원정 개요

C2 at East Col
High point at 9:30 am on East Ridge

Lhakpa Chhiri and Tenji were fixing rope at 6900m when Tenji lost his balance and fell, dragging Lhakpa Chhiri down with him. The fall caused two of the anchors to be pulled out. Jonsson was climbing below and got pulled down due to the impact. Tenji and Lhakpa fell about 400m; Jonsson was able to stop himself after about 5m; he sprained his ankle.

Tenji stopped inside a small crevasse about 6550m; he was dislocated hip and shoulder. Tenji was lowered to C2 by Reilly and Phuri. There he was wrapped up and lowered down to C1, where they arrived at 2 am on 25 March. The next day (25 March) he walked with assistance to intermediate camp and he arrived at BC on the 27th.

Lhakpa broke part of his knee. He was also lowered down from the site of the accident. He followed the same time frame as Tenji on his return to Kathmandu. He was kept in hospital for a few days.

Jonsson stayed at C2 with Karlsson on 24 March but was picked up by Lhakpa Kongle on 25 March and helped down to C1. On 26 March Lhakpa Kongle and Phuri Sherpa helped him down to intermediate camp and on 27 March to BC.

All three injured climbers were picked up by an army helicopter from BC on 27 March.

Injuries:
Jonsson: sprained ankle
Tenji: dislocated right hip and shoulder
Lhakpa: broken knee

Other members:

Fitscen climbed to ABC but abandoned the climb as it was too hard for her on 23 March.

Radun only got to Lobuche, where he felt the start of pulmonary edema and descended on 8 March.

Vulk, Reisinger, Segelstrom, Fordberg were on their way to C1 when the accident happened (24 March). Vulk and Reisinger carried on to C1 and stayed the night; they descended to BC the next day. Segelstrom and Fordberg turned back and stayed the night at ABC.

Sherpas:
- Tenji Sherpa - Patle/Okhaldhunga - 1982, Everest Spring 2004 and 2005
- Lhakpa Chhiri Sherpa - Kurima/Solukhumbu - 1964, Everest X2
- Lhakpa Karmu Sherpa - Patle/Okhaldhunga - 1978, no 8000ers
- Lhakpa "Kongle" Sherpa- Patle/Okhaldhunga - 24/1/64, Everest Spring 05
- Phuri Sherpa - Patle/Okhaldhunga - 1969, Everest N Spring 04
- Nima Doma Sherpa - Ghat/Solukhumbu - 1986, no 8000ers
- Ang Shera Sherpa - Patle/Okhaldhunga - 1976, no 8000ers

Jay Reilly left BC on 30 March with Lhakpa Karmu. All remaining members left on 29 March for Namche.


Australian Pumori expedition - Spring 2006
Leader Jay Reilly, 2 May 2006

The climb was abandoned immediately after the accident on 24 March because of the effort and the manpower needed to evacuate the injured Sherpas. After three days' effort, members and uninjured Sherpas were exhausted.

There are two explanations of how the accident happened. One is that Tenji lost his balance and pulled the others with him. The other and more probable one is that Jansson pulled out a snowbar anchor and the Sherpas fell as a result of the Swede's fall.

The normal route via the SE Face to east ridge is becoming increasingly dangerous from avalanching and more and more technical with, for example, newly-opened large crevasses across the East Ridge. The safer route is the South Ridge.