Everest Attempt. I was the leader of a 19-member expedition from Zagreb. We had hoped to climb the Australian route on Everest’s north side. We established Base Camp at 5200 meters, Advance Base at the junction of the Middle and West Rongbuk Glaciers and Camp I at 5560 meters on August 15, 17 and 20. By September 8, we had fixed rope up the right side of the Great Couloir and made a snow cave for 12 people. It took us the next 37 days to gain 600 meters. Bad weather, new snow and avalanches destroyed fixed ropes and camps. In all, fourteen climbers were caught by avalanches. Marjan Kregar and Slavko Sveticic were swept down 350 meters, but luckily escaped with broken ribs and a damaged knee. Only Aco Pepevnik climbed above Camp III at 7500 meters and reached 7900 meters. We gave up on October 19.

Darko Berljak, Planinarski Savez Zagreba, Yugoslavia