원정 개요

The team, two members with no Sherpas, arrived on 22 April at their BC site at 5520m, which was close to other teams' bases. But they decided for themselves where to place their higher camps, and made their C1 three days later at 6200m, away from others.

Most others made their summit bids on 18 May because they waited for the ropes to be fixed all the way to the top. But this pair did not wait and were the only team to make their final push on the 17th. They were different also because they had no camp above C3, they did this in order to save climbing time.

The two left C3 for the summit on 17 May at 0:30 hours (half an hour after midnight of the 16th/17th). They were on the top at 12:00 hours on the 17th and descended to C3, which they reached at 17:00 hours.

On the 18th they packed up all their gear, plus their garbage and trudged down to BC at 18:00 hours.

"For an 8000er this climb was not easy," Benet said. Technical difficulties arose in the area of C2.

Ropes were already fixed up to an altitude of 7000m, so they used these ropes -- and Sherpas made them pay $300 for the privilege.