Baruntse | 2000 SE Ridge
A UK expedition to Baruntse in 2000 via SE Ridge, led by John Baker. Summit reached on 31st March 2000. 9 members recorded.
Expedition Details
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| ID | 3502 |
| Imported | 2026-03-06 18:04:49.359634 |
| Expedition ID | BARU00102 |
| Peak ID | BARU |
| Year | 2000 |
| Season | 1 |
| Host Country | 1 |
| Route 1 | SE Ridge |
| Route 2 | - |
| Route 3 | - |
| Route 4 | - |
| Nationality | UK |
| Leaders | John Baker |
| Sponsor | Baruntse Spring 2000 |
| Success 1 | True |
| Success 2 | False |
| Success 3 | False |
| Success 4 | False |
| Ascent 1 | 51st |
| Ascent 2 | - |
| Ascent 3 | - |
| Ascent 4 | - |
| Claimed | False |
| Disputed | False |
| Countries | New Zealand |
| Approach | - |
| Basecamp Date | 2000-03-22 |
| Summit Date | 2000-03-31 |
| Summit Time | 1200 |
| Summit Days | 9 |
| Total Days | 14 |
| Termination Date | 2000-04-05 |
| Termination Reason | 1 |
| Termination Notes | - |
| High Point (m) | 7152 |
| Traverse | False |
| Ski | False |
| Paraglide | False |
| Camps | 2 |
| Fixed Rope (m) | 0 |
| Total Members | 5 |
| Summit Members | 5 |
| Member Deaths | 0 |
| Total Hired | 4 |
| Summit Hired | 4 |
| Hired Deaths | 0 |
| No Hired | False |
| O2 Used | True |
| O2 None | False |
| O2 Climb | False |
| O2 Descent | True |
| O2 Sleep | False |
| O2 Medical | True |
| O2 Taken | False |
| O2 Unknown | False |
| Other Summits | - |
| Campsites | BC(22/03,5400m),C1(27/03,6135m),C2(30/03,6500m),Smt(31/03) |
| Route Notes | BC north-northwest of small lake on south side of Hunku Glacier C1 at top of West Col C2 at base of SE Ridge. 31st summit to C2. 1 April all to BC after packing up C1. Most days were overcast with light snowfall and windy. Summit day crystal clear and hardly any wind. 1st April constant wind with strong gusts. Baruntse Blues, by Alistair Stevens Any glamorous or noble illusions I had regarding high altitude expeditions had been long since shattered. We were doing our first carry to C1 on a bright and sunny day. However things were not bright and sunny with me. 5700m and I'm not feeling so good: exhausted, wobbly and a thick head. John tells me to drop my load and descend. I think about arguing the point then decide that maybe he's right. I return to BC with Nick, feeling sorry for myself, and with real concerns that my expeditions is over. My expedition so far seemed dogged with illness. The original plan had been to trek from Lukla, across the Zwata La and Mera La passes, up the Hinku Valley to BC with fifty porters in tow. However heavy winter snows prohibited this so we intended to fly ourselves and the base camp stores in by Russian helicopter after a short acclimatization trek. Our climbing Sherpas would trek in ahead of us. However this plan was foiled by fate intervening in the form of me suffering AMS (altitude sickness) at Dingboche. This in itself seemed odd given that two years previously I had summoned Island Peak with no problems. Anyway a visit to HRA doc at Pheriche revealed that flying in to BC camp was no longer an option. So back to the original plan...our store flew in, and we were to walk in with six porters. We returned to Lukla, my AMS symptoms cleared up but now I had a virulent dose of the shits. The approach trek proved to be an unexpected adventure in itself. Every day the weather was the same: fine in the morning; cloud, wind and snow in the afternoons: clearing in the night. The second day Kevin and Stu had to rescue two porters lost in the dark and heavy snowfall descending the Zwata La Pass. Day 5: we have crossed the Mera La, but now we're in a blizzard and the Sherpas are lost. Kevin's up front using map and compass to navigate but the Sherpas don't trust this and are threatening to jack. In the end we convince them to follow us and we descend to a cold and miserable camp in the Hinku. Day 7: We're not sure of the exact location of BC; hell, we don't even know for sure the helicopter actually made the drop-off. Some ot the Sherpas are racing ahead to the wrong base camp. We try to stop them but they put on a burst of speed which is beyond us. Its just on dark when we finally locate the camp at 5400m. I've never been so happy to see a bunch of tents. First full day in BC is a rest day. Rest day means we're not climbing but it doesn't mean we're lying around in the pit - there's a great deal of work to do. Still, after the approach trek everybody is walking around like zombies. The morning is spent sorting stores and personal gear. In the after afternoon Nick, John, Stu and I have the enjoyable task of checking all the high-camp tents in a blizzard. We discover that a number of the tents have problems. Nepalese obviously consider working zip an option rather than a mandatory feature. In the meantime the Sherpas have been busy fixing rope on the headwall up to C1. The next day is the first carry to C1. Everybody is very excited about getting on the mountain. I have a problem with the leg strap on my harness: accumulated frustration from the past two weeks erupts and I lash out at my pack beating it with my harness and issue a tirade of expletives - at least it provides a shorth diversion for the rest of the team. The emotion passes and I join the rest of the team making their way to C1. My progress is slow. I reach 5700m, halfway and I'm not feeling great. John sends me down. That night I lie awake wondering if that's the end of the road for me. The third day at BC is declared a rest day. The rest of the crew are completely spent from yesterday's carry. I also use the day to rest and recover. The following day Nick and I, accompanied by a Sherpa, climb to 5700m to spend the night on the glacier and acclimatize. It turns out to be the best thing I could have done. It becomes the turning point for my acclimatization and from then on I get a little stronger. Our fifth day on the mountain and we ascend to C1. In typical fashion a blizzard arrives just as we get to the headwall. For the first time I hook on to the ropes with my jumar. There's an initial pitch of snow covered rock to negotiate. At sea level this climbing would be trivial; up here it seems epic. Above the rock there's 100m of 45-degree ice. In spite of the fact my crampons and axe wre only sharpened two days ago they hardly penetrate the bullet proof ice. By the time I get to the top I'm glad to be rid of the system - too much clothesline, granny knots and ice the consistency of concrete for my liking. In a howling gale and snow I turn left and go in search fo C1. Another rest day arrives. Some of the others have got some mild AMS symptoms. However I'm starting to feel stronger in spite of ragged cough and sinus infection which won't go away. We spend the day brewing and eating. The Sherpas did a carry to C2. There's a real sense of momentum about the expedition. On 29 March, seven days since arriving in base camp, we do our first carry to C2. There's some excitement because we're not sure at what altitude the Sherpas have established the camp. It turns out to be at 6500m, near some prominent ice cliffs visible from BC. I'm happy to reach C2 because I'm feeling quite good, in contrast to only four days ago. However I do feel quite spaced out and feeble - mild hypoxia at work. While waiting for the others, Nick and I start to cut a platform for a tent and discover I can only work for about thirty seconds. One of the younger Sherpas observes our efforts for a few minutes and then grabs the shovel from us. In a flurry of activity he has a platform cut in a matter of minutes. The others arrive have a feeble go at cutting platforms and then its a time for lunch and descent to C1 for the night. The following day we moved to C2 with our personal gear. The summit bid is less than twenty four hours away, weather permitting. We arrive at C2, feeling surprisingly better than we did yesterday and cut platforms and erect tents. Nick, Kami Sherpa and I install ourselves in a two-man North Face tent, which proves to be not too tight, and spend the rest of the day brewing and eating. The alarm goes at 1:00 am. I've been awake for several hours, woken by the cold. We brew, make porridge and get ready in anticipation of a 3:00 am start. At 4:00 am Nick and I are still standing around. We're roped to Kami and he won't leave ahead of the Sirdar. I can no longer feel my fingers or toes. The temperature is cold, numbers seem meaningless. Frustrated I launch a bitter tirade against no one in particular. We finally leave fifteen minutes later. I know that no feeling will return to my digits until they receive direct sunlight, two hours from now. We ascend easy slopes in good cramponing conditions. The sky is clear and to the east I can make out the silhouette of Makalu against the starlight. God, what a mountain that is: it looks like an immense fortress of granite and ice. We passed a series of fixed ropes put in by the Sherpas but chose not use them as they were on slopes where we felt very uncomfortable. The imminent sunrise was heralded by a ruddy glow over the sea of Himalayan peaks to the east. I grew impatient for the sun to get over the horizon. Finally it made its glorious appearance. It seemed an auspicious time to take a break and our rope team stopped and waited for the others to catch up. Circulation returned in agonizing waves to my hands and feet. Stu, who had just arrived was also suffering the hot aches. We waited a few more minutes and then pressed on, fingers still burning painfully. Climbing higher we reached the knife edge section of the ridge. Here the rope that had been fixed proved invaluable as snow conditions were soft. Steps plugged by climbers ahead of me would often collapse. At one point the steps collapsed completely and I found myself wallowing angrily in a chest-deep hole. Eventually the rope ran out and the two Sherpas who had passed us earlier would not go on without fiximg more rope. Kevin arrived and after a quick conflab it was decided that we would proceed without fixed ropes. It took some time to convince the Sherpas that this was Ok but that's eventually what we did. The last 200m of climbing occurred in high altitude slow motion and at times the summit seemed to move away from us. However we finally reached the summit shortly after 12:00 am. In spite of a cold wind we spent some time on the summit congratulating each other, taking photos and placing kata (blessed scarves) on the summit. I fell no elation, rather I felt groggy an cold with a sharp altitude headache reminding me to get down. The descent to C2 took three and half hours compared with eight hours for the ascent. I returned to camp exhausted. The others rocked in about ten minutes after me. There was some concern regarding Nick as he had been suffering AMS symptoms all day. As a precaution he took Diamox and spent the night on oxygen. Kami, our ever cheerful and diligent tent partner insisted on doing all the brewing and food preparation. Driven by dehydration, we drank so many brews I lost count. During the night the wind came up, lifting the tent and creating fitful sleep. Morning arrived and after an un-appetizing breakfast we broke camp in strong winds. The cold and strong airs made the task difficult and slow. We were determined to do a single carry so everybody loaded up their packs, the Sherpas in particular. Descent to C1 revealed the weariness everyone felt - we stopped several times to rest and regain control of our breathing. We returned to C1 to find that the nearby col was acting like a funnel and the winds were even stronger, perhaps gale force. Collapsing C1 was even harder and we lost several items to the wind. The added gear from C1 made packs even heavier but base camp drew us like a magnet. A short walk brought us to the top of the headwall on the West Col. Several of the Sherpas had gone on ahead and were descending the fixed ropes. We were readying ourselves to descend when Kevin noticed the state of the ice-screw anchoring the top rope. It had been over a week since it had been placed and the ice surrounding it had melted out. I was amazed it had held the weight of the Sherpas who had already descended. Kevin replaced the screw. Naturally we sent the biggest guy down first to test it. I followed next using a carabiner instead of my ATC as there was too much tension on the rope. Violent gusts made the rapes unpleasant and hard work. By the time I reached the bottom of the headwall I was exhausted so I rested for some time. Dropping in altitude seemed to provide no increase in strength. Across the glacier the descent became more gradual. I passed Stu, who as usual, was carrying a Sherpa load. As I reached Stash Point the cook boy arrived with a welcome thermos of hot sweet coffee and biscuits. I consumed my share and continued on quickly. The cold wind chilled you as soon as you stood still. The closer I got to the BC the slower I went. The cook boy overtook me, now carrying a load and running. Finally I climbed the small hill of moraine, descended and I was there. I wasted no time and headed to the mess tent for brews and biscuits. One by one everybody trickled in, tired but elated at having climbed Baruntse and descended safely. To celebrate, a cake of sorts was even manufactured in the cook tent and consumed by all. The following day was declared a rest day. Two Sherpas were dispatched to Tagnag to arrange a helicopter. Kevin and John did an inventory of gear. Pemba and Kami returned to Stash Point and ran back with laods that ahd been left there the previous day. Nick and I had a small emergency as melting snow threatened to flood our tent. Some quick work with pick and shovel averted disaster. Now that the mountain was climbed it hardly occupied our thoughts. Instead we thougt of return to Kathmandu, hot showers, warmers climate and better food. Our second full day in Base Camp dawned with the wind flexing its considerable musle again. Nothing to do but drink, eat sleep and read. We all hoped that a helicopter could be summoned and save seven days of slog back to Lukla. Our answer came that night when Chamba Sherpa returned to report that the radio-telephone at Tagnag was not operational. Kami had gone on to Lukla saying that all things going well the helicopter would be in base camp in two days, maybe. Day 3 in BC brought wind and boredom. There was some concern regarding the payload the chopper could safely take off with at this altitude. Anticipating weight restrictions Kevin and John had the Sherpas draw straws to establish a pecking order for those who might have to walk back to Lukla. We packed what gear we could in preparation for the alleged flight the following morning. We rose early on the fourth day and broke camp. On queue, around 7:00 am we heard the whop-whop of the approaching chopper. Our ticket home was on its way. |
| Accidents | - |
| Achievement | - |
| Agency | Peak Promotion |
| Commercial Route | - |
| Standard Route | - |
| Primary Route | False |
| Primary Member | False |
| Primary Reference | - |
| Primary ID | - |
| Checksum | 2456785 |
| Year | 2000 |
| Summit Success | True |
| O2 Summary | Used |
| Route (lowercase) | se ridge |
Members
9 recorded members.
| Name | Sex | Year of Birth | Citizenship | Status | Residence | Occupation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Edwin Baker | M | 1954 | UK | Leader | Clacton-on-Sea, Essex, England | Diver | Details Other expeditions |
| Kevin Drake | M | 1967 | UK | Climber | Leuven, Belgium | Commercial driver | Details Other expeditions |
| Stuart Andrew Simpson | M | 1966 | UK | Climber | Fleet, Hampshire, England | Commerical driver | Details Other expeditions |
| Alistair Stevens | M | 1969 | New Zealand | Climber | Christchurch, New Zealand | Information technology consultant | Details Other expeditions |
| Nick Taylor | M | 1958 | UK/New Zealand | Climber | Upper Hutt, New Zealand | Occupational safety consultant | Details Other expeditions |
| Kami (Kame) Sherpa | M | 1962 | Nepal | H-A Worker | Bagam, Kerung, Solukhumbu | - | Details Other expeditions |
| Pemba Dorji Sherpa | M | - | Nepal | H-A Worker | Khumjung, Khumbu | - | Details Other expeditions |
| Da Chhemba (Dachhamba) Sherpa | M | 1968 | Nepal | H-A Worker | Gudel-5, Solukhumbu | - | Details Other expeditions |
| Kami Sherpa | M | 1978 | Nepal | H-A Worker | Jantarkhani, Okhaldhunga | - | Details Other expeditions |
References
2 recorded references.