원정 개요

C1 at NE Col
C2 on NE Ridge
C3 on NE Ridge.

Mansikka basically followed the standard route, but above C3 (7450m on the NE Ridge) he took a shortcut by traversing to the right from the ridge not so far as most climbers, perhaps 200m short of the standard trail.

The weather was fine during the first part of his final ascent: clear sky with very little wind until he began his descent from the top.

He left C3 for the summit at midnight of the 15th and was on the top at 11:00 am of the 16th. His ascent waas slowed by the difficulty he had with his shortcut. He returned to C3 at 5:00 pm. He made an early start from C3 the next day because the night had been very wind: he left the camp at 3:00 am and was was back in BC at 6 pm after a nap in C1.

Fingers on both of his hands became frostbitten when he had difficulty with the traverse. He had only one ice axe, so he had to put his fingers into the snow to negotiate this part of the climb, and his gloves got wet. But his fingers will heal.