Asia, Nepal, Makalu II or Kangchungtse Attempt

Publication Year: 1981.

Makalu II or Kangchungtse Attempt. Armando Menocal, Jim Jennings, Ken Morr, Geoff Radford, Mike Warburton, my wife Elizabeth and I arrived at Tumlingtar on April 17 and established Base Camp on April 26. We gradually moved up towards Makalu II, and on May 7 four of us occupied a camp at 21,000 feet. During the night Mike Warburton fell unconscious from cerebral edema. We abandoned the climb because it took the efforts of all expedition members to evacuate Mike. We got him to our Camp I at 17,500 feet (Base Camp for John Roskelley’s group) on May 12 and gave him oxygen, found by a Sherpa from the supply left there by French years before. He finally regained consciousness the next morning. He then developed blood clots in his left leg. He fell unconscious again on May 17. He had to be carried to Tumlingtar, whence he was evacuated to the hospital in Kathmandu. After two weeks in the hospital, he flew home and has recuperated.

Gene F. White