C3 on 18th again intermittently. Slept in C3. 19th in C2 and 20th to BC. Zachary has rope burn on left arm above wrist.


Willie Benegas (leader of a US expedition on Everest that summited on 17 May) - 24 May 2004

Zachary collapsed on glacier just above South Col. Sherpas of other Asian Trekking clients were sent up to search for Zachary; they went up with bad headlamps, didn't find him, came back, were told to look again and on 3rd search found him at 10:00-11:00 pm.