원정 개요

1st C1 at Kangshung Glacier
2nd C1 at East Ridge
High point at East Ridge.

Very difficult and dangerous route to 1st site of C1 which had to place well below snowfield planned for this camp (and where it was later placed): very sharp rock ridge with many snow mushrooms. From 1st to 2nd C1 same problem plus huge crevasse on ridge. Above 2nd C1 more severe problems and took 4 days to reach 6400m; everyday could make only 2 or 3 trips with ice and snow becoming very loose in daytime; sharp ridge with steep ice face. "I don't think it is possible" to climb this ridge in reasonable time and becoming increasingly dangerous with pieces of mushrooms breaking off - even in colder weather would take very long time and Sherpas don't want to climb this route. Would have taken 1 or 2 more months to reach NE Ridge. One member joked they might reach summit by end of the year; stopped climb before some got hit by falling ice or had bad fall.

Left BC 16th May. Sent 2 Sherpas to Karta on 7th May to bring porters, who are very difficult people demanding higher and higher wages and want to walk only 2-3 hrs daily.