Pumori | 1984 SW Ridge

A USA expedition to Pumori in 1984 via SW Ridge, led by Steve Jorgenson. Summit reached on 13th December 1984. 8 members recorded.

Expedition Details

Field Value
ID 1605
Imported 2026-03-06 18:04:49.359634
Expedition ID PUMO84401
Peak ID PUMO
Year 1984
Season 4
Host Country 1
Route 1 SW Ridge
Route 2 -
Route 3 -
Route 4 -
Nationality USA
Leaders Steve Jorgenson
Sponsor American Winter Expedition Pumori 1984
Success 1 True
Success 2 False
Success 3 False
Success 4 False
Ascent 1 20th
Ascent 2 -
Ascent 3 -
Ascent 4 -
Claimed False
Disputed False
Countries -
Approach -
Basecamp Date 1984-12-01
Summit Date 1984-12-13
Summit Time 1000
Summit Days 12
Total Days 0
Termination Date -
Termination Reason 1
Termination Notes -
High Point (m) 7138
Traverse False
Ski False
Paraglide False
Camps 2
Fixed Rope (m) 0
Total Members 8
Summit Members 2
Member Deaths 2
Total Hired 0
Summit Hired 0
Hired Deaths 0
No Hired True
O2 Used False
O2 None True
O2 Climb False
O2 Descent False
O2 Sleep False
O2 Medical False
O2 Taken False
O2 Unknown False
Other Summits -
Campsites BC(01/12,5350m),C1(04/12,5640m),C2(07/12,6100m),Biv1(10/12,6400m),Biv2(11/12,6640m),Biv3(12/12,6980m),Smt(13/12),Biv4(13/12,7000m)
Route Notes BC at planned site C2 at top of ridge Fox and Jorgenson carried loads to C2 Biv1 at top of towers on ridge Biv2 at snow parts behind ridge Biv3 at summit snowfields. C2 first occupied on 8th where Fox and Jorgenson to C1 and on 9th back to C2 in carry of loads with Murray carrying personal gear to stay with Richard Wilson and Richard Pierce who had rested in C2 that day. Fox and Jorgenson arrived first and said Fox had not been feeling well and fearing fall as result of dizziness and illness decided to stop climb. This changed Jorgenson's feelings because Fox his climbing partner and Jorgenson not strong enough to climb (had decided to quit on 8th). Volunteered support as high as C2 but not through rock towers and Pierce and Wilson wanted to go on and would climb with bivs above C2 and Fox and Jorgenson to go up to accompany them in their descent. Fox and Jorgenson to BC on 9th. Murray on 9th dropped gear along route upwards and finally gave up and descended too. Haid, Austria leader - 9 June 85 Think Americans made summit and fell before returning to their camp at 6550m. Austrians put their C3 at same site, found Americans tent crushed by snow/ice. Cut open tent, found sleeping bags, rucksack and film inside rucksack. No bodies seen. Letter from Stefan Goldberg - 28 March 1985 Last week Namkha Sherpa, from the Pheriche clinic, and I walked up the Shangri (Khangri) Nup Glacier to look at the Face and summit of Pumori to search for signs of two American climbers who disappeared this winter. We believe we saw them near the summit, two bodies huddled together, one in red, the other in blue or green, tied to a red rope that reaches toward the summit ridge, as pictured here. We used Namkha's binoculars - 7450m wide angle 578 flat 1000 yards. He saw them best and I'm confident in his finding since he found the lost Swiss trekkers this November high on a snow field from several miles away. (We later saw a third body, in the middle of the East face, from the Khumbu Glacier, this one with dark pants and a rust colored parka. I doubt this one is from the American expedition; Namkha says about 10 people have died on Pumori). From Pumori base camp and Gorak Shep we could not see the bodies near the summit due to the convex curve of the mountain, but we did see them though indistinctly from Lobuche. I am told members of the Austrian Pumori expedition are in Namche row; I will look for them and give them a copy of this picture. Hopefully they will be able to at least photograph and obtain items from these two climbers, to confirm their identity. I am sending this same picture and information to Steve Blake, the American Consul and to Steve Jorgensen the expedition leader. I hope it helps clarify the fate of these two climbers, especially for their families. Murray - 24 Dec 1984 Into darkness - could see Wilson remove his pack just at dark at about 22,800 ft presumably to search for suitable biv site and both move on for a rocky outcrop in snow surroundings. On 12th 7:00 pm pre-arranged contact they gave flash light signals indicating foing for top next day. Were close to 23,000 ft. Seems to have exposed biv site though might have made a snowhole. Pierce seemed not to have backpack either. 13th seen leaving biv site in fierce wind but clear; very turbulent wind. Wilson lead over final summit hump moving well; could see them for 15-20 minutes. Again at about 9:45 am with backs to watcher at rather than Wilson in lead; may have gone back forgotten camera and they gone up twice to top or perhaps actually front painting down; probably going up, but Phu Tshering Sherpa thought coming down and claimed they reached biv site if coming down and reached snowhole and never came out. Don't think they actually came to biv site but were going to top and blown off north side. Not a creeping malaise that could have taken both of them. A slip could have taken down, East or West Face. Wilson's pack is still there. 13th night bad weather set in; light dusting of snow above 16,000 ft but not very bad wind. 14th cloud covered mountain till 10:00 am; could see pack in place then but men could just been out of sight. 15th should have reappeared at top of rock towers. O'Brien went north direction and Murray to south to see West Face in case descended easier route on this face. Neither saw no trace. Jorgenson went to C1 to get a tent and all returned to BC 15th. Murray and O'Brien went to Lobuche to radio request for helicopter. 11th radio-messaged to Kathmandu while rest of team evacuated BC and went down towards LUK Jorgenson had said expedition was to put Fox on summit and when Fox quit, Jorgenson too quit regardless of others; thus left Wilson and Pierce unsupported. 17th realized no helicopter, Murray and O'Brien went to Namche. Oon 10th caught up with expedition at Namche and received message $3000 cost. Jorgensen via LO said winds too strong.
Accidents Cough and viral infections; Taylor dropped out before BC with pneumonia and O'Brien took his place; Wilson and Pierce disappeared on descent from summit after bivouac at 7000m
Achievement 1st Australian on mountain
Agency -
Commercial Route -
Standard Route -
Primary Route False
Primary Member False
Primary Reference -
Primary ID -
Checksum 2449472
Year 1984
Summit Success True
O2 Summary None
Route (lowercase) sw ridge

Members

8 recorded members.

Name Sex Year of Birth Citizenship Status Residence Occupation
Steven Glen Jorgenson M 1949 USA Leader Missoula, Montana Forest-fire investigator Details Other expeditions
Daniel (Dan) Fox M 1951 USA Climber Missoula, Montana Social worker Details Other expeditions
Richard (Rich) Pierce M 1958 USA Climber Missoula, Montana Student of business & communications Details Other expeditions
Richard Wilson M 1954 USA Climber Chico, California Student of computer science Details Other expeditions
Kevin Murray M 1955 USA Climber San Diego, California Carpenter & biologist Details Other expeditions
John Taylor M - USA Climber - - Details Other expeditions
Andrew (Andy) Randall M 1946 USA BC Manager Missoula, Montana Forestry technician Details Other expeditions
James O'Brien M 1956 USA Climber San Mateo, California Biologist Details Other expeditions

References

4 recorded references.

Expedition ID Journal Author Title Publisher Citation Yak 94
PUMO84401 AAJ Jorgenson, Steven G. - - 59:268 (1985) -
PUMO84401 MM - - - 102:16 (Mar 1985) -
PUMO84401 DAV - - - 110:169 (1986) -
PUMO84401 - - http://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/12198526802/Asia-Nepal-Pumori-Ascent-and-Tragedy - - -