Annapurna South Face, New Route. The members of the expedition of the Klub Wysokogórski, Zakopane, to the south face of Annapurna were Ryszard Szafirski, leader, Maciej Berbeka, Ryszard Gajewski, Zdislaw Kiszela, Maciej Pawlikowski, Boguslaw Probulski, Wlodzimierz Stoiñski, Dr. Lech Korniszewski and cameraman Szymon Wdowiak. Despite bad weather, they successfully climbed this extraordinarily difficult route. Base Camp was set up on March 30 and 31 on Annapurna’s south glacier at 14,100 feet. On April 2 Camp I stood at 17,400 feet and on April 8 airy Camp II was placed at 20,000 feet. It was there that the serious difficulties began. The climbers worked out the route on nearly vertical snow ribs. There were direct-aid ice pitches. On some days progress was limited to 150 feet. Since this section resembled the great walls of high peaks, they called it “Alpamayo.” Only after three weeks of hard work, on April 28, could Camp III be established at 22,300 feet. The unfavorable weather up to that time now turned worse. After morning sun, thunder storms began around noon, accompanied by hours of snowfall. Since the terrain was so steep, there was much spindrift but work could continue. The final attack began on May 16. On the 19th, Pawlikowski, Stoinski, Berbeka and Probulski established Camp IV at 23,950 feet. The first two descended and the next day Berbeka and Probulski fixed 500 feet of rope up steep slabs. On May 21 they carried their only tent up to Camp V at 25,425 feet. A storm broke which prevented both advance and retreat. For 40 hours they were tent-bound, unable to sleep or cook. At ten A.M. on May 23 the wind suddenly died. They were off at eleven o’clock. First there was a 400-foot rock step of UIAA Grade V difficulty, followed by a knife-edged, corniced snow ridge that led to the main ridge. Using the lee north side of the main ridge, Berbeka and Probulski at 5:30 P.M. got to the summit of Annapurna Central (8051 meters, 26,414 feet). Clouds were approaching, announcing more bad weather. After hurried summit ceremonies, they began the descent, knowing that they still had ugly passages. They were back in Camp V at ten P.M., exhausted. The expedition had fixed 10,000 feet of rope. They used neither artificial oxygen nor Sherpas. Szafirski said, “I have to think of the north face of the Matterhorn for comparable technical difficulties of this level and continuity. The exposure is similar.” This technically difficult route rises in the very center of the face. The team dedicated their climb to Pope John Paul II.

Józef Nyka, Editor, Taternik, Poland