Pumori, Winter Ascent, 1982. Early in December our small party arrived at the Pumori Base Camp to attempt the first winter ascent of this, one of the world’s most beautiful mountains. The four of us, Ned Gillette, Jan Reynolds, Steve McKinney and I, chose a new route, several hundred meters to the right of the major icefall on the east face. The first attempt failed after we ran out of food at 22,000 feet. We rested at Base Camp for three days. Craig Calonica arrived at Base Camp and McKinney left to return to the United States. The second attempt was successful and Jan Reynolds, Ned Gillette and I reached the summit on January 6, 1982. We climbed the east face with one camp at 21,000 feet and another where we got to the northeast ridge at 21,800 feet. We followed the northeast ridge for the last 1700 feet. The route was of moderate but sustained difficulty and required seven days of climbing and load- carrying on the final push.

James Bridwell