Everest | 2002 S Col-SE Ridge

A USA expedition to Everest in 2002 via S Col-SE Ridge, led by Peter Athans. Summit reached on 25th May 2002. 12 members recorded.

Expedition Details

Field Value
ID 4055
Imported 2026-03-06 18:04:49.359634
Expedition ID EVER02141
Peak ID EVER
Year 2002
Season 1
Host Country 1
Route 1 S Col-SE Ridge
Route 2 W Ridge (to 7930m)
Route 3 -
Route 4 -
Nationality USA
Leaders Peter Athans
Sponsor National Geographic Everest 2002 (via South Col & W Ridge)
Success 1 True
Success 2 False
Success 3 False
Success 4 False
Ascent 1 447
Ascent 2 -
Ascent 3 -
Ascent 4 -
Claimed False
Disputed False
Countries New Zealand
Approach -
Basecamp Date 2002-04-05
Summit Date 2002-05-25
Summit Time 1005
Summit Days 50
Total Days 51
Termination Date 2002-05-26
Termination Reason 1
Termination Notes -
High Point (m) 8849
Traverse False
Ski False
Paraglide False
Camps 4
Fixed Rope (m) 0
Total Members 7
Summit Members 3
Member Deaths 0
Total Hired 10
Summit Hired 5
Hired Deaths 0
No Hired False
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(05/04,5360m),C1(13/04,6000m),C2(16/04,6350m),C3(07/05,7200m),C4(18/05,7900m),Smt(25/05)
Route Notes C1 at top of Icefall C2 in Western Cwm's lowest camp C3 at 7200m on Lhotse face C4 at 7900m at South Col. For South Col party: 20 May huge collapse of sheet-like seracs in Icefall at 9:00 am; Graber and Surette were in that area but they fled unhurt but unnerved. At this time water pouring down C2 are in incredible way weather Went to Col first time 18 May: Graber, Hillary, Ruddick, Surette, 8 Sherpas; very windy most of night and in morning roar of wind like freight train, so down mid-morning considering whether to wait for next day. Decided not and left for C2 at 11:00 and down to BC. In C2 foot deep/slush. Down from C2 to BC in 2-1/2 hours. Then up from BC with Bishop, Athans, Hillary, Nima Tashi, Da Sona, Kami, Dawa, Arita (Apa's brother) on 23 May to C2, 24th to C4, went for top leaving C4 11:00 pm 24th and on top at 10:05 am 25th for 1 hour 20 minutes on top. Clouds came in and covered Lhotse but not Everest top, very little wind. Down to C4 at 1:00 pm, C2 at 5:00 pm and next mainly to BC (on 26th). Left 27th to Pangboche and 28th landed by helicopter at 9:00 am in KTM. Bishop - 30 May 02 Hygienic conditions at C2 bad because it was lowest camp on lateral moraine and human waste from camps above must have caused contaminated, cook not careful enough. Oxygen use (Hillary) On 1st attempt, when reached C4 on 18 May but did not go above C4: oxygen used by Hillary, Graber, Suretta, Ruddick from C3 up to C4, at C4 and down to C3; Sherpas in C4 only. On successful attempt: Hillary, Athans, Bishop from C3, in C4, to top and down to C3; Sherpas in C4 to top to C4. Sherpa summiters: Kami Sherpa, 19/12/79, Ragail village, Okhaldhunga, 1st 8000er Dawa Sona (aka Da Sona, Dawa Sonam), Pangboche, Everest X3 Nima Tashi, Pangboche, Everest X4 Arita, Thami, Everest X4, Apa's brother Dawa, formerly from Sink Harka Solu, now KTM, 2 April 67, Cho Oyu 10/7/95 (with Athans) Email from Peter Hillary - June 28, 2002 It is great to be home after 71 days on Mount Everest. (Although I've already made a trip to the US since arriving home just 4 days and 14 hours after standing on the summit of Mt Everest, and tomorrow I fly to Australia for two weeks's work). I wanted to write and thank you for your support and encouragement during my two and a half months on Mt. Everest. It was a difficult expedition.SI effectively climbed the mountain twice in one season, and in a debilitated state at that. I still shudder to recall my fall at the base of the Hillary Step on the way down. My foot slipped and I fell out from the ridge and ended up with my head poking out over the 8000-foot high South West Face of Everest. Strangely my first rather understated thought was "this is a rather bad place to fall over and sprain your ankle." Thankfully it's starting to heal now. Even more chilling is the knowledge that the exact same helicopter that carried us out so quickly from the Everest region back to KTM, tragically crashed a few days later, killing all those from the French and Spanish expeditions on board. It has yet to be found. The coming months are already crammed full with presentations and media appearances - and somewhere in there Johm Elder and I will be producing our book. We're also very excited about the 50th Anniversary of my father's climb of Mt Everest. There's a great Everest exhibition planned; the release of the National Geographic documentary in May 2003, along with the release of the book, and a celebration banquet at the foot of Mt Everest on May 29th; the day Dad first climbed it 50 years ago, (If you are interested in attending, let me know!) A lot of exciting projects ahead. But mostly I'm excited and grateful to have the gift of life, and the warmth and love of my family. Extreme experiences always give me a renewed appreciation of these as the most treasured thing of all. With South Col-South East Ridge party BC on 5 April at 5350m C1 on 13 April at 6050m C2 on 16 April at 7200m C3W on 7 May at 7270m xxx on West Ridge on 10 May 7390m at on West Ridge above West Shoulder Climb abandoned at 7390m due to need to join South Col effort. Summit on 25 May Fixed rope used 1200m from C2 to West Ridge Sherpas above BC: 3 from pool of this and South Col party Details of climb: From 16 April to 10 May Athans and Bishop fixed all rope to West Shoulder and 80% of load carrying up the route, with very little Sherpa support since Sherpa strength concentrated on National Geographic Film. C3W pitched below Shoulder to protect it from winds. Didn't really make an attempt on this ridge: no forecast of day weather window without strong winds and was clear that film needed to do achieve sponsors first priority to make film (Athans did final filming) - "quite frustrating". Peter and I were climbing well together." Clark reached C3W as well as site of South Col teams's C3. Sponsor was National Geographic. 26 May 2002 - Peter arrived at BC just now. His right toe is a little red from being nearly frozen on summit day, but its otherwise unaffected. It was exhausting work, negotiating the Icefall through one foot of new snow. The monsoon has started and everything is covered in cloud. 25 May 2002, C2 - An extraordinary effort. After 19 hours of climbing, 3000 ft up and 8000ft down. Peter and the team are back at C2. Tomorrow they will descend to BC. 25 May 2002, South Col - He arrived back at the South Col with the rest of the team in about 4 hours. They immediately packed up their things to - incredibly - descend still further to C2. They are running low on oxygen and cannot risk being caught out on the South Col. 24 May 2002, 4 pm at C4 - Peter and the others have made it to the South Col, incredibly, for the second time in a week. An extraordinary effort give what they've been through. After the extreme conditions of late, temperatures were so mild that they arrived on what is one of the windiest places on the planet in light finger gloves, fleece pants, and a jacket. It was simply too hot for down suits. Peter sounds in good spirits, although when I told him that I needed to give him a change in numbers for one of his summit calls, he said "Oh God, but I'm so scatty. I put a spoon down and now I'll never find it again". He can't be too hypoxic however, because moments later he joked: "Oh, that right, I don't need a spoon to write with..." He says they're greedily guzzling the oxygen. The team are about to discuss the summit plans. The winds on the summit may be as "breezy" as 30 knots tomorrow. 23 May, 2002 - Peter has called to say they have safely negotiated their way through the fragile Khumbu Icefall to C2 and are feeling good. Tomorrow will be the real test - a huge 5000 foot haul (1500 metres) up the Lhotse face to C4 on the South Col, which last week they did over two days. If the winds are not too strong, they will leave that night for the summit. The weather forecast however, is marginal.
Accidents Plagued by gastro-intestinal problems frequently; Ruddick's tooth fell out and became infected; Hillary fell in descent
Achievement -
Agency Great Escapes Trekking
Commercial Route True
Standard Route True
Primary Route False
Primary Member False
Primary Reference -
Primary ID -
Checksum 2458472
Year 2002
Summit Success True
O2 Summary Used
Route (lowercase) s col-se ridge

Members

12 recorded members.

Name Sex Year of Birth Citizenship Status Residence Occupation
Peter George (Pete) Athans M 1957 USA Leader South Burlington, Vermont Alpine guide & product-development advisor to climbing gear company Details Other expeditions
Brent Russell Bishop M 1966 USA Climber Seattle, Washington Business consultant Details Other expeditions
Liesl Beckman Clark F 1966 USA Climber Boston, Massachusetts Film producer Details Other expeditions
Michael Goodrich (Mike) Graber M 1952 USA Climber Capistrano Beach, California Film-maker Details Other expeditions
Peter Edmund Hillary M 1954 New Zealand Climbing Leader Auckland, New Zealand Author Details Other expeditions
David Wells Ruddick M 1963 USA Climber Freeland, Washington Film engineer Details Other expeditions
James S. (Jim) Surette M 1968 USA Climber Intervale, New Hampshire Cameraman Details Other expeditions
Kami Sherpa M 1978 Nepal H-A Worker Jantarkhani, Okhaldhunga - Details Other expeditions
Dawa Sona (Da Sona, Da Sonam) Sherpa M 1965 Nepal H-A Worker Pangboche, Khumbu - Details Other expeditions
Nima Tashi Sherpa M 1960 Nepal H-A Worker Pangboche, Khumbu - Details Other expeditions
Arita Sherpa M 1959 Nepal H-A Worker Thami, Khumbu - Details Other expeditions
Dawa Sherpa M 1965 Nepal H-A Worker Simkharka, Salyan, Solukhumbu - Details Other expeditions

References

1 recorded references.

Expedition ID Journal Author Title Publisher Citation Yak 94
EVER02141 HIGH - - - 244:58 (Mar 2003) -