#BIMONTHLY PROGRAM
#AMERICAN ALPINE CLUB ANNUAL
MEETING
#CREVASSE RESCUE
TRAINING SEMINAR -- A SUCCESS!
#FROM THE CHAIRMAN
#AN EXPERIMENT WITH PULMONARY
EDEMA
#REMINDERS
In addition to our normally quite brief High Altitude Mountaineering
Section Business topics, our next meeting will feature a program by Dan
Leeth about the 1989 Colorado Peak Lenin Expedition. Six of our own HAMS
members (plus one other) traveled to the Soviet Union to participate in the
1989 International Mountaineering Cups in the High Pamirs. They attempted to
climb Peak Lenin, at 23,406 feet, the second highest peak in the USSR. Four
made the summit and all returned healthy in spite of a steady diet of Soviet
food.
The program starts at 7:00 in the auditorium at CMC World
Headquarters (2530 West Alameda, Denver). --Chip Drumwright
The American Alpine Club has scheduled its annual meeting to be held in
Boulder during the weekend of December I-3. This year's event will coincide
with the American Continental Sport Climbing Championships. In addition to the
technical climbing competitions, the three day event will feature a series of
slide shows and movies about the latest Himalayan and alpine ascents plus a
special program on vanishing cultures of the world's mountain regions. In
the past, the AAC annual meetings have been open to non-AAC members, and we
will try to have more information on how HAMS members may attend in the next
edition of Thin Air.
--Dan Leeth
The first field seminar offered by HAMS this past June was a success with
14 participants learning the basics of crevasse rescue. The monsoon season was
upon us, and at first the darkened skies threatened to wash out the day up on
Loveland Pass. But in the end, we got a full day in learning about Z-pulley
rescues, placing anchors in snow and glacier travel. The efforts of instructors
Mark Frank, Deac Lancaster and Terry Root were appreciated. This is the first
of what is planned on being an annual event. Look for other field seminars
offered this fall and winter by HAMS to be announced in Thin Air.
--Terry
Root
I looked down at my watch. It was almost 6:00 PM. Chad had stopped about ten yards ahead, but I could barely make him out through the thick white-out. The next wand, left by some preceding group, was no longer visible. The altimeter indicated we were at 22,300 feet which meant that we still had more than a thousand feet left to climb. Fatigue made progress very, very slow. It was decision time.
There were seven of us -- six HAMS members from Colorado plus one nonmember from Salt Lake City. We had traveled to the Soviet Union to participate in the International Mountaineering Camp in the High Pamirs. Our objective was Peak Lenin, which at 23,406 feet is the second highest peak in the USSR. Unlike most 7,000 meter peaks, there are plenty of other climbers attempting Peak Lenin. We thought that it would be nice to make our summit attempt in the company of some of the Soviets, so we made arrangements to climb with a group who were staying at Camp 4 (20,700'). They told us that we should leave at 7:30 AM from our Camp 3 (19,700') location. We tried, but things always take longer than planned at this altitude, and my climbing partner, Chad Alber, and I finally got going at 8:30 AM. A bad mistake.
We climbed up the "first step" to a plateau at 20,700', the site of Camp 4. The Soviets had long since departed. A long, relatively flat traverse brought us to the base of the "second step." For a short time, we could see the Soviets just clearing the top of the step. The weather then closed in and we were treated to a brief snowstorm. Cleve Armstrong, Karen Ann Young and Kory Branham got an earlier start and were already well up the second step--probably a good hour ahead of Chad and me. They continued on while we waited to see what the weather did. Randy Rhodes and Alannah McTighe used the weather as an excuse to turn around.
Chad and I had just made our second mistake. The weather cleared and we continued up. We climbed the 45 degree upper slopes of the second step, crossed a small plateau, then up a small talus band to another short plateau. The top looked so close, we really thought we had a good shot at it.
But then the top disappeared and we stood there at 22,300+ feet (my altimeter almost always under- registers elevation). We were still probably two hours (or sore) from the summit. We could go on and try for the top, but we would almost certainly have to bivouac on the peak, or we could turn back and keep our toes for another climb. We turned back. Cleve, Karon and Kory went on and summitted at 6:30 PM. Randy and Alannah tried again the next day. Randy made it and Alannah came closer than Chad and I did.
It's easy now to say that if we had left earlier, we would have succeeded. Or, if we had turned around with Randy and Alannah, it would have been ours. But, it really doesn't matter. Ever though I did not make the summit, I did accomplish the other two goals I had set for the trip--I had a good time and I came back in one piece. Of course, there is more to the story of the Colorado Peak Lenin Expedition than this. I invite everyone to come to our meeting on September 18th and see the entire story of a very interesting trip.
--Dan Leeth, HAMS Chairman
My name is Stephen J. Smith and I have been a club member since 1977. I've climbed 34 or the 14'ers, many 13'ers and been a basic instructor, a technical leader and instructed in the Ice Climbing School. I've considered myself a mountaineer since 1973 when I climbed my first mountain, Mt. Rainier. So, it made sense to me, a person who had pulmonary edema at 15,000 feet, could try climbing to 23,000 feet.
Let me explain. A few years ago I went to climb the Mexican volcanoes. I did not train for them. I never thought about them. Actually, I wasn't "into" the mountains. Then at 15,000 feet, I experienced a serious case of pulmonary edema.
However, one day a fellow worker brought in a list of all the notable mountains in the world. Some of them I had done but the one that caught my attention was Aconcagua. I knew it was the highest in the western and southern hemispheres and that it was an "easy" mountain, so the altitude intrigued me. Could I do it? I was determined to try.
Argentina is a beautiful country and the people are some of the greatest. I felt adopted by many of them. The Andes are magnificent mountains too. Imagine the Wind River Range of Wyoming fifteen times in length with twice the height and wind velocity and you will have somewhat of a picture of the Andes.
I spent two days walking from 9,400 feet to 14,000 feet. The next twelve days were spent getting to 20,000 feet. The first morning at 20,000 was too windy to make a summit try and the second morning, it was determined I had edema and should descend as soon as possible. I was amazed. At 14,000', I felt normal. At 18,000', life wasn't as easy. The camp is not as good, the wind is stronger, it is colder and you do not sleep as easily. The sleeping pills did not work. The diamox did. After four days living at 18,000 feet, I was getting tired of the mountain, but there was a plan to be carried out.
A friend from Seattle carried my pack to the camp at 20,000 feet for me. Two days later I climbed up with Keith, a climber from Great Britain. The climb to the camp at 20,000' took us 2-1/2 hours and both of us felt it was an easy climb.
The next day Keith and I were nursing bad headaches. We spent most of the day in the tents as the wind was too bad to try to make the summit. The next morning was beautiful. I don't know what signs Keith recognized when he saw me that morning. He started trying to talk me into descending. I told Keith to go for the summit and I would descend later. He wouldn't listen. I laid down again and heard a small gurgling sound in my chest. Immediately, I sat up and said, "I'm going down."
Trying to pack was hard. My hands and feet were cold and I felt terrible. Keith ended up packing for me and sending me down the mountain. He then took down the tent, loaded it and followed me down. I felt awful that Keith was missing the summit because of me.
However, the descent was bad. I was very cold and often had to sit down to rest. At 18,000' another climber agreed to carry my pack down to 14,000'. The going was slow but people continually talked to me. The encouragement and support got me down the mountain. At 4:00 I arrived at 14,000' and started to feel better. The next day mule also helped by taking me to the land of cerveza and carne!
What did I learn? Even though I had pulmonary edema at 15,000', I can spend two nights at 20,000 feet. Maybe next time I can do more. If I do, I hope I find a Brit there!
--Stephen Smith --edited by J. & K. Wallack
Thin Air is available for free ads or notes for climbing partners, equipment to be sold, borrowed or needed, etc. Send any copy to the Clubrooms, ATTN: HAMS Newsletter.
Deadline for receipt of material for the November issue will be Monday, October 16, 1989.
Thanks to Hugh and Nancy Grove, new Section members, for providing both a
completed HAMS trip report and a narrative for their Kilimanjaro trip last
December.
7:00 PM Friday
October 27th
at Keith Jensen's
Costumes
Required.
Bring food and drink to share.