원정 개요

The team's departure from Kathmandu was delayed by several days by the failure of their third member Peter Benson to join them. He was struck in England by a ban for days on all flights because of Icelandic volcanic ash in the sky; in fact, he was able to book seats from London to Kathmandu so late, then Bullock had to email him not to come at all because of the two members problems on their trek to BC.

Bullock and Helliker went by road from Kathmandu to Pokhara and a village beyond, Paribas, on 20 April and started on their trek to BC the same day via the Seti Khola. They left without items Benson was supposed to bring from England: Helliker's boots, satellite phone, bivvy tent and solar chargers.

They had to contend with heavy rainfall and hailstones every day and porters and replacement porters frequent defections. They encountered a snow-covered col leading up to to a steep technical ridge, and finally 50m of a steep glaciated wall of rubble. They called a halt to their aproach march at the wall on 23 April.

They were back in Pokhara on 25 April and in Kathmandu the 27th. But they were already planning a return attempt in October with a helicopter flight from Pokhara to BC. During this very expensive recce they had seen nothing of the mountain, but had learned that the original way to BC for the SE Ridge had become impossible.