원정 개요

BC at normal Annapurna I North Face BC's site
ABC below a ridge running south 500m about thing upper head wall=S Face
C2 below upper headwall
Biv at only ridge possible without hammock on S Face.

Had more camps than perhaps normal because wanted to do new route and were looking at mountain that normally need 2 high camps. 1st climbing problem was to gain S Ridge and forced serac and southern end of this ridge. Fixed 250m to C1 at beginning of snow ridge, the S Ridge. Lost 6 kg and up of food to crows (Tibetan ravens?) at ABC. Ridge not technically difficult: no cornices. Upper head wall next which is 1000m high and ends at snow plateau. Loose shale rock with only 2 small ledges but ice fields and snow fluting. No campsites. Fixed ropes between 6000m and 6300m and then accident: Dower 12th Oct was soloing above fixed ropes when he fell at 150m (fixing rope not yet finished) and fell 50 vertical meters broke arm and fractured/clipped his pelvis. Hickie and Helmore got him down and Ridoutt rushed to Jomsom to summon a helicopter which removed him from BC 16th Oct. Now remaining climbers very tired and Dower's unnecessary risk cost the others the summit.

Resumed climb on 16th and fixed more rope. 20th Oct summit bid from C2 but climb on head wall harder than expected and got only to 6500m. Steep shaley rock and snow flutings = dangerous and steep route. Had no sleeping gear with them and getting dark so bivouacked in open at 6300m and down to C2 on 21st; no food in C2 and now Donnini now acute altitude sickness (and put on Spanish oxygen) and Ridoutt retreated with hemorrhage, so now only 2 fit climbers (doctor non-climber really and busy with sick members). C3 needed a snow plateau. Decided to stop attempt to climb on 22 Oct and went on again only to strip mountain (decision taken at C2).