원정 개요

C2 at high C2
C3 at low C3
C4 at South Col.

The expedition's summit party left C4 for the top at 9:00 pm on 18 May. They were three members and three Sherpas: Kober, Schwab and Sullivan with Mingma Dorje, Nima Thundu and Pasang Bhote. However, it was only Sullivan and Mingma Dorje who reached the summit. Schwab got to 8300m, then gave up his summit bid because he was exhausted and one toe was becoming frostbitten. Nima Thundu turned back with him, and they retreated to C4. Kober turned around just below the South Summit at about 8700m, also too tired to continue his ascent, and Pasang Bhote went back to C4 with him.

Sullivan and Mingma Dorje went on to the summit, where they arrived at 11:45 am on 19 May in cold and very windy weather. They returned to C4 to spend that night. They were delayed in getting to C4 by stopping to help an American climber who was somersaulting down the mountain below the Balcony.

The team's tents at C3 were taken away by an ice avalanche while they were making their summit attempt. Schwab descended to C2 on the 19th while the other members followed him there on the 20th.

Oxygen was used by members from C3 to high points down to various places: Kober to C4, Sullivan to C2, Schwab to bottom of Lhotse face (about 6600m). Sherpas used it from C4 to to high points to C4 or lower.

Other non-summiting members:

Eneling reached only 5640m (in Icefall), was asthamatic, left expedition on 19 April.

Rajagopalan also reached only 5640m, lacked motivation to continue, left team on 17 April.

Tuncel reached C3, descended, and later tried to go high but turned back at only 6150m on 17 May with a respiratory problem and exhaustion.

Summit Party Sherpas:
Mingma Dorje/Mingmar Dorji, 17/7/79, Tapting-1, Solu, Everest X3
Nima Thundu, 28/4/80, Pangboche, Khumbu, Everest X2
Pasang Bhote, 19/5/86, Chepuwa-4, (son of Lhakpa Bhote), Everest X3, Cho Oyu X2

Note: Pemba Rita and Dawa Tenzin (originally with this expedition) summited with the Peak Promotion Indian team led by Umesh Zirpe on 19 May.