SummitClimb Pumori 2005: Update

This is Philip Ling with news from the International Summitclimb Pumori Expedition 2005.

We apologize for the delay in the recent dispatches however all leaders and members have been high on the mountain in preparation for the summit push. Dan has telephoned several dispatches in during the hiatus.

In the latest dispatch, Dispatch 10, we mentioned how the expedition had been divided into 3 groups in preparation for the push to the summit. However since then, it was decided to form two groups instead.

Members Rex, Greg, Roland, Frasier and John recently retired from their attempts to climb Pumori due to various reasons, and they will be missed.

The first group is led by Dan Mazur and Mark Merwin, climbing with members Liga, Alex, Roy, and Tunc.

The second group is led by Jay Reilly, Philip Ling, Kirk Morley and Elselien Te Hennepe, climbing with members Matt, Edwin, Reinhold, Karlis and Viesters.

As outlined in the previous dispatch, the first priority was to ensure that all leaders and members had met the minimum requirement of at least one night spent at Camp 1 (6100m) to aid acclimatisation, then returned to either Base Camp (5400m) or Advanced Base Camp (5800m) for a rest before heading for the summit. This they did, and then the summit push was on!

The first group departed ABC on March 22 and spent the night at Camp 1, before moving on to Camp 2 for the night, from here they would head for the summit early the next morning (March 24). Roy decided to return to Camp 1 shortly after setting out.

The second group departed ABC on March 24 and spent the night at Camp 1. They intended to head for Camp 2 on March 24 in preparation for a push for the summit March 25. However early on the morning of March 24 a freak storm brought heavy wind and snow to Camp 1, along with temperatures of -42 degrees Celsius! With conditions now simply too dangerous to climb to Camp 2, along with the time constraints, the decision was made to return to Base Camp.

Meanwhile, the first group was stuck in Camp 2 during the same storm. With nowhere to go, they decided to stay and try and ride it out. Miraculously, and beyond everyone's expectations, the storm cleared leaving the window open for a summit attempt on March 25.

More will be told about summit day in a separate dispatch.

Editorial Note: It is unclear if Phil knew of the deaths of Alex Chen and Phurba Tamang when he filed the above dispatch. We have been waiting for the follow up dispatch...

There has only been 2 accidents where climbers have died on Pumori since 1993 until this accident. In 1997 3 climbers died in a fall, and in 2001 5 Spanish climbers died in an avalanche.

to Summarize:  The Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation reports that Alex Chen and Phurba Tamang of the International Pumori Expedition 2005 (I) Team died on crevasse by slipped down from about 100 meter below the summit while descending from the summit of the Mt. Pumori on 25th March 2005 at 3:00 pm.

Summiters included: Alex and Phurba Tamang

Summiters also include  25th March 2005

1.    Mr. Daniel Lee Mazur, (44 yrs.) Leader, USA. 

2.    Ms. Liga Hartmane (28 yrs.) Member, Lativia.

3.    Mr. Jangbu Sherpa, (37 yrs.), High Altitude Worker, Patale - 4, Okhaldhunga.

4.    Mr. Mark  Merwin,  (28 yrs), Member, USA.

5.    Mr. Tunc Findik, (33 yrs.), Member, Turkey

6.    Mr. Tenji Sherpa, (22 yrs), High Altitude Worker, Patale- 4, Okhaldhunga.

7.    Mr. Phuri Sherpa, (36 yrs.) High Altitude Worker, Patale- 4, Okhaldhunga.

Our prayers are with the families; this is a dangerous sport where people die every year, but that does not make it easier for those who lose loved ones.

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