원정 개요

BC 14/04 5350m
C1 21/04 5900m
C2 01/05 6440m
C3 17/05 7000m
C4 18/05 7900m
Smt 19/05 by Franke Salco and Lama Tenji at 9:30 am
Smt 20/05 by Ling at 7:30 am, Zangaro Renato and Ayesha, Santalena, Pemba Rita,
Anup Gurung, Damai Sarki Sherpa, 7:43 am.

Team reached C4 at 6:30 pm on 18/05. The Zangaro's and Santalena knew that they would be too exhausted to climb the following day, so they decided to stay. When they reached C4 they realized that six bottles of oxygen were missing. They radioed to BC and the agency managed to get six bottles from Lhotse C4 (from Madison Mountaineering).

Franke Salco, Ling, Lama Tenji, Phura Gyalgen left C4 at 9:40 am. After one hour Ling turned back with Phura Gyalgen as he said it was too windy. Franke Salco and Lama Tenzing continued to the summit. They descended to C4, where they stayed the night.

20/05 Summit team and Kriger left C4 at 7 pm on 19/05. Straightforward climb. No traffic jams. They spent about 25 minutes on the summit. On the way down Renato Zangaro noticed he had frostbite on his left thumb. They descended to C4, where they arrived at 2 pm.

Kriger reached 8050m, but he felt dizzy and thought he had HACE and turned back. He rested at C4 and continued to C2 later that day on 20/05. On 20/05 he was flown from C2 to BC.

On 21/05 the second summit team reached C2. Renato Zangaro was heli-vaced from C2 due to frostbite on his left thumb. It is 3rd degree and will be fine.

When Zangaro was picked up by by helicopter on 21/05 at 5 pm, Damai Sarki was at the heli-pad. He was on his knees trying to direct the helicopter, but the wind must have pushed him into a crevasse. The crevasse was not very wide, but 50 metres deep. At first nobody noticed that Damai Sarki was gone. Willie Benegas descended into the crevasse and attached him to a rope and the others pulled him up. He was very beaten up, but still alive. Maurizio Fiolini (helicopter pilot) picked him up and wanted to fly him to Kathmandu, but weather was too bad so they brought him to Khunde hospital where he died at 10 pm.

Everyone took helicopter apart on 23/05 from Franke Salco, who walked to Lukla.

Sherpas:
Damai Sarki, Jubing-5, Khumbu, 08/01/1988
Lama Tenji (used to work for Adventure Consultants)
Pemba Rita, Beding, Dolakha, 31/08/1979
Anup Gurung, Swara-5, Gorkha 26/03/1989

Oxygen: Taken and used from C3 to top to C3 by Sherpas and members.


Willi Benagas account of Damai Sarki's crevasse fall on 21/05:

According to Willie Benegas, Damai Sarki was directing the helicopter who had landed in line with a crevasse right next to it. When he stepped back he fell into the crevasse, which was about body-width. It was about 5 pm. This differs from Santalena's account who said that Damai Sarki was on his knees and blown into the crevasse by the force of the wind of the helicopter.

Nobody really noticed that he was gone. The Sherpas tried to fish him out with a rope, but that did not work. Damian and Willie set up the anchor, Willie descended into the crevasse and brought him up. The helicopter was already waiting (Maurizio Folini) and Willie flew out of C2 with Damai Sarki directly to Namche. They went to hospital, but he could not be saved, Willie thinks he stopped breathing at about 10:45 pm.