원정 개요

C1 at top of Icefall and entrance to Western Cwm
High point at C1.

This was a film team from the British channel ITN filming the retreat of glaciers. From Lukla they went first to Chhukung to film Imja Lake, which has expanded from greater glacier melt, then to Everest/Nuptse BC. Their original plan was to go into the Western Cwm to film from C2, but Dawa Steven of Asian Trekking, who was advising and guiding them, convinced them a better site for filming was between C1 and C2, and this became their objective.

But the two members who went above BC, England and Mates, were not fit. It took them 13 hours to climb from BC to C1 at the top of the Icefall and then the entrance to the Western Cwm.

They spent one night in C1, the night of 15 November. It was a miserable night during which no one could sleep because of the fierce wind (at least 50 knots/hr), which knocked their tents. The wind, which was extremely cold, also blew out their stoves, so they cold not boil water or cook food, and they became very hungry and thirsty. It also blew ice crystals against their faces.

The next morning, after the sun had come up and it was clear that the wind was not abating at all. Dawa Steven declared this climbing phase of the program was over and all must descend to BC immediately. The British members protested that they needed to rest in C1 for a day, but Dawa Steven was adamant that they must go down.

The members were very slow moving down; it took them nine hours to reach BC. Their slowness gave Dawa Steven frostnipped toes; his boots were not meant for such a situation. One of the Britons had to be helped down by a Sherpa on each side of him and one short-ropping him.

But they got there on the 16th. Dawa Steven left BC on the 17th, but the members stayed and rested there for two days. From BC, they and three Sherpas, Pemba Tenzing, Tshering Thundu and Tshering Phinjo went to Gokyo Lake for more filming before they flew from Lukla to Kathmandu on 7 December.

Sherpas:
Dawa Steven, 11/3/84, Kathmandu, Cho Oyu X1, Everest X2, Lhotse X1
Nawang Karsang, 26/11/67, Khumjung, Everest X2
Pemba Tenzing, 6/1/88, Khumjung, Everest 21/5/07
Pemba Tshering, 18/4/79, Khumjung, Everest X2, Lhotse X1
Tshering Phinjo, 29/4/73, Khumjung, Everest 20/5/06
Tshering Thundu, 4/10/74, Khumjung, Everest X3, Cho Oyu X1