원정 개요

High CARE 2008, led by Giulio Savia - 19 Oct 2008

The CARE in the expedition's name is an acronym for cardiology (CA) and research (RE). The main purpose was to collect a great amount of detailed data a high altitudes in a program of scientific research in the field of cardiology.

Unfortunately the team felt it was impossible to go above C2 because of the dangerous avalanching which came down from Lhotse's West Face, Everest's SW Face and Nuptse's North Face. One avalanche pushed two of the expedition's Sherpas, Phurba Ongel and Nima Tenzing, 200m down from C1 towards the Icefall; luckily they were unharmed. Icefall seracs were crashing down, ladders were crushed and crevasses were opening.

Furthermore, the weather was very cold. Inside a tent at BC the temperature was minus 10 degrees Celsius. Weather forecast from Austria and Italy predicted 50 km/hr winds and temperatures of at least minus 15 degrees Celsius at the South Col.

The expedition's high point was C2 at 6400m reached on 4 October by Fisher, Garanzini, Mandrini, Masciaga, Pelfini, Ang Pemba, Dowa Sherpa, Mingmar Dorje, Ngima Sherpa, Nima Tenzing, Phurba Ongdel and Ringi Sherpa. They stayed only one night and went back to BC the next day.

The team fixed no rope. It was not necessary to fix the route up the easy slope from C1 to C2, and the Icefall route from BC to C1 was fixed by the "Icefall doctors" hired by the SPPC (the quasi-government Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee).

Other members high points:

Contini remained in BC through the climbing period. She was a nurse, not a climber.

Flaemig was a journalist and a not a climber; he went no higher than C1.

Frassetti had poor health and did not go above BC.

Iacchini went to C2 on 4 October but did not sleep there; he was vomiting and returned to C1, and never went higher.

Santambrogio did not go above BC and left the expedition on 3 October; he had a bad leg.

Savia the leader, did not go above BC.

Wobst-Wylezol, another journalist, went to C1 only.

Sherpas:
Ang Pemba, 1/10/84, Yilajung, Namche-9, Everest X2
Dawa Sherpa, 25/8/60, Makalu-9
Mingmar Dorje, Tapting-1
Ngima Sherpa, 2/12/72, Sikli, Jubing-9, Solu, Everest X2, Cho Oyu X4
Nima Tenzing, 1980-81 (2037), Paiya, Jubing-7, Solu
Phurba Ongdel, 30/7/81, Makalu-9
Ringi Sherpa, 22/5/64, Patle-6, Okhaldhunga, no 8000ers