Baruntse | 1999 SE Ridge

A UK expedition to Baruntse in 1999 via SE Ridge, led by Damian Benegas. Summit reached on 14th October 1999. 10 members recorded.

Expedition Details

Field Value
ID 3403
Imported 2026-03-06 18:04:49.359634
Expedition ID BARU99302
Peak ID BARU
Year 1999
Season 3
Host Country 1
Route 1 SE Ridge
Route 2 -
Route 3 -
Route 4 -
Nationality UK
Leaders Damian Benegas
Sponsor OTT (Out There Trekking) Baruntse Expedition
Success 1 False
Success 2 False
Success 3 False
Success 4 False
Ascent 1 -
Ascent 2 -
Ascent 3 -
Ascent 4 -
Claimed False
Disputed False
Countries Switzerland, USA
Approach Lukla->Khumbu Valley
Basecamp Date 1999-10-12
Summit Date 1999-10-14
Summit Time -
Summit Days 2
Total Days 9
Termination Date 1999-10-21
Termination Reason 5
Termination Notes Abandoned at 6200m due to heavy snow and danger of avalanche
High Point (m) 6200
Traverse False
Ski False
Paraglide False
Camps 1
Fixed Rope (m) 0
Total Members 9
Summit Members 0
Member Deaths 0
Total Hired 2
Summit Hired 0
Hired Deaths 0
No Hired False
O2 Used False
O2 None True
O2 Climb False
O2 Descent False
O2 Sleep False
O2 Medical False
O2 Taken False
O2 Unknown False
Other Summits -
Campsites BC(12/10,5320m),C1(14/10,6200m),xxx(14/10,6200m)
Route Notes BC at usual site C1 at West Col. Oct 14 set up C1. All members were there and down to BC. On 16th a team of six: 4 members Collins, Davey, Wannerton, Veitch, Benegas (leader) and one Sherpa went up to C1. On 18th leader and a member returned to BC. Rest (3 members and Sherpa) stayed in C1. There was a storm in the night. On 19th in the morning the leader went up to bring down the members and the Sherpa. 19th spent the night in C1. Due to difficulty in navigation in the fresh snow of about 1-1/2 meters deep, breaking/cutting trail, they (leader and Sherpa Lhakpa Gelu) had to take off their goggles; they got snowblindness. On 20th the two were rescued from BC to Kathmandu by helicopter. Six members were transported to Lukla same day. On 21/22nd two members and rest of staff evacuated to Lukla. All of them to returned to KTM on Oct 27th. The expedition left five tents and supplies including personal climbing gear in C1. The leader plans to go back to C1 probably on Nov 1 to retrieve the camp. Before that he wants to go on a mountain flight to assess the snow conditions in the mountains using binoculars. The expedition team plans to leave Nepal on Oct 30. The leader will leave on Dec 2. He said he is going to attempt Lobuche, Island Peak and the two others in Khumbu Himal during winter. PS: He said a French trekking group left garbage scattered, about a full load by one porter in the south edge at the base of West Col. He went to find out the trekking agency and report that to the Ministry.
Accidents Snowblindness (leader and one Sherpa Lhakpa Gelu)
Achievement -
Agency High Country Trekking
Commercial Route False
Standard Route False
Primary Route False
Primary Member False
Primary Reference False
Primary ID -
Checksum 2456705
Year 1999
Summit Success False
O2 Summary None
Route (lowercase) se ridge

Members

10 recorded members.

Name Sex Year of Birth Citizenship Status Residence Occupation
Damian Benegas M 1968 USA Leader Berkeley, California Alpine guide Details Other expeditions
Andy Collins M 1957 UK Climber London, England Accountant Details Other expeditions
Julian Davey M 1946 UK Climber Hesket Newmarket, Cumbria, England - Details Other expeditions
Karin Filter F 1966 Switzerland Climber Geneva, Switzerland Medical assistant Details Other expeditions
Antony Hamza M 1946 UK Climber Geneva, Switzerland Medical assistant Details Other expeditions
Christopher Patient M 1960 UK Climber Zermatt, Valais, Switzerland Bar tender Details Other expeditions
Christian Schenkel M 1958 Switzerland Climber Zermatt, Valais, Switzerland Architect Details Other expeditions
Norman Veitch M 1962 UK Climber Aberdeen, Scotland Helicopter engineer Details Other expeditions
Andrew Wannerton M 1968 UK Climber Huddersfield, W Yorkshire, England Fitter Details Other expeditions
Lhakpa Gelu Sherpa M 1967 Nepal H-A Worker Kharikhola, Solukhumbu - Details Other expeditions

References

0 recorded references.