Bulging Peak Was Climbed In Wintry Calm

Press, Volume C, Issue 29500, 29 April 1961, Page 8

Bulging Peak Was Climbed In Wintry Calm

|fnm DESMOND DORS, wit* the Hillary Expedition in the Himalayas)

ALTHOUGH changing weather could have trapped them high on the mountain, four members of the Himalayan wintering party of the Hillary Expedition succeeded in reaching the summit of Ama Dablam (22,310 ft early in the afternoon of March 13. No less a person than Sir John Hunt, leader of the Everest Expedition which conquered that highest of all peaks, considered Ama Dablam as impossible to climb.

It was five days before the news cf the successful assault reached Katmandu. Even then, by unhappy circumstances. the full story of this considerable mountaineering achievement could not be told. After a winter spent workini at the foot of this magnificent but difficult-looking mountain. Dr. Michael Ward, who led the successful assault, decided that there could be a route along a ridge which reaches into the Mingbo Valley, where the expedition has its highest camp. "A preliminary reconnaissance along the route was made by Wally Romanes and

sherpa Pemba Tshering," Dr. Ward wrote after the climb. “They reached the overhang on the Yellow Tower that had defeated previous parties. “Three days later Barry Bishop, the American glaciologist, and myself camped on a snow shelf at the foot of the tower. Next day we managed to dimb this with the help of artificial appliances. Overhang “We were now Joined by Michael Gill, a New Zealand medical student, who completed the assault party. - "Beyond the tower the ridge abutted against the main mass of the mountains. The route became ’ increasingly steep and two rock steos interrupted by a mixed snow and rock ridge were the next obstacles “The first rock step, seamed by an overhanging crack, was climbed with the help of artificial means and we managed to avoid the second rock step by taking to a steep gully “An almost horizontal ridge with strange ice formations followed and this ended at a 10ft overhanging ice wall. This we climbed, again with artificial aids. "We were now on a sloping icefield about 1300 ft from the summit Here at 21.000 ft. we scooped a cave in the ice and in it we slept for three nights. Great Sight "Our attempt on the summit took place on March 13. after a day's preparation of the route. The last MO -feet of climbing was on beautiful snow at an angle at 40 to M degrees. The summit, which we reached at 130 pm., was a slightly crevasaed icecap the size of two tennis courts. “Around us a most impressive array of peaks included some of the world’s highest—Everest, Lhotse. Makalu and Cho-oyu. Large and angry cumulus clouds were forming on them as we left the summit after an orgy of photography. "The descent of the mountain was uneventful until below the Yellow Tower. There Girme Dork, one of our sherpas, had a rock break under him. and broke a leg. It took a further three days to carry him off the moun- ■ tain.r Always Danger Dr. Ward ean be accused of undue modesty. From other reports, the mountain was obviously the great challenge it was considered to be. Its monstrous overhangs bulged menacingly above the climbers. When they dared hang

their appliance on the ice face they were hideously exposed to a wind that threatened to tear them from the mountain. Dizzy precipices fell thousands of feet to glaciers below. For their tents the climbers built rock platforms and when there .were neither rocks nor space on which to pitch their tents they dug themselves an ice cave. Barry Bishop describes the ice cave, with a constant temperature of 28 degrees Fahrenheit, as comfortingly warm. For once they were out of the freezing gale, a “morale breaker,” and nights were comfortable even if sleep were disturbed by thoughts of the weather changing and trapping them on the mountain. Clouds Gather To appreciate this fear it should be remembered that climbing in the Himalayan winter was an unknown quantity. And, although the weather had held for weeks and conditions for climbing were perfect, the wind was wild and unpredictable and clouds were gathering along

the surrounding peaks. The cold was depressingly constant. When Barry Bishop, Struggling to fix a rope, gripped a Karkbiner in his mouth, .It froze to. his tongue. When be removed his glove for a law minutes he suffered a frost-bitten thumb and index finger. On the way down the party was assisted by a cleverly contrived aerial tram tor the tmds . But then Girme Dorji broke his leg. The weather had broken and. in the words of Barry Bishop, “it was hell because of the fresh snow; terrible, just terrible; we were clinging on for dear life.*’ That was on March 15. The next day it snowed again. The descent was now a nightmare in which Mike Gill and Mike Ward carried Sherpa Dorji between them, with Wally Romanes belaying and Barry Bishop and sherpa Pemba Tshering following with the loads. Deductions - They struggled down until night threatened, then bivouacked where they could. On March 17. assisted by Dr. Jim Milledge and sherpas who had come up to assist them, the party reached Mingbo base camp, and the

mountain was clear. Two days later a Swiss Red Cross International plane made the difficult landing at Mingbo air strip, at 15,200 feet, to bring Girme Dorji to hospital in Katmandu. Out of this quite amazing mountaineering feat have come some useful deductions. Success of the venture depended largely upon the fitness and long acclimatisation of all members of the assault team. The mountain had become familiar. “We had looked at it so long,” said Barry Bishop, “that we felt we knew it. It caused no subconscious apprehension.” Most important, the weather was good and the climb was attempted at what the scientists in the party believe is the only time of the year in which the mountain could possibly be scaled—in late winter. Then the intense cold freezes the mountain fairly solid so that much of the danger of avalanches is re-

moved. At the same time modern clothing adequately combats the cold. ■ And. unexpectedly, the spowfall in winter is slight St high altitude, more snow falling below 14,000 feet than above that level. In spring, when the mountain was previously attempted. there was considerable fresh snow and avalanches had begun to crash down the precipitous slopes of Ama Dablam. As I write this the first snowfall of spring has raged about our camps at 17,800 and 19,200 feet on the slopes of the mountain. Eighteen inches of fresh snow have fallen in a day. Again Ama Dablam is impossible. (Copyright ISM—by World Book Encyclopedia. Chicago. Distributed by Opera Mundi. Paris.)

In fito bother tbot fstttart'memtanwr OtoEUL lary Esiiiiitlsa bad eanguered Ama Dablam ■Mb sat proper peraria■fariaa. fall details, of that miaatahuiriagfaat wore slew to teach the outride world. Now Girme Derji, the sherpa who broke his leg on the mountain and had to be tarried down, is babbling about on crutches at a Katmandu hospital—and the four sen > safe I cumbers have returned to the routine of their normal dntieo with the expt dltisn. ' This is the first full account of the stirring climb which.took then l to the summit.of Ama Dablam at 24> pJn., on March IS.