Everest | 2003 S Col-SE Ridge

A USA expedition to Everest in 2003 via S Col-SE Ridge, led by Paul Giorgio. Summit reached on 26th May 2003. 7 members recorded.

Expedition Details

Field Value
ID 4273
Imported 2026-03-06 18:04:49.359634
Expedition ID EVER03125
Peak ID EVER
Year 2003
Season 1
Host Country 1
Route 1 S Col-SE Ridge
Route 2 -
Route 3 -
Route 4 -
Nationality USA
Leaders Paul Giorgio
Sponsor Everest Treks Expedition
Success 1 True
Success 2 False
Success 3 False
Success 4 False
Ascent 1 -
Ascent 2 -
Ascent 3 -
Ascent 4 -
Claimed False
Disputed False
Countries -
Approach Standard
Basecamp Date 2003-04-09
Summit Date 2003-05-26
Summit Time -
Summit Days 47
Total Days 49
Termination Date 2003-05-28
Termination Reason 1
Termination Notes -
High Point (m) 8849
Traverse False
Ski False
Paraglide False
Camps 4
Fixed Rope (m) 1200
Total Members 3
Summit Members 1
Member Deaths 0
Total Hired 6
Summit Hired 4
Hired Deaths 0
No Hired False
O2 Used True
O2 None False
O2 Climb True
O2 Descent False
O2 Sleep True
O2 Medical False
O2 Taken False
O2 Unknown False
Other Summits -
Campsites BC(09/04,5334m),C1(18/04,6096m),C2(22/04,6400m),C3(08/05,7315m),C4(09/05,7925m),Smt(26/05)
Route Notes Giorgio left South Col at 20:30 hours on May 25th, summited on 26th at 05:57 hours, stayed about 5 minutes. 10:00 hours to South Col to sleep. Next day to BC. Giorgio met Gelu coming down from summit at South Summit. Lhakpa Gelu Sherpa left BC on 25th at 17:00 hours, summited at 04:45 hours on 26th. Other Sherpas summited: Dawa Nuru/Danuru, Mingma Tshering and Lama Jangbu Sherpa. Three Sherpa brothers: 1) Lama Jangbu, 2) Lhakpa Gelu, 3) Danuru Members: Peterson suffered from cerebral edema at Lobuche. It was mild and doctor suggested him to go home. He made up through icefall (6000m) twice. Left BC April 29. Probably left country after 2 or 3 days of his arrival to KTM. Wolfgruber reached C1 first time on April 18, got respiratory infection, left BC on 20th. Wolfgruber said, it was disgusting to see the amount of garbage left by one of the major commercial expedition organizers at high camps. It is indeed disgraceful to mountain. They were the most disorganized camp compare several other camps put up by other expeditions. Giorgio returned to KTM on May 29 and leaves on June 2. Sherpa summiters: Mingma Tshering Sherpa, 2/8/70, 9th time Everest summit; Cho Oyu X2, K2 X1 Lhakpa Gelu Sherpa, 10/6/65, Cho Oyu X2, 10th time Dawa Nurbu/Danuru Sherpa, Kharikhola, 26 years old, 4th time Lama Jangbu Sherpa, 10/6/65, Kharikhola, 8th time Lhakpa Gelu on 27 June 2003 said an unsuccessful summit attempt was made by Giorgio and 5 Sherpas (not including Lhakpa Gelu) who had arrived at South Col on 19 May and on 20th May tried to go to top. Lama Jangbu and other Sherpas from other teams reached 850 m, Giorgio to only 8300m, and all turned back because of strong wind and fresh snow falling. They slept in C4 that night and next day to C2. 24 May Giorgio went up to C3, 25 May he and Sherpa summiters went to C4. Regarding Speed Climb. see attached by E. Hawley - Tourism ministry official said 11/7/03 that liaison officer at BC confirmed time when Lhakpa Gelu started up from BC for speed climb: LO wrote down the time then. Lhakpa Gelu's Speed climb of Everest, Spring 2003 - E. Hawley Lhakpa Gelu was a Sherpa with an American Expedition led by Paul Giorgio. His account (with some interpreting by his trekking agent, Rishi Nirula) of his climb to E. Hawley on 27 June, 2003 is as follows. On 25 May at 5:00 pm, Lhakpa Gelu left base camp alone and climbed alone all the way to the summit. He arrived at Camp II at 7:35 pm, had a drink and changed his clothes, then at 8:05 pm resumed his ascent. He arrived at Camp IV on the South Col at 0:30 am on the 26th and left five minutes later to go to the base summit. When he met many other climbers also going for the top, they allowed him to go ahead of them, and he was therefore not delayed as he went up the ropes. He reached the top at 3:56 am. When he had reached just 10-15 meters below the top, he met Apa Sherpa (from the American expedition led by Bob Hoffman) as Apa was descending. He asked Apa to come back up to the summit with him because he needed help to dig a hole in the snow, erect an iron flag pole (which he had carried in three sections), and to attach a brass flag of Nepal on top of it (the pole and flag weighed 5 kg). Apa agreed; they dug the hole with a snowbar they found on top, and Lhakpa Gelu used his hands. It was a very difficult to do this because of the strong wind. Apa also took a photo of Lhakpa Gelu standing beside the flag pole. (E. Hawley saw the photo; it is clearly that of Lhakpa Gelu). (Apa confirmed to E. Hawley that he had gone back up a short distance to the top with Lhakpa Gelu and took a photo of him after he himself had been on the summit at 3:41 am. Apa declined to estimate at what time he was on the summit with Lhakpa Gelu). Lhakpa Gelu says he left the summit at 4:20 am. After that, he did not check his watch as he descended. He stopped at the Col for 10-15 minutes and at Camp II 40 minutes. He arrived at base camp at 11:30 the same morning. He had suffered no frostbite or serious illness throughout the expedition and he had no accident. He started to use artificial oxygen when he left the Col for the summit. He had left the oxygen at Camp IV on an earlier visit. He used it all the way to the top, took off his mask to dig the hole and for the photo Apa took of him, then used it all the way down to Camp IV; after that, he only carried it, partly empty, plus an empty bottle, down to base camp. He left base camp at 11:00 pm on the 28th, arrived at Lukla airfield at 9:00 the morning, and caught a plane to KTM at 10:00 am. After Pemba Dorje, who maintained that his own ascent was still the fastest, insisted to the tourism ministry that Lhakpa Gelu was not telling the truth about the time he had reached the top and that Nepalese army climbers had found him going up the Hillary Step at 4:20 am, Lhakpa Gelu and his trekking agent, Rishi Nirula, submitted his supporting documents to the Ministry on 20th June. Unofficial translation His Majesty's Government Ministry of culture, tourism and civil aviation On May 26, 2003 at 3:56 am. Mr. Lhakpa Gyalu Sherpa, resident of Juving I. Solukhumbu district has claimed to have climbed Mount Everest in 10 hours 56 minutes and 46 seconds and established the world record. But Mr. Pemba Dorji Sherpa, resident of Dolakha Gaurishankar-1 requested the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation to undertake a serious investigation on the truth of this climb on Jestha 29, 2060. The Ministry therefore took a detail investigation on this matter and has concluded the following findings. 1. Mr Appa Sherpa, the first person to reach on the top of Everest on May 26th at 3:41 am and the 13th times Everest summiters has submitted the Ministry with the following information on Lhakpa Gyalu's record climb. At 3:41 am, reaching on the summit of Everest, I have contacted the concerned persons at the BC and gave the information of my ascent on the top. Then I was descending from the summit and met Lhakpa Gyalu Sherpa about 10 m below the summit. Lhakpa Gyalu Sherpa requested Appa Sherpa to accompany him to the summit and he agreed to go with him to the summit. Lhakpa Gyalu Sherpa contacted the BC staff from his Walkie Talkie set and Appa Sherpa also used the set to talk with the BC staff. Appa Sherpa also assisted Lhakpa Gyalu to erect the metal flag which he had carried from the BC, Appa also took pictures of Lhakpa Gyalu and Lhakpa Gyalu also took pictures of Appa on the top. 2. On the same day but after Lhakpa Gyalu reached the summit between 4:15 to 5:05 am, 17 persons from the same team of Joint Nepal and Indian Army Expedition leader has reported the following information to the Ministry on Ashar 25, 2060. 3. Mr Eckhard Schmitt, the leader of Jubilees Mount Everest Expedition in which Lhakpa Gyalu was involved has reported the Ministry and confirmed that Lhakpa Gyalu Sherpa reached the summit in 3.56.46 hours 4. The Liaison Officer based at Everest on the same day has the following information both by email and orally to the Ministry: Lhakpa Gyalu Sherpa left in the afternoon of May 25 at 5 pm from BC. In the morning of 26 May at 3.56.46 am, I received the report from Lhakpa Gyalu Sherpa while I was in my tent that he has reached the summit. The Liaison Officer has acted as the timekeeper and even BBC had broad shown the scene of this the previous day. Based on the above facts, photos, written information from other climbers both local and foreigners. His Majesty's Government of Nepal at the cabinet level decision on 29/07/03 has concluded that Lhakpa Gyalu Sherpa has climbed Mount Everest in 10 hours, 56 minutes and 46 seconds with the world record.
Accidents Peterson cerebral edema; Wolfgruber respiratory infection; Chhongba Nuru got his knee hurt (he fell in a small crevasse in South Col on 21st and next day sent to BC)
Achievement 3rd time summit; three brothers; speed record
Agency Mountain Madness
Commercial Route True
Standard Route True
Primary Route False
Primary Member False
Primary Reference False
Primary ID -
Checksum 2458884
Year 2003
Summit Success True
O2 Summary Used
Route (lowercase) s col-se ridge

Members

7 recorded members.

Name Sex Year of Birth Citizenship Status Residence Occupation
Paul Frank Giorgio M 1964 USA Leader Auburn, Massachusetts Real estate company owner Details Other expeditions
Curt M. Peterson M 1958 USA Climber Bellevue, Washington Investment broker Details Other expeditions
Josef (Joe) Wolfgruber M 1939 USA Climber Honolulu, Hawaii Retired real estate dealer Details Other expeditions
Lhakpa Gelu Sherpa M 1967 Nepal H-A Worker Kharikhola, Solukhumbu - Details Other expeditions
Dawa Nurbu (Danuru) Sherpa M 1976 Nepal H-A Worker Kharikhola, Solukhumbu - Details Other expeditions
Lama Jangbu Sherpa M 1964 Nepal H-A Worker Kharikhola, Solukhumbu - Details Other expeditions
Mingma Tshering/Tsiri Sherpa M 1970 Nepal H-A Worker Beding, Dolakha - Details Other expeditions

References

4 recorded references.

Expedition ID Journal Author Title Publisher Citation Yak 94
EVER03125 HIGH - - - 256:72 (Mar 2004) -
EVER03125 AAJ Hawley, Elizabeth - - 78:403-406 (2004) -
EVER03125 CLIM - - - 4:97 (Jun 2005) -
EVER03125 - - http://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/12200440300/Asia-Nepal-Malahangur-Asia-Nepal-Khumbu-Mt-Everest-Jubilee-An-Overview-of-Events-on-Everest-50-Years-After-Its-First-Ascent - - -