원정 개요

BC southwest of Mesakantu Pass
C1 at foot of rocky fore with buttress
C2 at center of rock
C3 at above rocky section on ice.

1st part of N Ridge is a steep rocky face. Above this was ice which was not so difficult as rock but same parts required exact ice technique. 1st summit attack on 18th Oct unexpectedly: team who had made C3 were expected to come down and be replaced by other team. Had had blizzard on 4th and 5th Oct leaving 1m snow but in mid-Oct weather cold but stable.

1st team of Gribec and Horka established C3 alone (C3=1 tent) on 17th and on 18th started to summit in morning and reached top 6 pm (seen there from BC) without biv equipment. So late on top meant they had to spend night at or near top because route there too difficult to descend at night even with headlamps. Was windy and very cold so biv must have been exhausting.

2nd team Palecek and Krachmar were in C1 that night and on 19th 6:30 am saw 1st team descending, this last sight of team alive. Went up quickly and arrived C2 while Smida and doctor with oxygen to C1. 20th Palecek, strongest member, to C3 while Krachmar waited in C2. Palecek on up wall from buttress, reached summit at 10:00 am and found there toys left there by 1st team. Stayed on top 15 mins and then descended while looking down during descent 600m below top and 300m side from route he saw 2 bodies of 1st team. Took a camera and other things from them, covered them with snow and marked place with upper part of their ice ax which was broken. Smida arrived C3 and Palecek confirmed their death by having fallen. Immediately abandoned climb except to clear camps. Left BC 25th Oct.


Letter from Bobak Jiri

On 18 Oct at 6 pm reached 7134m summit of Tilicho on 19 Oct at 6:30 am. Left the summit, slipped in the snow and found tangled in rope 600m below summit.

Mr Ludwik left base camp on 20 Oct in search of these two members but he reached the summit on 21 Oct at 10 am without oxygen. He stayed 15 minutes at summit while descending he found these two members dead tangling in the rope. He took photographs of the dead persons, but left the dead bodies on the same condition, and he came back to base camp on 22nd Oct. No more attempts, expedition abandoned.