원정 개요

BC at Chhukung Panorama Lodge
Biv2 on North Face
Biv3 on North Ridge.

The two member, Sherpa-less team established their base on 13 October at 4730m at Chhukung Panorama Lodge in Chhukung village, but before attacking Ama Dablam, they went to acclimatize on Chhukung Ri (5559m) and Island Peak, both above Chhukung village. They reached Chhukung Ri's summit on 15 October and slept on it for three nights, then back to their base on the 18th. On the 23rd they summited Island Peak also in a one-day's climb. Finally on the 27th they left for the north side of Ama Dablam.

They trekked southwest to Shanjo/Shangtso village on the trail to Dingboche, then south to Duwo/Dumo Glacier, which is directly north of Ama Dablam's North Face. They made ABC at 4855m on the moraine and slept there on 30 October. Now it was snowing, so they returned to base the next day.

On 3 November they were back in ABC and having a close look at a route up the North Face and the traverse to the North Ridge and the summit. The following day they moved from ABC to their first bivouac at 5877m and on the 5th to their second bivouac at 6358m on the very steep (60-90 degrees) face.

They crossed the face diagonally to the left to North Ridge at 6400mm on 6 November. They continued up the ridge to 6500m. But snow conditions made it impossible to go higher on the ridge. The snow was very loose on the East Face, and at 10:15 am a snow avalanche hit them and carried them down ten meters. On the North Face the snow was like sugar. They started down the North Ridge, but at 6300m they encountered cornices and seracs. It was impossible to descend the ridge any farther. They did not have enough equipment to fix ropes to rappel down the face. "We were trapped" said Goettler. They could neither retreat nor advance.

They bivouacked here at a small col on the ridge and called their Kathmandu agent to send a rescue helicopter, but they worried that night that a helicopter might not be able to reach them because a strong wind was blowing from the west.

According to their written report of their rescue, the wind dropped the next morning, the 7th. Above and below their bivouac there were tall seracs, and Hiraide climbed to the top the serac below to fix a rope with a snow bar for their rescue. They decided that Goettler would be taken off first and all their expedition gear, including tent, food, fuel, two 50m ropes, medical kit and phone, would be left with Hiraide. The helicopter circled them from the east in a light breeze about 9 am its to skids touched down on the top of the serac, and took Goettler to Chhukung. David was rescued.

Hiraide waited at the top of the serac for the helicopter to return for him. It came 30 centimeters from him, but his instinct told him that it would be too dangerous for him to board. At the moment when he was hesitating the helicopter slid on the couloir of the NE Face "with a bang and roar." Black smoke billowed out, and there was a strong smell of oil. (Hiraide did not actually see the helicopter's rotor touch the serac because he was crouching in the snow). The pilot, Sabin Basnet, and the engineer, Purna Awale, were killed.

On the following day, the 8th, Hiraide was also plucked of the mountain. At 7:00 am he heard the sound of a helicopter engine and as it approached, he gestured to the pilot that the top of the serac was a danger to the rotor; the pilot flew in several circles to check conditions and informed Hiraide that they could not pick him up where he was on the serac. He gestured that he would climb down 50m to a flat place. He was rescued 15 minutes later and, with all their gear, flown to Lukla.

Hiraide's thumb was slightly frostbitten.