Pumori Winter Ascent. On November 25 Michael Dimitri and I made Base Camp at Gorak Shep in order to climb Pumori. On December 1, we climbed directly from Kala Patar to 6000 meters on the southwest ridge, but Dimitri had an intestinal illness and so we descended the next day. The weather was windless and mild and snow conditions were excellent. On the 3rd we watched two Japanese reach the summit after a three-day climb of the east face. Michael was still sick and so the next day I climbed to 6000 meters on the east face, meeting the Japanese on their descent. Leaving camp at seven A.M. on December 5, I reached the summit at 11:15 and was back in Gorak Shep at 3:30 P.M. I believe I followed the 1985 Catalán route. After a rest day, I climbed back to 6000 meters on the southwest ridge to retrieve our gear and also to remove the abandoned food and gear left by the post-monsoon expeditions.

Todd Bibler