News In Brief
| Katmandu, Nepal
Two Polish climbers notch wintry mark in Himalayas
Nepal's winter climbing season ended Tuesday after triumphs by Polish mountaineers - despite highly dangerous conditions in the Himalayas. Poles Maciej Berbeka and Ryszard Gajewski became the first mountaineers to climb any of the world's peaks of more than 26,000 feet in January, when freezing temperatures and gales cause havoc. They conquered the 26,780-foot-high Mt. Manaslu, the world's eighth-highest peak, Jan. 12.
Expedition leader Lech Korniszewski said temperatures fell to -29.4 degrees F. Winds on the peak forced the climbers to lie down in the snow for up to 15 minutes at a time. The final 1,300-foot ascent took nearly nine hours. ''Never again in winter,'' Mr. Korniszewski said.
