원정 개요

1st summit party of Calder, Casserley, George and Holland planned to leave C3 20th May for C4, Sherpas to join them from C2, but never moved above C4 because weather forecast predicted strong wind, so instead went down to C2 and BC on 21st.

Next party left C4 for top on 4th June: all members (except David and Todd) plus Sherpas Pasang Dawa, Gurmin Dorje, Lhakpa Thudu, Fura Sonam, Dawa Nuru, Tapche Bhote and Chewang Dorje left C4 at 10:30 pm on 4th. At 2:30 am of 5th the Balcony reached by Calder, Birrer, Holland, Casserley, Klein, George, Gurmin Dorje, Lhakpa Thudu and one Sherpa and waited there for other Sherpas to come up to them with the oxygen supplies they would need for safe round trip to top and back to C4. Parfet not feeling well and turned back to C4 from about 8400m. Davey and Milne reached 8200m, where Milne who suddenly dropped dead (presumably heart attack) at 2:30 am. Other Sherpas were busy trying to revive Milne, which was why they had not joined Calder, et al. There was no sign of life in Milne; his body left near trail covered with stones. Now very suddenly black clouds moved in, wind became very strong and it got very much colder, so all at Balcony turned down to C4 and on down to C2 same day. Climb now finished because weather forecasts were for more bad weather.

Weather forecasts in May and early June proved quite wrong and Todd plans to try to find out why.

Oxygen: all members from C3 to high points to wherever their supplies ran out in descent; Sherpas in C4 to high points to C4.

Sherpas to the Balcony on Everest:
Gurmin Dorje, 23/3/76, Pangboche, Everest X3
Lhakpa Thudu, 20/5/70, Pangboche, Everest X2, Annapurna X1
Dawa Nuru, 28 years, Pangboche, no 8000ers
Chewang Dorje, Pangboche, 23 years, no 8000ers
Fura Sonam, 35, Pangboche, no 8000ers (brother of Lhakpa Thudu)
Tapche Bhote, 25 years, Hatiya, Makalu VDC, no 8000ers
(not man with same name from same village who summited Cho Oyu in 2003)

Other Sherpas:
Pasang Dawa, Pangboche

Lhotse bid:

Only one attempt was made to reach Lhotse's top. Claire David and Pemba Tshering made their C4 on 4 June at 7600m, having climbed there from C3 at 7300m up Lhotse's West Face; got to about 8000m and then the wind and cold and black clouds sent them down to C2.

David used oxygen from C4 to 8000m, Pemba Tshering used none.

Sherpas to Lhotse:
Pemba Tshering, 1965, Pangboche, Everest X2, Lhotse X1