Manaslu, East Ridge and Northeast Face, and Tragedy. We had
M anaslu, E ast Ridge and N ortheast F ace, a n d Tragedy. W e had originally hoped to m ake a new route on M anaslu’s southw est face but in K athm andu we w ere perm itted by the Tourism M inistry to change to the east ridge, w hich had been unsuccessfully tried by seven previous expeditions. W e reached Sam a in nine days and after a rest day ascended with 77 porters to Base Cam p at 4500 m eters. A fter initial bad w eather, we started on April 11 to set up C am p I at 5500 m eters and in three days also had Cam p II at 6000 m eters. W e fixed 800 m eters of rope betw een the cam ps. The way to C am p III at 6500 m eters was reached easily on skis. A nother high cam p was planned at 7300 m eters, but bad w eather
prevented this. On April 28 C hristian G abl , Thom as Juen, A nton Schranz and Dr. Theo L jubanovic and Sherpas Ang Kam i and Lhakpa N orbu set out from Base C am p. T heir attem pt failed in tw o-m eter-deep snow at C am p II. O n A pril 29 G ünter A ssm ann, Rudi M ayerhofer and I began, but from Cam p II to III it was only M ayerhofer, Ang Kam i and I. W e got to Cam p III at eleven A .M . on A pril 30 and took five hours to dig the tents out and arrange them . W e left again in m oonlight at ten P .M . but M ayerhofer had to turn back after 200 m eters. Ang Kam i and I bivouacked in the open at 7000 m eters at 1:30 A .M . before co n tinuing in the early m orning o f M ay 1. W e could not clim b on skis above 7300 m eters. A steep rock rib led us from there to the M anaslu Plateau, w here we jo in ed the northeast route at 7600 m eters. There were no m ore technical difficulties. W e reached the sum m it (8163 m eters, 26,780 feet) in a strong wind and dense fog at three P .M . On the descent, w hen we reached the skis, I left Ang K am i and skied and clim bed to Base C am p, w hich I reached at ten P .M ., having had nothing to eat or drink for 24 hours. Ang Kam i continued on foot, getting to C am p III at eight P .M . A second sum m it attem pt by G abl, Schranz and Juen had to be given up at 7300 m eters because o f bad w eather. At nine P .M . Juen was carried by a w indslab avalanche over a 70-m eter ice cliff. The search the next day was in vain and Schranz and Gabl descended to Base C am p. The high cam ps were evacuated on M ay 6. A fter a short service for our lost friend, we headed for K athm andu on M ay 8. W
il f r ie d
Studer,
Österreichischer Alpenverein
prevented this. On April 28 C hristian G abl , Thom as Juen, A nton Schranz and Dr. Theo L jubanovic and Sherpas Ang Kam i and Lhakpa N orbu set out from Base C am p. T heir attem pt failed in tw o-m eter-deep snow at C am p II. O n A pril 29 G ünter A ssm ann, Rudi M ayerhofer and I began, but from Cam p II to III it was only M ayerhofer, Ang Kam i and I. W e got to Cam p III at eleven A .M . on A pril 30 and took five hours to dig the tents out and arrange them . W e left again in m oonlight at ten P .M . but M ayerhofer had to turn back after 200 m eters. Ang Kam i and I bivouacked in the open at 7000 m eters at 1:30 A .M . before co n tinuing in the early m orning o f M ay 1. W e could not clim b on skis above 7300 m eters. A steep rock rib led us from there to the M anaslu Plateau, w here we jo in ed the northeast route at 7600 m eters. There were no m ore technical difficulties. W e reached the sum m it (8163 m eters, 26,780 feet) in a strong wind and dense fog at three P .M . On the descent, w hen we reached the skis, I left Ang K am i and skied and clim bed to Base C am p, w hich I reached at ten P .M ., having had nothing to eat or drink for 24 hours. Ang Kam i continued on foot, getting to C am p III at eight P .M . A second sum m it attem pt by G abl, Schranz and Juen had to be given up at 7300 m eters because o f bad w eather. At nine P .M . Juen was carried by a w indslab avalanche over a 70-m eter ice cliff. The search the next day was in vain and Schranz and Gabl descended to Base C am p. The high cam ps were evacuated on M ay 6. A fter a short service for our lost friend, we headed for K athm andu on M ay 8. W
il f r ie d
Studer,
Österreichischer Alpenverein
