원정 개요

C1 at North Col.


Email from Amit Choudhury - 29 June 2005

1st summit bid by Dhaiya, Ramakanth, Ajit Singh and Mukherjee aborted on 21 May because of exhaustion. 2nd summit party of the 3 members and 4 Sherpas who summited left C3 at 10:30 pm (NST) 29 May; Tripathi reached summit at 5:30 am, Chaudhuri at 6:45 am and Chaitanya at 11:00 am. Tripathi returned to C3 at 11:00 pm, Chowdhary at 11:45 pm. Chaitanya climbed slowly; he was met by Tripathi at 8:00 am when Tripathi was descending at about 8650m and Chaitanya looked fit. He died somewhere in his descent; his body not found but it is believed he fell off the ridge. A third summit party was waiting at C2 for their summit bid but following Chaitamaya's disappearance, it was called off.

Oxygen used by members from C1 up to high points and down to C2; Sherpas from C3 to top to C3.

Sherpas aborted attempt of 21 May were Ang Sona, Lhakpa Nuru, Pemba Nuru and Furba Chotare.


Email from Amit Choudhury - 12 July 2005

We had one summit push on 21 May with 4 members. 3 turned back within two hours and one went on till 8550m where he also turned back. On 30th May only 3 were supposed to go and 3 went. 2 other climbers were in position at C2 for an attempt on 1 May, but did not attempt because all the oxygen was exhausted in the search efforts.

Wing Commander Tripathi got to the summit at 05:15 IST, Sgt. Chowdhary at 06:30 and Chaitanya at 09:45h. They all left the camp at 10:30 pm on 29th. Chaitanya reached at 10:45 and not 09:45. Tripathi got back at 09:45 pm and Chowdhary at 11:25 pm.

We have not been able to find out why Chaitanya was so far behind his teammates.

All Sherpas reached the summit.

Chaitanya was slow that day. On his return, he encountered a snowstorm, somehow he was separated from Jamling, his oxygen finished around 1st Step. His body has been seen by Russell Brice near the place where Mallory's body lies.

Dahiya reached 8550m; Ajit Mukherjee and Saini turned back within 2 hours of setting out from summit camp early on 21st May.

Col Mukherjee was frostbitten on the summit attempt. He will lose a part of one finger of his right hand.

Most oxygen from North Col to the summit stopped at 7700m. Sherpas used oxygen from 8300m and back. Jamling's oxygen finished near 1st Step on the way back.

We all left BC on 4 June.


Summit Sherpas:
Jamling Bhote, 1977, Sankhuwasabha, 1st 8000er
Pasang Sona, aka Ang Sona, 21/7/77, Thami Og, Everest X3, Cho Oyu X1
Pemba Nuru, 17/1/77, Thami, Everest X1
Phurba Chhoter, 20/8/71, Thami


Amit Chowdhury - 14 Dec 2007 (extract from email to Paul Firth)
 
"Next day I met all the climbers of other expeditions who went to the summit on 2nd Jun 05 and I asked them about having seen our member. Chaitanya was very popular amongst all the members of other teams, they know him very well and were very concerned about him but they reported in the negative. Our conclusions were unanimous; during his decent, badly affected by exhaustion and very strong blizzard Chaitanya had become disoriented. Thereafter in the poor visibility he
got separated from his Sherpa. Somewhere near First Step he slipped off from the North East Ridge and fell to his death on the North Face. There are several old ropes on the route, most of them are in a bad condition. In his exhausted stage and with the poor visibility it is also possible that he had clipped a wrong rope, which has not been able to hold his fall. It is also possible that he may have forgotten to clip on being as such at the limit of his physical and mental faculties."