Pumori, Post-Monsoon Ascents, Tragedies and Attempt via the Southeast Face to the East Ridge. Jean-Noël Roche led six Frenchmen on the normal route on the southeast face to the east ridge of Pumori (7161 meters, 23,494 feet). On September 15, the leader Roche, Laurent Feruglio, Stéphane Laurenceau and Dawa Rinje Sherpa got to the top. The expedition was marred that same day by the deaths in an avalanche of French teenager Saidi Brahim and Gyalzen Sherpa as they were moving towards the summit. On September 18, Spaniards Juan Fernando Azcona, leader, Juan Carlos Arrieta, Juan Lasarte and Josu Ulazia completed the 63th ascent of the peak. Eight Germans, an Austrian and a Swiss were led by Michael Roepke. On October 6, the leader and Teja Finkbeiner reached the summit, followed on the 8th by Hans Bruggler, Josef Daxlberger, Rainer Faulstich and Fräulein Helga Hoess. On October 9, Michael Breuer teamed up with Icelander Ari Gunnarsson from Malcolm Duff’s party to reach the top. Tragically Gunnarsson fell to his death on the descent. Britons Malcolm Duff, his wife Elizabeth and Mark Warham climbed the peak on October 7. German Bruno Walmann’s Austro-German-Swiss party placed Austrian Wolfgang Köblinger on the summit on October 11. Six Venezuelans were led by Armando Michelangeli. On October 12, Marcos Antonio Tobia, Alfredo Autiero and Kazi Sherpa climbed to the top, followed the next day by Raúl Castillejo, Martín Echevarría and Nima Rita Sherpa. On October 16, Japanese leader Hiroshi Nakamura and Kami Tshering Sherpa climbed the mountain. French leader Pierre Taule, Serge Mauran, Chowang Nuru Sherpa and Pemba Gyalzen Sherpa on October 25 completed the list of successful climbers on Pumori for the year. Less fortunate were French led by Philippe Djoharikian, who reached 6950 meters on November 8.

Elizabeth Hawley