Tseringma Peak, Gaurishankar Group. Our aim was to climb Gaurishankar via a five-kilometer traverse on the southeast ridge, climbing initially a subsidiary peak known locally as Tseringma (6333 meters, 20,778 feet). The team consisted of Paul Richards, Graham Brammer, John Remynse, Dr. Val Lishman, Barry Young, Chris Bennett, Mick Hardless, Wayne Carroll, Jim MacDonald and me as leader. We left Bahrabise on March 2 with 103 porters, took the route to Charikot, then followed the Bhote Kose to Simigaon and went into the Rolwaling valley, arriving eight days later at the village of Gyabrug (10,800 feet) near Beding. After reconnaissance, we took the track into a large cirque between the southeast and southwest ridges and established Base Camp at 15,400 feet on March 14. On March 15 the previously fine weather turned bad. In appalling weather we established Advanced Base below and adjacent to a large ramp at 16,600 feet. We then fixed ropes along the ramp and onto the ridge at 17,450 feet, where we established Camp I. The weather continued bad. Finally on March 24 we established Camp II at 18,300 feet on the side of the south gully between the southeast and southwest ridges. We carved the single tentsite out of the solid ice. Two days later Camp III was established in the gully at 18,600 feet in a hazardous position but there was no alternative site. Jim MacDonald failed to acclimatize and returned to Australia. A fierce 48-hour snowstorm made the gully a death trap, burying Richards and Shambu Tamang for 24 hours at Camp III. The storm forced everyone off the mountain. We were running out of time. The gully was in a continual state of avalanche. On April 3 Barry Young, after detaching himself from the fixed line, caught one of his front points in the strap of his other crampon and fell 1200 feet down the gully, injuring both legs and suffering a mild concussion. Only the quick thinking of Anu Sherpa and the heavy snowfalls of the previous day saved his life. Anu saw a pack fly past, moved further into the gully and grabbed Barry as he came past. The pack travelled another 3500 feet over an ice cliff. He did not climb for the rest of the expedition. Camp IV was established at 19,800 feet on April 4. Richards, Shambu Tamang and Brammer on April 11, after some excellent technical work and vertical climbing, reached the high point called Tseringma by the locals. Looking along the ridge, they saw that we had neither the time nor the equipment to reach even the south summit. On April 13 Hardless, Remynse, Carroll and I ascended to the high point in fine weather. The point we reached, the culmination of the southeast and southwest ridges, is the highest point visible to the villagers of Gyabrug and is referred to by them as Tseringma. The whole Gaurishankar complex is called by them Jomo Tseringma or Kangri Tseringma.

Patrick A. Cullinan, Major, Australian Army