Pumori, Attempt and Tragedy. Along with the Czech trekkers, the Czech Trekking Expedition CK Montana consisted of four Slovaks: Dusan Myslivec and Peter Lenco from the town of Nitra, and Pavol Dzurman and Frantisek Miscak from Presov. The goal for the Slovak mountaineers was to make the first ascent of the southeast face of Pumori (7161m). They worked with Slovenian climbers Janez Jeglic and Tomaž Humar, who planned to make a new route, and who wanted to link up with our mountaineers on the upper part of the wall. For acclimatization, the four Slovak climbers wanted to approach the col by the Normal Route and leave a tent there for the descent after finishing the new route. Dusan Myslivec came down with health problems; the best member of the Czech trekking group, Milos Kijonka, then joined the team. In October, after reaching the col at 6500 meters, they decided to climb to the top of Pumori. All four climbers were on the same rope. About 150 meters above the col on the ice wall, one of them probably fell and the rest were pulled with him. They stopped on a broad col (they did not fall into Tibet as reported). Peter Lenco, Pavol Dzurman and Frantisek Miscak died. Only Milos Kijonka survived. It is very hard to say what happened. Such a fall could occur in the Alps or in the High Tatras as well. Climbing four on a rope on moderate terrain was not a good idea. In such circumstances it probably is better to climb alone or to protect oneself more. Regardless, our young mountaineers are still dead.

Vladimir Linek, Jamesak