Depleted Hillary team returns to Katmandu

Press, 23 October 1984, Page 4

Depleted Hillary team returns to Katmandu

NZPA-AP Katmandu An Australasian climbing expedition returned to Katmandu yesterday from Mount Everest. Its leader, Peter Hillary, said the members of the Swere “emotionally ’ over the deaths of two Australian members on the world’s tallest mountain. “It is a sad time for us when you lose two friends ... it 1 is. not easy,’’said Hillary, aged 29,.0f Auckland?--.. Craig Nottle, aged 23, of Melbourne, and Fred From, aged 27, of Brisbane, were killed on October 9 in a fall from the steep west ridge, of the 8848-metre mountain. Both slipped down on the northern side of the ridge

“inside Tibetan territory,” Hillary said. Earlier,. Nepal’s Tourism Ministry quoting a base camp report, had said that Nottle had fallen into Nepalese territory. Hillary refused to say anything more, saying, “I am very, very tired now.” He also forbade those accompanying him from saying anything. . were' Kim Logan, aged .32, of. Queenstown, .and ~two Australians, John Muir, aged 23, of New South Wales, and Roddy McKenzie, aged 22, of Victoria. Hillary had set. out to put the first Australian on the top of the world via the difficult west ridge, previ-

ously unclimbed in the autumn climbing season. But oni October 3, six days before the fatal accident, two • Australians, Tim Macartney-Snape and Greg Mortimer, scaled Mount Everest "from, the Tibetan side. •; ' Hillary, a ski instructor, and his five colleagues made their first try for the summit without oxygen or support from Sherpa guides on October 9 from a bivouac camp at. 7926 metres. ' But bad weather forced them to retreat without going to the top and during the descent, Nottle fell about 457 metres. An hour later, while looking for Nottle, From fell from the same spot.