Everest 1981

This expedition (known as AMREE) is unique in the diverse annals of Everest endeavors in that it was conceived with a prime objective being not the summit per se, but as a venue for medical research. Not that the summit wasn't important, but its significance was not to plant a flag but to obtain physiological data from healthy subjects at the lowest-oxygenhence highest physicalsetting possible. Related to this were ancillary objectives of safety, amicable personal relations, and minimizing environmental impact.


All of these objectives were happily ultimately achieved, and important physiological data was collected on the summit as well as at multiple other sites.

Many scientific papers were generated by the expedition and all personnel remained friends.


This journal describes the approach march as well as the many climbing and research activities, and includes some riveting audio recordings from high on the mountain.