Page 14 - 1994 AMA Summer

clipped am further thoughts when 1 was told it was totally booked years in advance. Easy come, easy go as the saying goes. The following year after a successful season in the Zanskar himalaya 1found myself at an impromptu gathering in Delhi of Indian Mountaineering officials and airline people, (you know the sort), when I was asked ever so casually if I would be interested in KUN for September the follow ing year. An Austrian team has cancelled Mr. John. "Are you serious 1 asked?" Why yes, Mr. John all we need is a small deposit to secure it and before he could go any further I was peeling off my fleece jacket "Here I said, its worth a few bob, consider it secured." Perhaps that was not ethical but it worked non the less. My problem was 1had nobody to climb it with me and my program for 1993 had already been finalised in my brochure which was at the printers. You may remember last year in the winter edition of the AMA Journal my request to the editor looking for anybody with the time and money to join me. Well
consider this a big thank you from the heart to the AMA as two very competent mountaineers took up the challenge. Ted Tombling (Cpt Retd), KUN base camp manager and Darren Roberts a UK Marine Commando coporal of 7 years came for­ ward with the kind of attitudes that make the British climbing fraternity what it is. the best. We all got together numerous times through the spring and summer talking and drinking till
Retreat in horrible conditions.
the cows came home. Don't worry Ted, your boozy secret in LEH is safe with me. A good team was at hand. While the expe­ dition went as good as they go we had an unforeseen hiccup after arriving in Delhi. The airport in LEH, Ladakh was closed due to snowstorms for several days which put us behind from the start and with a detour to Srinagar in Kashmir and a 2 day bus ride delayed a further day due to landslides on the road. The expeditions chances were diminishing rapidly, we would have to have perfect weather and conditions in order to succeed. We had neither. But by heck as in the famous words of someone who must be equally famous “We gave that mountain our bloody best”.
The Team.L to R , Ted Tomblin, Capt. Retd. Corporal Darren Roberts, Jon Schwelm (Former US Army Staff Sgt,) 12
uun MOl VI VIM IK