Everest | 2001 N Col-NE Ridge

A USA expedition to Everest in 2001 via N Col-NE Ridge, led by Walter Keller. Summit reached on 23rd May 2001. 4 members recorded.

Expedition Details

Field Value
ID 3799
Imported 2026-03-06 18:04:49.359634
Expedition ID EVER01124
Peak ID EVER
Year 2001
Season 1
Host Country 2
Route 1 N Col-NE Ridge
Route 2 -
Route 3 -
Route 4 -
Nationality USA
Leaders Walter Keller
Sponsor Anglo-American Lightweight Expedition 2001
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 UK
Approach -
Basecamp Date 2001-04-05
Summit Date 2001-05-23
Summit Time -
Summit Days 48
Total Days 51
Termination Date 2001-05-26
Termination Reason 14
Termination Notes Abandoned at 8300m due to oxygen missing in C3 and water bottle lost
High Point (m) 8300
Traverse False
Ski False
Paraglide False
Camps 3
Fixed Rope (m) 0
Total Members 4
Summit Members 0
Member Deaths 0
Total Hired 0
Summit Hired 0
Hired Deaths 0
No Hired True
O2 Used True
O2 None False
O2 Climb True
O2 Descent False
O2 Sleep False
O2 Medical False
O2 Taken False
O2 Unknown False
Other Summits -
Campsites BC(05/04,5100m),ABC(11/04,6450m),C1(21/04,7050m),C2(16-17/05,7700m),C3(22/05,8300m),xxx(23/05,8300m)
Route Notes C1 at North Col High point at C3 site. Weather very bad. On 15 May Keller hit with metal pipe by Stubbs' team Sherpa Jongbu because Keller thought he had agreement with Stubbs to eat with them. Keller also feels Ian Roberts, holder of permit Keller climbed on, had promised to stay till the end of May and to arrange food and transportation with Stubb's team. Instead, says Keller, Roberts "abandoned" him and Robert's basecamp manager Mrs. Kathryn Sharpe, "leaving us without BC, ABC, yak support or outgoing transportation." Arrival at BC on April 5 at 5100m ABC: (used/slept) on Apr 11 at 6450m C1: April 21 at 7050m North Col C2: 7700m first reached on May 16 or 17 (sorry I do not have my diary in front of me), slept C3: on May 22 (Walter Keller) C4: no camp utilized The highest point reached by the expedition was 8300m reached by Walter Keller on May 23. Climb abandoned due to 3 reasons: 1. Stove missing from C2 (7600m) when I arrived, but Colombians loaned an extra. 2. Oxygen missing from C2 (8300m). 3. Water bottle lost. Fixed rope was installed most of the way above the East Rongbuk Glacier by the commercial expeditions on the north side of the mountain up to 8300m. All members of the team used the fixed rope. Keller was the only original member on the expedition at the end of with the exception of Kathryn Sharpe. Kathryn Sharpe acted as medical support for the World Summits expedition and stayed on the mountain to support Keller at ABC. Kathryn reached 7200m. Sherpas were hired to carry oxygen (3 bottles) to 8300m for use on summit day. But some of the oxygen was not at 8300m when I arrived. The Sherpa support did not help me reach 8300m when I arrived. I only found two bottles when I arrived at 8300m. I gave one bottle to the Columbians since they had loaned me a stove and carried the second bottle down to base camp. To clear the mountain I carried a 30 kg pack down and dragged a second 25 kg pack (ask Russell Brice). He watched me pack up from the North Col. No Sherpas were employed to clean the mountain. Walter Keller was the only member to use oxygen on the climb. He used oxygen on and off above 8000m. I turned on my oxygen for the first time somewhere between 8000m and 8100m. The rest of the members did not use oxygen. I was physically assaulted by Jongbu Sherpa, the sirdar of the British [Adventure Extreme] team. I was under the impression that we had a deal for me to eat with his team. He disagreed and hit me with a metal pipe two times across my arms. It was dramatic after just returning from 7700m. It occured on May 15; later Terry Stubbs, the British expedition leader suggested I should, "have a go at him" when I stressed that I felt he was as responsible as his sirdar since he condoned such outrageous and uncalled for behaviour. Ian Roberts, the leader of World Summits, abandoned Kathryn Sharpe and leaving us without basecamp, ABC, yak support or outgoing transportation. We had shared the permit with World Summits and had an agreement to stay till the end of May. He promised to arrange food and tranportation with the British team, but did not do what he had promised.
Accidents Boelter mild pulmonary edema
Achievement -
Agency Asian Trekking
Commercial Route True
Standard Route True
Primary Route False
Primary Member False
Primary Reference -
Primary ID -
Checksum 2458104
Year 2001
Summit Success False
O2 Summary Used
Route (lowercase) n col-ne ridge

Members

4 recorded members.

Name Sex Year of Birth Citizenship Status Residence Occupation
Philip Daniel Austin M 1965 UK Climber Maidstone, Kent, England Osteopath Details Other expeditions
Timothy Morrison Boelter M 1965 USA Climber Eagan, Minnesota Aircraft mechanic Details Other expeditions
Michael Chrisp M 1952 UK Climber Maidstone, Kent, England Dentist Details Other expeditions
Walter John Keller III M 1968 USA Leader Bethel Park, Pennyslvania Physicist & engineer Details Other expeditions

References

1 recorded references.

Expedition ID Journal Author Title Publisher Citation Yak 94
EVER01124 - - http://www.adventure-video.com/everest - - -